Community Calendar

On Monday, July 11th, at 6:00 p.m. central, the LaSalle Public Library will virtually host NASA Solar System Ambassadors Joel Knapper and Scott Pellican when they discuss the James Webb Space Telescope as the world waits for the first images, which are set to be released on July 12th.

In this virtual program, NASA Solar System Ambassadors Joel Knapper and Scott Pellican will look back on the long and tumultuous journey of the most powerful telescope ever built, from concept to launch, its "30 Days of Terror", and the science and discovery it promises to deliver. The James Webb Space Telescope will be the premier observatory of the next decade, serving thousands of astronomers worldwide.

Joel Knapper has been hooked on NASA and space exploration since the seventh grade. Joel earned a Bachelor of Science degree in English Education from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. Through the years, Joel has never lost his interest in the space program and continues to learn more each day.

Scott Pellican is a retired Senior Manager, having worked for a large multi-state contract cleaning company. As a nine-year-old in 1967, he sent a hand-written letter to NASA Headquarters asking for any information available. When the rocket posters and photos of astronauts arrived in the mail, he was hooked for life. Like all Americans his age, he watched man walk on the Moon with his parents on their black and white TV.

This program is free and open to all. It will be virtual via Zoom. Register – https://bit.ly/3ub3wMS. For more information, please contact the LaSalle Public Library at 815-223-2341.

On Tuesday, July 12th, at 6:00 p.m. central, the LaSalle Public Library will virtually host author and historian William Hazelgrove for a discussion about his book, “Greed in the Gilded Age: The Brilliant Con of Cassie Chadwick.”

Greed in the Gilded Age is a Gatsby-esque tale of mystery, money, sex and scandal. The word – millionaire – had just entered the American lexicon and Cassie Chadwick was front page news, becoming a media sensation before mass media, even eclipsing President Roosevelt’s inauguration. Combining the sexuality and helplessness her gender implied, Chadwick conned at least two million dollars, simply by claiming to be the illegitimate daughter and heir of steel titan, Andrew Carnegie. Using newspaper articles, Hazelgrove will tell the story of one of the greatest cons in American history in this virtual program.

William Hazelgrove is a bestselling author and historian. His books have hit the National Bestseller List, received starred reviews in Publishers Weekly and Booklist, and have been included in Book of the Month Selections, Literary Guild Selections, Junior Library Guild Selections, and ALA Editor's Choice Awards. He has been the subject of interviews in NPR's All Things Considered along with features in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun Times, Richmond Times Dispatch, USA Today, People, Channel 11, NBC, WBEZ, and WGN.

This program is free and open to all. Register by going to – https://bit.ly/3y9Mnpp. For more information, please contact the LaSalle Public Library at 815-223-2341.

On Tuesday, July 19th, at 6:00 p.m. central, the LaSalle Public Library will virtually host NASA Solar System Ambassador and LaSalle resident, Scott Pellican, for a presentation commemorating John Glenn’s historic flight in 1962 where he became the first American to orbit Earth.

In the presentation, Scott will provide background on Glenn, how the political events of the time led to the flight, the flight itself, and the reaction and celebration of the nation afterwards. After the program, Scott will answer questions posed by the virtual audience.

Scott Pellican is a retired Senior Manager, having worked for a large multi-state contract cleaning company. As a nine-year-old in 1967, he sent a hand-written letter to NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC, asking for any information available. When the rocket posters and photos of astronauts arrived in the mail, he was hooked for life. Like all Americans his age, he watched man walk on the Moon with his parents on their black and white TV. To now be able to be a NASA volunteer is a truly exciting opportunity.

This program is free and open to all. It will be virtual via Zoom. Register by going to – https://bit.ly/3neoert. For more information, please contact the LaSalle Public Library at 815-223-2341.

South Suburban College History Professor Bruce Allardice joins us at Harvard Diggins Library to take a look at the "National Pastime" during the 1850s and 1860s in Chicago. He focuses on how the game spread, who played it, how the Civil War affected the spread of the game - and how the Chicago Cubs were formed!
Free and open to the public. Registration is required. To sign up for a seat at this event, send an email to adultservices@harvard-diggins.org or call 815-943-4671.

All writers, beginning or veteran, are welcome. Please bring a pen and paper, grab a cup of coffee, and join us. We will try out some exercises and techniques for more effectively using metaphors, similes, and specificity in your poetry. This event is part of our itinerant writing workshop series that meets in different venues around the Chicago suburbs and online.

Our native oaks are a "keystone" species that many other species rely on. There are 12 species of native oaks in Northern Illinois that fall into two groups: Red-Black Oaks and White-Bur Oaks. Sarah Michehl, Community Engagement Specialist with the Land Conservancy of McHenry County, returns to Harvard Diggins Library to present this program all about the ecology, natural history, and conservation of oak trees.
This event is free and open to the public. Registration is required. To sign up for a seat at this event, send an email to adultservices@harvard-diggins.org or call 815-943-4671

On Tuesday, July 26th, at 6:00 p.m. central, the LaSalle Public Library will virtually host Professor Emeritus, Brian Rose, for presentation that explores the four decades of filmmaking by Steven Spielberg and George Lucas.

Hollywood is an industry that has always depended on blockbusters, beginning with The Birth of a Nation, and continuing with epics like Gone with the Wind, The Ten Commandments, and The Sound of Music. Beginning in 1974, two young filmmakers – Steven Spielberg and George Lucas – would together change the way the movie industry made movies. Spielberg’s Jaws and Lucas’ Star Wars helped launch the careers of the most influential directors of our time. Whether they were making films together or separately, they introduced the age of the “modern blockbuster,” which featured elaborate special effects and thrilling spectacle.

Brian Rose is a professor emeritus at Fordham University, where he taught for 38 years in the Department of Communication and Media Studies. He’s written several books on television history and cultural programming and conducted more than a hundred Q/A’s with leading directors, actors, and writers for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, the Screen Actors Guild, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, and the Directors Guild of America. His virtual lectures on film and television history have been presented at the Smithsonian, the 92nd St Y., and at JCCs and libraries throughout the country.

This program is free and open to all. It will be virtual via Zoom. Register by going to – https://bit.ly/3nkDYJv. For more information, please contact the LaSalle Public Library at 815-223-2341.

Get a behind-the-scenes look into the process of curating the feature exhibition with Executive Director/Curator Carrie Johnson. This is a free program with complimentary coffee provided by Rockford Roasting Co. No registration is required.