Community Calendar

Join us for a series of staged readings that celebrate the breadth and brilliance of African-American storytelling.

LEWIS LEMON: AN UNCOMMON LIFE
SAT Aug 23 at 7:30
SAT Aug 24 at 4:30)

Running Time: 75 minutes

Part play, part musical portrait, this original piece honors Lewis Lemon—an enslaved man who purchased his freedom and became a key figure in Rockford’s 1834 founding.

Blending narrative and historical reflection with evocative music, the performance explores Lemon’s legacy as a civic leader and community builder whose contributions have long been overlooked.

Presented during Rockford’s Founders Day weekend, Lewis Lemon: An Uncommon Lifeoffers a moving tribute to the hidden histories that shaped our city.

Prepare for swoon-worthy reads and lively conversations with fellow romance lovers! We meet each month to discuss our latest romantic read-- sharing thoughts, feelings, and favorite moments along the way. From steamy westerns and eerie sci-fi love stories to sweeping historical romances, our carefully chosen selections span the full spectrum of the genre. Whether you're a longtime romance reader or just starting to explore, you'll find your perfect match here!

September: Secretly Yours by Tessa Bailey
October: That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon by Kimberly Lemming
November: The Truth According to Ember by Danica Nava

Books are available in Adult Services. No registration is required. This book club is intended for adults.

For additional information, please contact Amy at amyf@dkpl.org or call (815) 756-9568 ext. 2150.

The price of eggs getting too high? Jennifer Murtoff of Home to Roost Chickens is stopping by the library to offer a hands-on course covering the basics of raising chickens. The program will cover local laws, special needs of chicks, nutrition, coop design, pitfalls to avoid, and much more. Registration required.

This Fall, author William Hazelgrove is stopping by Woodstock Public Library to present his research on the famous Wright brothers. Prepared with original archives and family letters, this author presents a compelling case that Wilbur Wright, not his brother Orville, was the driving force behind the solution to manned flight. Come watch Hazelgrove explore the life of the Wright brothers, their time at Kitty Hawk, and the impact Wilbur’s early death had on his legacy.

Prepare for swoon-worthy reads and lively conversations with fellow romance lovers! We meet each month to discuss our latest romantic read-- sharing thoughts, feelings, and favorite moments along the way. From steamy westerns and eerie sci-fi love stories to sweeping historical romances, our carefully chosen selections span the full spectrum of the genre. Whether you're a longtime romance reader or just starting to explore, you'll find your perfect match here!

September: Secretly Yours by Tessa Bailey
October: That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon by Kimberly Lemming
November: The Truth According to Ember by Danica Nava

Books are available in Adult Services. No registration is required. This book club is intended for adults.

For additional information, please contact Amy at amyf@dkpl.org or call (815) 756-9568 ext. 2150.

On April 2, 1917, President Woodrow Wilson stated: “The world must be safe for democracy.” In four days, the United States would enter World War I. Historian Jim Gibbons will take you through the first of two of the most catastrophic wars in our nation’s history, World War I, which started on July 28, 1914. Gibbons will highlight significant events that thrust the United States into this unwanted war.

Throughout time, the vampire has been both the sum of all our fears and the perfect scapegoat, yet the vampire has retained an allure carrying its popularity across centuries. Author Laura Enright examines the evolution of the vampire from ancient bogeyman to romantic figure, superhero, and even a teen dream.

Prepare for swoon-worthy reads and lively conversations with fellow romance lovers! We meet each month to discuss our latest romantic read-- sharing thoughts, feelings, and favorite moments along the way. From steamy westerns and eerie sci-fi love stories to sweeping historical romances, our carefully chosen selections span the full spectrum of the genre. Whether you're a longtime romance reader or just starting to explore, you'll find your perfect match here!

September: Secretly Yours by Tessa Bailey
October: That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon by Kimberly Lemming
November: The Truth According to Ember by Danica Nava

Books are available in Adult Services. No registration is required. This book club is intended for adults.

For additional information, please contact Amy at amyf@dkpl.org or call (815) 756-9568 ext. 2150.

Join Nellie Bly at the US Embassy in Paris in February 1919. The Great War has ended, and Nellie recounts her adventures as a reporter, in the US, Mexico and as a war correspondent, as she awaits permission to return to the US. Born Elizabeth Jane Cochran (1864-1922), this pioneer of investigative journalism is better known by her nom de plume,"Nellie Bly". Bly spent a day in Woodstock in 1895 visiting Eugene V Debs. This is a living history program presented by actress Debra Ann Miller.