Skip to contentSkip to footer
      employer cover photo
      employer logo
      employer logo

      Chicago Public Library

      Is this your company?

      Chicago Public Library Reviews

      Compare reviews

      3.4

      65% would recommend to a friend

      (76 total reviews)
      avatar

      Chris Brown

      4% approve of CEO

      27% positive business outlook

      Ratings by category

      4.3

      Compensation and benefits

      3.7

      Diversity and inclusion

      3.5

      Career opportunities

      3.1

      Culture and values

      3.1

      Work/Life balance

      2.8

      Senior management

      Chicago Public Library has an employee rating of 3.4 out of 5 stars, based on 76 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Chicago Public Library employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Government and public administration industry (3.6 stars).

      Reviews by job title

      76 reviews
      2.0
      18 May 2026

      Meaningful work and pay, but poor leadership challenges

      Manager
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business outlook

      Pros

      Meaningful work, helping Chicagoans, good pay

      Cons

      The library commissioner is so out of touch with both Chicago and the staff that it’s painful. AI use to plan and direct work is rampant and frustrating. No support from the mayor/city, huge budget and staff cuts make the work much harder. It’s a struggle.

      2.0
      2 Apr 2026

      Not bad not great

      Librarian
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business outlook

      Pros

      Pay is decent, most roles are in the union. Get to work with people who care. Get to help people and make a positive difference in patrons' lives. I genuinely respect and admire the people I work with on a daily basis

      Cons

      Workload is very excessive in Special Collections and it is mentally and physically exhausting. Constantly asked to do more than job description. Some branches are dangerous and have little security or janitorial support. Low staffing. Open 7 days a week.

      Viewing 1 - 3 of 76 Reviews
      Related searches: Chicago Public Library jobs | Chicago Public Library salaries | Chicago Public Library benefits | Chicago Public Library interviews
      ReviewsChicago Public Library reviews

      Glassdoor has 79 Chicago Public Library reviews submitted anonymously by Chicago Public Library employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Chicago Public Library is right for you.