Preschool Playdate
2026-09-11 10:00 - 11:00, 2026-09-18 10:00 - 11:00, 2026-09-25 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Chicago)
Children (ages 2-5) and their caregivers are welcome to join us on Friday mornings for open-ended playtime!
Each session will feature a different assortment of toys and activities.
Ages 2-5 and caregivers. Younger siblings welcome. No registration required. No playdate on October 16 due to the Book Sale or November 27 due to Thanksgiving Break.

Stomp, Roar, Explore! Dinosaur Party
2026-09-12 10:00 - 11:30
Get ready to stomp, roar, and explore at our Dinosaur Party! Young paleontologists are invited to join us for a prehistoric adventure featuring a dinosaur-themed scavenger hunt, trivia, and crafts! Whether you’re a fan of the towering T. rex, gentle giants, or speedy raptors, this program is sure to be a roaring good time for kids and their caregivers!
All ages. No registration required.

Teen D&D Club
2026-09-13 13:30 - 16:00
Library staff member, Ty, will lead a group of 6th-12th graders through a 4-part Dungeons and Dragons campaign. The group will meet once every three weeks and play through an extended campaign full of adventure and magic.
Grades 6-12. Registration required (link coming soon). Please note: Your registration is for all the sessions together, and you are expected to attend each session.
Dates and Times:
September 13, 1:30-4:00 pm
October 4, 1:30-4:00 pm
October 25, 1:30-4:00 pm
November 15, 1:30-4:00 pm

Teen Genre Book Club: Realistic Fiction
2026-09-14 16:00 - 17:00
Are you a teen who loves reading but hates being told what to read? Our Teen Genre Book Club is just the thing for you! Each month, we will pick a new genre to feature. Participants are invited to choose a book that fits into the selected genre and be prepared to talk about it and the genre while we enjoy snacks and refreshments.
Dates and Genres:
September 14: Realistic Fiction
October 12: Horror
November 16: Fantasy
Having trouble finding a book that fits the theme? Ask a Librarian or visit our website to browse our Teen Categories!
Grades 6-12. Registration required (link coming soon).

Baby Storytime
2026-09-15 09:30 - 09:50, 2026-09-22 09:30 - 09:50, 2026-09-29 09:30 - 09:50
Bring your baby to the Library for a fun storytime featuring lap bounces, songs, rhymes, and books!
This storytime is designed especially for our littlest library lovers (ages 0-18 months) and their caregivers!
No Baby Storytime on November 3, due to Election Day.

Toddler Storytime
2026-09-15 10:15 - 10:45, 2026-09-22 10:15 - 10:45, 2026-09-29 10:15 - 10:45
Join us at the Library for a storytime specifically designed for toddlers (ages 18 months to 3 years) and their caregivers, featuring songs, rhymes and books!
No Toddler Storytime on November 3, due to Election Day.
PLEASE NOTE: Toddler Storytime has a NEW TIME! Storytime will run from 10:15-10:45 am.

Adult Crafternoon: Book Bedazzling
2026-09-15 13:00 - 14:30
Spend a relaxed afternoon creating a new craft! Each month we focus on a different project. No experience is needed and all supplies are provided.
Registration is required due to limited materials.
Dates and Crafts:
September 15: Book Bedazzling
Turn a book into a sparkling work of art by embellishing the cover with rhinestones. Bring your own book or choose from a selection of provided books.
October 20: Silhouettes
Create a timeless silhouette portrait using simple tracing and cutting techniques to profile images. If you would like to make a silhouette of someone else, please bring a clear side-profile photograph of that person.
November 17: Dried Orange and Cinnamon Garland
Craft a fragrant seasonal garland using dried orange slices, cinnamon sticks and other natural materials for a cozy decoration.

Can’t make the afternoon craft session? We now offer a Craft Night session making the same craft!
Adults. Registration required.

Preschool Storytime
2026-09-16 10:00 - 10:30, 2026-09-23 10:00 - 10:30
Enjoy a fun-filled storytime designed for preschool-aged children (3-5 years) and their caregivers!
MPL storytimes feature a fun mix of songs, rhymes, and books!
No storytime on November 25, due to Thanksgiving Break.

Elementary Explorers
2026-09-16 13:30 - 14:30, 2026-09-23 15:30 - 16:30
Join us every Wednesday for a fun, one hour after school program! Activities will rotate monthly. We’ll usually meet from 3:30-4:30 pm, but we’ll move it up to 1:30-2:30 pm on early dismissal days.
September: Art Club

September 2, 9, 23, 30: regular time (3:30-4:30 pm)
September 16: early dismissal (1:30-2:30 pm)

October: Pokémon Club

October 7, 21, 28: regular time (3:30-4:30 pm)
October 14: early dismissal (1:30-2:30 pm)

November: Maker’s Club

November 4, 18: regular time (3:30-4:30 pm)
November 11: early dismissal (1:30-2:30 pm)
November 25: no meeting

December: LEGO Club

December 2: regular time (3:30-4:30 pm)
December 9: early dismissal (1:30-2:30 pm)
December 16, 23, 30: no meeting

Grades K-5. No registration required.

Medicare 101
2026-09-16 18:30 - 19:30
Learn the basics of how Medicare works, what the different parts cover, and how to choose the right plan for your needs. Perfect for those approaching age 65, already on Medicare, or helping a loved one navigate their options.
Presented by 360 Benefits Group (a firm with over 40 years of combined experience across underwriting, consulting, and account management, created to bring transparency, strategy, and year-round support back into insurance.)
Adults. Registration required.

Little Groovers: Music and Movement
2026-09-17 10:00 - 10:30
Your littles are invited to wiggle, giggle, and groove their way to fun while engaging their imaginations, enhancing motor skills, and building social connections!
We’ll explore rhythm, sound, and movement with a fun selection of songs and dances.
Ages 2-5 and caregivers. No registration required.

Wonder Club: Books (Early Afternoon Session)
2026-09-17 13:00 - 14:00
Curious students in grades 2-5 are invited to join us for Wonder Club! At each monthly session, we’ll explore a different question and complete a hands-on activity to put learning into practice!
Session Topics:

September: How are books made?
October: What are stars made of?
November: How do animals communicate?

Register for ONE session each month:

September 17 at 1:00 pm OR 4:00 pm
October 22 at 1:00 pm OR 4:00 pm
November 19 at 1:00 pm OR 4:00 pm

Please Note: There will be TWO sessions with the same topic and activities each month. Please register for ONE session.
Grades 2-5. Registration required (registration link coming soon).

Wonder Club: Books (After School Session)
2026-09-17 16:00 - 17:00

Cookbook Club: Of Course It's Good!
2026-09-17 18:30 - 19:30
Join us at the library, to explore new recipes, share cooking tips, and enjoy delicious food together! This program is intended for adults who enjoy cooking and sharing food together. All experience levels are welcome.
Each Cookbook Club will feature a selected cookbook and attendees will bring a dish from the book to share. Copies of the cookbook will be available one month in advance at the library’s circulation desk.
Dates and Cookbooks:
September 17: Of Course It’s Good! by Jessica Secrest
November 12: Baking Yesteryear by B. Dylan Hollis
Adults. Registration required.

Weekend Storytime
2026-09-19 10:00 - 10:30
Start your weekend off strong with stories, songs, and smiles at our monthly Weekend Storytime! Children ages 0-6 and their caregivers are invited to join us for a fun-filled program featuring engaging books, music, and movement that promote early literacy skills and are sure to spark a love of reading.
Dates:

September 19
October 10
December 12

Ages 0-6. No registration required. No Weekend Storytime in November due to the Stuffed Animal Sleepover.

First Chapter Fight Club: Grades K-3
2026-09-21 15:30 - 16:00
Don’t judge a book by its cover! Judge it by its first chapter! Listen to Ms. Becca read the first chapters of several different books, then pit them against each other in a battle of the books to decide the winner!
Each month, we’ll focus on a different genre:
September: Survival and Adventure Stories
October: Mysteries
November: Historical Fiction
Grades K-3. No registration required.
Please Note: This program session is geared toward students in grades K-3. Students in grades 4-6 are welcome to join us for the later session at 4:30 pm.

First Chapter Fight Club: Grades 4-6
2026-09-21 16:30 - 17:00
Don’t judge a book by its cover! Judge it by its first chapter! Listen to Ms. Becca read the first chapters of several different books, then pit them against each other in a battle of the books to decide the winner!
Each month, we’ll focus on a different genre:
September: Survival and Adventure Stories
October: Mysteries
November: Historical Fiction
Grades 4-6. No registration required.
Please Note: This program session is geared toward students in grades 4-6. Students in grades K-3 are welcome to join us for the earlier session at 3:30 pm.

Truth & Beauty: Telling Our Stories in Writing that Moves & Matters
2026-09-22 18:30 - 19:30
In this interactive presentation and workshop, we will talk about reading, writing, traveling, listening, and imagining, all as ways to freshen and widen our perspectives. Connections to one another through stories, poems, and conversation will help us determine what we mean by truth in a moment when the notion and the word are contested. Together, we will explore poetic/philosophical truth along with “objective truth,” and make mini wonder books, lists of questions, and ways to approach those questions through writing. We will examine how art and writing can be fueled not by what we know, but by what we ask. We will keep our world views – and expressions of our experiences – kaleidoscopic.
Participants will write something – anything from a single line or list to a poem or scene – that feels beautiful and therefore true, or true and therefore beautiful.
Presented by Rachel DeWoskin, award winning author of five novels, a memoir, and two poetry collections.
Part of the Road Scholar Program, funded by Illinois Humanities.
For adults and high school students. Registration required.

About Rachel DeWoskin (Chicago, IL):
Rachel DeWoskin is the award-winning author of five novels: Someday We Will Fly (Penguin Random House, 2019); Banshee (Dottir Press, 2019); Blind (Penguin Random House, 2015); Big Girl Small (FSG, 2011); Repeat After Me (The Overlook Press, 2009); the memoir Foreign Babes in Beijing (WW Norton, 2005), and two poetry collections: Two Menus (University of Chicago Press, 2020), and Absolute Animal (University of Chicago Press, 2023).
Her awards include a National Jewish Book Award, a Sydney Taylor Book Award, the American Library Association’s Alex Award, and the Academy of American Poets Award.
Three of her books, Foreign Babes in Beijing, Someday We Will Fly, and Banshee, are being developed for feature film or television.
DeWoskin’s poems, essays, and articles have appeared in journals and anthologies including The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, The Baffler, Ploughshares, and New Voices from the Academy of American Poets. DeWoskin has been a professor at Boston University, New York University, and the University of Chicago. She is the curator of Theater For One’s Poetry For One project, the founder of the Illinois 900 Million Poem Project, and a member of the national steering committee of Writers for Democratic Action (WDA).

Teen Game Corner
2026-09-24 16:00 - 17:30
Tired of trying to get together with friends to play games but having no space to do so? Look no further than the library! We have snacks, board games, and a Switch, now all we need is YOU!
Dates:
September 24
October 29
November 12
Grades 6-12. No registration required.

Fall Home Maintenance 101
2026-09-24 18:30 - 20:00
Get your home ready for the colder months with this interactive workshop led by Mariah Madison, founder of Let’s Eat Mud. Learn the essential fall maintenance tasks that help prevent costly repairs, improve energy efficiency, and protect your home through the winter. We’ll cover seasonal inspections, common problem areas, simple maintenance you can do yourself, and how to know when it’s time to call a professional.
Unlike watching a video online, you’ll have the opportunity to see live demonstrations and try some of the maintenance techniques for yourself. You’ll leave with practical skills, greater confidence as a homeowner, and a take home fall maintenance checklist you can use year after year to help protect one of your biggest investments: your home.
Adults. Registration required.

About the Presenter: Mariah Madison
Mariah Madison is the founder of Let’s Eat Mud, a Central Illinois home renovation and improvement company. She leads an all-women crew known for quality craftsmanship, honest communication, and creating an experience where homeowners feel informed, respected, and comfortable throughout the remodeling process.
Passionate about both building and education, Mariah teaches practical home maintenance and DIY workshops that help homeowners better understand their homes, build confidence, and know when to tackle a project themselves or call in a professional. Her company’s mission is simple: Repair. Build. Teach.

Teen After Hours Craft Night: Book Bedazzling
2026-09-25 17:30 - 19:00
Looking for a way to make your bookshelf shine? Come to the library! We will be bedazzling book covers while enjoying pizza and refreshments. You may bring your own book or choose from a selection of provided books. We will supply all materials, pizza, and refreshments.
Grades 6-12. Registration required (link coming soon).

Adult Craft Night: Book Bedazzling
2026-09-29 18:30 - 20:00
Can’t make our daytime Crafternoon? Join us for Craft Night! We’ll be making the same project offered at Crafternoon, just at an evening time. Each month we focus on a different project.
No experience is needed and all supplies are provided. Registration is required due to limited materials.
Dates and Crafts:
September 29: Book Bedazzling
Turn a book into a sparkling work of art by embellishing the cover with rhinestones. Bring your own book or choose from a selection of provided books.
October 27: Silhouettes
Create a timeless silhouette portrait using simple tracing and cutting techniques to profile images. If you would like to make a silhouette of someone else, please bring a clear side-profile photograph of that person.
November 24: Dried Orange and Cinnamon Garland
Craft a fragrant seasonal garland using dried orange slices, cinnamon sticks and other natural materials for a cozy decoration.
Adults. Registration required.
