We’re in the early planning stages now, so we’ll have a lot more information in the next couple months.  In the meantime, follow us on Facebook and Twitter (@020_92pubcrawl)and be sure to support your local library!

It was so much fun! Thanks to all the bars for their hospitality, the awesome bus drivers, and all the amazing people who joined us.

If you want to commemorate the event, go to our store.

MARC your calendars for May 2012!

Look for updates of this event by subscribing via email, or on our Facebook fan page, or through Twitter (@020_92pubcrawl).

Support your local library!!!

1. Wristbands are $20.00 per person and all proceeds, less the cost of the buses, will go to charity.
2. Along with your wristband, you will receive one raffle ticket and 2 ballots for the costume contest
3. The charities are Lake Shore Animal Shelter and Sit, Stay, Read (click on the names to learn more)
4. Register the day of at Ravenswood Pub from 6:30 to 7:30
5. The first bus will leave promptly at 7:30 and the second bus will depart shortly after.

Now here’s some questions you bibliophiles might ask:

How does the costume contest work?

Each participant will receive 2 ballots at registration. Mingle and/or observe people throughout the night and hand one of your ballots to the person with the best literary costume and the other ballot to the person with the best librarian costume (your ballots will be marked “Librarian” “Literary”). You can hand them out right away or wait until right before the contest. Either way, at the final bar, Fireside Lounge, the participants with the most votes will be awarded a trophy! In the event of a tie, we’ll let the bartenders decide the winner.

What kind of costume should I wear?

One trophy will be awarded for best literary costume and another one for best librarian costume. Whether you throw on a pair of kooky glasses or dress as Emma Bovary, just keep in mind that you’ll be getting on and off of a bus. Be prepared to get at least a little wrinkled. Also, while we support intellectual freedom in every form, the bars have the final say of who is allowed in. In other words, wielding a sword, etc., would not be a good idea.

What if I don’t show up until later?

Well, are you rewarded for bringing books back late? It’s all for charity so we’d hope you would still contribute $20.00. We’ll have a few people who will carry wristbands, tickets, and ballots throughout the night. If you show up late, ask around and we’ll get you registered.

What’s in the raffle?

There are over 25 prizes in the raffle. Some are literary themed while many others were donated by the bars we’ll be visiting. The raffle will take place at Fireside Lounge at the end of the night.

How long will we be at each bar?

We’ll have two buses and they will be staggered so you can get on right away or wait until the next one. The final bus pick-up will be announced so don’t miss it or you’ll be looking for a cab.

What is the route?

It all starts at Ravenswood Pub at 6:30. At 7:30 the first bus departs. Each bus will go to O’Shaughnessy’s, then Piggery, then O’Donovan’s, and finally end at Fireside. We’ll stay at each bar for approximately 40 minutes, so you’ll need to do the math to figure out where we’ll be and when. Look at the page entitled “Map” or click here for another view.

What are the drink specials?

Open the image to the left to view a list of the specials.

Why should I support my local library?

Look here – but if you don’t go to your library, you’ll never know what it has to offer. So if you’re still not sure, go to your library and ask the librarians!

• Do you have any other questions? If so, leave a comment or ask it on the Facebook fan page.

Lastly, we’re very excited that this has turned into an annual event. Thank you so much for all of the great things we’ve read via Facebook, Twitter, etc. Turning something that is so much fun into an annual charitable event is a privilege. We’re looking forward to seeing everyone’s costumes and doing it all again in ’12. Also, we’re always excited to see a mention of the crawl, so, if you see something, please pass it along.

Now go to your library!

The pub crawl is just 2 weeks away! Today we picked up one of the last items for the raffle and now we have over 25 prizes.

There will be one last post on May 7th, with the final details of what to expect. For now, remember that we will register people at Ravenswood Pub from 6:30 to 7:30pm. At the last stop, Fireside Lounge, there will be a raffle and costume contest awarding a trophy for the best librarian costume and another trophy for best literary costume. You’ll receive your raffle ticket and forms to vote at registration.

If you haven’t been to the restaurant, it has great food, great service, and is easily accessible. The restaurant is housed in a former Chicago Public Library branch and, for those of you who love all things libraries (and who doesn’t?), its website is definitely worth taking a look at.

Thank you Branch 27 - we look forward to seeing you in the near future!

One of those final loose ends is to determine how many trips the bus will take. While we’ll be prepared for any number of participants, due to the mobility of this event, it would be helpful to at least get an estimated headcount. If you are on Facebook, and you plan on attending this event, please reply on this link (no need to reply if you are not attending).

There will probably be at least one or two more posts before May 14th, and one of the last posts will be a comprehensive list of the event details and what to expect. Until then, if you’re looking for something to do, go here.

Happy National Library Week!

Aside from having a costume contest at the end of the night, in which the best literary costume and best librarian costume will be awarded a prize, we will also be raffling off a few ‘literary’ items, as well as generous gifts provided by some of the bars we’ll be visiting. So not only is your twenty dollars being donated to a great cause, and not only are you getting discounted drinks, but you might even win a prize!

If this isn’t the most fun you’ll ever have at a bar with costumed librarians, then you certainly have some stories to tell.

“My encouragement to you is to go tomorrow to the library.” – Poet Maya Angelou

The bar list has been finalized! It all kicks off at Ravenswood Pub and ends back at the Fireside Restaurant and Lounge. Take a look at the map to get an idea of our route. Depending on the number of participants, we’ll either make 1, 2, or possibly even 3 bus trips. Stay tuned for further details!