Thanks to special events and a Rotary District 26420 and Rotary Club of Rock Island matching grant, parents can find fun ways to enjoy creative play and science learning at the Rock Island Public Library. 

The $1,200 grant from Rotary District 6420, matched dollar for dollar by the Rotary Club of Rock Island, enabled the library to purchase Sensory Play stations for each of its three library locations, as well as add 13 new STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) kits for its Youth Services collection. The grant doubled the amount of kits available to school age patrons. 

Sensory Play stations are available in the children’s area of the Rock Island Downtown Library, 401 19^th Street, Southwest Branch, 9010 Ridgewood Road, and Watts-Midtown Branch,2715 30^th Street. Children’s Room staff report that Sensory Stations have been a hit with the library’s young guests overall, and particularly at the library’s Winter Toddler Playgroups. A variety of covered bins are available with different textures, objects, and other sensors play materials to support open-ended play, spark curiosity, and early learning. 

The Winter Toddler playgroups, which started in December, offer free play for ages 5 and under with a caregiver every Thursday from 10 am to Noon at the Rock Island Downtown Library Children’s Room, 401 19^th Street. In addition to supporting unstructured free play for toddlers, the events allow young parents to find important social connections and peer support.  

The Rotary-funded STEAM learning kits are available to any Illinois library cardholder in the local Quad Cities area. They help enable-home learning and introduction to science learning, and have also supported STEAM activities at the library’s twice-weekly elementary after-school drop-in events. After-school activities for elementary school ages are offered from 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm on Tuesdays at the Watts-Midtown Branch 

“This generous grant is helping us provide unique literacy opportunities to our public. Since adding these items to our collections and children’s areas this past fall, these Rotary funded items have helps us provide families with creative experiences in our Children’s Room, and free access to quality literacy-boosting materials. “The Sensory Stands and the STEAM kits allow children to use many senses – vision, hearing, smell, and touch – and open new worlds of wonder to our young patrons,” said Susan Foster, youth services director at the Rock Island Library.  

To see which STEAM kits are available for check out, check the library’s PrairieCat catalog, or visit any Rock Island Public Library. 

For more information about library services and upcoming events for a wide range of ages, visit the Rock Island Public Library website, call 309-732-READ, or follow the Rock Island Library Facebook and Instagram social media sites .