Stephanie Kitchen MLIS ’05: A Passion for Books

This story appeared in the Fall 2021 Dominican Magazine



Stephanie Kitchen MLIS ’05 always wanted to own a bookstore. A lifelong book lover, she spent 13 years sharing her passion for reading as a librarian at Chicago Public Library’s Harold Washington Library Center.



Then her local bookstore closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Kitchen seized the moment and made an offer on the store, City Lit Books in Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood.



“Buying the store felt like a now-or-never opportunity,” Kitchen said. “All the pieces fell into place, and here I am.”



Since reopening on June 26, City Lit has emerged as a center of the community. “A lot of the work I do at the bookstore is similar to the type of work I did at the library—hosting events, bringing people together to talk about books,” Kitchen said. “The support from the community has been amazing. Everyone is so happy to see us open again.”