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The article discusses the effects of the U.S. Great Depression on the Chicago Public Library (CPL) in Chicago, Illinois. According to the author, the Depression precipitated significant changes in internal and external library relations. Particular focus is given to the efforts of chief librarian Carl B. Roden to reform U.S. public libraries and to initiate adult education programs at the CPL. It is suggested that the effects of Roden's outreach programs, including the development of a local history collection and a series of community discussion forums, have had lasting significance to the community and illustrate the larger historical transformation of libraries from book repositories to community centers. Other topics include fiction, book purchasing, and library patrons.