Are you a quilter? Do you love to sew? Do you want to learn how to sew and/or quilt? Be sure to join us at Quilting and Sewing Club where are all levels are welcome. Feel free to bring your own supplies, but also you can use some of our stash. Open to high schoolers and adults.

Join us at the library for a game of Mahjong! Please bring your 2026 American Mahjong League Card, and if possible, your own tiles. Note that this is not a teaching group; participation is limited to those who already know how to play.

Join Miss Emily for a short and sweet story time for babies ages 6 months to 2 years. Featuring stories, songs, rhymes, and play!

Join Miss Emily for Story Time! We'll enjoy stories, songs, and other fun activities. This program is best suited for children ages 3 to 6.⁠ Siblings are always welcome!

40 years of the Baby-Sitters Club means we are celebrating the favorite characters! Drop by the library for activities and crafts, snacks, and a game. Bring a friend or meet someone new! This event is open to ages 5-12. Parents, please attend with children 7 and under. All supplies provided.

Join Ms. Sherry, our genealogy librarian, to trace your roots at Genealogy Work Day! She will be available to assist with your family history research. You'll also have access to resources such as microfilms, local history books, and online databases such as Ancestry.com and Heritage Quest. Open to those with or without a library card!

Join us at the library each month as a community member leads us in a discussion on a book of their choice. Light refreshments are provided, and all are welcome. September’s discussion will be led by our very own library director, Emily Bergman. She will be discussing A Velocity of Being: Letters to a Young Reader edited by Maria Popova. Join us whether you've finished the book, started it, or haven't read it at all.

**PROGRAM CANCELED**

Teens, get ready to join us for another month of foodie club! It's National Guacamole Day, and we will be celebrating by making our own chips and guac. Open to all middle and high school students.

The library is partnering with the US Forest Service to celebrate Woodsy Owl’s 55th birthday! Come visit and meet Woodsy Owl and learn about his mission for caring for the land. There will be activities and other goodies. This program is intended for ages 4-12, parents please attend with children under the age of 7.

A new book club at Harrisburg District Library for 8-12 year olds: Graphic Novel Book Club! Hosted by Ms. Emily, we'll meet up for a different book each month! We'll chat about our book, have a snack, and wrap up with an activity or craft. We'll even pick the next book for our club meeting!

Do you like junk journaling? Prefer bullet journaling? Or just want a space to relax and craft without any pressure? Stop by Bits & Pieces Journal Club for a chill space with no expectations. Please bring your journal, and we will have other crafty supplies available. Open to teens and adults (ages 12+).

Join us at the library for a game of Mahjong! Please bring your 2026 American Mahjong League Card, and if possible, your own tiles. Note that this is not a teaching group; participation is limited to those who already know how to play.

Celebrate Peter H. Reynolds' book "The Dot" and make your mark! International Dot Day is celebrated yearly and we'll be reading and creating together at the library! Create art to decorate the library and art to take home. This activity is open to kids ages 5-12. Parents, please attend with children 7 and under. All supplies provided!

Join Miss Emily for a short and sweet story time for babies ages 6 months to 2 years. Featuring stories, songs, rhymes, and play!

Join Miss Emily for Story Time! We'll enjoy stories, songs, and other fun activities. This program is best suited for children ages 3 to 6.⁠ Siblings are always welcome!

Join us at the library for adult coloring as we gather around to enjoy coffee, quiet conversation, and a relaxing afternoon of coloring. Supplies will be provided, but you are also more than welcome to bring your favorite coloring supplies.

Please join us for “The Generals from Southeastern Illinois.” Historian Mark Motsinger will take an in-depth look into four of the Southeastern Illinois Civil War Generals – Raum, Wilson, McClernand, and Lawler. There will also be some Civil War artifacts on display.

Presented by the Saline County Historical Society, hosted at the Harrisburg Library

Join us all summer long as we reread and prepare for the new releases to the ACTOAR book series by Sarah J. Maas! We'll chat about characters, plots, themes, and theories from the epic series. Beginning in May and running through September, we'll meet the first Tuesday of each month. For September, plan to chat about book #5, A Court of Silver Flames. We'll have goodies to share, refreshments, and something exciting planned for each month! Adults only, please.

Thursday Night Book Discussion will meet on the fourth Thursday of each month at 6:00 PM, with a community member leading a discussion on a book of their choice. Light refreshments are provided, and all are welcome. August’s discussion will be led by LaDonna Whitlock as she discusses West With Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge. Join us whether you've finished the book, started it, or haven't read it at all.

Ignite Lab is the new name for Project Next Generation (PNG), a grant program designed for public libraries to mentor youth ages 10-18 in gaining life skills, developing skills to use various technologies, and engaging students in educational programs. Our library has participated in this grant program since 2001! Ignite Lab is open to all students in middle school AND high school.

The Forgotten Eldorado Story: One Town’s Journey to “Sundown”

The presentation on the forgotten story of Eldorado, Illinois, involves the story of a man named Jefferson Douglass Alston. He was born a slave, became an educator, teacher, and community leader, and set out on a lifelong career of advancing education for black youths in the community. The heart of the story involves his mission and a school he started in Eldorado, Illinois, based on the Tuskegee model. The presentation will explain and describe what the Tuskegee model was and the overall movement across the country at the time.

The presentation will also describe the attack on the school and what happened in the aftermath to the remaining Black population in Eldorado and the subsequent conflict that raged for four months between the local mob and the state militia, which had been sent in by the Governor to control the situation. The presentation will also put into perspective this incident and similar incidents that were going on in neighboring states and across the nation at this time.

Teens, the madness of school starting has completely disrupted the library! From backwards books, to upside down shelves, can you help bring order back to the library by solving these clues? Enjoy a mind bending escape room that celebrates the craziness of going back to school. Open to all middle and high school students — no library card required!