Rock Island, IL: January and February are the perfect months to curl up with a good book, and the Rock Island Library's Chill Out and Read winter reading campaign will promote leisure time reading for readers of all ages.
This year's Winter Reading kickoff takes a tropical twist with the Go Bananas for Reading event offered at the Quad City Botanical Center, 2525 4th Avenue, Rock Island. The Rock Island Library and the Botanical Center have teamed up to offer free family fun from 1:00 to 3:00 pm on Saturday, Jan. 14, during Be a Tourist in Your Own Backyard weekend. Participants can sign up for the library's winter reading contests and pick up a registration prize while supplies last, while enjoying games, sandcastle building, learning about banana plants in the Sun Garden, crafts for kids, adults and teens, and more fun. Admission is free.
The library's Winter Reading program encourages children, teens and adults to read for fun and relaxation. Chill Out and READ Winter Reading registration will be available for at the event and at any Rock Island Library after Jan. 14. Once participants sign up, they will receive an entry ticket for books checked out at Rock Island Libraries between Sat., Jan. 14 and Friday, February 17. Entrants will add their name and phone number, and drop tickets off at any Rock Island Library before 5 pm on Feb. 17. The more you check out, the more chances you have to win.
Participants who attend the Chill Out and Read Wrap Party, on Saturday, Feb. 18 will have the first chance to see if they've won drawings for valuable family prizes. The event, held from 1:00 to 3:00 pm, features door prizes for attendees, Winter Reading prize drawings, a craft from the QC Botanical Center, and a showing of an animated movie set on a tropical island with Robinson Crusoe and a cast of wild animal friends. Reading contest participants do not need to be present to win.
Other special events planned during the Winter Reading time frame include:
· Warm Up with a Winter Movie, Monday, Jan. 16, 2:00 pm, Main Library. Free showing of a family movie featuring a lovable, but very forgetful fish, and her search for her parents. For families. (The library is open on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.)
· Pokemon Go Night, Tuesday, Jan. 17, 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm, Main Library. Features Pokemon Go Gaming, trivia, crafts, and snacks. Free, for all ages.
· Hug-A-Book Dance Party, Thursday, Jan. 19, 6:00 pm, Main Library. Features dancing and singing to storytime songs. Each child receives a free book and set of storytime scarves. For ages 2 to five. Free, made possible with support from the Merrill Harris Fund of the Rock Island Public Library Foundation.
· Chill Out and Listen! Wednesday, Jan. 25, 6:00 pm, Main Library. Features tunes performed by the Quad Cities Ukulele Club. Free, all ages.
· Dance Me a Story event with Ballet Quad Cities, Feb. 1 at 10:30 am, Southwest Branch. Features a child-friendly introduction to ballet and acting out the story with a ballet dancer.
Ongoing library events offered during Winter Reading include a new monthly maker program for adults (SEW Much Fun on Jan. 18), STEM-Azing science projects for school kids on Jan. 18 and Feb. 15, Teen/Tween Gaming Night on Jan. 26, a Family Craft at the Southwest Branch on Feb. 14, and a Teen Anime Night on Feb. 16. For more details on these, and other events, please see the library calendar.
All events are free and open to the public, and do not require registration or participation in the winter reading program. With prizes available just for enjoying good books, readers of all ages will want to take time to Chill Out and Read!
For more information about Rock Island Library hours, services and programs, visit the library's online branch at www.rockislandlibrary.org, call 309-732-READ, or follow the library on Facebook or Twitter.
###
