Rock Island Public Library hosts events for all ages

There’s a lot going on at the Rock Island Public Library during the first full week of July, with 11 different events for patrons of all ages.

On Monday, July 8 with “I Spy Art with the Figge” for school-aged kids and families at 10 am July 8, at the Watts-Midtown Branch, 2715 30 ^th Street. The free program offers a hands-on art project based on the “Hidden Wonders Walter Wick” exhibit on display at The Figge until the end of July. Wick is an artist and photographer known for his I Spy book series.

On Monday, July 8 at 2 p.m., seniors can gather at the Downtown Library, 401 19 ^th Street, for “Seniors Read Banned Books.” Seniors and other adults will discuss “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian,” by Sherman Alexie, which has frequently been on book ban lists.

Also on July 8, from 4 – 6 p.m., the Watts-Midtown Branch’s Youth Services department is hosting a Sharpie Art Mug craft. This free drop-in event is for ages 12 to 17. Teens will decorate mugs with markers and then bake the items at home to set the design.

Entomology is the order of the day on July 9 with Meet the Beetles, an insect pop-up event, from 9:30 – 11:30 a.m. at the library’s Watts-Midtown Branch. The Augustana Entomology Department will help kids in grades K through 6 learn about beetles and why they’re important to the environment.

Also on Tuesday, the library is offering a Tapestry Farms Gardening Night, from 6 – 7p.m. at the Watts-Midtown Branch. This free program is geared towards gardeners ages 10 and up. Staff from Tapestry Farms will discuss growing food, hydroponics and their work as a nonprofit urban farm.

Wednesday, July 10 starts off with a free family magic show by Mikayla Oz from 10 – 11 a.m. at the Watts-Midtown Branch. Oz was named a recipient of the International Rising Star of Magic Award and her 40-minute family show is full of interactive magic and comedy. Audience favorite Bubbles the Bird gets in on the fun too.

At 2 p.m., the downtown library will hold another session of its Rock Island Arsenal history series for adults. Historians with the Army Sustainment Command will discuss how the Arsenal was established after the Civil War, at 2 pm on July 10 at the Downtown Library.

Local gardeners may be interested in “Bring Back the Pollinators” with the Xerces Society. The free program will be at the Watts-Midtown Community Room from 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. and will cover how to restore and maintain pollinator-friendly habitats in your yard and garden.

The Downtown Movie Club will show a free movie for adults on Thursday, July 11 from 1 – 3:30 p.m. at the Downtown Library. Call (309) 732-7341 for the movie title.

The library offers its July Non-Fiction Book Club on July 11 from 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. on July 11 at Longview Park, 1300 17 ^th Street, near the lion statues, weather permitting. Adults can bring a chair and discuss “How to Say Babylon,” a memoir by Safiya Sinclair. The discussion will be moved to the library’s Watts-Midtown Branch in case of rain.

On Saturday, July 13, the Coffee Break Book Club will meet at 2:30 p.m. at Theo’s Java Café, 213 17 ^th Street in Rock Island to discuss “Never Let Me Go,” by Kazuo Ishiguro. The book club is free and open to the public.

The Library’s Read, Renew, Repeat Summer Reading Challenge continues through July 31. The library is encouraging adults, children and teens to read at least 1,000 minutes, or about 16 minutes a day. The library’s community goal is 500,000 minutes for the all-ages challenge, and participants may sign up anytime.

For more information on services and events at the Rock Island Public Library, click here or call (309) 732-READ.

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