Rock Island Public Library children’s librarians will continue to show up at our Longview Park Library2Go bookmobile stop from 2:30 to 3:30 pm on Wednesdays in August for Full STEAM Ahead. Stop by for some fun with our STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, math) kits. Miss Ranell will bring a new kit each week. This event is great for grades K-6! (Wednesdays are early dismissal days for Rock Island-Milan School District #41.) For more information, see www.rockislandlibrary.org.  Read More

Rock Island Public Library brings acclaimed family performer Babaloo to Rock Island’s Lincoln Park bandshell for a free concert on 10:30 am on Thursday, July 15. The event, part of the library’s Reading Colors Your World summer activities, is free and open to all ages. Babaloo concerts are a blend of music and comedy, and usually run under one hour. Families should bring lawn chairs or other seating, and social distance as needed. There is no rain date. Babaloo, who hails from Missouri, offers a riotous blend of wacky tunes, antics, and activities to keep audiences energized and laughing.... Read More

It’s Sunday, and QuadCities.com proudly presents Fun10, a list of the top 10 things to do in the Quad Cities this week, and every week! Every Sunday, we drop a new Fun10, to give you a head start on your week and a heads up on what’s going on over the coming seven days. Check out Fun10 every Sunday for the details on ten awesome events happening around town. It’s a cool read, and a great way to get started planning your entertainment for the week. FUN10 — ten ways for you to have fun in the Quad-Cities, this week and every week, running every Sunday, only on your site for fun, free, local... Read More

Summer reading and events at the Rock Island Public Library begin the first week of June in full technicolor style with a summer reading “colorama” kickoff, a take-home pinwheel kit for kids, the start of Summer2Go events around the library bookmobile, a Friends and Family seminar with NAMI, and more. From June 1 to July 31, Reading Colors Your World summer reading challenges and events at the Rock Island Public Library will encourage readers of all ages to be creative, try new things, explore art and color, and see the beauty of diversity. Library summer reading programs help children and... Read More

Join Kevin Braafladt, the Army Sustainment Command Deputy Historian at the Rock Island Arsenal, and the Army Sustainment Command History Office on Wednesday, March 10th at 6:00 pm in exploring the history of World War I through a discussion of the United States mobilization and training for the war. Delve deeper into First World War history by learning about Quad Cities and Rock Island Arsenal historical ties. This program is scheduled to be held virtually. More information will be posted closer to the program date here: https://davenportlibrary.libcal.com/event/7315863 Keep up with our virtual... Read More

The Davenport Public Library and the Rock Island Public Library are excited to announce a virtual visit with award-winning young adult author, Tiffany D. Jackson on Tuesday, March 9th! We are happy to welcome her into the classrooms and home-learning spaces of students on both sides of the Mississippi River. If any teen (ages 11-19) is interested in attending the Tiffany D. Jackson virtual author visit and does not attend a school that currently has a partnership with the Davenport or Rock Island Public Library, please contact Amber Carlson at acarlson@davenportlibrary.com for information. Ms.... Read More

Rock Island Public Library and Prairie State Legal Services will host a free virtual presentation on the criminal record expungement process at 5:30 pm on Wednesday, March 3. The presentation will be offered via Zoom, and registration is required. Kevin Hempy, the Equal Justice Works Fellow for Prairie State Legal Services, will provide a brief overview of Prairie State’s service area, types of cases, and how to apply for their services. Attendees will learn about record expungement, sealing of criminal records in Illinois, and other forms of criminal records relief. To register, visit the calendar... Read More

The Rock Island Public Library has created the Quad City Quarantine Cookbook to document how the community spent time in their home kitchens during the Covid-19 shutdown. This very tasty project is available for checkout, download, or purchase. Reference Librarian Rachel Ippolito first cooked up the special library project this spring, and then invited participation from other libraries in the Quad City Adult Programming Librarians Facebook group. The cookbook features 70 submissions from Illinois and Iowa patrons of the Rock Island, Colona, Cordova, East Moline, Silvis, Bettendorf, Davenport,... Read More

Rock Island Public Library (RIPL) has vastly expanded its selection of digital magazines available through RBdigital, a service of Recorded Books (Prince Frederick, MD.)  After a year on the RBdigital platform, RIPL moved from a basic subscription of just 50 magazines to an unlimited subscription offering access to 3,200 magazines. RBdigital features full-color, digital magazines for instant desktop reading, mobile streaming, and mobile-app download, available anytime with an internet connection. Rock Island Public Library patrons can add new and back issues to their personal reading libraries... Read More

The Rock Island Public Library will introduce limited building access and hours starting Monday, July 6 at both its Downtown and Southwest Library locations. This phase of the library’s gradual reopening coordinates with Phase 4 of the Restore Illinois plan. Buildings will be open to the public at both locations from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm, Monday through Friday. Saturdays are reserved for curbside pickup only, which is from 9:00 am to noon. Face coverings and social distancing must be maintained while inside library buildings. Library books, magazines, and audiovisual collections will be available... Read More