Blackstone Unlimited – No holds, no limits, all audiobooks

Hit the checkout limit on your hoopla borrows this month, but need a new audiobook?  We’ve got you covered.  We are happy to announce that we are 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.

Watch the Eclipse with Us! – April 8, 1-3 p.m.

Join us for an eclipse viewing party on Monday, April 8,from 1-3 p.m.  If you don’t have solar glasses, we’ve got you covered.  During the watch party, glasses will be made available at the main floor desk starting at 12:30 p.m. Be sure to stop by early as solar glasses will be on a first-come, first-serve basis while supplies last. 

Chair Yoga with Christy DeSmit – April 13 at 10:30 a.m.

Looking for a great option to stay healthy, but have worried about your mobility or balance?  Stop by for a free chair yoga class lead by Christy DeSmit of the Kewanee Yoga Center.  Chair yoga is a great option for beginners as well as those with mobility or balance concerns.  

Adult Book Club – Monday, April 15 at 2 and 6 p.m.

The next meeting date of our Adult Book Club is March 18 where we will be discussing Tallgrass by Sandra Dallas.  As always, we 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.  

We 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.  We hope to see you there!

Author Talk and Book Signing with Becca Kinzer – April 27 from 2 to 3:30 p.m.

Stop in after hours, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. to celebrate local author Becca Kinzer and her upcoming book release. She will join us to talk about her latest book, Love in Tandem, followed by an author signing.  

Don’t have a copy? Books will be available for purchase at the event. This program. is sponsored by the Friends of the Library.

Author Watch Party and Book Discussion – Community Read – April 29 and 30

We are happy to announce that Kewanee Public Library will once again be taking part in the Community Read, presented by the Galesburg Public Library and supported by the Galesburg Community Foundation.  This year, author Andrew Krivak will be appearing on Zoom April 29 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m..  He will talk to everyone about his approach to writing and creating his novel, The Bear. 

You can join us at in the Community Room in-person, or request a Zoom link by contacting referenc@galesburglibrary.org.

We will follow up his virtual visit with a book discussion of his book on April 30 from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.  As a part of the Community Room, participants will receive free copies of The Bear which will be available to pick up at the Lower Level desk.

Science Book Club is Back!

We’re excited to announce that the Science Book Club is back!  The next meeting will be April 24 at 6 p.m. in the Community Room.  Isaac Stewart of Black Hawk College will be here to facilitate the discussion of An Immense World by Ed Yong.  Books for that discussion are available to pick up. 

Thanks to our amazing 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.

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 April 22.  Dressed in period costume, Dr. Marrietta Castle will be here to portray Mary Todd Lincoln as she might have been in 1875, 10 years after President Lincoln’s assassination and just after she left the sanitarium.

Creativity at the Carnegie

Do you enjoy knitting, crochet, embroidery, cross stitch or quilting?  Come and join us 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 April 9.  For more information, stop by or give us a call at (309) 852-4505.

Youth Programming

Babies to Pre-K aged children are invited to join our youth staff for songs, action rhymes, stories and games, during our Preschool Storytime, Tuesdays at 11:30 a.m.  This session will run from April 9 through May 7 before we take a break for Summer Reading. Stick around after Storytime for Stay & Play with our sensory building toys.

In April, we will once again have two separate in-house crafts for different age groups to attend.  For our elementary age patrons, we will be hosting a DIY jigsaw puzzle on April 10, 11 and 12 from 2-6 p.m. and April 13 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.  

The PreK crowd and their caregivers are invited to attend our Spring Tube Butterfly on April 17, 18 and 19 from 2-6 p.m. and April 20 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m..  

Our Storybook Steam to Go kits have continued to be popular.  This month you can stop in to grab a kit and read The Thing About Spring by Daniel Kirk then design and put together a house made out of sponges.

And don’t forget to send us pictures of your creation to kewaneelibrarycr@gmail.com to be featured on the library Facebook page.

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.