Event List

Filters
Age Group
Program promotion featuring a woman dressed as Jane Austen and reading "A Visit With Jane Austen, December 6th, 11AM, Watts-Midtown Branch"

A Visit with Jane Austen

Saturday, December 6, 2025 at 11:00am - 12:00pm
Watts-Midtown Community Room at Watts-Midtown Branch
Program Type:
Presentation, Performance
Age Group:
Teen, Adult, Family, Everyone

In honor of her 250th birthday this month, join us on Saturday, December 6th, for a visit with Jane Austen herself! 

Library Branch: Watts-Midtown Branch
Room: Watts-Midtown Community Room
Age Group: Teen, Adult, Family, Everyone
Program Type: Presentation, Performance
Event Details:

In honor of her 250th birthday this month, join us on Saturday, December 6th, for a visit with Jane Austen herself! 

An image of a xenomorph tinted green, highlighted on a black background.

Monster Movie Monday

Monday, December 8, 2025 at 5:30pm - 7:30pm
Watts-Midtown Community Room at Watts-Midtown Branch
Program Type:
Movie
Age Group:
Teen, Adult, Family

It's the final Monster Movie Monday of 2025, and we're showing a classic tale of sci-fi horror. Join us for snacks and a monstrous movie! 

Note that this film is Rated R for violence and gore.

Library Branch: Watts-Midtown Branch
Room: Watts-Midtown Community Room
Age Group: Teen, Adult, Family
Program Type: Movie
Event Details:

It's the final Monster Movie Monday of 2025, and we're showing a classic tale of sci-fi horror. Join us for snacks and a monstrous movie! 

Note that this film is Rated R for violence and gore.

Polar Express book cover with train in snow

Polar Express Party

Saturday, December 13, 2025 at 10:00am - 1:00pm
Downtown Community Room at Downtown Library
Program Type:
Special Event
Age Group:
Family

Help us celebrate 40 years of the book Polar Express.  Put on your conductor hat and jump aboard for crafts, activites and of course cocoa. 

Library Branch: Downtown Library
Room: Downtown Community Room
Age Group: Family
Program Type: Special Event
Event Details:

Help us celebrate 40 years of the book Polar Express.  Put on your conductor hat and jump aboard for crafts, activites and of course cocoa. 

Five metal dissection tools on a blue background.

Dissection Event

Tuesday, January 20, 2026 at 5:00pm - 6:00pm
Watts-Midtown Community Room at Watts-Midtown Branch
Program Type:
Special Event
Age Group:
School Age, Teen, Adult, Family

Join us for a unique evening of learning about animal biology with science educator Andrea Martinez!

Open
Registration Required
Library Branch: Watts-Midtown Branch
Room: Watts-Midtown Community Room
Age Group: School Age, Teen, Adult, Family
Program Type: Special Event
Registration Required
Event Details:

Join us for a unique evening of learning about animal biology with science educator Andrea Martinez!

Brian "Fox" Ellis presents - Robert Ridgway, Illinois's Bird Man

Thursday, April 9, 2026 at 2:00pm - 3:15pm
Downtown Community Room at Downtown Library
Program Type:
Presentation
Age Group:
Teen, Adult, Family, Everyone

More details will be posted soon.

Library Branch: Downtown Library
Room: Downtown Community Room
Age Group: Teen, Adult, Family, Everyone
Program Type: Presentation
Event Details:

More details will be posted soon.

Image of early bicycle with huge front wheel and small back wheel

The Extraordinary Journey of the Bicycle

Tuesday, April 14, 2026 at 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Downtown Library
Program Type:
Movie
Age Group:
Teen, Adult, Family, Everyone

For 200 years, since the first Draisienne running machine, the bicycle has offered us free climate-friendly travel, in the early days saving us from being over-run in dung, up to today, reducing air pollution. 

Library Branch: Downtown Library
Age Group: Teen, Adult, Family, Everyone
Program Type: Movie
Event Details:

For 200 years, since the first Draisienne running machine, the bicycle has offered us free climate-friendly travel, in the early days saving us from being over-run in dung, up to today, reducing air pollution. 

Author Neil Dahlstrom appears to the left of his book

Rock Island Knows Tractors Part 1 - Special Guest, Mr. Neil Dahlstrom, Author of "Tractor Wars"

Thursday, April 23, 2026 at 2:00pm - 3:30pm
Downtown Community Room at Downtown Library
Program Type:
Presentation
Age Group:
Teen, Adult, Family, Everyone

Neil Dahlstrom is an archivist, speaker, and writer (author of Tractor Wars, The John Deere Story, and Lincoln's Wrath). 

Library Branch: Downtown Library
Room: Downtown Community Room
Age Group: Teen, Adult, Family, Everyone
Program Type: Presentation
Event Details:

Neil Dahlstrom is an archivist, speaker, and writer (author of Tractor Wars, The John Deere Story, and Lincoln's Wrath). 

Men standing between front and back wheels of 150 Case - largest steam driven tractor

Rock Island Knows Tractors Part 2 -- Steam to Gasoline, the very beginning

Wednesday, May 20, 2026 at 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Downtown Community Room at Downtown Library
Program Type:
Movie
Age Group:
Adult, Family, Everyone

Rock Island Knows Tractors Part 2: Steam to Gasoline, the very beginning

Library Branch: Downtown Library
Room: Downtown Community Room
Age Group: Adult, Family, Everyone
Program Type: Movie
Event Details:

Rock Island Knows Tractors Part 2: Steam to Gasoline, the very beginning

Actors performing on stage at the Lincoln Park platform in Rock Island Illinois

Genesius Guild Presents

Wednesday, May 20, 2026 at 6:00pm - 7:30pm
Watts-Midtown Community Room at Watts-Midtown Branch
Program Type:
Presentation
Age Group:
Children, Early Learning, School Age, Teen, Adult, Family, Everyone

   Genesius Guild Presents is is a special performance by the Genesius Theatre Guild of the Quad Cities in preparation for its summer season at Rock Island's Lincoln Park.

Library Branch: Watts-Midtown Branch
Room: Watts-Midtown Community Room
Age Group: Children, Early Learning, School Age, Teen, Adult, Family, Everyone
Program Type: Presentation
Event Details:

   Genesius Guild Presents is is a special performance by the Genesius Theatre Guild of the Quad Cities in preparation for its summer season at Rock Island's Lincoln Park.

Amber Lowery - DNA Genealogy

Wednesday, June 10, 2026 at 2:00pm - 3:30pm
Downtown Community Room at Downtown Library
Program Type:
Presentation
Age Group:
Adult, Family, Everyone

More detail to be added here.

Library Branch: Downtown Library
Room: Downtown Community Room
Age Group: Adult, Family, Everyone
Program Type: Presentation
Event Details:

More detail to be added here.

Drawing of a Heider tractor floating in the field

Rock Island Knows Tractors Part 3 -- Rock Island's Heider Tractor

Wednesday, June 24, 2026 at 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Downtown Community Room at Downtown Library
Program Type:
Movie
Age Group:
Adult, Family, Everyone

The Heider Tractor

Library Branch: Downtown Library
Room: Downtown Community Room
Age Group: Adult, Family, Everyone
Program Type: Movie
Event Details:

The Heider Tractor

Oliver brand tractor on gravel road in front of a corn field

Rock Island Knows Tractors Part 4 -- The Oliver tractor

Wednesday, July 22, 2026 at 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Downtown Community Room at Downtown Library
Program Type:
Movie
Age Group:
Adult, Family, Everyone

Oliver tractors

Library Branch: Downtown Library
Room: Downtown Community Room
Age Group: Adult, Family, Everyone
Program Type: Movie
Event Details:

Oliver tractors

Movie poster for "Rock Island Trail"

Feature Film -- "Rock Island Trail"

Tuesday, August 11, 2026 at 6:00pm - 7:30pm
Southwest Community Room at Southwest Branch
Program Type:
Movie
Age Group:
Teen, Adult, Family, Everyone

This movie was a historical event for the City of Rock Island, and is an extra-special feature for our city's entertainment history.

Library Branch: Southwest Branch
Room: Southwest Community Room
Age Group: Teen, Adult, Family, Everyone
Program Type: Movie
Event Details:

This movie was a historical event for the City of Rock Island, and is an extra-special feature for our city's entertainment history.

1949 Massey Ferguson tractor

Rock Island Knows Tractors Part 5 -- Massey Ferguson

Wednesday, August 19, 2026 at 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Downtown Community Room at Downtown Library
Program Type:
Movie
Age Group:
Adult, Family, Everyone

Massey Ferguson

Library Branch: Downtown Library
Room: Downtown Community Room
Age Group: Adult, Family, Everyone
Program Type: Movie
Event Details:

Massey Ferguson

Native American woman (Kim as Singing Bird) in costume

Please Meet Singing Bird (wife of warrior chief Black Hawk) - Kim Sigafus Presentation, Illinois Humanities Road Scholar

Thursday, August 27, 2026 at 1:00pm - 2:30pm
Downtown Community Room at Downtown Library
Program Type:
Presentation
Age Group:
School Age, Teen, Adult, Family, Everyone

Please Meet Singing Bird (wife of warrior chief Black Hawk) - Kim Sigafus Presentation, Illinois Humanities Road Scholar

Library Branch: Downtown Library
Room: Downtown Community Room
Age Group: School Age, Teen, Adult, Family, Everyone
Program Type: Presentation
Event Details:

Please Meet Singing Bird (wife of warrior chief Black Hawk) - Kim Sigafus Presentation, Illinois Humanities Road Scholar

1947 Farmall C tractor

Rock Island Knows Tractors Part 6 -- International Harvester

Wednesday, September 16, 2026 at 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Downtown Community Room at Downtown Library
Program Type:
Movie
Age Group:
Adult, Family, Everyone

International Harvestor -- Farmall is Rock Island

Library Branch: Downtown Library
Room: Downtown Community Room
Age Group: Adult, Family, Everyone
Program Type: Movie
Event Details:

International Harvestor -- Farmall is Rock Island

Jaime Ragins, Program Presenter in front of brick background

Retirement University Part 1 - Social Security and Medicare

Tuesday, September 29, 2026 at 6:30pm - 7:30pm
Watts-Midtown Community Room at Watts-Midtown Branch
Program Type:
Presentation
Age Group:
Adult, Family

In Retirement University, Part 1, Financial Advisor, Jaime Ragins will help you to understand your options for Social Security and Medicare.

Library Branch: Watts-Midtown Branch
Room: Watts-Midtown Community Room
Age Group: Adult, Family
Program Type: Presentation
Event Details:

In Retirement University, Part 1, Financial Advisor, Jaime Ragins will help you to understand your options for Social Security and Medicare.

Jaime Ragins, Program Presenter in front of brick background

Retirement University Part 2 - Tax Planning in Retirement

Tuesday, October 6, 2026 at 6:30pm - 7:30pm
Watts-Midtown Community Room at Watts-Midtown Branch
Program Type:
Presentation
Age Group:
Adult, Family

In Retirement University, Part 2, Financial Advisor, Jaime Ragins, will help to understand the reality of taxes which need to be considered when considering moving from employment to retirement

Library Branch: Watts-Midtown Branch
Room: Watts-Midtown Community Room
Age Group: Adult, Family
Program Type: Presentation
Event Details:

In Retirement University, Part 2, Financial Advisor, Jaime Ragins, will help to understand the reality of taxes which need to be considered when considering moving from employment to retirement

Jaime Ragins, Program Presenter in front of brick background

Retirement University Part 3 - Financial Estate Planning and Recap

Tuesday, October 13, 2026 at 6:30pm - 7:30pm
Watts-Midtown Community Room at Watts-Midtown Branch
Program Type:
Presentation
Age Group:
Adult, Family

In this, Part 3 of Retirement University, Financial Advisor, Jaime Ragins will speak about what to keep in mind when planning a personal estate.

Library Branch: Watts-Midtown Branch
Room: Watts-Midtown Community Room
Age Group: Adult, Family
Program Type: Presentation
Event Details:

In this, Part 3 of Retirement University, Financial Advisor, Jaime Ragins will speak about what to keep in mind when planning a personal estate.

Seal of the Office of the Attorney General of the State of Illinois

Common Scams and how to avoid them

Wednesday, October 21, 2026 at 2:00pm - 3:15pm
Downtown Community Room at Downtown Library
Program Type:
Presentation
Age Group:
Adult, Family, Everyone

How can I be scammed? 

Library Branch: Downtown Library
Room: Downtown Community Room
Age Group: Adult, Family, Everyone
Program Type: Presentation
Event Details:

How can I be scammed? 

Rock Island Knows Tractors Part 8 -- John Deere

Wednesday, November 11, 2026 at 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Downtown Community Room at Downtown Library
Program Type:
Movie
Age Group:
Adult, Family, Everyone

John Deere -- the King of tractor companies.

Library Branch: Downtown Library
Room: Downtown Community Room
Age Group: Adult, Family, Everyone
Program Type: Movie
Event Details:

John Deere -- the King of tractor companies.