Chicago pop-up bookstore offers 'pay what you can' services on West Side

CHICAGO -- A pop-up bookstore in Chicago's West Side neighborhood of North Lawndale is offering the neighborhood special books at a pay whatever they want, or they can, price.

Two organizations, North Lawndale Reads and Open Books, collaborated to open up the bookstore in what was once a vacant lot. North Lawndale Reads is an initiative that aims to help children learn to read at a younger age.

"We really need to work on increasing the amount of people who are reading at grade level," said Chelsea Ridley, North Lawndale Reads project director.

The pop-up bookstore will be open to the public on Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays 3 p.m. to 6 p.m at the corner of Central Park Avenue and Douglas Boulevard.