LINCOLN PARK — A cafe/book store that's banning laptops and strongly discouraging smartphone use is opening to the public next week.
Kibbitznest's Books, Brews & Blarney, 2212 N. Clybourn Ave., is hosting a grand opening party/book drive dubbed, "A Night With No Wifi," from 5:30-8 p.m. Oct. 6.
North Carolina-based artist and photographer Eric Pickersgill will be there to talk about his work, which is currently on display at the cafe.
Those who come out are encouraged to check out the cafe's selection of books, games and gift items, and munch on snacks like cheese plates, Chicago-style hot dogs and ice cream. Beverages including wine, beer and slow-brewed coffee will be sold.
Visitors are also asked to donate books to the liberal arts section of the cafe's library.
Most importantly, though, the event will give people a chance to "unplug" and strike up conversations with other like-minded folks, which is the goal of the anti-Internet cafe.
"Our responsibility is to extend ourselves beyond the electronic support systems that we have that are so easy," owner Anne Kostiner previously said. "It's important, because one of the basic aspects of being a human being is to communicate with each other."
The cafe is an offshoot of Kostiner's nonprofit company dubbed Kibbitznest, which is named after the Yiddish word kibbitz, which means "to chat."
Kostiner developed the nonprofit as a way to host poetry readings, educational workshops, art exhibits and other programming.
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