On May 17, patrons of the Davenport Library's Eastern Avenue Branch are invited to meet the victorious general whose strategy and tenacity won the Civil War, the president who struggled to rebuild his country after the war, and the husband and father whose final efforts were devoted to the financial support of his wife and family when Peter Grady delivers an informative, humorous, and touching portrayal in his solo program Unconditional Surrender: A Visit with Ulysses S. Grant.

Taking place in conjunction with the release of his third published book of poetry, Quad Cities author and spoken-word artist Aubrey Barnes – who writes and performs under the moniker Aubs. – will host a May 1 reading experience for it is Good, it is Written, a collection of 33 poems composed over the last three years. For many of us, that particular span might be recalled as a period of apathy, loneliness, and day-long Netflix binge sessions. For Barnes, it proved to be one of enormous opportunity.

Held in conjunction with the April 24 opening of the venue's exhibit Hidden Habsburgs in Iowa: 1846-1868, Davenport's German American Heritage Center will host a free Hidden Habsburgs in Iowa symposium on April 30, a morning and afternoon of presentations in which attendees are invited to learn more about the immigrants who came to the Quad Cities and left a lasting legacy.

On April 21, Utah-based author and university professor Branden Little will detail the programs and people that Herbert Hoover set up to feed millions in the online presentation Hoover: A 50-Year Humanitarian Odyssey, the latest informative and fascinating program in the Davenport Public Library's virtual 3rd Thursday at Hoover's Presidential Library & Museum series.