02 Jul 2013

More Free Summer Fun at the Rock Island Library

By Lisa Lockheart
Learn How to Use Your Apple iPad

 

Apple computer logo Using Your Apple iPad: 6:30 pm Tuesday, July 2, Main Library, 401 19th Street. Want to learn more about what you can do with your Apple iPad tablet? Pick up some free tips and tricks, at a free hands-on how-to session at our Main Library.   (Please note: Main Library is the correct location. There was a misprint on the printed calendar.)

 

Make sure you bring your device! For Apple devices only.
Scrapbooking Session for Kids Continue in July
Compass Rose illustration with globe in middle

Have photos from your family travels? Learn how to keep your memories together with:

 

Kids' Scrapbooking Mondays: Free for 2nd grades and up. Materials supplied! 3:00 to 4:00 pm, July 1 at Main Library Children's Room, July 8 at 30/31 Branch, and July 15 at Southwest Branch.

 

Want some more free family fun next week? Check out:

 

Storytimes for ages birth to five at 10:30 am on Tuesday, at 30/31 Branch and Wednesday at Southwest.

 

Global Math Club: 3:30 pm, Tuesdays, June 11-16, Main Library. Fun with math, from tutor Elizabeth Russell.

To see all your traveling options, pick up a brochure or calendar today! Or visit our website.
Teen Events Go Beneath the Surface


Teens ages 12 to 18 are invited to practice a little "Cake Archeology" Tuesday, July 2, from noon to 1:00 pm at our Southwest Branch, 9010 Ridgewood Road.

 

Go Beneath the Surface to learn a little bit about cake decorating. And the best part, this is archeology you can eat! Free, open to ages 12 to 18.

 

Bring your bingo card summer reading form - you can knock off a square for attending a program!
And coming up next week, July 8-12
Join us for these special summer events: 

For adults/general audiences:
Native American drum Native American History of Rock Island, 6:30 pm, July 8 at Main Library, 401 19th Street. Learn about the early Native American tribes who called this area home, and about the archeological evidence that is still telling their story. Presented by Ferrel Anderson of the Quad City Archeological Society. 

eBook demo, 6:00 pm, July 10, at Southwest Branch, 9010 Ridgewood Road. Learn how to check out eBooks and eAudiobooks for free from your library with our OverDrive Media service. 

For children & families:
Boa constrictorSerengeti Steve reptile show: 3:30 pm, July 11, Main Library Community Room. Serengeti Steve brings his show of snakes, spiders, lizards and other crawly things to the library. You may have seen him on America's Got Talent, but you'll see him up close at the library. Find out what a snake feels like!  

For teens:
Library Mini-Golf: 6:00 pm, July 11, Main Library. Try your luck at a mini-golf course around the library. Complete our course with the best score to win great prizes. Ages 12-18.
New Service for Music Lovers!

Now you can download music from the Rock Island Library - and what's more, you can keep it.

 

Freegal Music serviceRegistered cardholders of the Rock Island Public Library with accounts in good standing can download three Freegal Music tracks in the MP3 format each month via the library website. Downloaded tunes become part of your personal music library - they do not disappear or need to be returned after a set period.  Sorry, this service is not available to patrons of non-subscribing libraries.

 

Full instructions  on the Rock Island Library website under "Download This."

 
06 Jun 2013

Summer Learning for Adults Goes Beneath the Surface of New Technology

By Lisa Lockheart

Rock Island, IL: For more and more adults, libraries are becoming go-to places to learn about new skills and technology, especially as services like music downloading and free eBook checkouts introduce additional ways to use library services and materials.

The Rock Island Public Library Adult Services department is no exception, offering 11 different events this summer where adults can learn about using library eBooks and audiobooks, downloading music and using either an Apple iPad or Android tablet computer.  Classes start next week and include the following free programs:

Getting Started Downloading Library eBooks & eAudiobooks: Learn how to use the Library's free download services to get eBooks and eAudiobooks to your computer, portable listening devices, tablets, and eReaders.

  • Wednesday, June 12th, 6:00 pm, Main Library, 401 19th Street
  • Thursday, June 27th, 1:30 pm, Main Library
  • Wednesday, July 10th, 6:00 pm, Southwest Branch, 9010 Ridgewood Road
  • Thursday, August 8th, 6:30 pm, Main Library

Using Your iPad: Learn more about your iPad, and what you can use it for. Bring your device with you for a free hands-on session with tips and tricks. This program is for owners of Apple devices only.

  • Thursday, June 13th, 2:30 pm, Main Library
  • Tuesday, July 2nd, 6:30 pm, Main Library

Getting Started Downloading Music: With the Rock Island Library's subscription to Freegal Music Service, you can use your library card to download free music. Learn how to use this new service on a variety of devices.

  • Wednesday, June 19th, 6:30 pm, Main Library
  • Wednesday, July 24th, 6:30 pm, Southwest Branch
  • Tuesday, August 13th, 2:00 pm, Main Library

Using Your Tablet: Learn more about your tablet computer, and what you can use it for. Bring your device with you for a free hands-on session with tips and tricks. This program is for owners of Google Android devices only (includes Amazon Kindle Fire tablets.)

  • Thursday, June 20th, 2:30 pm, Main Library
  • Monday, July 22, 6:30 pm, Main Library

Going beyond technology, the Rock Island Library has one more opportunity for adults to work on an important life skill: Getting organized! Professional organizer and national speaker Mona Brantley, owner of the business "Organize That," will present 5 Steps to Getting Organized on Tuesday, August 20 at 6:30 pm at the Main Library, 401 19th Street. Learn the one difference between organized and disorganized people, while understanding why you may have trouble getting or staying organized. Participants will both laugh and learn as Brantley provides logical and helpful hints, tips, and tricks that will make a difference in your life.

All events are free and open to the public. Registration is not required.  The full list of summer programs is available at http://www.rockislandlibrary.org/page/summer-your-library, as well as in the Summer Events brochure and calendars available at all Rock Island Libraries.

For more news about Rock Island Public Library events, call 309-732-7323 (READ) or follow the Rock Island Library on Facebook and Twitter.

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31 May 2013

Explore Travel Planning, Local History and Movies with June Events for Adults

By Lisa Lockheart
The free Have Book Will Travel presentation features travel agent Marsha Holmes from Gulliver's Travel Agency. She will provide guidelines for planning a trip, whether that journey involves driving or flying, or to destinations in the USA or overseas. Participants are encouraged to bring travel questions.

In other June programs for adults, the Rock Island Library will offer historic tours of Chippiannock and Riverside Cemeteries with local cemetery expert Minda Powers-Douglas. The Chippiannock tour meets at the cemetery's 12th Avenue gate at 7:00 pm on Monday, June 10.  The Riverside tour meets at 7:00 pm on Monday, June 17, at the cemetery's 5th Avenue gate. Both tours are free and open to the public, and will feature highlights of the art and stories behind two of the area's oldest cemeteries. Registration is requested, but not required for the tours. To sign up, call the library at 309-732-7341.

The Rock Island Library will also show free "movie flicks" featuring films based on books during the summer. The first movie, based on the novel  Jaws, by Peter Benchley, starts at 5:30 pm on Tuesday, June 18 in the Main Library, 401 19th Street. Free popcorn will be provided.

All events are free and open to the public. The full list of summer programs is available at http://www.rockislandlibrary.org/page/summer-your-library, as well as in the Summer Events brochure and calendars available at all Rock Island Libraries. For more news about Rock Island Public Library events, call 309-732-7323 (READ) or follow the Rock Island Library on Facebook and Twitter.

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31 May 2013

Looking for Something to Do this Summer? Have Book, Will Travel at your Rock Island Library

By Lisa Lockheart

Rock Island, IL: If the high cost of gas lately has you rethinking summer travel plans, Have Book Will Travel is the way to go for family entertainment. The Rock Island Public Library will offer more than 100 free events and summer reading contests for children, teens and adults starting Monday, June 3.

Originally created by libraries to keep children's reading skills current over the summer break, Summer Reading now rewards readers of all ages for reaching set reading goals. Children from pre-school through 6th grades can pick up Have Book - Will Travel reading logs at any Rock Island Library location and track their reading by time or by titles from June 3 to July 26. Prizes and extra chances to win are awarded at the half-way and completion points of each log. Prize pick-up starts June 17.

Weekly children's events for summer start the week of June 10 with Scrapbooking Mondays for children, Math Club, Storytimes and Legos. The first special performance for summer starts with Niabi Zoo visiting the Main Library at 11:00 am on Thursday, June 13. Among the new events for children and families this year include a Games Around the World night at the 30/31 Branch on June 27, and two new performers, the Serengeti Steve reptile show and Mad Mixtures science experiments in July.

Adults can simply fill out one entry form for every book they complete from June 3 to July 26. Winners will be chosen by random drawing from completed entries, with prizes including a Kindle eReader, Kindle Fire HD and a variety of gift cards. To make a note of the books you'll travel with, visit any Rock Island Library to pick up a free Have Book Will Travel notepad (available on June 3, while supplies last.)  Free events for adults kick off with the "'Have Book Will Travel" travel planning program at 6:30 pm on Tuesday, June 4. . Other new events include guided cemetery tours of Chippiannock and Riverside, Native American history program, and free instructional programs on using an Apple iPad, Android tablet, and downloading music.

Teens ages 12 to 18 can dig into reading with the Beneath the Surface bingo card log, which allows them to fill in squares for reading, attending programs, watching a movie based on a book, writing a book review, or even filling out a program survey.  Ten completed squares qualify teens for prize drawings of gift cards or a Kindle. 25 completed squares qualify teens for an automatic prize.  Free events start June 7, with a Teen Feature movie at 1:00 pm at the Main Library. New events include a library treasure hunt and "zombie night" in June and cake archeology, library mini-golf and candy architecture programs in July.

All events are free and open to the public. The full list of programs is available at http://www.rockislandlibrary.org/page/summer-your-library, as well as in the Summer Events brochure and calendars available at all Rock Island Libraries.

For more news about Rock Island Public Library events, visit www.rockislandlibrary.org, call 309-732-7323 (READ) or follow the Rock Island Library on Facebook and Twitter.

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10 May 2013

Explore the World of Bike Touring at Rock Island Library on May 13

By Lisa Lockheart

Rock Island, IL: May is bike month, so it's only fitting that Rock Island author and bicycling advocate Chuck Oestreich will be at the Rock Island Library on Monday to informally discuss his book, "Bicycle Moon," and discuss the ins and outs of touring on two wheels.

His informal discussion, Bike Touring and Book Writing, will be presented at 6:30 pm, on Monday, May 13 at the Rock Island Main Library, 401 19th Street.  Writing a novel has been one of Chuck Oestreich's  lifelong dreams, and he'll talk a little bit about the story, his experiences in writing it, along with some practical tips he's learned over the years about bicycle touring.  Participants are urged to add their own bike touring experiences and tips.

Though the novel's hero spends much of the book on a bike,  bicycling is only part of the story in Bicycle Moon. What's more central to the book is a man drifting through life without much happiness or ambition. But when he accidentally takes off across mid-America on a bike, he has experiences which are singular, to say the least. Romance, suspense, interesting characters, and a whirlwind climax in a small Iowa town all add to the story.

This is not a book signing. No books will be for sale. If you do have a copy, the author will sign it. The author is a long-time Rock Island resident and teacher. He taught English at Rock Island High School for more than 30 years, currently writes a bicycling column for the Rock Island Argus/Moline Dispatch, and is involved in state-wide and local bike activism. He has bike toured cross-country in America and in ten foreign countries.                    

For more news about Rock Island Public Library events, visit www.rockislandlibrary.org, call 309-732-7323 (READ) or follow the Rock Island Library on Facebook and Twitter. A monthly calendar of library events is available online and at Rock Island Library locations.

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10 May 2013

Rock Island Library Hosts Civil War Documentary Screening

By Lisa Lockheart

Rock Island, IL: The Rock Island Public Library will host a screening and discussion by Heritage Documentaries on Thursday, May 23 of "The Rock Island Civil War Prison: Andersonville of the North?" The screening starts at 6:30 pm in the Community Room of the Rock Island Main Library, 401 19th Street. The event is free and open to the public.

The 30-minute documentary tells the story of the Rock Island Confederate prison camp using dramatic photos and other high-definition images.  It documents the life of prisoners using their own words from diaries and letters and demonstrates that the death rate at Rock Island was much lower than the astonishing death rate at Andersonville Prison in Georgia. The title, "Andersonville of the North," is derived from a passage in Margaret Mitchell's literary classic, Gone with the Wind.

Writers/directors Ed Isenberg and Ezra Sidran will be present to discuss the production and answer questions. The documentary is also available on DVD.

For more news about Rock Island Public Library events, visit www.rockislandlibrary.org, call 309-732-7323 (READ) or follow the Rock Island Library on Facebook and Twitter. A monthly calendar of library events is available online and at Rock Island Library locations.

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09 May 2013

News Release: Rock Island Public Library to Offer Downloadable Music

By Lisa Lockheart

(Rock Island, IL) Rock Island Public Library has joined Library Ideas™' network of public library websites that offer access to over 3 million songs, including Sony Music's catalog of legendary artists.

The Freegal™ Music Service will allow the Rock Island Public Library to increase the size and diversity of its music collection by offering access to over 10,000 music labels from 65 different countries.

Under the terms of the agreement, registered card holders of the Rock Island Public Library can download a select number of Freegal Music tracks in the MP3 format each month at no direct cost via the library website, www.rockislandlibrary.org.  The library will underwrite the purchase of the music.

Libraries all over the world subscribe to the Freegal Music Service, including the Princeton (NJ) Public Library, Maricopa County Library District (AZ), The Edmonton Public Library (AB), Orange County Public Library (FL), The Biblioteche di Bologna (IT), Nashville Public Library (TN) and Fairfield Public Library (CT).

The Freegal Music Service recently announced the availability of free mobile apps for registered cardholders of subscribing libraries.  The Freegal Music apps are available in the Apple® App Store and Google Play®.

"Sony Music has an incredibly expansive and popular catalog and we are really excited to partner with them on this, a very important product for libraries," said Brian Downing, co-founder of Library Ideas.  "A library is a focal point of the community that requires many tools to excite people about library resources.  More than anything, that is the reason for the service."

Facts about the Rock Island Public Library subscription to Freegal Music Service:
•       Users must have a Rock Island Public Library card in good standing.
•       Patrons will need their library card number and PIN to access the website.
•       Up to three (3) songs may be downloaded per patron per week.
•       Downloaded songs become part of the patron's personal music library. They do not need to be returned, nor do they disappear after a set time-period.
•       Downloaded music will play on a variety of devices.

The library has scheduled a number of programs on using the downloadable music service. For details, visit www.rockislandlibrary.org, call 309-732-7323 (READ) or follow the Rock Island Library on Facebook and Twitter. A monthly calendar of library events is available online and at Rock Island Library locations.

For questions about using the Freegal Music Service, or other downloadable materials from the Rock Island Public Library, please contact the library's Reference Desk at 309-732-7341.

About Library Ideas:   Library Ideas is a global leader in providing digital content to all kinds of libraries, and is located in Fairfax, Virginia.  The Company offers music, eBook and language learning solutions to libraries as part of its developing product suite.  Library Ideas was named "One of the Top 100 Companies in the Digital Content Industry for 2011-12" by EContent Magazine.

About Sony Music Entertainment

Sony Music Entertainment is a global recorded music company with a current roster that includes a broad  array of both local artists and international superstars. The company boasts a vast catalog that comprises some of the most important recordings in history. It is home to premier record labels representing music from every genre, including Arista Nashville, Beach Street Records, BNA Records, Columbia Nashville, Columbia Records, Day 1, Epic Records, Essential Records, Flicker Records, Kemosabe Records, LaFace Records, Legacy Recordings, MASTERWORKS, Polo Grounds, RCA Records, RCA Nashville, Reunion Records, Roc Nation, Sony Classical, Sony Music Latin, Star Time International, Syco Music, Verity Gospel Music Group, and Volcano Entertainment. Sony Music Entertainment is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America.

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03 May 2013

Registration Open for Summer Workshops for Children at Rock Island Library

By Lisa Lockheart
Rock Island, IL: If you're looking for an at-home getaway for the family, "Have Book Will Travel" is the theme of this year's Summer Reading program for children, going on June 3 to July 26 at all Rock Island Public Library locations. Adding in six weeks of "Beneath the Surface" reading themes and special events for teens and adults, and the Rock Island Public Library will offer more than 98 ways for people of all ages to enjoy summer.

Registration is now open for free six-week art and drama children's workshops that begin the week of June 10 at the Main Library, 401 19th Street.

Summer Drama Workshop for Grades 3 and up: Rehearsals are held from 1:00 to 3:00 pm on Mondays and Wednesdays, June 10 to July 17, with a public performance of the students' show on Thursday, July 18 at 1:00 pm.

Have Art, Will Travel Workshop for Grades 3-7: Explore the world through art, with a lesson focusing on a different artist and facts about that artist's country each week. Programs are offered on Tuesdays, June 11 to July 16, from 2:00 to 3:00 pm.

Enrollment is limited and registration is required. To sign up, call the Rock Island Library Children's Department at 309-732-7360. Summer art and drama is funded by an ongoing bequest from the Geifman Memorial for Art and Drama of the Rock Island Public Library Foundation.

Additional summer children's events include Math Club, storytimes, movies, scrapbooking Mondays, and a range of performers, including Niabi Zoo, Serengeti Steve reptile program, Mad Mixtures science demonstrations from the Bluedorn Science Imaginarium, and Babaloo music and comedy act.

For more news about Rock Island Public Library programs or services, visitwww.rockislandlibrary.org, call 309-732-7323 (READ) or follow the Rock Island Library on Facebook and Twitter. A monthly calendar of library events is available online and at Rock Island Library locations.

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22 Apr 2013

Rock Island Library Line April 22

By Lisa Lockheart
Money Snart Shred Day is Thurs, April 25

Money Smart Week logo 2013 Have some personal documents you want securely shredded?

 

Bring them to the Rock Island Library Community Shred Day, Thursday, April 25. The drive-up and drop-off event is outside the Main Library downtown, 401 19th Street, along the south (alley) side of the library. Drop off items from 3:30 to 5:30 pm with representatives of Document Destruction & Recycling Services, a certified shredder. Items will be shredded in bulk at the monitored DDRS plant in Davenport. The service is free and open to anyone.
Celebrate Shakespeare's Birthday With Us!

The commonly accepted birthday for William Shakespeare is Willam Shakespeare with birthday hat April 23, but we're hedging our bets by celebrating twice! Join us for two fascinating programs next week on works of the great Bard:

 

Who is Macbeth? Tuesday, April 23, 6:30 pm, Rock Island Main Library, 401 19th Street. Don Wooten and the Genesius Guild celebrate the bard's birthday with a look at this fascinatingly complex character and play.Who was MacBeth really? What do we know about him?

 

Shakespeare's The Tempest: Thursday, April 25, 6:30 pm, Rock Island Main Library. Believed to be the last play Shakespeare wrote alone, The Tempest continues to fascinate actors and audiences. Find out why, as we watch a scene presented by Rockridge High School actors, followed by a discussion from the Prenzie Players.
More for May

Foreign Letters cover low resolution Independent Movie. Foreign Letters: Thursday, May 2 at 6:00 pm, Main Library. Ellie, a 12-year-old immigrant girl from Israel, is lonely and homesick. Life brightens when she meets Thuy, a Vietnamese refugee her age. Based on the filmmaker's own experience, Foreign Letters is a story about prejudice, poverty, shame, and the power of friendship to heal us. Movie is in English, Hebrew, and Vietnamese with English subtitles.

 

Also on May 2 - Monthly half-price Friends book sale at 30/31. Sale open during library hours, 9 am to closing time. Display of quilts also opens at Main Library art gallery.

 

Bike Touring and Book Writing, Monday, May 13, 6:30 to 7:30 pm, Rock Island Main Library - 401 - 19th Street. Chuck Oestreich will informally discuss his novel, "Bicycle Moon," and lead a discussion about practical tips for touring on a bike.

 

Andersonville of the North? Rock Island Civil War Prison film/discussion: 6:30 pm, Thursday, May 23. Heritage Documentaries screens a 33 minute on the Rock Island Civil War prison camp on Arsenal Island, with discussion afterward by members of Heritage Documentaries, who made the film.

 
America's Music Rocks the House May 7 and  9
  • America';s Music Logo GraphicMaybe you remember that electric moment when Bob Dylan amped up his guitar, maybe you don't. But the history of classic rock is filled with game-changing moments, some of which we'll explore at our May "America's Music" programs at the Rock Island Main Library, 401 19th Street:  
    • Rock 'n' Roll film and discussion:5:30-7:30 pm, Tuesday, May 7. Film: History of Rock n' Roll: Plugging In.
    • Rock Music Performance, featuring Meet the Press. 6:00 pm, Thursday, May 9. First formed in 1984 with Robbie Bahr, John Resch, Dan Allen and Steve Law, Meet the Press reformed in 2012 with Bahr, Resch and Law. The band had local radio hits in 1985 and 1986, and toured with Edgar Winter, Foghat and Head Start.

America's Music is a grant-funded series of film viewings, discussions and performance events at Rock Island, Moline, Bettendorf and Davenport Public Libraries, River Music Experience and Western Illinois University-Quad Cities. For more events in the series, or to add your own musical memories to the Quad Cities Music oral history project,  visit www.americasmusicqc.com
PrairieState Legal Services at Main Twice a Week

A new awareness service from Prairie State Legal Services is available twice a week at the Main Library, 401 19th Street.

 

Trained volunteers from Prairie State Legal Services will be available from 2:00 pm to 4:30 pm on Mondays and Wednesdays on the 2nd floor to offer information and assistance with navigating public benefits for food, cash, medical assistance, disability and township assistance.

Prairie State Legal Services volunteers cannot offer legal advice.

 
Last International Storytime Next Week

Quetzacoatl imageStart your family's Saturday off right with tales from around the world for the whole family!

 

Each of the short storytimes start at 10:00 am, and include a fun activity:

 

Saturday, April 27: Main Library Children's Room
19 Apr 2013

Rock Island Library Offers Free Shred Day on Thursday, April 25

By Lisa Lockheart

Rock Island, IL: In the minute it takes you to read this sentence, 19 people will fall victim to identity theft, according to Trans Union credit bureau. To help you keep your personal information private, the Rock Island Public Library will offer a free Community Shred Day next week.

The 6th annual drive-up and drop-off event on Thursday, April 25 runs from 3:30 to 5:30 pm outside the Rock Island Main Library, 401 19th Street. Participants should pull up along the south side of the library, entering from 20th Street onto the one-way alley. Representatives from Document Destruction and Recycling Services will be on hand to take custody of documents. All materials will be secured in locked bins and shredded in bulk under monitored conditions at the DDRS plant in Davenport. The service is free and open to anyone, regardless of library affiliation or city of residence.

The Rock Island Library collected 5,192 pounds of paper at its 2012 Shred Day event. Additional library Shred Days are available at the Davenport Fairmount Branch Library on Saturday, April 20, Bettendorf Public Library on April 24 and Moline Public Library on April 27. The projects are part of Money Smart Week Quad Cities. For additional events, please visit www.moneysmartweek.org.

Document Destruction and Recycling Services, an affiliate of City Carton Recycling, has provided confidential materials destruction services since February 1996.

For more news about Rock Island Public Library events, visit www.rockislandlibrary.org, call 309-732-7323 (READ) or follow the Rock Island Library on Facebook and Twitter. A monthly calendar of library events is available online and at Rock Island Library locations.

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