Community Calendar

Step into Illinois’s rich firearms-making past with local historian Curt Johnson in this educational presentation exploring the skilled gunmakers who produced long rifles throughout the Illinois Valley during the mid- to late-1800s. The program features original rifles crafted by local makers from communities including Magnolia, Hennepin, Henry, Peru, LaSalle, Princeton, and Ottawa, bringing regional craftsmanship and history vividly to life.

Featured makers include Henry Tope, who worked in Magnolia from 1844 to 1848 before relocating to Peru, where he died during the 1849 cholera epidemic, and Morris Wood of Hennepin, whose rifles date to the late 1860s. The presentation also highlights the work of many other craftsmen from Putnam, Marshall, Bureau, and LaSalle Counties, regions that collectively supported dozens of independent gunmakers, with LaSalle County alone home to nearly sixty.

This program includes the display of antique firearms as part of a historical and educational exploration of craftsmanship and local history. It is not a gun show. The program is free and open to the public.

Meet with representatives of the Illinois Tollway and the Illinois State Treasurer's Office.
Appointments suggested.
Walk-ins Welcome.

I-PASS ON-DEMAND SERVICES OFFERED:
IPASS Transponder Deactivation & Recycling
New IPASS Sticker Transponder Issuance
Account Updates (payment methods, addresses, plate numbers, etc.)
Billing questions
I-PASS Assist applications (toll forgiveness, reduced tolls for qualifying individuals)

ICASH SERVICES OFFERED:
Look-Up service (discover how much you're owed)
File a claim (start the process of claiming your funds)

For more information, contact Kimberly Barrios, Community Relations & Events Coordinator for DeKalb Township, 815-758-8282.

Teens ages 13 through 19 are invited to a hybrid community book club that brings readers together to explore the American Revolution through shared reading, conversation, and film. Each month, participants will watch a preview from the PBS documentary The American Revolution by Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein, and David Schmidt, along with additional short videos connected to the featured book, before taking part in an informal discussion.

The featured title for this session is “The World Turned Upside Down,” by Tim Grove, a compelling account of the Siege of Yorktown, the final major battle of the American Revolution, told through multiple perspectives. Grove follows the intersecting lives of American, French, and British figures, including George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, Marquis de Lafayette, and British General Charles Cornwallis, as well as an enslaved man who became a spy. By blending military leadership with civilian experience, the book reveals how the events at Yorktown permanently altered the course of the war and the lives of those involved.

The program runs approximately 45–60 minutes and is free and open to the public. To register virtually, please visit: https://shorturl.at/uvd2o. Copies of the book are available at the McNabb Branch.

Join us for this new gathering at Woodstock Public Library as we enjoy a complimentary cup of coffee and discuss a new program topic with a guest speaker every month. Free to attend, but advance registration is required.

February 26 - New Advances in Alzheimer’s Treatment with the Alzheimer’s Association
March 26 - Identity Theft & Fraud Prevention with the Illinois Comptroller’s Office
April 30 - Fall Prevention with Smith Physical Therapy+ of Crystal Lake
May 28 - Mental Health in Older Adults with NAMI of McHenry County
June 25 - Discount and Ride Free Programs with RTA

Youth, ages 8 through 14, are invited to a hybrid community book club that brings readers together to explore the American Revolution through shared reading, conversation, and film. Each month, participants will watch a preview from the PBS documentary The American Revolution by Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein, and David Schmidt, along with additional short videos connected to the featured book, before taking part in an informal discussion.

The featured titles for this session are “Ben’s Revolution: Benjamin Russell and the Battle of Bunker Hill,” by Nathaniel Philbrick and “Forge,” by Laurie Halse Anderson. Ben’s Revolution brings the opening days of the American Revolution to life through the eyes of a young boy caught up in the Battle of Bunker Hill, while Forge follows a teenage soldier enduring the brutal winter at Valley Forge and the personal cost of fighting for independence.

The program runs approximately 45–60 minutes and is free and open to the public. To register virtually, please visit: https://shorturl.at/u8coq. Copies of the book are available at the Condit Branch.

An award-winning documentary examining the 1979 Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station accident, the worst commercial nuclear meltdown in U.S. history, and its lasting aftermath. Featuring Jane Fonda, the film reveals the untold stories of four determined homemakers who challenged the plant operator all the way to the Supreme Court, alongside a young journalist caught in the middle of the crisis. Decades later, the women, legal advocates, and the reporter reflect on corporate silence, nuclear industry doublespeak, and the enduring moral, political, and human consequences that continue to shape the community and future generations. The film is 1 hour, and 17 minutes, not rated and made possible through Kanopy. The program is free and open to the public.

Adults, ages 19 and older, are invited to a hybrid community book club that brings readers together to explore the American Revolution through shared reading, conversation, and film. Each month, participants will watch a preview from the PBS documentary The American Revolution by Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein, and David Schmidt, along with additional short videos connected to the featured book, before taking part in an informal discussion.

The featured title for this session is “The Notorious Benedict Arnold,” by Steve Sheinkin. This fast-paced, engaging biography explores the complex story behind America’s most infamous traitor, who was also once one of its most effective Revolutionary War heroes. Drawing on firsthand accounts and vivid battle scenes, the book portrays Arnold as reckless, ambitious, and deeply flawed, tracing his rise as a daring military leader and the political rivalries that ultimately led to his betrayal of the Patriot cause. Widely praised for its clarity and narrative drive, the book offers adult readers a nuanced and compelling look at the moral tensions and personal decisions that shaped the Revolutionary era.

The program runs approximately 45–60 minutes and is free and open to the public. To register virtually, please visit: https://shorturl.at/FalKH. Copies of the book are available at the Granville Branch.

April is Citizen Science Month, and the Library invites the community to take part in hands-on projects that contribute to 2.5 Million Acts of Science, a national America250 initiative celebrating civic participation and discovery. Citizen science empowers everyday people to support real scientific research by observing and sharing information about the world around them.

Featured projects include Stream Selfie, which helps document the health of local streams through shared photos; Globe at Night, an international effort to measure and raise awareness of light pollution; and iNaturalist, a global platform for recording plants and wildlife to help scientists monitor biodiversity. Information on how to participate in all three citizen-science projects is available at the Library. All projects are free and open to the public and are suitable for adults and families alike.

Shade Grown Coffee is an inspiring documentary that explores how cultivating coffee beneath native tropical trees can strengthen local communities, slow deforestation, and protect critical wildlife habitat, all while giving your daily cup a better aftertaste. The film takes viewers inside the coffee-making journey, from harvesting ripe cherries to brewing the perfect cup, and features passionate farmers, roasters, and baristas from around the world who are working toward a more sustainable future. Made for coffee enthusiasts and nature lovers alike, this film invites viewers to better understand their role as consumers and to savor their next cup of coffee with deeper appreciation, and greater purpose. The film is 1 hour and 15 minutes, is rated G, and made possible through Kanopy. The program is free and open to the public.

April is Citizen Science Month, and the Library invites the community to take part in hands-on projects that contribute to 2.5 Million Acts of Science, a national America250 initiative celebrating civic participation and discovery. Citizen science empowers everyday people to support real scientific research by observing and sharing information about the world around them.

Featured projects include Stream Selfie, which helps document the health of local streams through shared photos; Globe at Night, an international effort to measure and raise awareness of light pollution; and iNaturalist, a global platform for recording plants and wildlife to help scientists monitor biodiversity. Information on how to participate in all three citizen-science projects is available at the Library. All projects are free and open to the public and are suitable for adults and families alike.