It may be the “dog days” of August, but there’s still plenty of cool things to do at your Rock Island Public Library. From drop-in crafts for families to an open air book club, a class on downloading eBooks and an art show, there's something for everyone!
For families looking for something to do together, the Rock Island Downtown Library Children’s Room is offering free craft “make-and-takes” all month. Families can drop in anytime between 10 am to 6pm daily and 10 am to 2 pm on Saturdays to make a wide array of crafts. Craft supplies will be available all August at the Downtown Library location, 401 19th Street.
Visiting during the first full week of August? Make sure to bring back reading logs for the summer Level Up at Your Library reading challenge, which ended July 31. Prizes for the reading challenge will be available at all Rock Island Public Library locations through August 6. So far, Rock Island Public Library readers have completed an astounding 684,372 minutes of summer reading, far exceeding the original goal of 500,000!
If you’re looking to save a little money on digital book downloads, give library eBooks and audiobooks a try. The library will offer an introduction to the library’s digital book services with “eBooks Galore, Fill Your Reader with Great Reads from your Library” on Thursday, August 7. The free event is offered from 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm, also at the Downtown Library. Rock Island Public Library digital reading services, which include Libby by Overdrive, Hoopla digital, Boundless eRead Illinois are available to Rock Island Public Library cardholders only. Bring a current library card and a device to try them out.
For a free book discussion with non-fiction readers in mind, drop by the last Non-fiction Book Club meeting of the summer, held at Longview Park on Wednesday, August 13. Readers will discuss "The Small and the Mighty," by Sharon McMahon, from 5:30 to 6:30 pm by the lion statues at the park. Bring a lawn chair and join in. In the event of rain or extreme heat, the discussion moves to the Watts-Midtown Branch.
On August 15, the library’s second art show, Image and Idea, opens at the Rock Island Public Library Watts-Midtown Branch, 2715 30th Street. The show features the works of Tony Seabolt, Lisa Mahar, and Jeff Ignatius. A free public reception for Image and Idea is Friday, August 15, from 4 pm to 5:30 pm. Drop by for light refreshments and opportunities to chat with the artists about their work. This project is supported by Quad City Arts, through the Arts Dollars re-granting program, supported by The Illinois Arts Council Agency, a state agency, The Hubbell-Waterman Foundation, and the Quad Cities Community Foundation - Isabel Bloom Art Education Endowment.
Families with little ones ages two to five will want to check out “Hug-A-Book: Create” on Saturday, August 16 in the Downtown Library Community Room. The free early learning event features crafts and process art stations for preschoolers, all with a farm theme. To join the library for art around the barnyard, just drop in anytime between 10:30 am and noon. Each child also receives a free book and Hug-A-Book bag, The effort to build interest and love of reading is sponsored by the Merrill Harris Fund of the Rock Island Public Library Foundation. It is free and open to all.
And just a reminder - The Free Petting Zoo in Longview Park had to be rescheduled due to heavy rains in July. The new date is Saturday, September 6, from 10 am to 2 pm at Longview Park, 1300 17th Street, Rock Island. The event, which is presented by the Rock Island Library and Rock Island Parks & Recreation Department, features animals from Miller's Petting Zoo, free popcorn, a book giveaway, and the library bookmobile. It's free and open to all ages, and is presented with sponsorship from Rock Island Township.
For more free events and services at your Rock Island Library, visit the library website, call 309-732-READ, or follow Rock Island Library on Facebook and Instagram.