All Rock Island Public Library locations and bookmobile routes will be closed Monday, May 29, in observance of Memorial Day. Online services will be available.

Locations reopen at normal hours Tuesday, May 30, with several events planned for the week. The library offers a Teen Movie Night from 5:30 to 7:30 pm on May 30 at the Rock Island Library’s new Watts-Midtown Branch, 2715 30^th Street. The 2018 animated movie is set in the “spiderverse,” and is rated PG. The event is free and open to ages 12 to 18 and families attending with them.

Toddler Tales storytimes are offered at 10:30 am on Tuesday, May 30 and again on Friday, June 2, both at the Watts-Midtown Branch, and at 11am on Wednesday, May 31, at the Rock Island Southwest Branch, 9010 Ridgewood Road, Rock Island. The free events offer stories, songs, and activities that support early learning for preschoolers ages 5 and under.

New Library2Go bookmobile routes start after Memorial Day, with the following schedule:

• Mondays (starting June 5): 1:30 to 2:30 pm at Goodwill, 4664 44^th St, and 3:00 pm to 4:00pm at the Martin Luther King Community Center, 620 9^th Street, both in Rock Island.
• Tuesdays: 2:30 pm to 3:30 pm at Longview Park, 1300 17^th Street, Rock Island.
• Thursdays: 10am to 11am at Wholly Grinds Coffee,2409 11^th Street, Rock Island, and 2:30 pm to 3:30 pm, at Centennial Shelter Park on Big Island Road, Hennepin Canal Lock 31, Milan.

The Library2Go bookmobile will also visit summer Spring Forward Learning Center camps, and has reserved 1:00 to 2:00 pm on Tuesdays for “pop-up” stops at other locations. Organizations interested in a summer pop-up visit should call bookmobile coordinator Carolanne Chouteau at 309-732-7338. Schedule updates on posted on Facebook and the Library2Go location page. 

The library’s summer reading program for all ages kicks off Wednesday, May 31, with a free event hosted in conjunction with the Quad City Botanical Center, 2525 4^th Avenue, Rock Island. Participants can drop in any time between 4pm and 6:30 pm to register for summer reading, enjoy the gardens, and visit activity stations from community agencies that offer multiple ways to “Find Your Voice” this summer. Participating organizations include: Common Chord, Genesius Guild, MetroLink bus, Living Proof Exhibit, Midwest Writing Center, QC Canine Assistance Network, Quad City Symphony Orchestra, Rock Island County Soil & Water Conservation District, Rock Island District Corps of Engineers, Rock Island Parks & Recreation, Spring Forward Learning Center, YMCA Youth programs, and the Wapsi Environmental Education Center.

Water stations will be available, so guests may want to bring a refillable bottle. Cool treats will be for sale at the Kona Ice truck. Rock Island Library2Go bookmobile will also be at the event, to stamp and collect RIPL location “passports” not yet turned in, check out books, and issue RIPL cards. The Botanical Center children’s garden will be available with extended hours, with free admission during the event. The event is free and open to all.

Find Your Voice Summer reading challenges for all ages are available from June 1 to July 31. Register anytime during the challenge at the library’s Beanstack site, or see staff at any location. A paper log is available for those who prefer to track on paper. The challenge rewards those who earn at least 10 badges for reaching reading or activity goals. Each badge earned also equals an entry for grand prize drawings at the close of the program. For more details on any of these events, visit the library website or events calendar.  

For more news about events and services at the Rock Island Public Library, visit the library website, follow library social media, or call 309-732-READ.

Find Your Voice this summer with reading and events for all ages, June 1 through July 31 at the Rock Island Public Library Downtown Library, Southwest Branch, Watts-Midtown Branch, and Library2Go locations.