Events
Try It Club: Explore a craft project in this free class. Maybe it will be your next favorite hobby. Or maybe you'll be glad you didn't buy the supplies. Adults and teens are invited to try book bedazzling on Saturday, April 11th at 2pm. Bring your own book or grab one from the library’s book sale to experiment with this fun and sparkly technique. Contact the library to register.
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Story Time: Ages 0-8+ and their caregivers will enjoy stories, songs, rhymes, crafts, and more on Monday mornings at 10:15. Please contact the library to register.
Chess Club: All ages and skill levels are welcome at the weekly chess club meetings on Mondays 6-7:30pm above the library. There will be no meeting 3/30.
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Lego Club: Meet up with your friends after school for fun challenges and free building. No registration. Fridays 4:30-5:30pm. All ages welcome, but anyone under 8 must bring an adult.
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Kid Book Club: Grades K-5+ are invited to pick up a copy of this month's book at the library then join in a discussion while eating free snacks. Monday, April 13 at 4pm. Books available now.
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Adult Book Club: This fun group meets at 7pm on the fourth Tuesday of every month. Pick up a copy of this month's book selection at the library and join in the discussion. ​​​The April 28th meeting will discuss The Founding Mothers by Cokie Roberts in anticipation of the May 2nd presentation.
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The Founding Mothers: The library’s biggest event of the spring is coming up on Saturday, May 2nd at 2pm. Celebrate the USA’s 250th birthday with a fascinating historical program on the Founding Mothers. The “Mothers” of America aren’t often mentioned – the women whose influence on the early years of the United States reverberated for centuries afterwards. While many of us remember reading something about Martha Washington and Abigail Adams, there are so many more women to admire. Whether they assisted in the years-long Revolutionary War, or had one brief moment of heroism, their actions had long-lasting and nation-building effects. Learn about soldiers, writers, printers, scholars, farmers, artists, and spies – all women, and all vital to our nation’s history.
This Illustrated Lecture focuses on the remarkable women who had a first-hand view of the founding of our nation, and whose stories need to be shared. Join Laura Keyes as she shares their history, their bravery, and their surprising legacies. This event is intended for adults, teens, and older children.
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Hinckley Hub Event Calendar for All Things Hinckley
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Try out these upcoming programs at the DeKalb Public Library, generously shared with the Hinckley community:​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
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Yes, And...The History of Improv in the American Experience
April 11, 2026, 1:00pm - 2:00pm
Improv didn’t just change comedy—it reflected how Americans learn to collaborate, adapt, and create. Drawing on the history uncovered in Improv Nation by Sam Wasson, this talk explores the overlooked history of improvisation, from Chicago classrooms and counterculture stages to television and film, revealing how “yes, and” became a distinctly American way of thinking about art, community, and possibility.
This event is intended for adults and is part of the America 250 initiative: celebrating our nation throughout the year. Registration is not required.
For more information, please contact Susan at susang@dkpl.org or (815) 756-9568 ext. 2114.
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After-hours Concert: NIU Steelband
April 17, 2026, 6:30pm - 7:30pm
Join us in the library’s main lobby for an after-hours concert performed by the Northern Illinois University’s renowned Steelband. The concert will be an eclectic program of musical styles highlighting the versatility and profundity of the steelpan.
The NIU Steelband is dedicated to demonstrating the versatility and profundity of the steelpan, the national instrument of Trinidad and Tobago. Created in 1973 by G. Allan O'Connor, the NIU Steelband is the first active steel orchestra formed at an American university and celebrated its 50th Anniversary on Sunday, April 16th, 2023.
NIU is also one of the few institutions in the world at which students may pursue undergraduate and graduate music degrees with a steelpan emphasis.
The ensemble has performed throughout the United States and across the globe. Some of the band’s most notable appearances include a performance for 18,000 soccer fans at Yankee Stadium, tours of Taiwan in 1992 and 1998, concerts with symphony orchestras (including the St. Louis Symphony and the Chicago Sinfonietta), and several performances at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention (PASIC). In 2000, the NIU Steelband had the distinction of placing 2nd at the World Steelband Festival in Trinidad and represented the USA at the 2002 Seoul Drum Festival in South Korea.
The NIU Steelband regularly appears in concert at public schools, universities, conventions, and arts series, and has many recordings to its credit, including Dangerous, which features an eclectic blend of musical styles.
After many years under the leadership of G. Allan O’Connor and steelband legend Clifford Alexis, the ensemble is now directed by head of steelpan studies and professor of music, Liam Teague. The band’s instruments are maintained by Yuko Asada, music instrument technician, and she also significantly contributes to the daily operations of the NIU Steelband.
This concert is free and open to all. No registration is required. Doors will open at 6:00 p.m. and music will begin at 6:30 p.m.
Jah Love Jamaica Food Truck will have food available for purchase outside the library, including curry chicken, jerk chicken and pork chops, and fried plantains with red beans and rice.
For more information, please contact Samantha at samanthah@dkpl.org or at (815) 756-9568 ext. 1701.
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Nellie Bly: Around the World in 72 Days
April 29, 2026, 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Born Elizabeth Jane Cochran (1864-1922), this pioneer of investigative journalism is better known by her nom de plume, "Nellie Bly." She became famous for her exposé of the New York City Lunatic Asylum on Blackwell's Island.
On November 14, 1889, Cochrane began a solo trip around the world in emulation of the fictional character Phileas Fogg from the 1873 Jules Verne novel "Around the World in Eighty Days" - completing her trip on January 25, 1890, in the record-breaking time of 72 days, six hours, 11 minutes, & 14 seconds.
During this presentation, you’ll meet Nellie Bly in the US Embassy in Paris in February of 1919. The Great War has ended, and Nellie recounts her adventures as a reporter, in the US, Mexico, and as a war correspondent, as she awaits permission to return to the US.
The presentation is followed by a Q&A and photo opportunities.
This event is sponsored by The Friends of the Library and is part of the America 250 initiative: celebrating our nation throughout the year. Registration is not required. All ages are welcome.
For more information, please contact Susan at susang@dkpl.org or (815) 756-9568 ext. 2114.