Adult Craft: Spring Bunny
2026-04-16 15:00, 2026-04-16 17:30 (America/Chicago)
Join us in the McCoskey Room to create spring inspired bunny decor.
Required registration begins April 8th.

MCL Book Club
2026-04-25 10:00
Come discuss our April pick: Happy Land by Dolen Perkins-Valdez
Meet in the McCoskey Room.

Head Strong: Exercise Strategies to Enhance Memory and Thinking (with Illinois Extension)
2026-04-27 10:00 - 11:00
Part One of Brain Health series
Are you headstrong about keeping your head strong?
Challenging the brain, especially as you grow older can be beneficial. Many of us enjoy working on puzzles and games that require us to think and stretch our minds. Researchers agree that intellectual challenge is beneficial throughout life. Tune in to learn about lifestyle factors that contribute to brain health, and strategies to enhance thinking.
Registration required.
Learn more and register at go.illinois.edu/NoBrainer.

Hold That Thought!: Explore Strategies for Forgetfulness (with Illinois Extension)
2026-05-04 10:00 - 11:00
Part Two of Brain Health series

Everyone forgets things now and again.

Forgetfulness is common for people at all stages of life. Join us to look at the memory process and what researchers say contributes to brain health, as well as strategies for helping with everyday forgetfulness.
Registration required.
Learn more and register at go.illinois.edu/NoBrainer.

Adult Craft: Moon Phase Wall Hanging
2026-05-07 15:00, 2026-05-07 17:30
Celebrate May’s Full Moon, The Flower Moon on May 12th, and create a moon phase wall hanging.
Required Registration begins on April 29th.

Fit Wits: Keep Your Brain Healthy and Engaged (with Illinois Extension)
2026-05-11 10:00 - 11:00
Part Three of Brain Health series

Your brain health is directly related to body health.

Most people think more about keeping their bodies ﬁt or their hearts healthy than working at maintaining a healthy brain. Learn more about the aging brain and what you can do to keep your brain healthy and engaged.
Registration required.
Learn more and register at go.illinois.edu/NoBrainer.

Lawyer in the Library
2026-05-12 17:00 - 19:00, 2026-06-16 17:00 - 19:00, 2026-07-14 17:00 - 19:00
An attorney will be available for 20-minute private meetings to assist with legal coaching, document review, referrals to additional community services, e-filing court documents, and legal questions.

Registration is required. Sign-up at the Main Floor Circulation Desk.

Participants must be a resident within the Illinois First Judicial Circuit and not currently represented by an attorney.

Dementia Friends (with Illinois Extension)
2026-05-18 10:00 - 11:00
Part Four of Brain Health series

Become a Dementia Friend!

The global movement developed by the Alzheimer’s Association helps us learn and understand the ﬁve key messages about dementia, how it affects people, and how we each can make a difference in the lives of people living with the disease.
Registration required.
Learn more and register at go.illinois.edu/NoBrainer.

MCL Book Club
2026-05-23 10:00
Come discuss our April pick: Before She Was Helen by Caroline B. Cooney
Meet in the McCoskey Room.

Planting Herbs for Pollinators: Support Your Local Bees, Butterflies, and Beyond!
2026-06-02 18:00 - 19:00
Join Illinois Extension Horticulture Educator, Kimberly Rohling, for a program designed to help you create a pollinator-friendly herb garden! In this session, you’ll learn how to select, plant, and care for herbs that attract and support vital pollinators like bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Whether you have a large backyard or a small patio, we’ll show you how easy it is to grow herbs that not only enhance your cooking but also provide essential food and habitat for pollinators.
Program Highlights:

Introduction to pollinators and their role in the ecosystem
Best herbs to plant for attracting pollinators
Tips for planting in containers or garden beds
Pollinator-safe practices

Register at go.illinois.edu/PlantingPollinators

Book Speed Dating
2026-06-09 09:00 - 19:00
Stack your Summer Reading list!
Stop by Carnegie Commons any time between 9 am and 7pm to meet some new books. Library Card required only if taking items home with you.
This is a come and go event; no registration required.

Marion Mural District WalkingTour
2026-06-23 18:00 | Tower Square, Tower Square Plaza, Marion, IL, 62959, United States
Mural creators Shawn Vincelette and Josh Benson will lead us on a walking tour of several of the murals created around Tower Square. Hear the stories behind the inspiration and the techniques for each mural we visit along the way.
Meet under the clock tower at 6pm.

Adult Craft: Birdhouse Plant Stake
2026-06-25 15:00, 2026-06-25 17:30
We will be creating a houseplant stake from corks and other materials.
Required registration begins on June 17th.

MCL Book Club
2026-06-27 10:00
We will meet in the McCoskey Room to discuss the book Revolutionary Mothers: Women in the Struggle for America’s Independence by Carol Berkin.
Meet in the McCoskey Room
Bonus! This book will also count towards one of the Adult Summer Reading Challenges

Lives in Code: Stories of African American Resilience Under the Illinois Black Codes, 1819 - 1865
2026-06-27 13:00 - 14:30
Presented by Illinois Humanities Road Scholar, Dr. Caroline Kisiel and in partnership with Artspace Southern Illinois.
Although Illinois entered the Union as a free state in 1818, residents had practiced slavery and indentured servitude since the 1700s, laying the foundation for the Illinois Black Codes, enforced from 1819 to 1865. These were severely restrictive laws that controlled nearly every aspect of life for enslaved people, indentured servants, and free Blacks for nearly 50 years.
Scholar Caroline Kisiel will trace the history and share stories of African Americans whose resilience helped change the course of Illinois history.

America 250: Securing the Dream for Us All
2026-07-09 18:00
Blending his new production, Unum, and his own experiences, Dr. Ted Williams III explores how the community can work towards a thriving democracy across the country and how to ensure that the promise of America extends to all.
This event is co-presented by the Illinois Humanities Road Scholars Speakers Bureau. Road Scholar speakers travel throughout Illinois sharing free, dynamic presentations about literature, philosophy, theater, local history, film, music, politics, and more. Visit ilhumanities.org for more information about Illinois Humanities and programs.
Dr. Ted Williams III is an accomplished and experienced actor, educator, author, and Road Scholar. Through his presentations for organizations across the state, he shares his life’s work and passion that revolves around the topics of political science and social justice via theater. For more information about Dr. Williams and his work, visit www.tedwilliamsiii.com.

A Puzzling Afternoon
2026-07-14 14:00 - 19:00
Join us in the Carnegie Commons for an afternoon of word games, jigsaw puzzles, and coloring.
A come and go event; no registration required.

Gardening for Moths
2026-07-20 18:30 - 19:30
Presented by Illinois Extension Horticulture Educator, Kimberly Rohling, create sustainable and moth-friendly garden spaces that support the survival and thriving of moth populations.
The program emphasizes the importance of moths as pollinators and beautiful nocturnal creatures often overlooked in traditional gardening practices.
Registration required: go.illinois.edu/gfmoths

Adult Craft: Novel Fairy House
2026-07-23 15:00, 2026-07-23 17:30
Join us in the McCoskey Room to create Fairy Houses constructed from discarded books and other materials.
Required Registration will begin on July 15th.

MCL Book Club
2026-07-25 10:00
We will meet in the McCoskey Room to discuss a book The Samurai’s Garden by Gail Tsukiyama .
Bonus! This book will also count towards one of the Adult Summer Reading Challenge.

Summer Reading Social
2026-07-30 17:30
Gather with other readers to celebrate the end of Summer Reading. Bouquet Bar hosted by Shelton Gang Flower Farm and catering in the McCoskey Room.
Required Registration begins July 25th.

Adult Craft: Butterfly Migration Centerpiece
2026-08-06 15:00, 2026-08-06 17:30
Commemorate the beginning of the autumn migration of monarch butterflies and create a butterfly centerpiece.
Required registration begins July 29th.

Dreamland: The Secret History of Area 51
2026-08-13 17:30
Join us to welcome Aerospace historian Peter Merlin to talk about his book, Dreamland: The Secret History of Area 51 – the first ever scholarly history of the National Classified Test Facility at Groom Lake, Nevada.
Better known as Area 51, this top-secret installation hidden in a remote desert valley northwest of Las Vegas, has been shrouded in mystery since 1955. Decades of Cold War secrecy spawned rumors and conspiracy theories, and catapulted Area 51 into popular culture.
Now, after more than 30 years of painstaking research, Merlin cuts through the myths to reveal the true story of one of the nation’s premier flight-test and evaluation facilities, where evolving global threats are met with unprecedented technological innovations.
Peter Merlin is an aerospace historian and author of numerous books and articles. His research topics include Cold War history, space exploration, aerospace technology, human factors engineering, aviation archaeology, prehistoric cave paintings and petroglyphs, archeoastronomy, and the mysterious world of top-secret “black” projects. Merlin has appeared in more than a dozen film and television documentaries on the History Channel, Discovery, National Geographic, Smithsonian, and others. Before joining the Aviation Management and Flight faculty at Southern Illinois University, he spent most of his career supporting flight research and testing under contract to NASA and the US Air Force.
