Her Story, Our Nation: America250 Women’s Sites in Washington, DC (Granville Branch) Tuesday, May 19th, 6:00 p.m.
Women’s history is everywhere in Washington, DC, if curious locals and adventurous visitors know where to look. As the District evolved from a city created to house the federal government into one of the world’s most visited destinations, women emerged as pioneers, shaping a capital rich in feminist culture. Historic houses, hidden alleyways, and neighborhood parks stand as quiet memorials to America’s founding mothers who helped build the nation’s capital. Representatives from A Tour of Her Own, a Washington-based touring company, will guide audiences through key America250-related sites connected to the nation’s founding, highlighting both the women whose stories are marked and those whose legacies remain hidden in plain sight.
The program will be presented in hybrid format, with in-person and virtual options. To attend virtually, register at: https://shorturl.at/dvpLV. The program is free and open to the public.
Docs & Dialogue: Memorial Day Massacre: Workers Die, Film Buried (Granville Branch) Tuesday, May 19th, 1:00 p.m.
The documentary explores a shameful and largely forgotten chapter in American labor and media history, one whose relevance has only grown as union organizing regains momentum after decades of union busting and the decline of American manufacturing.
By reckoning honestly with the 1937 Chicago tragedy, when police killed striking workers and the truth was deliberately obscured, the film illuminates enduring patterns of power: how corporations, the press, and law enforcement can align to suppress worker demands. Nearly a century later, the lessons of the Memorial Day Massacre remain urgent, offering insight into the forces that continue to shape labor struggles in the United States today. The film is 33 minutes, not rated, and made possible through Kanopy. The program is free and open to the public.
Tales with Tails – Read to Hobo (Granville Branch)
Saturday, May 16th, 10:00 a.m.
Participants are invited to bring a favorite book from home, or select one from the library’s collection, and read aloud to Hobo. This relaxed, supportive experience helps build reading skills and confidence while making reading fun. The program is free and open to the public.
Friday 15th, 10:30 Composting w/ worms program, ongoing through summer.
Eight Flavors: The Untold Story of American Cuisine (Granville Branch)
Tuesday, May 12th, 6:00 p.m.
An engaging illustrated lecture, this program explores how a diverse nation came to share a common culinary language. Through forgotten recipes and vivid storytelling, culinary historian Sarah Lohman reveals how eight influential ingredients quietly transformed the way Americans cook and eat. Blending cultural history with original research, Lohman traces each flavor from its earliest appearance in American kitchens to its impact today, introducing memorable figures and moments along the way.
Sarah Lohman is the author of the bestselling books Eight Flavors: The Untold Story of American Cuisine and Endangered Eating: America’s Vanishing Foods. A nationally recognized culinary historian, she uses food history to tell the stories of diverse Americans. Her work has been featured by major national outlets, and she has lectured widely at institutions including the Smithsonian National Museum of American History and culinary history organizations across the country.
This program will be presented in hybrid format, with in-person and virtual options available. To attend virtually, register at: https://shorturl.at/bmVeK. The program is free and open to the public.
Docs & Dialogue: Statue of Liberty
Tuesday, May 12th, 1:00 p.m.
For more than a century, the Statue of Liberty has stood as a powerful symbol of hope and refuge for generations of immigrants. In this lyrical, compelling, and provocative portrait of the monument, Ken Burns explores both the history of America’s most enduring symbol and the deeper meaning of liberty itself. Through rare archival photographs, paintings, and drawings, along with readings from contemporary diaries, letters, and newspapers, the film tells the fascinating story of a monument admired around the world.
Drawing on interviews with Americans from all walks of life, including former New York governor Mario Cuomo, the late congresswoman Barbara Jordan, and the late writers James Baldwin and Jerzy Kosinski, The Statue of Liberty examines the nature of freedom and the monument’s enduring significance in American life. The film is 60 minutes, not rated, and made possible through Kanopy. The program is free and open to the public.
Tai Chi for Arthritis will be offered on the following dates:
Mondays: April 27 – June 22, (No class on May 25)
Wednesdays: April 29 – June 24, (No class on June 3)
Time: 1:30 – 2:30 PM
If you plan to attend, please register at:
https://registration.extension.illinois.edu/start/join-the-movement-tai-chi-for-arthritis-and-fall-prevention-1
The class is open to the first 10 registrants.
Hidden History of the First Ladies
Tuesday, May 5th, 6:00 p.m.
Discover the pivotal contributions of the women who shaped and led the nation from the heart of Washington, D.C. This presentation highlights the remarkable, often untold stories of America’s first ladies, from Martha Washington to Helen Taft, whose unpaid and undefined role nonetheless left a lasting mark on the country. The program explores sites around the White House, the iconic Willard Hotel, and historic residences connected to figures such as Dolley Madison and Jacqueline Kennedy, sharing memorable anecdotes and powerful stories of resilience, influence, and leadership that bring these women, and their legacy, vividly to life.
The program will be presented in hybrid format, with in-person and virtual options. To attend virtually, register at: https://shorturl.at/mveXI. The program is free and open to the public.
Indie Lens Pop-Up: The Grocery List Show
Tuesday, May 5th, 1:00 p.m.
The Grocery List Show explores international grocery stores and the immigrant communities they serve across the U.S., hosted by former Top Chef contender Chrissy Camba. Across five episodes set in Chicago, Brooklyn, and New Jersey, the series blends neighborhood history, cultural storytelling, and cooking as Chrissy and her guests shop local markets, meet store owners, and prepare meals together, celebrating global food traditions as a powerful way to connect, learn, and understand one another.
The film is 60 minutes, not rated, and is made possible through Independent Lens. The program is free and open to the public.
Friday 1-May Day Paper flowers Make and Take
