: If you need a little encouragement to get into the holiday spirit, the Rock Island Public Library is offering several free events that may help!
Drop in this Saturday, December 4 for family Christmas fun at the Rock Island Downtown Library, 401 19th Street. The all-ages event is from 10:00 am to noon in the second-floor Community Room. Along with music and other holiday cheer, activities include craft stations to make cinnamon ornaments, a Perler™ fuse bead craft, and holiday cards. Participants can also make an extra card or two to donate, which the library will deliver to homebound patrons and senior living residents. Masks are required.
Attendees at the library’s Tuneful Tuesday event on December 7 can enjoy holiday music by a small group from the River Bend Bronze Handbell Ensemble. The event is from noon to 1:00 pm on Tuesday, December 7 in the Community Room of the Downtown Library at 401 19th Street. Tuneful Tuesdays are free and open to the public, and while registration is not required, masks are. The free music series is made possible by sponsorship from Carol and James Horstmann.
On Wednesday, December 8, the library offers a surprise Family Crafternoon from 2:30 to 5:30 pm at the Rock Island Southwest Library, 9010 Ridgewood Road. Families can drop in during event hours to complete a fun holiday craft. The event is free and does not require registration. The event coincides with a Wednesday early-out day for elementary schools in the Rock Island/Milan School District #41. Masks are required.
Also starting December 8, the library’s Teen Services department will offer a grab-and-go craft kit for ages 12 and up. Register via the library’s event calendar to reserve a kit to make a felt plush toy. A few kits will also be available on a drop-in basis while supplies last. Both pre-registered and drop-in kits will be available for pick up at Rock Island Library locations.
Online library events in December include storytimes at 10:30 am on Tuesdays, Teen Book Talks at 3:45 pm on Tuesdays, and Children’s Book Talks at 2:00 pm on Fridays. All of the above events air on Facebook Live first, and may be viewed as recordings later via Facebook or YouTube. An in-person storytime for ages five and under with a caregiver is also available on Friday, December 10 and 17 at the Southwest Library, 9010 Ridgewood Road.
For more services and events at the library, visit the library website, call 309-732-READ, and follow the Rock Island Library on social media.
Masks are required for all patrons over age two when inside the library. Library events are free and open to any member of the public within the listed age range.