Families can warm up this weekend in the tropical setting of the Quad City Botanical Center with a free family event from the Rock Island Library. The Library and the Botanical Center have teamed up to offer the Go Bananas for Reading event on Saturday, Jan. 14 from 1:00 to 3:00 pm at the Botanical Center, 2525 4th Avenue. The free family event helps the library kick off its Chill Out and Read winter reading campaign, which promotes the joys of reading for all ages. Participants can sign up for the library’s winter reading contests and pick up a registration prize, while enjoying life size... Read More

Parents of children under five can take advantage of Rock Island Public Library early learning programs designed to help very young children be ready to read and learn in 2017. The library’s early learning programs kick off next week off with Play and Grow for ages three and under and their caregivers. Play and Grow is offered at 10:30 am Friday, Jan. 6 at the Rock Island Main Library, 401 19th Street. Activities use the Talk, Sing, Play, Read and Write learning model to support the learning and developmental needs of young children. The structured play group meets on the first week of each... Read More

Teen fans of Doctor Who may want to take a time jump in their personal TARDIS for a special event on Thursday at the Rock Island Main Library. The Teen Doctor Who Party is Thurs, Dec. 15, from 6:00 to 7:30 pm at the Main Library, 401 19th Street. Activities include Doctor Who film clips and cast interviews, crafts, trivia with prizes, and snacks. The free event is for ages 12 to 18. Teens ages 12 to 18 and “tweens” ages 8 to 12 can take part in a combined gaming program on Tuesday, Dec. 20, also at the Main Library. The free event takes place from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. The library will... Read More

Guests can help the Rock Island Public Library Foundation “Grow a Love of Reading” at the organization’s annual Food for Thought fundraiser on Thursday, Nov. 10. The event takes place from 5:00 to 7:30 pm at the Rock Island Main Library, 401 19th Street. The event’s Grow Your Love of Reading theme uses vintage seed packet graphics to illustrate how early reading activities at the Rock Island Public Library plant a seed of lifelong learning. Early learning events supported by the Foundation in 2016 include Hug-A-Book learning opportunities, Head Start preschool visits, and... Read More

Rock Islanders were busy founding a new City in 1841, but that wasn’t the only notable event of that year. The 2016 Frieze Lecture Series discussion theme celebrates “1841: The Year That Rock Island Began,” with a lecture Nov. 1 by Dr. Kelly Daniels, associate professor of English. Daniels will speak on “A Punch of Literary Humor,” which covers the 1841 birth of the British humor magazine named Punch, and all that has meant for for satire and humor in writing through National Lampoon, The Onion, and beyond. Daniels helps lead Augustana’s creative writing program... Read More

There are going to be plenty of treats, tricks, scares and surprises during this year’s Halloween season in the Quad-Cities, and here are some of the events you can check out. Fright Night takes place beginning at 5 p.m. in the District in downtown Rock Island, featuring music, fun activities for kids, crafts and arts, lots of free candy, a costume contest, DJ Jeff James and more. It’s all free and all fun down in the District. Also down in the District at Skellington Manor, 420 18th St., Rock Island, their hellishly fun triple-decker haunted house The Asylum is going to be wrapping things... Read More

Rock Islanders were busy founding a new City in 1841, but that wasn’t the only notable event of that year. The 2016 Frieze Lecture Series discussion theme celebrates “1841: The Year That Rock Island Began.” The lecture series began last week and continues this week and beyond with free events at the main library. The series continues with Dr. Meg Kunde, speaking Oct. 25 on “The Longest Inaugural Address in History,” Dr. Kelly Daniels, speaking Nov. 1 on “A Punch of Literary Humor,” and Dr. William Hammer, speaking Nov. 8 on “The Dawn of Antarctic... Read More

The Rock Island Public Library Foundation will host a “Books for Kids” Trivia Night on Thursday, Oct. 20, from 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm at the Quad City Botanical Center, 2525 4th Avenue, Rock Island. The trivia night raises funds for the Lorene Evans Watts Fund for Children’s Materials, which supports purchases of children’s items at Rock Island Libraries. Cost to play is $10 per person. Participants may increase their chances to win by purchasing mulligan stickers, doubler round stickers or bidding to win answers for a round from the night’s celebrity genius. Snacks are... Read More

Looking for something for the kids to do over fall break? The Rock Island Public Library will host a variety of programs to keep children and teens occupied and learning during the Rock Island/Milan District school break, Oct. 11 to Oct. 21. The week kicks off with a special all-ages Pokemon Go Night on Tuesday, Oct. 11,at the Rock Island 30/31 Branch. The event takes place from 5:30 to 7:00 pm in the branch at 3059 30th Street, and includes Pokemon Go gaming, trivia, crafts, snacks and prizes. The library will activate a Pokemon lure, and include a map of Poke Stops, so stop by and see what you... Read More

The Rock Island Library will host a special after-hours event this September that will probably be a blast from the past for children of the 1980s and 90s. The Lisa Frank Palooza on Friday, Sept. 23 will offer coloring, crafts, and nostalgic activities based on the vibrant designs made famous by Arizona artist Lisa Frank. The event is from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm at the Rock Island Library 30/31 Branch, 3059 30th Street. The company’s rainbow-hued unicorns, stars, pandas, ponies, puppies, cats and more appeared on school supplies (including Trapper Keeper notebooks), posters, stickers, clothing... Read More