If you’ve resolved to expand your social connections this January, the Rock Island Public Library is offering two brand-new event series that can help – as well as a host of collections and services to help you explore new interests in 2025.
Get Connected this January (and Beyond) with Free Rock Island Public Library Events
Brand-new library event series starting this January for adults include Knit & Lit, a monthly craft time/movie pairing on the 2nd Thursday of each month, and Coffee & Conversations, an informal meetup for retired adults on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month.
The first Knit and Lit event is Thursday, January 9 from 1 pm to 3:30 pm at the Rock Island Library Watts-Midtown Branch auditorium, 2715 30th Street. Participants can bring a craft to work on while library staff play a literary movie with the lights on. This month’s literary movie is the latest adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s classic book, Little Women. Participants who don’t have a craft can try a library-provided project, or coloring sheets. (For those that bring a craft, seating is auditorium style, so plan accordingly.) Knit & Lit is free and open to all adults.
Twice-monthly Coffee & Conversation events will be offered on Thursday, January 9 and January 23 from 10 am to noon at the Rock Island Southwest Branch, 9010 Ridgewood Road. The drop-in social times are open to any adult, to help people meet their neighbors and create community. In addition to open conversation, coffee, and refreshments, each session will include optional activities. This program is made possible by ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds designated by the City of Rock Island, and is aimed at providing social connection and entertainment for retirees.
In a recent Harvard Graduate School of Education survey for the “Making Caring Common” project, 21 percent of adult respondents reported feeling lonely or disconnected from others. High percentages of self-reported lonely adults said they didn’t feel part of meaningful groups (67 percent.) 81 percent of lonely adults also reported feelings of anxiety or depression. The same study noted that library events can create social infrastructure that helps people find and sustain meaningful connections.
Adults with shared interests in military history can meet at a 2025 set of lectures offered by Army Sustainment Command historians from the Rock Island Arsenal. The 10-lecture series introduces a new topic for 2025 – the 250th anniversary of the United States Army. The series kicks off Wednesday, January 8 at 2 pm at the Rock Island Downtown Library, 401 19th Street. The lecture topic is “Foundations of the Nation, Revolutionary War,” and covers the years of 1775 to 1783. All events in the series are free and open to all.
Additional monthly events that also help participants find new connections include Tuneful Tuesdays, offered at noon on the first Tuesday of each month through April 2025 at the Rock Island Downtown Library, and an Adult Knitting Circle, which resumes on the third Monday in February at 2 pm, also at the Downtown Library. The January 7 Tuneful Tuesday features the “Wandering Patriots Harmonica Band.” The free performance of this popular parade band is from noon to 1pm.
Other opportunities for connection include the all-ages free Board Game Day, Saturday, January 18, from 10:30 am to 1:30 pm at the Downtown Library. New parents looking for adult conversation can also take advantage of Thursday Toddler Playgroups. The 10 am to noon drop-in sessions are offered every Thursday during winter at the Downtown Library Children’s Room, 401 19th Street. The playgroup offers unstructured free play time for ages 5 and under, and a chance for parents/caregivers to talk among themselves, too.
For those looking for help with other 2025 resolutions, Rock Island Public Library print and online collections are a great way to pursue a new interest, support lifestyle changes, find factual information, and research just about any subject. In addition to library books and other materials, here are just a few ways your Rock Island Public Library card can help you support 2025 goals:
- Make smart money decisions: Consumer Reports Online, Valueline stock and mutual fund research;
- Save on subscriptions: Kanopy, Hoopla, Libby by OverDrive, eRead Illinois Boundless collection, ComicsPlus, Freegal Music
- Find or develop a hobby: Creativebug for Libraries, Hobby & Craft Resource Center, Library of Things collections
- Stay informed: America’s News/Newsbank online newspapers (including local options,) New York Times online subscription
- Learn something new: Brainfuse HelpNow Adult Learning Center, Digital Learn.org, Niche Academy video tutorials
- Change jobs: Brainfuse JobNow job coaching and interview prep
- Make workouts go faster: Library audiobooks, Freegal Music streaming
- Read more: Beanstack reading tracker, library reading challenges, Novelist Plus, free library collections
For more information about library services and upcoming events for a wide range of ages, visit the library website, call 309-732-READ, or follow the Rock Island Library Facebook and Instagram social media sites. For information about getting or renewing a Rock Island Library card, see "Get a Card" at the library website.