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Virtual Program — It will be offered via Zoom. Join us for a panel discussion featuring three best selling science fiction writers, Cory Doctorow, Ken Liu, and Martha Wells. They will discuss the promise, perils, and possible impacts that AI will have on our future, as well as AI in contemporary and future science fiction… Read More

Virtual Program — It will be offered via Zoom. Lori Gottlieb, New York Times bestselling author of Maybe You Should Talk to Someone, and co-host of the “Dear Therapists” podcast joins us for a thought-provoking conversation about mental health in anticipation of the winter holiday season. Gottlieb will share tools to help in everyday life… Read More

Virtual Program — It will be offered via Zoom. Join Maya Camille Broussard, star of Netflix’s Bake Squad, and owner of Chicago based Justice of the Pies for a demo from her kitchen just in time for Thanksgiving. She will share her love of pie, the stories of those that inspired her, and some tips… Read More

All Ages — Virtual Program — It will be offered via Zoom. All ages can join Newbery and Caldecott honoree and New York Times bestselling Grace Lin for an engaging conversation about her journey to become an award-winning author and illustrator. Learn about her latest middle grade book, Chinese Menu: The History, Myths, and Legends… Read More

Virtual Program — It will be offered via Zoom. Stephen Graham Jones joins us to talk scary stories, horror and more with librarian Becky Spratford. Jones is the New York Times bestselling author of The Only Good Indians and Don’t Fear the Reaper, and a prolific author of more than 25 books spanning genres. He… Read More

Virtual Program — It will be offered via Zoom. Join us for a special evening with Robin Wall Kimmerer, the award-winning author of "Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants." In this insightful and inspiring talk, Robin will share her unique perspective on the interconnectedness of humans and nature and the… Read More

Virtual Program — It will be offered via Zoom. “Queer Eye” and “Getting Curious” star and ice skating superfan, Jonathan Van Ness talks with his idol, Olympic Gold Medalist Kristi Yamaguchi. They’ll chat figure skating, fabulous style, and whatever else comes up! With Jonathan, you never quite know what he’ll say next, but his unfiltered… Read More

Virtual Program — It will be offered via Zoom. Join us for an evening with two-time National Book Award winner Jesmyn Ward. Hailed as “the new Toni Morrison” by the American Booksellers Association, Jesmyn will discuss her life, her literary vision and her unique perspectives on love and loss. Tracie D. Hall, Executive Director of… Read More

Virtual Program — It will be offered via Zoom. Celebrate Free Comic Book Day with New York Times bestselling author and illustrator, Jarrett J. Krosoczka! Perfect for the entire family, this live, virtual drawing workshop is sure to inspire the inner artist in everyone. Jarrett creates books with humor, heart, and deep respect for his… Read More

Virtual Program — It will be offered via Zoom. Will Shortz, the editor of The New York Times crossword puzzle, and the world’s only academically accredited puzzle master, discusses crossword puzzles. The author/editor of more than 500 puzzle books, Shortz is also the puzzle master for NPR’s Weekend Edition Sunday and the founder and director… Read More

Virtual Program — It will be offered via Zoom. Actor, author, and restaurateur Danny Trejo will discuss how he developed a prolific career in the entertainment industry with a hard-earned and atypical road to success. From years of imprisonment to helping troubled youth battle drug addictions, from acting to producing, and now on to restaurant… Read More

Virtual Program — It will be offered via Zoom. Experience an entertaining and hilarious evening with six-time New York Times bestselling science author, Mary Roach – despite her claim that “people call me a science writer, though I don’t have a science degree and sometimes have to fake my way through interviews with experts I… Read More

Virtual Program — It will be offered via Zoom. Join us for an evening of inspiration and conversation with bestselling and award-winning children’s and young adult author and poet, Kwame Alexander. During this Illinois Libraries Present event for young people and their families, Kwame will share ways to say yes to your story and persist… Read More

Virtual Program — It will be offered via Zoom. Join us for a conversation with Ross Gay, American poet and New York Times best-selling essayist, as he kicks off a new year with his new book, Inciting Joy. Mr. Gay is the author of three collections of poetry: Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude, winner of the… Read More

Virtual Program — It will be offered via Zoom. Join us for a conversation with Shauna Sever, author of Midwest Made: Big, Bold Baking from the Heartland, as she celebrates baking this holiday season. Sever is a cookbook author, TV and radio contributor, and a daughter of the great midwest.  Her fourth book, Midwest Made,… Read More

Virtual Program — It will be offered via Zoom. Join us for an evening with Caitlin Doughty, mortician, author, advocate, and founder of the funeral reform collective The Order of the Good Death, which has spawned the death positive movement. Doughty is the author of New York Times bestsellers Smoke Gets in Your Eyes, From… Read More

NOTE: Due to a family emergency, this program has been cancelled.   Virtual Program — It will be offered via Zoom. Join us for an evening with two-time National Book Award winner Jesmyn Ward as she discusses how her literary vision and personal experiences address urgent questions about racism and social injustice. Ward, hailed as… Read More