As Richard M. Daley transitions out of the office he’s held since 1989, his critics might remember him for the midnight dozing of Meigs Field, the cost overruns at Millennium Park, or the big parking-meter sellout. But the mayor’s most enduring civic legacy may be his commitment to the Chicago Public Library system, as evidenced by the 59 newly constructed or renovated branches in the mayor’s 22-year run, an unprecedented building boom through economic ups and downs. He was first recognized nationwide in 1997, when Library Journal chose Daley for its inaugural Politician of the Year award. Read more here>>>