The library will be closed on May 27 in observance of Memorial Day.  It will reopen at its regular hours, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., on Tuesday, May 28.

Clay Pen Craft Workshop

The library will have two workshops on how to create your own clay pen.  Adults 18 and up are invited to attend Tuesday, May 7, from 2 to 3:30 p.m.  Young adults between the ages of 14 and 18 can attend on Thursday, May 9 from 3 to 4:30 p.m.

Meet and Mingle Ice Cream Social – Tuesday, May 28 from 4 – 6 p.m.

Stop in on May 28 between 4 and 6 p.m. to attend the Meet and Mingle Ice Cream Social and meet Kewanee Public Library’s new director, Cynthia.

Summer Reading Program – May 28 – July 13

It’s time once again for the library’s favorite part of the year, Summer Reading! Registration will start on May 14.  As they have for the last few years, the program will be available online through Beanstack or you can request a paper copy.  

Children, teens, and adults will read to earn prizes. To kick off the children’s program, the Spoon Man will stop by Wednesday, May 29 at 11 a.m. to share some hilarious impressions, hold a sing-a-long competition and even play spoons on the audiences’ hands.  Check in with the library throughout the summer to learn about more programs we will be hosting.

Science Book Club is Back

The library is excited to announce that the Science Book Club is back. The last meeting will be May 29 at 6 p.m. in the Community Room.  Alan Abbott will be here to facilitate the discussion of Under Alien Skies: A Sightseer’s Guide to the Universe by Philip Plait, PhD.  Books are available for pickup. 

Thanks to the Friends of the Library group, who are sponsoring this book club, participants will receive their own copy of each book discussed, which means seats are limited. If you registered and have not collected your copy of the book, stop in at the Information Services desk on the lower level.

Adult Book Club – Monday, May 29, 2 and 6 p.m.

The next meeting date of the Adult Book Club is May 20 where we will be discussing The Boys by Ron Howard and Clint Howard.  As always, two meetings, one at 2 p.m. and another at 6 p.m. will be held. Participants are invited to attend whichever time works the best for them.  

The library asks that anyone attending the evening meeting enter the building through the elevator entrance 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.  We hope to see you there.

Henry County Genealogical Society

As part of their monthly meetings, the Henry County Genealogical Society welcomes a variety of interesting presenters. The meetings are the fourth Monday of each month at 1:30 p.m. in the library’s Community Room. The next meeting is May 20.  Mike DeWalt will stop by to tell us about the Kewanee Galva Trolley Car.

Creativity @ the Carnegie

Do you enjoy knitting, crochet, embroidery, cross stitch or quilting?  Come and join the group at 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.  

The next meeting will be May 14.  For more information, stop by or give them a call at (309) 852-4505.

Youth Programming

Babies to pre-K aged children are invited to join the library’s youth staff for songs, action rhymes, stories and games, during our preschool storytime, Tuesdays at 11:30 a.m.  This session will run through May 7 before the library takes a break for Summer Reading. Stick around after storytime for Stay & Play with our sensory building toys.

In May, the library will once again have two separate in-house crafts for different age groups.  For elementary age patrons, they will be hosting a Wikki Stix Marble Maze craft on May 8, 9 and 10 from 2 to 6 p.m. and May 11 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.  

The pre-K crowd and their caregivers are invited to attend our DIY Smores craft on May 22, 23 and 24 from 2 to 6 p.m. and May 25 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.  The libary will also have a grab ‘n go craft for participants to take with them.  Stop in to get the Bubble Snake kit, while supplies last.

Our Storybook STEAM to Go kits are always popular.  This month you can stop in to grab a kit and read “Everything You Need for a Treehouse” by Carter Higgins, then design and put together your own treehouse. And don’t forget to send pictures of your creation to kewaneelibrarycr@gmail.com to be featured on the library Facebook page.

Blackstone Unlimited – No holds, no limits, all audiobooks

Hit the checkout limit on your Hoopla borrows this month, but need a new audiobook?  The libary has you covered.  They are announcing that the KPLD is among the first libraries in  Illinois offering the latest audiobook streaming collection, Blackstone Unlimited.

With over 6,500 titles to choose from and more being added each month, Blackstone Unlimited offers free access to an exclusively audiobook collection.  And, as its name says, it’s unlimited.  There is no limit to the number of audiobooks you can borrow each month. And no due dates.  

To make it even better, every title is available as soon as you sign up; no need to place holds and wait for the next book on your to-read list to become available.  All titles are available all the time.

To take advantage of this new service, all you need is your Kewanee Public Library card.  Head over to our digital resources page to sign up.  

If you have any questions about the new service or need help signing up, give us a call at (309) 852-4505.

For more information on any of the above-mentioned programs or to see what services are offered at your library, you can call (309) 852-4505 or visit us on the web at www.kewaneelibrary.org.  You can also email the library at reference@kewaneelibrary.org with any questions.