Community Calendar

The deadly siege at the United States Capitol in 2021 exposed the consequences of widespread anger and baseless conspiracy theories. At the same time, the disappearance of more than 2,000 newspapers nationwide has revealed a direct link between the decline of trusted local news and the rise of dangerous misinformation. As reliable sources vanish, many communities are left without accurate, independent reporting, deepening a national misinformation crisis.

News Matters explores this cause-and-effect relationship by examining the erosion of America’s newspaper industry and its implications for democratic institutions. The film follows the high-profile effort to save The Denver Post, highlighting the broader struggle to preserve local journalism at a time when its role in American democracy is increasingly at risk. The film is 1 hour, and 24 minutes , not rated and made possible through Kanopy. This program is free and open to the public.

Join us for our Midweek Matinee film series!
Take a midweek break with our monthly Wednesday matinees featuring timeless and award-winning films at the Woodstock Opera House. Coming Wednesday, March 18 at 1 PM, don’t miss The Bucket List, the uplifting 2007 dramedy about living life to the fullest. Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman star as two terminally ill men who escape the hospital with a to-do list of things to experience before they “kick the bucket.” From skydiving to world travel, their journey is filled with humor, heart, and the deep bond of unexpected friendship. Directed by Rob Reiner, The Bucket List is a moving reminder that it’s never too late to start living.

Do you love talking about movies? Are you a fan of movies from the ‘50s, ‘60s, ‘70s, and ‘80s? This is where you belong. Movie trivia, lemonade, coffee and popcorn served.

This Friday we watch A League of Their Own (1992). As America's stock of athletic young men is depleted during World War II, a professional all-female baseball league springs up in the Midwest, funded by publicity-hungry candy maker Walter Harvey (Garry Marshall). Competitive sisters Dottie Hinson (Geena Davis) and Kit Keller (Lori Petty) spar with each other, scout Ernie Capadino (Jon Lovitz) and grumpy has-been coach Jimmy Dugan (Tom Hanks) on their way to fame. Madonna and Rosie O'Donnell co-star as two of the sisters' teammates.2h 8m.

This movie is intended for adults. It is rated PG. Registration is not required. This program is sponsored by Garlisch Automotive Services and is part of the America 250 initiative: celebrating our nation throughout the year.

For more information, please contact Susan at susang@dkpl.org or (815) 756-9568 ext. 2114.

The surprising story of how one of music’s biggest icons helped establish a memorial to the USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor. Elvis Presley’s benefit concert on March 25, 1961, drew national attention to the unfinished memorial and helped galvanize the public support needed to complete the USS Arizona Memorial as it stands today. The film runs 60 minutes, is rated PG, and is made possible through the WWII Foundation. The program is free and open to the public.

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.

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.

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.

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.