Washington, D.C. - Congressman Dave Loebsack will be speaking at a groundbreaking event at the Rock Island Arsenal TODAY, March 19th at 9:00am to kickoff an energy efficiency project. The Energy Savings Performance Contract (ESPC), which was awarded to Honeywell Federal Systems Group, will help increase energy efficiency in the Planting Department and result in a savings of $127 million over the next 20 years. As the only member of the Iowa delegation to serve on the House Armed Services Committee, Loebsack has worked to improve and strengthen the Rock Island Arsenal. Media are invited to attend.

Energy Savings Performance Contract Groundbreaking Ceremony

WHO Congressman Dave Loebsack

Colonel David J. Luders, Commander, Rock Island Arsenal Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center

COL Robert Ruch, Commander, U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center

Mr. Kevin Madden, Managing Director, Federal Systems Group

WHAT Dave will speak at the groundbreaking event to kickoff an energy efficiency program at the Arsenal

WHERE Weld Shop

Building 212

Rock Island Arsenal

TIME Program begins at 9:00am

NOTE:  All media must check-in at the main Arsenal gate and proceed directly to the Weld Shop

Western Illinois University-Quad Cities Professor of English Everett Hamner will lead a discussion of Octavia Butler's novel Kindred on Thursday, April 3rd, 7:00 p.m. at the Moline Public Library.  Space is limited, so registration is required.  To borrow a copy of the novel and register for the discussion, visit the library at 3210 - 41st Street, or call 309-524-2470.

This book discussion of Kindred is presented as part of the six-week series Created Equal and Changing America, which explores our nation's civil rights history through film, exhibition, and presentations.  The novel tells the story of Dana, a black woman living in 1976 Los Angeles who finds herself travelling through time to the 19th century South, where she saves the life of her ancestor, the white son of a slaveholder.  Kindred uses science fiction to explore the themes of slavery, race, and gender.   Octavia Butler (1947-2006), one of the most acclaimed female authors in science fiction, and has been praised for "writing the most detailed social criticism and creating some of the most fascinating female characters in the genre" (The Village Voice).

Leading the discussion is Dr. Everett Hamner, who earned his master's degrees from Johns Hopkins and Regent College (University of British Columbia) and his PhD from the University of Iowa.  His essays may be found in such journals as American Literature, Modern Fiction Studies, Religion and Literature, and Science Fiction Studies.

Created Equal: America's Civil Rights Struggle is made possible through a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, as part of its Bridging Cultures initiative, in partnership with the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History.

Changing America is presented by the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture and the National Museum of American History in collaboration with the American Library Association Public Programs Office. The traveling exhibition is made possible by the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the human endeavor.

Local support for Created Equal and Changing America has been provided by Friends of the Moline Public Library, WQPT, and The Moline Dispatch/Rock Island Argus/QCOnline.

Join us for St. Patrick's Themed Super Saturday Fun on Saturday, March 8 at our Southwest Branch!

11:00 am- Saturday Storytime- Stories & fun on the color Green for birth to five

2:00 pm St. Patrick's Party-Games, fun, crafts for all ages.

Get your green on! Free - at our Southwest Branch, 9010 Ridgewood Road

Knit for Peace - 6:00 pm, Tues., March 11, Main Library, 401 19th Street.

Join this group of knitters for your knitting or crocheting projects. The group brings their own projects or works on donations for the local hospitals and shelters.


And get set for spring, which can't come fast enough ....

Spring Gardening & Landscaping Series

6:30 pm, March 18

Attracting Bees & Other Pollinators to your yard.

6:30 pm, March 26

Teas Me: Growing, Harvesting & Enjoying Your Own Teas

Where? Main Library Community Room, 401

Morning Storytimes for birth to 5

10:30 am-Tues., March, 4 and 11, 30/31 Branch

Wed., March 5 & 12, Southwest Branch

Fri., March 7 & 14, Main Library



Evening Family Storytimes

6:30 pm, Monday, March 10, 30/31 Branch

Monday, March 17, Southwest Branch.

Finish your day with a fun story!

Lego Block Times

Develop your child's creativity and building skills.

4:00 pm on:

Wed., March 12 - Main Library

Wed., March 19-30/31 Branch

Wed., March 26 - Southwest Branch

Plus, mark your calendars for these free events during Rock Island/Milan school break!

Tech Fun-Making Videos with Animoto

6:00 pm, March 18

Main Library

Learn how to make a quick video using your own pictures. Bring a flash drive or disk with pictures.
Free-Registration required-call 732-7360
Grades 2 and up

Tech Fun-Using TumbleBooks & BookFlix

4:00 pm, March 27

Main Library Children's Room

Drop in and learn about all the fun you can have reading free animated books online.  TumbleBooks & Scholastic Book Flix are free library services. Parents, this is a great way to interest your child in reading!
Grades K-6 and families

Teen Iron Chef Contest

6:30 pm, March 10,

Main Library

Test your culinary skills against other teens for fun & prizes. Ages 12 to 18. Free!

Have a computer question? Get answers at the Main Library "Computer Help Desk" on the third week of each month. Drop in from 1 to 3 pm, Monday-Friday at the Main Library Reference Desk for questions about using Microsoft Office programs, Email or the Internet. 

Next "Computer Help Desk" is March 17-21.

Library staff can show you how to find a website, but cannot help you fill out forms, provide legal, banking or tax advice, or assist with entering personal information.

The Moline Public Library is pleased to kick off a six-week look at our nation's civil rights history.  Beginning Monday, March 24^th, the travelling exhibition Changing America: The Emancipation Proclamation, 1863 to the March on Washington, 1963 will be on display on the library's 2^nd floor.  This exhibit, which examines the relationship between these two great people's movements that tell the larger story of liberty and the American experience, will be on display until April 30^th.

In conjunction with Changing America, the Moline Library, with program partners Rock Island Public Library and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center, will feature the film screening and discussion series Created Equal: America's Civil Rights Struggle.  The four documentaries, produced with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities, tells the remarkable stories of individuals who challenged the social and legal status quo of deeply rooted institutions, from slavery to segregation.  The first viewing and discussion session, featuring The Loving Story, will be held at the Rock Island Main Library Saturday, March 29^th at 2:00 p.m.

Additionally, the Moline Public Library is hosting several programs which will highlight the milestones, prominent figures, and themes of Changing America and Created Equal.  A full schedule and descriptions of events can be found at molinelibrary.com/createdequal.

The series schedule, in brief, is as follows:

The Created Equal film and discussion series will be hosted by program partners:

The Loving Story, with discussion led by Reverend Dwight Ford of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center, will be at Rock Island Main Library (401 19^th Street, Rock Island) on Saturday, March 29^th at 2:00 p.m.

Slavery by Another Name, with discussion led by Dr. Christopher Whitt of Augustana College, will be at Moline Public Library on Monday, April 14^th at 6:00 p.m.

The three part documentary The Abolitionists will be screened at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center (630 7^th Avenue, Rock Island) at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 15^th, April 22^nd, and April 29^th, with discussion led by Rev. Ford.

Freedom Riders, with discussion led by Dr. Whitt, will be at the Moline Public Library on Monday, April 21^st at 6:00 p.m.

All other events will be held at the Moline Public Library:

The series' keynote address, Still Moving: The 1960s Civil Rights Movement and Living History will be presented by Dr. Paul Bushnell at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 1^st.

A book discussion of Kindred by Octavia Butler will be led by Western Illinois University-Quad Cities' Dr. Everett Hamner on Thursday, April 3^rd at 7:00 p.m.  Registration is required for this event and can be done at the library or by calling 309-524-2470.

A discussion of our regional history and The Underground Railroad will be presented by Dr. Arthur Pitz on Tuesday, April 8^th at 7:00 p.m.

Illinois Humanities Council's Road Scholar Donna Pierce will discuss the role of food between 1915 and the late seventies in Meals on Wheels: Great Migration Recipes Ride the Rails North on Wednesday, April 9^th at 7:00 p.m.

Award winning Illinois folksinger Chris Valillo will perform Songs of the Civil Rights Movement on Wednesday, April 26^th at 6:30 p.m.

Musician Coleman Harris, with dancer Dorian Byrd and poet Shellie Moore Guy will be Celebrating Langston Hughes on Tuesday, April 22^nd at 6:30 p.m.

On Wednesday, April 23^rd at 7:00 p.m., Dr. Nancy Huse will enact the words of Ida B. Wells: Our Fearless American Foremother in a first-person, Chautauqua-style program.

Freedom Summer participant Patti Miller will discuss her civil rights era experiences in Keeping History Alive: Freedom Summer Experience 1964 on Saturday, April 26^th at 2:00 p.m.

Dr. Arthur Pitz returns to present Civil Rights March in Davenport on Monday, April 28^th, at 7:00 p.m.

For more information, visit or call the Moline Public Library at 309-524-2470 or visit the series web site at molinelibrary.com/createdequal.

Created Equal: America's Civil Rights Struggle is made possible through a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, as part of its Bridging Cultures initiative, in partnership with the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History.

Changing America is presented by the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture and the National Museum of American History in collaboration with the American Library Association Public Programs Office. The traveling exhibition is made possible by the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the human endeavor.

Local support for Created Equal and Changing America has been provided by Friends of the Moline Public Library, WQPT, and The Moline Dispatch/Rock Island Argus/QCOnline.  Additional support was provided by the Illinois Humanities Council (IHC), which is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Illinois General Assembly (through the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency) as well as by contributions from individuals, foundations, and corporations.

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