The second Rock Island Public Library/Augustana College Frieze Lecture, Tip of the Iceberg: Understanding the Bigger Picture of Pandemic Disease Severity with Dr. Rebecca Heick has been rescheduled to Thursday, November 5 at 2:00 pm via Zoom. Though the rising toll of COVID deaths is a major focus of concern and intervention, Dr. Heick’s remarks will note that mortality is just the tip of the iceberg. Less severe, but perhaps long-lasting, disease and after-effects of infection are much more common. As an assistant professor of public health at Augustana, Heick will consider the bigger prevention... Read More

The 23rd annual Frieze Lecture Series for the Rock Island Public Library takes a deeper look at our reaction to global crises, past and present, in a two-part series presented by Augustana College professors with expertise in history and public health. Free and open to the public, the 2020 Frieze Lectures are offered online at 2:00 pm on two Tuesdays in October 20 and 27. The 2020 series topics include: Tuesday, Oct 20: Why We Forgot the 1918 Flu: A Historian Looks at a Century of Pandemics. Dr. Lendol Calder, professor of history at Augustana College, will consider the global influenza pandemic... Read More

Given that 2020 is certainly a year for the history books, it’s no surprise that the 23rd annual Frieze Lecture Series for the Rock Island Public Library takes a deeper look at our reaction to global pandemics, past and present. The free, two-part series will be presented by Augustana College professors with expertise in history and public health. The following lectures will be offered online at 2 p.m. on two Tuesdays, Oct. 20 and 27 – Tuesday, Oct 20: Why We Forgot the 1918 Flu: A Historian Looks at a Century of Pandemics. Dr. Lendol Calder, professor of history at Augustana College,... Read More

Library2Go, the Rock Island Public Library’s traveling outreach vehicle, is now running on a weekly schedule. The new schedule is in effect through October 30. From Monday through Thursday, routes run from 10 am to 11:30 am, in the afternoon from 2:30 to 3:30 pm, and in the early evening, from 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm. The ongoing schedule brings library materials, held items, return capabilities, free WIFI access, and library card signup to the following Rock Island and Milan locations: ·         Monday: Morning, St. George Greek Orthodox Church; Afternoon, Black Hawk State Park,  Singing... Read More

Families can sign up to pick up a Hug-A-Book: Play kit this week filled with at-home activities to support preschool learning through play. The event kit is available at Rock Island Public Library locations. To sign up for the at-home Hug-A-Book kit, visit the library event calendar at www.rockislandlibrary.org, or call 309-732-7360.  Registered participants may pick up the kit anytime during library hours through September 26. Pick up is available inside the Rock Island Downtown and Southwest Libraries from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm Monday-Friday, or via Library Curbside pickup Monday-Saturday, by... Read More

The Rock Island Public Library recently introduced a Homebound Resources service to deliver library materials to Rock Island and Milan residents who are temporarily or permanently homebound. “Though we’ve always allowed patrons to designate an official representative to pick up and return materials for them, that’s sometimes not convenient or even possible,” said Victoria Schoess, Director of Circulation Services for the Rock Island Public Library. “We created the Homebound Resources service to deliver materials to those who don’t have a representative and can’t get out.”  Homebound... Read More

All September, Rock Island Library is celebrating National Library Card Sign Up Month with special prize drawings! All new or renewed cards issued this month will be entered automatically into a special prize drawing. Already have a library card? You can enter, too, with our Library Card Bingo Sheet. Just complete Bingo in any direction, and bring the card in to be entered.  Bingo sheets are available at any Rock Island Library location or online via this link. Drawings held October 5, so return your Bingo card before then. Tell a friend to lasso a library card this September. It’s a wonderful... Read More

Families can sign up to pick up a Hug-A-Book: Play kit next week filled with at-home activities to support preschool learning through play. The event kit is available at Rock Island Public Library locations. To sign up for the at-home Hug-A-Book kit, visit the library event calendar at www.rockislandlibrary.org, or call 309-732-7360.  Registered participants may pick up the kit anytime during library hours between September 21 to 26. Pick up is available inside the Rock Island Downtown and Southwest Libraries from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm Monday-Friday, or via Library Curbside pickup Monday-Saturday,... Read More

The official “spokesperson” of National Library Card Sign-up Month is Wonder Woman, who reminds everyone that libraries are wonderful. The Rock Island Public Library is also providing wonderful reasons to celebrate with special prize drawings, yard signs, and new events that help you maximize use of your library card. All new and renewed Rock Island Library card applications received during September will be automatically entered into prize drawings for library gifts, book bags, and prizes. Patrons who already have a Rock Island Public Library card can enter with a Library Card Sign-up Month... Read More

If you’ve been spending some of that social distancing downtime going through files at home, the Rock Island Public Library offers a way next Thursday to safely rid yourself of those excess personal papers. The library’s annual Community Shred Day will be offered on Thursday, September 24 from 9:30 to 11:30 am in the Rock Island Downtown Library parking lot. The event offers free, drive-through drop-off of up to three boxes of paperwork for secure shredding by Shred-It, and is sponsored by a donation from GECU Credit Union. The following procedures apply to this event: To take part in the... Read More