Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift Tuesday  

Are you ready for it? Drop by Eureka Public Library, 202 S. Main St., for Taylor Swift Tuesday from 1-3 p.m. July 2. Celebrate all her Eras with Eureka Public Library District during the free program. Swifties of all ages can make friendship bracelets and sing karaoke like no one cares! Weather permitting, the program will be held in the library’s outdoor pavilion. 

 Library to host Food Truck Pop-Ups  

Stop by the Food Truck Pop-Up at Eureka Public Library for lunch! EPLD will be welcoming food trucks from throughout Central Illinois for stops outside the library throughout the summer. The featured food trucks for July will be The Phoenix Food Truck every Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Rubi’s Brickoven Pizza on Tuesday, July 9, from 11 a.m.- to 1:30 p.m. Keep an eye on the library’s website (https://www.eurekapl.org/) and social media accounts (@EurekaPLD) for information about any additional stops. 

 ‘Visions of America’  shown

 Kansas City’s 18th and Vine has been the heart and soul of the African American community, bolstering the American dream of freedom and equality.

A vibrant center of African American culture, it is the home to historic sites like the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and the American Jazz Museum. 

The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum is the world’s only national museum dedicated to preserving the history of Black baseball and impact on our country. It was founded to keep the stories alive of its players and how they fought the barriers of segregation in Major League Baseball, including Jackie Robinson. 

On Wednesday, July 3, at 1 p.m., Eureka Public Library will offer a program to highlight lesser-known American stories by exploring the historic 18th and Vine neighborhood. As part of the program, the sixth director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services Crosby Kemper will explore the important role of the Negro Leagues Baseball in our nation’s favorite pastime, tour the museum and hear insights about renowned players like Satchel Paige and others. Next, join Kemper on a visit to the American Jazz Museum, highlighting the remarkable role of jazz in Kansas City fostering a thriving community as the art form matured. 

Crosby Kemper leads conversations discussing the importance of this vibrant center for Black history and culture with NLBM President Bob Kendrick, American Jazz Museum’s Muriel Boyd, and authors and experts Joe Posnanski, Arnold Rampersad, and Chuck Haddix. 

Lastly, Kemper visits Gates Bar-B-Q for some quintessential Kansas City food and talks to owner Ollie Gates, Sr. and Congressman Emanuel Cleaver about 18th and Vine and its recent comeback. 

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 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 America250 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. 

The trio of half-hour episodes tours lesser-known historical sites that symbolize an aspect of the spirit of our independence. Guided by some of our nation’s most notable historians and authors, each episode shares tales and themes that reverberate within the walls of these landmark institutions and explores the cities these institutions call home to probe what makes each of these communities so important to our national identity. 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 extension 1. 

To watch earlier conversations with Kemper and his illustrious, invited guests who discuss America250 and the importance of museums and libraries as places for the freedom of exchanging ideas and their essential roles in elevating American citizenry and the prior half-hour episodes, visit https://www.pbsbooks.org/visions-of-america. For more information on these programs visit the library’s website https://www.eurekapl.org. 

 Library closed for Independence Day 

The Eureka Public Library will be closed on Thursday, July 4 ,for Independence Day. For more information, call the library at 309-467-2922. 

 First Friday Family Movie Matinee  

Stop by the Eureka Public Library on Friday, June 5, to watch a fun family film in the air conditioning. Bring a blanket (or beach towels) to spread out on the floor to watch as a family. Patrons are also welcome to bring their own preferred movie snacks. The movie will start at 1 p.m. in the library’s program room. Please note that grown-ups must stay with kids for the duration of the movie. There will be posters in the library announcing the films one week beforehand. 

For more information, visit the library’s website https://www.eurekapl.org/.