Adult Programs

Margaret Ryan never really meant to start a book club... or a feminist revolution in the most exclusive and picturesque suburb of Concordia, Virginia. The Book Club for Troublesome Women by New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Marie Bostwick is "perfect for those who love book clubs, nostagalia for the 1960s, and stories of female friendship." (Booklist). Meet the author and get your book signed at West Branch Library on Monday, May 19.

Mele Murals is an award-winning documentary on the transformative power of modern graffiti art. Set against the resurgence of Hawaiian language and culture over the past two decades, the film shows how public art powerfully fuses with Native Hawaiian traditions to impact the youth, the town of Waimea, and most of all the artists. Watch and discuss the documentary film by Tadashi Nakamura at 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 17, at the Main Library. The screening will be followed by a group conversation led with Kady Yellow.

Get help writing, publishing and marketing your own book with FREE Writer's Lab workshops! We've also got a ton of free resources like Pressbooks and Indie Author Project that will help you find new readers and make self-publishing easier.

Did you know? May is "Get Caught Reading Month." A celebration promoting the joy and FUN of reading, it's a great way to show the little ones in your life that there are books out there for every person and every interest. Bonus: If you're a member of one of our Library Book Clubs, there's a pretty good chance you're going to get caught reading, or at the very least, caught talking about the book you've read! With so many great recommendations from Book Clubs across the City, you might just get caught reading and discussing multiple books!

Seashells have been the most coveted and collected of nature’s creations since the dawn of humanity. They were money before coins, jewelry before gems, art before canvas. In The Sound of the Sea: Seashells and the Fate of the Oceans, acclaimed environmental author Cynthia Barnett blends cultural history and science to trace our long love affair with seashells and the hidden lives of the mollusks that make them. Meet the author and learn more about her work on Saturday, May 10, at Main Library.

In 1916, the Chicago Defender published an unknown local tailor's poem, "Bound for the Promised Land." This scathing indictment of the Jim Crow South spread like wildfire and became a rallying cry for Black southerners who risked it all to seek greater opportunity in the north. Learn more about the man and the poem that sparked a movement at 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 26, at the Main Library.

Get help writing, publishing and marketing your own book with FREE Writer's Lab workshops! We've also got a ton of free resources like Pressbooks and Indie Author Project that will help you find new readers and make self-publishing easier. Speaking of which... Indie Author Project's Annual Contest is accepting entries starting April 1 through May 31, 2025. Get the recognition you deserve for writing great books! There's also a prize of $2500 for first place!

Paterson Joseph is a beloved British actor and writer. Recently seen on Vigil, Noughts + Crosses and Boat Story, he has also starred in The Leftovers and Law & Order UK and he also plays Arthur Slugworth in the Wonka movie. The Secret Diaries of Charles Ignatius Sancho is his debut novel. Catch the interview between Paterson Joseph and interviewer Kelsi Hasden from 7 to 8 p.m. on Monday, April 14 at Southeast Regional Library.

Millions of people across the country visit their libraries every week. What’s the draw? Well, everything! From young families stopping in for play and storytime, to students exploring STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) through hands-on activities, to seniors seeking tech help and everyone in between, libraries of all kinds help us connect the dots from one part of our journey to the next. Get drawn in with a great book and a lively discussion at a Library Book Club this month!

Four years after Kelly Mustian's USA Today bestselling debut novel, The Girls in the Stilt House, started appearing on "must-read" lists and earning starred reviews, the author is set to release her much-anticipated second novel on April 1, 2025. Like her first, The River Knows Your Name is already gathering buzz as a tumultuous and "well-woven mystery."