Ray Bradbury developed his love for reading as a youngster at the Carnegie Library in downtown Waukegan, and when he died in 2012 at 91 the award-winning author willed his private collection of books, papers and memorabilia to the Waukegan Public Library.
While the typewriter Bradbury used to write his novels like “Fahrenheit 451? and the key to the city he received during one of his visits are on display in the library, the bulk of the collection is in storage boxes there as officials wrestle with ideas about how to share it with the community.
As library officials consider ideas, the Waukegan Historical Society and the Waukegan Park District, which operates the Waukegan History Museum, have their own suggestions.
Josh Bill, the historical society president, told the library trustees at their Nov. 17 meeting he hopes to have a permanent display in a separate room devoted to Bradbury in the renovated museum. Plans are in the design phase, with hopes for a groundbreaking early next year.
The library’s Board of Trustees will discuss the future of the Bradbury Collection at its next scheduled meeting on Dec. 15 at the library in downtown Waukegan, with a possible transfer or loan to the museum an option.
Jonathan Gaskill, the library’s interim executive director, said at the November meeting a loan or some form of transfer were possibilities, but in an interview Wednesday he did not want to comment on the collection’s specific future. It was appraised at $1.2 million in July.
“We want it to be used as Ray Bradbury intended when he gave it to the Waukegan Public Library, to benefit the people of Waukegan,” Gaskill said. “This is where he developed his love for reading. It was an important part of his education.”
Gaskill said much of the collection consists of books. Some were his own he kept to use when he did book signings. When one of his novels was translated into a foreign language, he kept that as part of the collection.
“He brought them along in case the bookstore ran out,” Gaskill said. “As long as people were in line, he was going to keep signing books.”
Along with books, there were magazines and newspaper articles Gaskill said he clipped. There are original screenplays he wrote for movies and books written by others given to him personally by the author. Bradbury had a relic from the original “Pinocchio” movie.
“He was a friend of Walt Disney,” Gaskill said. “I’ve barely scratched the surface,” he added, referring to the parts of the collection he has perused. “There is a lot of neat stuff. It is very cool.”
Ty Rohrer, the manager of cultural affairs for the Park District who is also involved with the historical society, has a vision. He wants to use a portion of the renovated Carnegie Library to recreate the children’s reading room where Bradbury became consumed with books.
Built in 1902, Rohrer said the Carnegie’s original children’s reading room contained 330 linear feet of book space. The Bradbury Collection needs 300 linear feet to be fully displayed.
“There is no better place in the galaxy to show the place where he fell in love with reading. The historical society wants a full transfer of ownership,” Rohrer said. “This is what Ray Bradbury wanted. There is a letter to that effect,” he added referring mail the author wrote before his death.
With the current history museum occupying approximately 2,000 square feet in Bowen Park, Rohrer said the renovated Carnegie Library will have between 6,000 and 8,000 square feet when fully refurbished. It is more than enough room to recreate the children’s reading room as a tribute to Bradbury.
“The Carnegie is the place Ray (Bradbury) fell in love with reading books,” Rohrer said. “It was in the children’s reading room. He talked about those experiences. In our plan to restore the room, we want to show how it looked when he was here as a child.”
While Bradbury may be better known for books like “Fahrenheit 451? and writing screenplays for Hollywood, Rohrer said when the author wrote about Green Town, he was telling stories about his time in Waukegan.
“He wrote about real people and real places,” Rohrer said. “He gave a real feel of the local Midwest around the 1930s.”
