Upcoming Events

Featured Events

American Job Center logo

Digital Literacy Class with American Job Center

Wednesday, March 25, 2026 at 10:00am - 12:00pm
Downtown Community Room at Downtown Library
Library Branch: Downtown Library
Room: Downtown Community Room
Age Group: Adult
Program Type: Presentation
Event Details:

Join us for a free, basic digital literacy course! Presented by American Job Center, this class will cover the following: 

Five metal dissection tools on a blue background.

Dissection Event

Thursday, March 26, 2026 at 5:00pm - 6:00pm
Southwest Community Room at Southwest Branch
Library Branch: Southwest Branch
Room: Southwest Community Room
Age Group: School Age, Teen, 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!

Poet Mark Turcotte: man in a grey suit, with a goatee and long grey-brown hair

An Evening with Mark Turcotte, Illinois Poet Laureate

Thursday, March 26, 2026 at 5:30pm - 7:00pm
Watts-Midtown Community Room at Watts-Midtown Branch
Library Branch: Watts-Midtown Branch
Room: Watts-Midtown Community Room
Age Group: Teen, Adult
Program Type: Special Event
Event Details:

Kick off National Poetry Month (beginning in April) with an evening of poetry with Mark Turcotte, Illinois's Poet Laureate. Mr.

Image of a woman in period attire sitting at a small table

Mrs. Lincoln's Salon

Saturday, March 28, 2026 at 11:00am - 12:00pm
Watts-Midtown Community Room at Watts-Midtown Branch
Library Branch: Watts-Midtown Branch
Room: Watts-Midtown Community Room
Age Group: Teen, Adult
Program Type: Performance
Event Details:

Celebrate Women's History Month on Saturday, March 28th, with a visit from Mary Todd Lincoln!

Headshot of Dr Cathy Rosenbaum

Debunking Myths About Dietary Supplements with Dr Cathy Rosenbaum

Thursday, April 2, 2026 at 2:00pm - 3:30pm
Downtown Community Room at Downtown Library
Library Branch: Downtown Library
Room: Downtown Community Room
Age Group: Adult
Program Type: Presentation
Registration Required
Event Details:

Debunking Myths About Dietary Supplements

Thursday, April 2, 2026 @ 2 pm – 3:30 pm at the Rock Island Public Library, 401- 19th Street, Rock Island IL 

Cherry & Jerry ragtime music

Tuneful Tuesday Series: Cherry & Jerry Ragtime Music

Tuesday, April 7, 2026 at 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Downtown Community Room at Downtown Library
Library Branch: Downtown Library
Room: Downtown Community Room
Age Group: Adult, Everyone
Program Type: Performance
Event Details:

Join us for a FREE ragtime concert with Cherry & Jerry! This concert is suitable for music lovers of all ages. Light refreshments will be provided.

RIPL Citizen's Academy - Shield with stylized open book and star under text

Library Citizens' Academy

Monday, April 20, 2026 at 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Watts-Midtown: Norm & Janet Moline Conference Room at Watts-Midtown Branch
Library Branch: Watts-Midtown Branch
Room: Watts-Midtown: Norm & Janet Moline Conference Room
Age Group: Teen, Adult
Program Type: Special Event
Registration Required
Event Details:

To kick off National Library Week, we're opening the book on what it takes to run a public library! Join us on four Mondays for the first-ever RIPL Library Citizen's Academy, and become a library expert.

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Library Board of Trustees Meeting

5:00pm–6:00pm
Downtown Library
Library Branch: Downtown Library
Room: Downtown Community Room
Purpose of Meeting

Monthly meeting of the Library Board of Trustees. Open to the public. 

Light Up Bookend Craft

5:00pm–6:00pm
School Age, Teen, Adult
Southwest Branch
Upcoming
Registration Required
Library Branch: Southwest Branch
Room: Southwest Community Room
Age Group: School Age, Teen, Adult
Program Type: DIY
Registration Required
Event Details:

Celebrate National Library week with this creative bookend craft! Design your own light up bookend to take home, and give your bookshelves a literal glow-up.

Toddler Tales @ Southwest Branch

11:00am–11:30am
Early Learning
All locations
Offsite Event
Library Branch: All locations
Age Group: Early Learning
Program Type: Storytime
Event Details:

Children and their caregivers are invited to enjoy this story time full of books, action rhymes and songs. 

For ages 0 - 5 years old. 

Southwest Book Club

3:00pm–4:00pm
Adult
Southwest Branch
Library Branch: Southwest Branch
Room: Southwest Community Room
Age Group: Adult
Program Type: Book Club
Event Details:

This afternoon book club meets at the Southwest Branch on the 4th Wednesday* of each month during the spring and fall seasons (club will not meet in January, over the summer, or in December).

Libraries Closed: InService Day

All Day
All locations
Closing
Branches:
All locations
Description:

All locations of the Rock Island Public Library will be closed Thursday, April 23 for Staff Development training. 

Early Learning Outreach-RIMSD HeadStart & Preschool For All Visits

9:00am–11:00am
Early Learning
Offsite
Offsite Event
Library Branch: Offsite
Age Group: Early Learning
Program Type: Early Learning
Event Details:

Youth Services staff will be reading and sharing literacy activities with the RIMSD Head Start and Preschool for All classes.

Afternoon Activity @ Southwest

3:30pm–4:30pm
School Age
Southwest Branch
Library Branch: Southwest Branch
Room: Southwest Children's Room
Age Group: School Age
Program Type: Special Event
Event Details:

Fun activities and crafts every week Tuesdays at Watts-Midtown and Thursdays at Southwest!! Come for fun every week for Elementary age kids (K-6)!

 

RIFAC Book Club

10:00am–11:00am
Offsite
Offsite Event
Library Branch: Offsite
Program Type: Book Club
Event Details:

Join us at RIFAC for a book discussion on the last Friday of every month - no membership required! The meeting will be in Room 6. This month, we're reading The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel.

Quarterly Book Sale

10:00am–1:00pm
Downtown Library
Library Branch: Downtown Library
Room: Downtown Community Room
Program Type: Book Sale
Event Details:

Quarterly book sale. Bag up great deals on books and other items. Unless otherwise marked, sales are by donation. Fill some boxes or bags and make us an offer! 

Toddler Tales @ Watts-Midtown Branch

10:30am–11:00am
Early Learning
Watts-Midtown Branch
Library Branch: Watts-Midtown Branch
Age Group: Early Learning
Program Type: Storytime
Event Details:

Children and their caregivers are invited to enjoy this story time full of books, action rhymes and songs.

For ages 0 - 5 years old.

Quarterly Book Sale

10:00am–1:00pm
All locations
Offsite Event
Library Branch: All locations
Program Type: Book Sale
Event Details:

Quarterly book sale. Bag up great deals on books and other items. Unless otherwise marked, sales are by donation. Fill some boxes or bags and make us an offer! 

Library2Go Route - Red Week

All Day 4/27–4/30
Everyone
Library2Go Mobile Library
Offsite Event
Library Branch: Library2Go Mobile Library
Age Group: Everyone
Program Type: Outreach
Event Details:

We're back in the swing of things and we look forward to seeing you at our current lineup of alternating route stops.

Drop-in Computer Skills & Job Search Assistance w/ Goodwill of the Heartland

3:00pm–4:00pm
Adult
Downtown Library
Library Branch: Downtown Library
Age Group: Adult
Program Type: Discussion
Event Details:

Looking for assistance with computer skills and searching for jobs?

Toddler Tales @ Watts-Midtown Branch

10:30am–11:00am
Early Learning
Watts-Midtown Branch
Library Branch: Watts-Midtown Branch
Age Group: Early Learning
Program Type: Storytime
Event Details:

Young children and their caregivers are invited to enjoy this story time full of short books, action rhymes and songs.

For ages 0 - 5 years old.

Freedom to Read 'em Book Club -- The Perks of Being a Wallflower

2:00pm–3:00pm
Adult, Everyone
Downtown Library
Library Branch: Downtown Library
Room: Downtown Community Room
Age Group: Adult, Everyone
Program Type: Book Club
Event Details:

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Afternoon Activity @ Watts-Midtown

3:30pm–4:30pm
School Age
Watts-Midtown Branch
Library Branch: Watts-Midtown Branch
Room: Watts-Midtown Community Room
Age Group: School Age
Program Type: Special Event
Event Details:

Fun activities and crafts every week Tuesdays at Watts-Midtown and Thursdays at Southwest!! Come for fun every week for Elementary age kids (K-6)!

 

This week we will have a writing workshop led by one of our afterschoolers!

Toddler Tales @ Southwest Branch

11:00am–11:30am
Early Learning
All locations
Offsite Event
Library Branch: All locations
Age Group: Early Learning
Program Type: Storytime
Event Details:

Children and their caregivers are invited to enjoy this story time full of books, action rhymes and songs. 

For ages 0 - 5 years old. 

How to Buy a Car -- and Other Stuff: Consumer Reports at Your Library

2:00pm–3:00pm
Teen, Adult, Family, Everyone
Downtown Library
Library Branch: Downtown Library
Room: Downtown Community Room
Age Group: Teen, Adult, Family, Everyone
Program Type: Presentation
Event Details:

Consumer Reports is an independent, non-profit organization founded in 1936 dedicated to providing unbiased product testing, investigative journalism, and consumer advocacy.

Early Learning Outreach-RIMSD HeadStart & Preschool For All Visits

9:00am–11:00am
Early Learning
Offsite
Offsite Event
Library Branch: Offsite
Age Group: Early Learning
Program Type: Early Learning
Event Details:

Youth Services staff will be reading and sharing literacy activities with the RIMSD Head Start and Preschool for All classes.

Outreach Skip A Long - Milan - Preschool Visit

9:45am–10:15am
Early Learning
Outreach
Offsite Event
Library Branch: Outreach
Age Group: Early Learning
Program Type: Outreach, Storytime
Event Details:

Miss Ranell will visit Skip a Long preschool for storytime. 

Outreach Skip A Long - Milan - Preschool Visit

9:45am–10:15am
Early Learning
Outreach
Offsite Event
Library Branch: Outreach
Age Group: Early Learning
Program Type: Outreach, Storytime
Event Details:

Miss Ranell will visit Skip a Long preschool for storytime. 

Afternoon Activity @ Southwest

3:30pm–4:30pm
School Age
Southwest Branch
Library Branch: Southwest Branch
Room: Southwest Community Room
Age Group: School Age
Program Type: Special Event
Event Details:

Fun activities and crafts every week Tuesdays at Watts-Midtown and Thursdays at Southwest!! Come for fun every week for Elementary age kids (K-6)!

 

This week we will have a writing workshop!

Partial Closing for All Staff Meeting

10:00am–12:00pm
All locations
Closing
Branches:
All locations
Description:

All library buildings will be closed from 10 am to Noon on May 1, 2026 for a quarterly all-staff meeting. Buildings reopen at noon.