Events
Programming
All events can be found on our Facebook Page.
Register online for upcoming programs
Teen Tuesday: Paint by Number
Date: Tuesday, April 1st, 2025
Time: 6:00pm
Venue: Silvis Public Library
Cost: Free
Audience: Ages 12-18
Contact: admin@silvislibrary.org or call (309) 755-3393
Teens, join us at the library as we relax and paint. Limited to 20 participants. Registration not required. Sponsored by Friends of the Silvis Library.
Family Storytime: April Fools
Date: Thursday, April 3rd, 2025
Time: 6pm
Venue: Silvis Public Library
Cost: Free
Audience: Recommended for children ages 6-11
Contact: admin@silvislibrary.org or call (309) 755-3393
Join us at the library to celebrate April Fool’s Day with silly stories and songs. Each patron will create their own Jester Hat to take home. Limited to the first 20 participants. Registration not required. Sponsored by Friends of the Silvis Library.
Book Buddies (Craft Buddies): Color Exploration
Date: Saturday, April 5th, 2025
Time: 10am
Venue: Silvis Public Library
Cost: Free
Audience: Recommended for children ages 0-5
Contact: admin@silvislibrary.org or call (309) 755-3393
Come to the library and explore the wonderful world of colors with educational stories, songs, and mess free painting. Limited to the first 20 participants. Registration not required. Sponsored by Friends of the Silvis Library.
Adult Arts & Crafts: Card Making with Donna Banta
Date: Monday, April 7th, 2025
Time: 5-7pm
Venue: Silvis Public Library
Cost: Free
Audience: Adult
Registration opens: Monday, March 17th
Contact: Contact: admin@silvislibrary.org or call (309) 755-3393
Join Donna Banta as she shows us how to make beautiful greeting cards with rubber stamps, ink, and a variety of embellishments. Your first 3 cards are free; any cards you make after that are $2.50 each. Limited to 20 participants. Registration is required via Engaged Patrons and is for in-house guests only. Sponsored by Royal Neighbors Chapter 20167.
Teen Advisory Board
Date: Tuesday, April 8th, 2025
Time: 6pm
Venue: Silvis Public Library
Cost: Free
Audience: Ages 12-18
Contact: admin@silvislibrary.org or call (309) 755-3393
Hey, awesome teens! Ever wanted to have a say in what books hit the shelves of your local library or brainstorm cool events for your community? Then come join us at the Silvis Public Library's Teen Advisory Board! It's your chance to be a part of shaping the library's future. Hang out with other teens, share your ideas, and make a real difference in your library and community. Refreshments provided. Sponsored by Friends of Silvis Public Library.
Teen Tuesday: Watch Party
Date: Wednesday, April 9th, 2025
Time: 6:00pm
Venue: Silvis Public Library
Cost: Free
Audience: Ages 12-18
Contact: admin@silvislibrary.org or call (309) 755-3393
Hey teens! Stop by the library for a fun fandom watch party. Snacks will be provided. Registration is not required. Limited to the first 20 participants. Sponsored by Friends of the Silvis Library.
Family Storytime: Feelings and Friends
Date: Thursday, April 10th, 2025
Time: 6pm
Venue: Silvis Public Library
Cost: Free
Audience: Recommended for children ages 6-11
Contact: admin@silvislibrary.org or call (309) 755-3393
Join us at the library as we read stories to help us explore and understand our emotions. Snacks provided. Limited to the first 20 participants. Registration not required. Sponsored by Friends of the Silvis Library.
Illinois Libraries Present: The Art of Foraging with Alexis Nikole Nelson (Zoom event)
Date: Thursday, April 10th
Time: 7pm
Venue: Zoom
Cost: Free
Audience: Adult
Contact: admin@silvislibrary.org or call (309) 755-3393
Alexis Nikole Nelson is a forager and an outdoor educator using her platforms, TikTok account alexisnikole and Instagram page blackforager, to celebrate all the edible plants hiding in plain sight. She peels back historical layers on African American and Indigenous food traditions that have traditionally been repressed and empowers those living in food deserts with greater self- sufficiency.
Nelson received the James Beard Award for “Best Social Media” 2022, was chosen for the Forbes 30 Under 30 list and as a TikTok Tastemaker, and was honored as part of Fortune Magazine’s Creator 25 in 2021. Nelson gave a TED Talk in 2022 and in 2023 joined the YouTube channel Crash Course to host a 15-episode botany series.
Alexis Nikole Nelson will be joined in conversation with Natalie Evans, a wild edible foods instructor.
This event is made possible by Illinois Libraries Present, a statewide collaboration among public libraries offering premier events. Register now at https://bit.ly/ILP_AlexisNikoleNelson
Book Buddies: On the Farm
Date: Saturday, April 12th, 2025
Time: 10am
Venue: Silvis Public Library
Cost: Free
Audience: Recommended for children ages 0-5
Contact: admin@silvislibrary.org or call (309) 755-3393
Calling all little ones aged 0-5! Come to the library for a fun time exploring what happens on a farm with educational songs and stories. A fun motor skills activity will be provided. Registration not required. Limited to the first 20 participants. Sponsored by the Friends of the Library
Krafty Kids: Nose Painting
Date: Saturday, April 12th, 2025
Time: 2pm
Venue: Silvis Public Library
Cost: Free
Audience: Recommended for children ages 6-11
Contact: admin@silvislibrary.org or call (309) 755-3393
Hey kids! Come explore your inner artist by creating a silly painting using a paper cone and your nose. Don’t miss out on this artistic adventure! Limited to the first 10 participants. Registration not required. Sponsored by Friends of the Silvis Library.
Teen Tuesday: Seed Bombs
Date: Tuesday, April 15th, 2025
Time: 6:00pm
Venue: Silvis Public Library
Cost: Free
Audience: Ages 12-18
Contact: admin@silvislibrary.org or call (309) 755-3393
Hey teens! Swing by the library to celebrate spring by creating your own seed bombs to plant or share. Limited to the first 20 participants. Registration is not required. Sponsored by Friends of Silvis Library.
Friends of the Silvis Library - Good Friday Bake Sale
Date: Friday April 18th, 2025
Time: 10 am – 3 pm
Venue: Silvis Public Library
Cost: Free
Audience: All Ages
Contact: admin@silvislibrary.org or call (309) 755-3393
We’re so excited to have the Friends of the Silvis Library Annual Good Friday Bake Sale! We can't wait, and we're looking forward to your support of this great fund-raising event. Grab some delicious, homemade treats for your family gathering & support your local library! Would you like to volunteer your time to work the event or bake goodies to sell? Email friendsofsilvislibrary@gmail.com to sign up! Sponsored by Friends of the Silvis Library and Royal Neighbors Chapter 20167.
Book Buddies: Pollinators
Date: Saturday, April 19th, 2025
Time: 10am
Venue: Silvis Public Library
Cost: Free
Audience: Recommended for children ages 0-5
Contact: admin@silvislibrary.org or call (309) 755-3393
Calling all little ones aged 0-5! Come to the library for a fun activity exploring how pollination works. Stories, snacks, and songs will be provided. Limited to the first 20 participants. Registration not required.
Full S.T.E.A.M Ahead: Catapult
Date: Saturday, April 19th, 2025
Time: 2pm
Venue: Silvis Public Library
Cost: Free
Audience: Ages 6-11
Contact: admin@silvislibrary.org or call (309) 755-3393
Join us at the library for a catapult building class. Challenge your skills and your friends. Limited to the first 20 participants. Registration not required. Sponsored by Friends of the Silvis Library.
GEN X NIGHT
“Growing Up Gen X” presentation with Erika Holst, plus create a Bodacious Bookmark!
Date: Monday. April 21st, 2025
Time: 5:30 pm - 6 pm Craft time, 6 pm - 7 pm - Presentation
Venue: Silvis Public Library
Cost: Free
Audience: All Ages
Registration opens: Monday, March 31st
Contact: admin@silvislibrary.org or call (309) 755-3393
Tonight we’re celebrating Generation X (1965-1980) a special presentation by Erika Holst and a craft! At 5:30 pm, join us in making an 80s-themed photo-booth style bookmark. Then enjoy Erika’s presentation at 6pm.
Sandwiched between the much larger Baby Boomer and Millennial generations, members of Generation X (those born between 1965 and 1980) have variously been called the “middle child generation,” the “slacker generation,” the “MTV generation,” the “latchkey generation,” and “the least parented, least nurtured generation in U.S. history.” With minimal adult supervision, this generation’s childhood toys, technology, and media had an outsized role in their development.
Holst's presentation examines toys, technology, and cultural touchstones that informed the development of Generation X. This free program will dig into the social, cultural, and historical factors behind the conditions and objects that surrounded this generation in everyday life, including the rise of divorce and single-parent families, the low-grade existential fear produced by the Cold War, the war on drugs, and the AIDS crisis.
Erika Holst is the Curator of History at the Illinois State Museum. Her most recent exhibition, “Growing Up X,” explored the toys, technology, and cultural touchstones that shaped Generation X. Holst has worked in the public history field for more than 15 years, during which time she has curated more than a dozen exhibitions. She is passionate about sharing stories of people and history through material culture.
Registration is required via Engaged Patrons. Limited to the first 20 people. Erika’s program was originally going to be held last December, so we’re excited we to reschedule her.
Teen Tuesday: Flower Prints
Date: Tuesday, April 22nd, 2025
Time: 6pm
Venue: Silvis Public Library
Cost: Free
Audience: Ages 12-18
Contact: admin@silvislibrary.org or call (309) 755-3393
Hey Teens! Come celebrate Earth Day by designing your own tote bag with the art of flower pounding. Limited to the first 20 participants. Registration is not required. Sponsored by Friends of Silvis Library and Rock River Library District.
Family Storytime: Together We Grow
Date: Thursday, April 24th, 2025
Time: 6pm
Venue: Silvis Public Library
Cost: Free
Audience: Recommended for children ages 6-11
Contact: admin@silvislibrary.org or call (309) 755-3393
Join us at the library to explore differences and create your own sensory toy. Participants can choose to create a worry stone or stress ball. Limited to the first 20 participants. Registration not required. Sponsored by Friends of the Silvis Library.
Book Buddies (Sensory Session): Together We Grow
Date: Saturday, April 26th, 2025
Time: 10am
Venue: Silvis Public Library
Cost: Free
Audience: Recommended for children ages 0-5
Contact: admin@silvislibrary.org or call (309) 755-3393
Calling all little ones aged 0-5! Come to the library to celebrate our differences with fun stories and songs. Limited to the fist 20 participants. Registration not required. Sponsored by Friends of the Silvis Library.
Lego Club: Earth Day
Date: Saturday, April 26th, 2025
Time: 2pm
Venue: Silvis Public Library
Cost: Free
Audience: Recommended for ages 6-11
Contact: admin@silvislibrary.org or call (309) 755-3393
Join us at the library for LEGO Club and build your own creation celebrating all of the wonderful things on planet Earth. We provide the Legos, you provide the creativity. Registration not required. Limited to the first 20 participants. Sponsored by Friends of the Silvis Library.
Last Monday Book Club: “Generations: The Real Difference Between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers, and Silents—and What They Mean for America’s Future” by Jean M. Twenge
Date: Monday, April 28th, 2025
Time: 6pm
Venue: Silvis Public Library
Cost: Free
Audience: Adult
Contact: admin@silvislibrary.org or call (309) 755-3393
Upending the conventional theory that generational differences are caused by major events, Dr. Jean Twenge analyzes data on 39 million people from robust national surveys—some going back nearly a century—to show that changes in technology are the underlying driver of each generation’s unique makeup. In this revelatory work, Twenge outlines key shifts in attitudes and lifestyle choices that define each generation regarding gender, income, politics, race, sexuality, marriage, mental health, and much more.
This book is only available in regular print. Ask for a copy at the circulation counter. New members are always welcome!
Teen Tuesday: Origami
Date: Tuesday, April 29th, 2025
Time: 6pm
Venue: Silvis Public Library
Cost: Free
Audience: Ages 12-18
Contact: admin@silvislibrary.org or call (309) 755-3393
Hey Teens! Join us at the library to make your own origami creations. Snacks provided. Limited to the first 20 participants. Registration is not required. Sponsored by Friends of Silvis Library.