​​

​

Try out these upcoming programs at the DeKalb Public Library, generously shared with the Hinckley community:​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

​

World of Reading

March 14, 2026, 10:00am - 1:00pm

Explore a World of Reading at one of our biggest events of the year!

Mark your calendar and join us for a day of literary exploration filled with crafts and activities, suitable for readers of all ages. Admission is free, and memories are guaranteed.

Wall up your friends in Fortunado’s catacombs, sample synonym buns and half-baked ideas in the world of The Phantom Tollbooth, craft your own Mad Hatter hat and meet Alice in Wonderland, show off your archery skills like Katniss Everdeen, and more!

Thank you to the following sponsors for making this event possible: The Treehouse Pie Company, Off the Leash Coffee, and the Friends of the DeKalb Public Library.

For more information, please contact Theresa at theresaw@dkpl.org or at (815) 756-9568 ext. 3350. 

 

Rockford Peaches and the AAGPBL

March 21, 2026, 11:00am - 12:00pm

During the 1940s, male professional baseball players left the field to lend a hand in WW2 war efforts. To keep the game alive, Chicago Cubs’ owner Philip K. Wrigley and others started the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) which lasted from 1943-1954. Rockford’s own team, The Peaches, were one of the best teams in the league, winning the championship four times, more than any other team. Today many people know of the Peaches through the 1992 Hollywood film, A League of Their Own. 

Provided by Midway Village Museum, this presentation is part of the America 250 initiative: celebrating our nation throughout the year. It is open to all ages and sponsored by The Friends of the Library. Registration is not required.

For more information, please contact Susan at susang@dkpl.org or (815) 756-9568 ext. 2114. 

 

Hits of the Ragtime Era

March 21, 2026, 2:00pm - 3:00pm

Pop music comes and goes, but some songs from over 100 years ago are just as fresh in the mind as the day they were written. The Entertainer, Alexander’s Ragtime Band, St. Louis Blues, and Ballin’ the Jack are still familiar, but even when they first hit the scene, these songs were recognized as having something special.

We’ll look at some of the songs that captivated the public and how their popularity continued into the present, and we’ll also share some songs and rags that were hits back in their day. So to quote Irving Berlin, “come on along” for a great hour of ragtime and some early jazz and blues!

“Cherry & Jerry” is Isaac Cherry on percussion and Jerry Rabushka on piano. Based in St. Louis, the duo is also part of the larger “Ragged Blade Band,” and has toured music of the ragtime era throughout a several state area. They’ve found this music is great for good times – brewpubs, wineries, markets, festivals, and more! They’ve appeared in the Big River Steampunk Festival in Hannibal, MO, the Oddities and Curiosities Expo in Chicago and Tulsa, the RAGBRAI bicycle event in Iowa, and the St. Louis World’s Fare in their hometown.

This free event is open to all. No registration is required. It is sponsored by Gretchen and Charles Moore.

This event is part of the America 250 initiative; celebrating our nation throughout the year.

For more information, please contact Samantha at samanthah@dkpl.org or at (815) 756-9568 ext. 1701.

​

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.

​

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.

​

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.

​