Rock Island, IL: "Communities Matter at Your Library" is the theme of National Library Week, April 14-20, and to celebrate, the Rock Island Public Library is bringing together varying interests, services, and communities of learners and readers.
Starting Monday, April 15, two new cultural and attraction passes will become available for checkout at the Rock Island Main, 30/31 and Southwest Branch Libraries. Patrons can now check out a free family pass for four to the Figge Art Museum in Davenport, or a pass for two adults and up to four children from Niabi Zoo, Coal Valley, in addition to the family passes for four already available for the Quad Cities Botanical Center, Rock Island. Passes check out for seven days, and must be picked up and returned in person at the issuing library branch. There is a $1 per day fee if passes are not returned on time.
Also on Monday, a new awareness service from Prairie State Legal Services starts 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 of the library 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.
Special events and activities offered at the Rock Island Library during National Library Week include :
Monday, April 15:
- 6:30 pm, Vegetable Gardening: A Feast for the Eyes and Palate, Rock Island Main Library Community Room, 401 19th Street. The free "liven up your landscape" program offers tips from Sandy Russell, of Tastes of the Rainbow, on how choosing organic or heirloom varieties can add color, nutrition and taste to a garden, from the flashes of gold of a Sunshine Cherry Tomato to the bright blue peppers of a Filius Blue pepper plant.
- 6:30 pm, Family Dinosaur Storytime, for all ages, Rock Island Southwest Branch Community Room: 9010 Ridgewood Road:
Tuesday, April 16:
- 10:30 am, Dinosaur Storytime for ages birth to five, Rock Island 30/31 Branch, 3059 30th Street.
- 5:30 to 7:30 pm, Blues and Gospel film and discussion, Main Library Community Room, 401 19th Street. The scholar-led discussion on Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues: Episode 1, Feel Like Going Home and Say Amen, Somebody, is the first of three Rock Island Library programs in the America's Music: A Film History of Our Popular Music from Blues to Bluegrass to Broadway series. 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, visit www.americasmusicqc.com
Wednesday, April 17:
- 10:30 am, Special "How I Became a Pirate" storytime presented by Circa 21, Southwest Branch, 9010 Ridgewood Road. Captain Braid Beard (Janos Horvath), from the Circa 21 Dinner Playhouse's new musical adventure, will stop by to help read stories, talk like a pirate and help with pirate crafts for ages birth to five. The musical is based on the popular children's book of the same name, by Melinda Long.
- 4:00 pm: Lego Time, Rock Island Southwest Branch, 9010 Ridgewood Road. Make something fun for display at the library with Lego-brand building blocks.
- 6:00 pm, Downloading eBooks demo, Southwest Branch, 9010 Ridgewood Road. Learn how to check out eBooks and eAudiobooks for free with your library card.
Thursday, April 18:
- 6:00 pm, Teen Movie Night, Rock Island Main Library, 401 19th Street. Free movie screening, snacks and more fun, just for ages 12 to 18.
Friday, April 19:
- 10:30 am, Dinosaur Storytime for ages birth to five, Rock Island Main Library Children's Room, 401 19th Street.
Saturday, April 20 - all events at Southwest Branch, 9010 Ridgewood Road:
- 10:00 am, El Dia Family Storytime, featuring a reading of Book Fiesta, by Pat Mora, who helped start the annual April celebration of children's books.
- 10:30 am, Saturday Lego Time, followed by an 11:30 am "Stem-tivity" on kite flying. STEM-tivity programs are fun, hands-on activities involving Science, Technology, Engineering or Math.
National Library Week highlights the importance of libraries, librarians, and library workers, and their commitment to the places where their patrons live, work and study. First sponsored in 1958, National Library Week is a national observance sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) and libraries across the country each April.
All programs are free and open to the public. 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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