Build a Cat Castle is clawing its way in 5:30 to 7:30 pm, Wednesday, December 4, at Rock Island Downtown Library! Your cat is already king (or queen) of the castle. Time to build him or her a structure worthy for feline royalty. Our Cat Castle event comes just in time for holiday gift giving! Build your furry friend a customized cardboard castle (or boat, food truck or airplane) for play and naps. The library will supply cardboard boxes and embellishments; you supply the creativity. Instructions and guidance available. Fun for all ages, please register online or call the library. www.rockislandlibrary.org or... Read More

Parents and caregivers can create some memories while they build a reader at Hug-A-Book: Create, a free event for two-to-five-year-olds and their families on Tuesday, August 27 at the Rock Island Public Library. The event is part of the library’s ongoing Hug-A-Book early learning programming. Families may drop in to try a variety of creatively messy art projects from 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm on August 27 at the Downtown Library, 401 19th Street. Each child receives a Hug-A-Book art apron and a free book to take home. There is no charge to attend and no registration is required. Future events... Read More

As the leaves are turning colors and the temperatures cool, Rock Island Public Library is going to be falling over itself to make autumn a fun season for area families! The library has a full slate of events upcoming. Here’s the lowdown: Back to School! August – December 2019 Events Adults, General Audiences New: Bangtan Book Club. Monthly on Thursdays at 5:30 pm, see date for location. Do you know BTS, the Korean-pop band? Then you know their music is filled with literary influences! Join us monthly as we meet to discuss the books that have inspired certain BTS albums. Starting... Read More

While the kids are back in school, the Rock Island Public Library has some great options to help keep adults of all ages keep learning their whole lives. Among other options, adults can learn about the Army history of the World War II battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa. The free talk is presented by a historian with the Army Sustainment Command (ACS) at 2:00 pm on Wednesday, August 14 at the Rock Island Downtown Library, 401 19th Street. Also on Wednesday, August 14, the library’s genealogy series for online research continues with a video presentation by genealogist James Tanner on “Making... Read More

If you’re interested in learning more about the story of you, trace your way to the Rock Island Public Library’s five-part online genealogy series. The series of programs kick off Wednesday, July 24, and lead up to a special presentation in late September on DNA testing for ancestry. The genealogy series offers insights on using library resources and online sites to get the best results from an online genealogy search. Each program starts at 6:00 pm at the Rock Island Downtown Library, 401 19th Street, on the following dates: ·         Wednesday, July 24: Making the Most... Read More

It’s summer, and there are plenty of smiling faces around the Quad-Cities now that the weather is gorgeous and the floods have subsided! We here at QuadCities.com, in conjunction with our partners at KWQC-TV6’s “Paula Sands Live,” are always looking for positive news around the area to present in our monthly feature, What’s The Good News? So, what’s the good news for this month? Glad you asked!   Get More Rewards For Reading This Summer! Reading is a reward in and of itself, a generous gift to the imagination, but Rock Island Public Library is making it so that in addition to that... Read More

The Rock Island Library continues an out-of-this world summer by hosting two bands from the United States Naval Station Great Lakes as part of a mid-summer celebration at the Downtown Library, 401 19th Street. The Library’s Summer Sweets event is Thursday, June 27 from noon to 3:00 pm in the Rock Island Downtown Library parking lot, 401 19th Street. Liberty Call, a four piece jazz combo ensemble, will perform from 12:30 to 1:30 pm. They perform a wide range of musical genres, ranging from traditional New Orleans-style jazz to modern day popular country, rock, jazz and blues.. Under the... Read More

Gain a whole new view of the I-74 Mississippi River Bridge project, thanks to virtual reality technology available at the Rock Island Public Library. The I-74 Bridge Virtual Reality experience will be available for viewing at the Rock Island Downtown Library, 401 19th Street, from now through September 27. The virtual reality program allows participants to explore the new I-74 Mississippi River Bridge in a unique way, thanks to 360-degree animation from the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) and technology partners from the Iowa State University Institute for Transportation and Virtual Reality... Read More

With access to a universe of items and services, having any library card is a reward in itself. And now there are few extra rewards, thanks to a first-in-the area program adopted by the Rock Island Public Library. The Rock Island Public Library is the first public library in the Quad Cities to subscribe to My Library Rewards™, a reading incentive program that promotes literacy, learning, and community engagement. With it, library card holders earn rewards just for checking out items at Rock Island Public Libraries. Any cardholder over age 12 who uses their card at a Rock Island Library... Read More

The Rock Island Library continues its summer of space with a view of the stars at the John Deere Planetarium at Augustana College on June 17. Rock Island Library is  hosting a free presentation by Dr. Lee Carkner, director of the John Deere Planetarium, at 10:00 am on Monday, June 17 at the planetarium on the Augustana College grounds. The free Universe of Stars presentation features a guided tour of the night sky on the planetarium’s new digital projection system. It is best suited for ages adult through 3rd grades. Both the planetarium and Apollo 11 moon landing are observing their 50th... Read More