Forest Park Nature Center

Forest Park Nature Center returns for Summer Reading Program 

Forest Park Nature Center is back for this year’s Summer Reading Program to present Conserving Illinois Habitats. Join in the educational nature program and see creatures up close. The free program will be held at the Eureka Lake Park Pavilion from 10-111 a.m. Tuesday, June 18. For information, call the library at 309-467-2922, Ext. 2 or visit the library’s website, https://www.eurekapl.org. 

 Book Talk with local author Adelie Sancken

Kids in grades 3 and up are invited to visit the Eureka Public Library, 202 S. Main St., for a Book Talk with Adelie Sancken from noon to 1 p.m. Thursday, June 20. Have pizza and snacks while the local author talks about her book ,The Bandit’s Grace. The program will take place in the children’s library and registration is required. For information, call the library at 309-467-2922, Ext. 2 or visit the library’s website, https://www.eurekapl.org. 

 Puzzle Swap scheduled for June 24 

Need some new-to-you puzzles to help pass the time this summer? Patrons can drop off gently used and complete puzzles at Eureka Public Library’s adult circulation desk through Monday, June 24 and will receive one ticket for each puzzle donated. Then come back to use those tickets at the Puzzle Swap from 3-5 p.m. Tuesday, June 25. If any puzzles remain, puzzles will be offered to the general public from 5-7 p.m. For more information, visit the library website https://www.eurekapl.org/. 

 Library program to explore Cuban history, culture June 19 

On Wednesday, June 19 at 1:00 p.m., Eureka Public Library will offer a program to highlight lesser-known American stories by exploring Cuban history and culture. As part of the program, the sixth director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services Crosby Kemper will explore the interior of the Freedom Tower with Miami Dade College President Madeline Pumariega along with Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Ada Ferrer, author of “Cuba: An American History,” who shares about the Cuban immigrant experience in the U.S. 

The Freedom Tower (or Torre de la Libertad) in Miami has graced the city’s skyline for nearly a century, but it wasn’t until it played a crucial role in hosting Cuban refugees who fled their home country in the wake of the Cuban Revolution in 1959 that it became an important national landmark. 

Tag along with Kemper as he ventures to Little Havana to enjoy the sounds of its rich and vibrant culture and to have a discussion with community members, Alberto Ibargüen, Aida Levitan, Sam Verdeja and A.J. D’Amico, while sampling authentic Cuban cuisine at Miami’s famous Versailles. Together they engage in a lively discussion on Miami’s growth and change. 

After the episode, participate in a discussion led by Eureka Public Library staff. Sign up to attend at the adult circulation desk or by calling the library at 309-467-2922, Ext. 1. 

IMLS joined with PBS Books to produce “Visions of America: All Stories, All People, All Places,” in celebration of America250 or the Semiquincentennial anniversary of America’s independence. This digital-first series of three half-hour episodes include videos and virtual conversations that explore our post-pandemic nation with a renewed interest in the places, people, and stories that have contributed to the America we live in today. 

The Ameria250 effort is being led at the national level by the non-partisan U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission, created by Congress, and its supporting nonprofit America250 Foundation. The commemoration period began in 2020, culminates on July 4, 2026, and officially concludes in 2027. 

For this first episode in the “Visions of America” series, South Florida PBS is partnering with PBS Books and IMLS to offer this important program to stations and libraries across the country. The episode is available in both English and Spanish. 

There will be two additional video tours through lesser-known historical sites that symbolize an aspect of the spirit of our independence. During these episodes, some of our nation’s most notable historians and authors will share the tales and themes that reverberate within the walls of these landmark institutions. 

Each episode will include exploring the cities these institutions call home to probe what makes each of these communities so important to our national identity. 

Stay tuned for these other episodes:

• June 26 — The Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience. This epic museum was established in Seattle in 1967 as the only Pan-Asian Pacific American community-based museum in the country. The episode will feature a discussion of the resilience of Asian American immigrants, through their early oppression in the United States to a now flourishing community in Seattle’s Chinatown-International District 
• July 3 — Journey to 18th & Vine: Stories of African Americans in Kansas City. This historical museum was founded in 1990 to keep the stories of its players and how they eventually broke the barriers of segregation in Major League Baseball alive, especially Jackie Robinson, who played for the Kansas City Monarchs before his courageous move to the MLB. While the conversation will start with baseball, the museum also shares its building with the American Jazz Museum and is in the historic Black community of 18th and Vine District. 

To watch a trio of earlier conversations with Kemper and his illustrious, invited guests who discuss America 250 and the importance of museums and libraries as places for the freedom of exchanging ideas and their essential roles in elevating American citizenry, visit https://www.pbsbooks.org/visions-of-america. For more information on these programs visit the library’s website https://www.eurekapl.org.