Adult Programs

May is "Get Caught Reading Month," a celebration of the joy and FUN of reading. Join a Book Club this month and get caught reading a great book!

In The Sound of the Sea, acclaimed environmental author Cynthia Barnett blends cultural history and science to trace our long love affair with seashells.

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."

In the U.S., women are vastly underrepresented in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) fields, holding under 25% of STEM jobs and a disproportionately low share of STEM undergraduate degrees. Watch the award-winning documentary film series Great Unsung Women in Computing at 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 29, at the Main Library. The screening will be followed by a presentation and Q&A with local engineer and designer, Ania Wilson.

Pop culture and the ways we engage with it have changed a lot over the years and it's evolving even more rapidly in the age of social media, influencers, review sites, BookTok, Instagram and AI. Discuss the past, present and future of fandom in this 40-minute conversation between a moderator and four panelists, followed by 20 minutes of audience Q&A.

Are you a fan of Magic the Gathering and tabletop roleplaying games like Dungeons & Dragons? Fantasy author Django Wexler is a featured guest at this year's Jax Pop Con on Saturday, March 22. He takes the stage at 4 p.m. on the third floor of the Main Library to talk with fans of fantasy novels about his latest published work. An audience Q&A and book signing will follow the interview. Note: A limited number of books will be available for sale on-site from a local bookstore partner, Happy Medium Books Café.