In the spirit of thinking of others, the Rock Island Downtown Library children’s room is offering a card-making station through Dec. 15. Families can make holiday cards to share with homebound seniors in Rock Island. The library will deliver the cards to residents at Rock Island care centers, and to clients of the library’s Homebound Delivery service. 

Enjoy some holiday music at the first Tuneful Tuesday of the 2023-2024 series at the Rock Island Downtown Library, 401 19^th Street. A Quad City Symphony Orchestra trio will play in the library Community Room from noon to 1pm on Tuesday, Dec. 5. Featured performers include Dr. Robert Elfline on piano, Kim Busic on violin, and Matt Kowalczyk on bassoon. The free concert is open to all ages, and participants may bring a sack lunch to enjoy while they listen. The free concerts occur on the first Tuesday of each month from December to April. For more dates, check the library calendar. 

Crafty adults can add to their holiday décor by making a variety of winter crafts at the Downtown Library on Thursday, Dec. 7. The free event for adults is from 1:00 pm to 4:00pm in the Downtown Library Community Room. No registration is required. 

Families looking for some free holiday fun will find it Saturday, Dec. 9 from 10 am to 1 pm, also at the Rock Island Downtown Library. The event for children of all ages and their families offers holiday trivia, card-making, and ornament crafts, including popular apple-cinnamon cut-out ornaments. Families can drop in when they like, and no registration is required. 

The library will celebrate the 30^th anniversary of a holiday classic with a free “Movie Monday” on Dec. 18. The movie will be shown from 5:15 to 6:30 pm in the auditorium of the library’s new Watts-Midtown Branch, 2715 30^th Street. Snacks are included. The PG-rated stop-motion animation film features the adventures of the Pumpkin King, who almost ruins Christmas. For specific title information, contact the library.

If the week between Christmas and New Year’s seems like a bit of a let-down, take the kids to the library’s Anime Movie Fest at the Watts-Midtown Branch. The library will show classic Japanese animation movies suitable for families, with snacks and a quick craft. Movies are scheduled at 5:30 pm on Thursday, Dec. 28, and at 10 am and 2pm on Friday, Dec. 29. The 10 am movie is particularly well-suited to younger children. For specific title information, contact the library. 

And if leaving the house isn’t appealing, the Rock Island Library also offers two online events this December through its membership in the Illinois Libraries Present statewide program collaboration. 

Author and psychotherapist Lori Gottlieb will offer a timely conversation on “Surviving the Holidays” online at 7 pm on Wednesday, Dec. 6. The New York Times bestselling author of Maybe You Should Talk to Someone, and co-host of the “Dear Therapists” podcast shares mental health tools to help with daily life, and the additional stresses that can come with winter holidays. Registration is required.

Illinois Libraries Presents also offers two online performances of The Nutcracker by the internationally-renowned Royal Ballet of the United Kingdom on Saturday, Dec. 16 and Sunday, Dec. 17. The recorded performances feature elite ballet stars, sumptuous set designs, spellbinding stage effects, and Tchaikovsky’s iconic score. Registration is also required. 

To register for these free online events, visit the library calendar or contact the library at 309-732-7341. Participation links will be sent by email. 

Illinois Libraries Present programming is funded in part by a grant awarded by the Illinois State Library, a department of the Office of Secretary of State, using funds provided by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services, under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA).

For more information about library events and services, visit the library website, call 309-732-7323 (READ,) or follow library social media pages.