In the aftermath of the 1871 Great Chicago Fire , Londoner A.H. Burgess , with the aid of Thomas Hughes , drew up what would be called the " English Book Donation , " which proposed that England should provide a free library to the burnt-out city . The Chicago Public Library was created directly from the ashes of the great Chicago Fire . Burgess wrote on December 7 , 1871 in the '' London Daily News '' that " I propose that England should present a Free Library to Chicago , to remain there as a mark of sympathy now , and a keepsake and a token of true brotherly kindness forever ... " After circulating requests for donations throughout English society , the project donated 8,000 books . Private donors included Queen Victoria , Benjamin Disraeli , Alfred Lord Tennyson , Robert Browning , John Stuart Mill , John Ruskin , and Matthew Arnold
Great Chicago Fire
Great Chicago Fire
Chicago Public Library