The Kewanee Public Library would like to thank all of the amazing actors and everyone who came out for their murder mystery. Their hard work and talent gave the audience a night filled with laughter and memories. If the public is interested in seeing the KPL host another murder mystery in the future, stop by and let them know.
For the KPL’s April celebration, they’ve gone a little smaller as they gear up for their May Block Party celebrating the 150th anniversary and kicking off Summer Reading. This month, stop in to grab a DIY mini library kit. Each kit is filled with items to make your own pocket-sized library.
A Community on the Prairie: Bishop Hill, Illinois traveling exhibit
Throughout the month of April, the library will be displaying the traveling exhibit – A Community of the Prairie: Bishop Hill, Illinois. This exhibit showcases the formation of the Bishop Hill Colony, its dissolution, and its rebirth into the village of Bishop Hill that we now know. Stop in at the library and ask at any of the service desks to see it.
Eating Well as We Age – Tuesday, April 8 at 2 p.m.
Interest in learning how the food you eat impacts the way you feel, how you age, and how eating well determines how well you’ll maintain your independence while aging? Kristin Bogondas, nutrition and wellness educator with the University of Illinois Extension, will join the library on Tuesday, April 8 at 2 p.m. to educate how making smart food choices can help you reduce common age-related illnesses.
In an interactive session, you’ll learn key nutrients to support healthy aging, which foods to focus on, and more. Each participant will receive a book on the many nutrition concepts that are discussed.
Community Reads – Tuesday, April 15 & Thursday, April 17 at 5 p.m.
Kewanee Public Library District is once again participating in the annual Community Reads event, made possible through the Illinois Humanities Envisioning Justice Grant and in partnership with Galesburg Public Library. They’lll have two different discussions of Correction: Parole, Prison, and the Possibility of Change by Ben Austen.
Join them on April 15 for a virtual discussion with author Ben Austen, Galesburg Public Library and a group from the Kewanee Skills Re-Entry Center joining them live over Zoom. Stop in at 5 pm and join them in the library’s Community Room for what is sure to be a lively discussion. Join them again on April 17 at 5 p.m. for a second discussion in the library’s Community Room when they will once again be joined virtually by a group from the Kewanee Life Skills Re-Entry Center. Pick up your copy today at the library’s Information Services desk on the lower level.
Native Pollinators with Leslie Anthony – Thursday, April 24 at 2 p.m. Did you know that, according to the National Park Service, pollinators are responsible for one out of every three bites of food you take each day? Native pollinators are vital to the health of our ecosystem and the health of many of our crops, but their habitats are shrinking. Join the KPL on April 24 at 2 p.m., when Leslie Anthony of the University of Illinois Extension will be there to discuss the native pollinators of Illinois and how to make your landscape attractive to them.
DIY Scrabble Tile Garden Stakes Craft – Tuesday, April 22 at 3 p.m.
Join the library staff on Tuesday, April 22 at 3 p.m. when they’ll be making DIY garden stakes with Scrabble tiles in their Community Room to celebrate Earth Day. They hope to see you there!
Foraging with Alexis Nikole Nelson – April 10 at 7 p.m. – Online Only Alexis Nikole Nelson, a forager and an outdoor educator, uses her platforms—TikTok account alexisnikole and Instagram page blackforager—to celebrate all the edible plants hiding in plain sight. Peeling back historical layers on African American and Indigenous food traditions, she highlights repressed voices and traditions and empowers those living in food deserts with greater self-sufficiency.
Nelson received the James Beard Award for “Best Social Media” 2022, was chosen for the Forbes 30 Under 30 list and as a TikTok Tastemaker and was honored as part of Fortune Magazine’s Creator 25 in 2021. Nelson gave a TED Talk in 2022 and in 2023 joined the YouTube channel Crash Course to host a 15-episode botany series.
Alexis Nikole Nelson will be joined in conversation with Natalie Evans, a wild edible foods instructor. To register for this event, head to the KPL website, www.kewaneelibrary.org.
This event is made possible by Illinois Libraries Present (ILP), a statewide collaboration among public libraries offering premier events. ILP 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.
Young Adult Programming
Join the library’s brand-new Young Adult Book Club! Geared specifically toward their young adult patrons, between the ages of 13 and 18, each month they will discuss books while enjoying snacks and meeting with people who love reading as much as they do. Join them April 18 at 4:15 p.m. to discuss their next great read. They hope to see you there!
Are you interested in creating arts and crafts while hanging out with friends and meeting new people? Then join the KPL on April 10 from 3:45 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. for their new Young Adult Craft Club. Each month, they’ll meet to craft a new project.
On April 29, at 3 p.m., the library will be hosting their monthly meeting of the Young Adult Homeschoolers Hobby Hangout. Homeschooling students between the ages of 13 and 18 are invited to join them as they share interests while improving their various skill sets. Whether you’re interested in crocheting, chess or even have a service project that you need to work on, stop in and work alongside your friends.
Calling all manga and anime aficionados, join the library for their new Young Adult Manga Book Club! If you’re between the ages of 13 and 18 and are interested in graphic novels or manga, join them Saturday, April 12 and Saturday, April 26 between 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. as they read and discuss the manga series Demon Slayer.
Get ready for an afternoon of Fortnight, snacks and hanging out with friends! On April 22, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. anyone between the ages of 13 and 18 can stop into the Young Adult room on the library’s lower level. They’ll be playing Fortnite on their gaming television. And to top it off, they’ll have lots of snacks to enjoy!
If you like tabletop games, stop by the library April 24 from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m. when they’ll be playing Everdell on the main floor of the library!
Movies at the Carnegie
Watch movies with KPL! Each month, the library will be showing a different movie. They are still working on finetuning which times work for everyone, so if you have a specific day of the week or time that works for you, stop by the Information Services desk and let them know. While you’re there, let them know if there’s a specific movie that you’d like them to show. In April, their showings will be on April 10 at 2 p.m. and April 29 at 10:30 a.m.
Coding for Tweens – April 9 at 3:30 p.m.
Guest instructor Andrew Mansheim of Black Hawk East will join the KPL once again for another class of Coding for Tweens on Wednesday, April 9 at 3:30 p.m. Children between the ages of 9 and 12 are invited to attend. As seats are limited, registration is required. Stop by the Youth Services Desk on the second floor or give them a call at 309-852-4505 to register.
Youth Programming
Baby and Preschool Storytime continues through the month of April. Infants through preschool age children and their adults are invited to attend story time Tuesdays at 11:15 a.m. Stick around afterward for the Stay & Play Sensory Play Time. If you can’t make it in person, catch their story time live on Facebook at 1 p.m. the same day. If you’re interested in the Music and Movement Storytime, stop in on Thursdays at 11:15 a.m.
The library has two drop-in crafts planned this month. Elementary-age children are invited to stop on April 9, 10, and 11 at 3:30 p.m., or Saturday, April 12 at 10 a.m. to make a rope snake craft. For their preschool aged patrons, stop in on April 16, 17, and 18 at 3:30 p.m. or Saturday, April 19 at 10 a.m. for bubble wrap egg painting.
Celebrate Earth Day with the KPL! Starting April 1, stop by the library to grab an Earth Day tea light kit to make a light-up globe.
Chapter Chasers Book Club – 4th through 6th graders
Calling young readers! Students in 4th through 6th grades are invited to the KPL’s new book club, Chapter Chasers. Returning on April 1, they will meet Tuesdays at 4 p.m. in their Youth room. Students will listen as Youth staff member, Chris, reads How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell, and discusses the story as it progresses. Students are welcome to bring drinks and snacks or just enjoy the snacks provided by the library. No registration is required. They hope to see you there!
Adult Book Club – April 21 at 2 and 6 p.m.
The next meeting date of KPL’s Adult Book Club is April 21, where they will be discussing Her Deadly Game by Robert Dugoni. As always, they will hold two meetings, one at 2 p.m. and another at 6 p.m.; you’re invited to attend whichever time works the best for you. They ask that anyone attending the evening meeting please enter the building through the elevator entrance located on the north side of the building on First Street. Copies of the book are available for checkout at the Information Services desk on the lower level of the library.
Digital Literacy Class
Since there was still interest in the library’s digital literacy classes, they’re bringing them back. Once again, available topics are essential computer skills, which would be basic computer skills, essential software skills, or office productivity skills, and technology tools in Daily Life, which will teach you practical computer skills. If you have a more specific question, you are welcome to stop in during the class and they’ll work with you to figure it out. Classes are now by appointment, so give them a call at 309-852-4505 and ask for the Information services desk to schedule yours today!
Creativity at the Carnegie
Do you enjoy knitting, crochet, embroidery, cross stitch or quilting? Come to the Kewanee Public Library in the Community Room on the second Tuesday of each month from 4 to 6 p.m. This is an adult group sponsored by the Friends of the Kewanee Public Library for those who would like to enjoy the comradery of others while creating their own fiber projects. For more information, stop by or give the library a call at 309-852-4505.
For more information on any of the above-mentioned programs or to see what services are offered at the library, you can call 309-852-4505 or visit KPL on the web at www.kewaneelibrary.org. You can also email the library at reference@kewaneelibrary.org with any questions. They appreciate your continued support.
