All three Davenport Public Library Branches are closed today, Monday, May 29th in observance of Memorial Day. Normal business hours will resume on Tuesday, May 30th.
Our physical locations may be closed, but you can still visit us virtually!
Your Davenport Public Library card gives you access to FREE digital materials such as e-books, digital audiobooks, magazines, movies, and music online 24/7.
Here are my top five favorite digital content resources! Check these out and we’ll see you again on Tuesday, May 30th when the library opens.
Libby – All you need to access e-books, digital audiobooks, and digital magazines is your Davenport Public Library card. We recommend downloading the Libby app for best performance.
Freegal – Freegal Music gives you access to millions of songs from over 40,000 labels. Stream 24-hours a day. Download up to 5 songs per week.
TumbleBooks – Both children and their parents will enjoy this online collection of animated, talking picture books that teach kids the joys of reading in an exciting, new format they will love.
QC Beats – Built in partnership with Davenport Public Library, River Music Experience and St. Ambrose University, QC Beats is an online streaming audio collection of original music of Quad Cities musicians and artists.
Kanopy – Provides a variety of popular and classic movies, documentaries, and foreign films to stream. Kanopy Kids offers parental controls.
The Great Courses present a wealth of learning.
We are so excited to announce that See YA is back! See YA is our adult book club with a teen book twist. See why so many teen books are being turned into movies and are taking over the best seller lists. We meet the first Wednesday of the month at Eastern at 6:30pm. Registration is not required. Books are available on a first-come, first-serve basis at the Eastern Avenue library. Stop by the service desk for more information.
On June 7th, we will be discussing Last Night at the Telegraph Clubby Malinda Lo. This book is highly praised! It won the National Book Award, the Stonewall Book Award, and the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature(it also was the Goodreads Choice Award for Best young Adult Fiction in 2021). This is also a Michael L. Printz honor book, a We Need Diverse Books Walter Dean Myers honor book, and a Los Angeles Times book prize finalist. This book was also a New York Times bestseller. Now that I’ve hyped up the book, let’s get into what it’s about!
Last Night at the Telegraph Clubis the story of a high school girl struggling to find her own identity amidst familial and cultural pressures. Set in San Francisco’s Chinatown during the Red Scare in the 1950s, seventeen-year-old Lily Hu feels the push and pull of love and duty every single day. After discovering a book that was about two women who fell in love with each other, Lily starts to examine her feelings more and more. The more she examines, the more Lily realizes that these aren’t new feelings, but she can’t exactly pinpoint when they started. When Lily meets fellow high school student Kathleen Miller, she finds a safe space to explore this different side of her life. As soon as the two set foot in a lesbian bar called the Telegraph Club, Lily knew she had an answer to her question: there were women out there who fell in love and it wasn’t weird or abnormal. Outside of the Telegraph Club however, Lily finds resistance. 1954 in America isn’t a safe space for two girls to fall in love. Lily’s family complicates matters, given that they live in Chinatown, the Red Scare is running rampant, and deportation rumors abound. Chinese Americans are subject to more scrutiny, leaving Lily to wonder where she falls and whether love or duty will win.
I don’t want to give away too much, but highly encourage you to check out this title and then come to See YA to discuss it with us on Wednesday June 7th at 6:30pm at our Eastern Avenue Branch. (If you end up liking this title, I highly suggest you also try A Scatter of Light, which is the companion novel to Last Night at the Telegraph Club.)
This title is also available as a Libby eBook, Libby eAudiobook, in large print, and as single book club books.
Still using the old OverDrive app? The time is upon you to switch to the newer Libby app.
The old OverDrive app will become inactive at the end of April. Downloading the Libby app takes just a few minutes. There is no impact to your account. The items that you have checked out and on hold will be there in the Libby app.
To use on a mobile device, you may need to update your Smartphone software. Ensure your device is running at least:
Android 4.4+ (you’ll also need Chrome, not the stock Android web browser)
Enter your App Store password to install the app on your device.
The app will ask you to associate your account with a library. Search for “Davenport” or “RiverShare.” (Be careful. Be certain to select Davenport, IOWA.)
Enter your library card number into the app.
After that, you should be good-to-go!
If you use a laptop or desktop to access OverDrive, you may still use OverDrive Read in your favorite browser. OverDrive Read is compatible with: Microsoft Edge, Firefox, Google Chrome, and Safari.
The end of April is fast approaching. Spend the time today to ensure you’ll be able to checkout in May!
Please enjoy this guest blog by Jeff Collins, Library Director:
Even now, after her passing last summer at age 85, beloved children’s librarian Rochelle A. Murray is helping Davenport kids fall in love with reading.
“Miss Rochelle,” as she was known to generations of children, bequeathed to the Library a generous gift, which will help kids discover the fun of reading for many years to come.
Rochelle was a longtime children’s librarian, and although she had long since retired by the time I began my tenure as director, I have seen her touch throughout the Library and in the community. Now, her legacy will be indelibly marked, as Davenport Public Library embarks on an audacious $1.08 million-dollar private-donor funded project to bring vibrant new activities to the children’s areas at all three of our libraries: | Main | Fairmount | Eastern.
Davenport Public Library will add interactives, kiosks, wall panels, and more to our children’s areas in the coming year, helping kids to develop the early literacy skills so vital to their success in school and life. These vivid new spaces will allow children to engage in fun, multi-sensory activities that support early literacy and include letters and words, gears, magnetic pieces, song lyrics, varying textures, and other elements that are perfect for hands-on play. And of course, we will incorporate plenty of cozy nooks where children and their parents/caregivers can read books together!
Educational Learning Spaces
These enhanced spaces are educational and based on Every Child Ready to Read®, a research-based series of practices developed by the Public Library Association and the Association for Library Service to Children. Designed to help kids develop essential literacy skills and get on the right path to school readiness and student success, this program is based on two core concepts: 1) Reading begins at birth; and 2) Parents are a child’s first and best teacher. Every Child Ready to Read® focuses on emergent and early literacy development in the five practices of talking, singing, reading, writing, and playing. Public libraries provide opportunities for young children and their parents/caregivers to develop these skills in safe, non-commercial environments, with free access for everyone in the community. Davenport Public Library already utilizes Every Child Ready to Read® practices in our early literacy programming, including storytimes, 1000 Books Before Kindergarten, parent education workshops, and supporting materials to help parents/caregivers prepare children for reading.
Access to these free, educational spots, gives everyone living in Davenport a strong start in early literacy to ensure that they are ready for kindergarten and beyond. Each newly designed children’s area will reflect the theme of nature, with each library branch featuring aspects of its local ecosystem:
| Main will feature a water/riparian habitat due to its proximity to the Mississippi River.
| Fairmount will feature woodlands/wetlands due to the Duck Creek watershed.
| Eastern will feature a prairie theme as it is situated at Prairie Heights Park.
Help us reach our goal!
So, while we are deeply saddened by the loss of Rochelle Murray, it is with enormous gratitude that we honor her legacy by embarking on this mission to bring opportunities to play and learn at the Library.
We welcome the participation of all citizens in this campaign. As of March 31, 2023, this project is 58% funded, but we still need $450,000 to bring it to success. Gifts of all sizes are welcome. Anyone interested in making a gift can do so online, or gifts can be mailed to FRIENDS of the Davenport Public Library (321 Main Street, Davenport, IA 52801). Please designate your gift as for “Children’s Areas”. Donations of $5,000 or more will receive mention on a plaque at each library.
We need everyone in our community to help. Please join us in making early literacy a reality for Davenport children!
Summer Reading might be over, but we have a new challenge open now! September 15th – October 15th, patrons can participate in our Beanstack exclusive Hispanic Heritage Month Reading Challenge. National Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated each year from Sep. 15 to Oct. 15. This year, the theme is “Unidos: Inclusivity for a Stronger Nation.” Honor diverse voices, unique perspectives, and rich cultural traditions through activities and book recommendations. Log your reading and complete activities to earn badges throughout the challenge. Enter your tickets into the prize option of your choice for a chance to win! Visit davenportlibrary.beanstack.com to sign up or join in the Beanstack app!
Unlike past off-season reading challenges, we have prizes for this one! It’s an all ages challenge with two prize drawing options listed below.
Adult & Teen Prize:
A Mercado on Fifth gift basket including
a $25 gift certificate to Restaurante El Mariachi in Moline
Mercado on Fifth t-shirt
Mercado on Fifth cantarito
Group O magnetic koozie
two books on Latino leadership
a Mercado on Fifth lanyard
This prize was generously donated by Maria Ontiveros – co-founder of Mercado on Fifth.
Children’s Prize:
Win a mini home library of picture books by Hispanic and Latinx authors and illustrators including:
Bright Star by Yuyi Morales
¡Vamos! Let’s Cross the Bridge by Raul the Third
Strollercoaster by Matt Ringler
My Papi Has a Motorcycle by Isabel Quintero
¡Vamos! Let’s Go to the Market by Raul the Third
Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpré by Anika A. Denise
Carmela Full of Wishes by Matt be la Peña
Islandborn by Junot Díaz
Niño Wrestles the World by Yuyi Morales
Just Ask! Be Different, Be Brave, Be You by Sonia Sotomayor
Where Are You From? by Yamile Saied Mendez
Separate is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and Her Family’s Fight for Desegregation by Duncan Tonatiuh
Calling all artists! We want you to submit your designs for our very first Library Card Design Contest! The Davenport Public Library seeks art for Limited Edition Library Cards launching in April during National Library Week. If you are interested, visit any Davenport Public Library location or download the PDF off the events page on our website. Please be sure to read the rules carefully on the form before submitting artwork.
The Library is looking for artists of all ages, but we ask that the submissions come from Davenport residents. The contest is for artists of all ages to design a library card featuring some aspect of The Library, literacy, or reflect what The Library means to them. The artwork must include the Davenport Public Library logo. Entries must include a completed and signed release form. The contest will take place from September 6th to October 10th. Completed designs and release forms must be returned to any Davenport Public Library Branch by October 10th.
There are three categories: Youth (0-11), Teens (11-19) and Adults (19+). The selection process will include representatives from The Library to select top designs in each of the categories and then patrons will have a chance to vote for their favorites in each category. The special edition Library Cards will be released during National Library Week in April and will be available while supplies last!
We’re so excited to tell you about another new service at the Davenport Library!
Want to add some instant curb appeal to your house? Is your yard looking tired and worn after the winter months? Spring is (mostly) here which makes it the perfect time to turn your attention to your yard! Become the envy of the neighborhood with a little help from the library! Freshen up your space with our new Garden Library service!
The Garden Library is easy to use. Simply look through our catalog of available plants – which include trees, shrubs and perennials – and choose your favorites. (TIP: If you need help deciding, you can use our Book a Librarian service for expert design advice!). Our inventory includes ornamental and fruit trees, shrubs of all kinds and perennials such as peonies, daylilies, hosta and black-eye susan. Your yard will become vibrant and colorful in no time!
Plants are available at all three of our locations – check the catalog for availability. Plants check out for three weeks and can be renewed one time if no one else has reserved it. To return the plant, please dig it up and return it to the library building that you checked it out from – be mindful of the plant’s root system! Any damaged foliage or infestation of disease or insects will be billed to your account. Overdue fees are $1 per day per item.
Now get out there and start dreaming up your perfect yard!
Haha! April Fool! We do not – I repeat, do not – have live garden plants for you to check out! Libraries have a huge variety of products and services to borrow (for instance, we have wi-fi Hotspots, video games, e-books, guitars and movies among many other items!) but it’s unlikely we’ll be lending out trees (imagine having to dig it up again after three weeks!) anytime soon/ever!
However, we DO have a new garden-related service which will be arriving on April 19 – a Seed Library! Our Seed Library, which will be housed at the Main library, is made up of envelopes that contain a small number of seeds, which you will be able to take to plant in your own garden. You are not required to return the seeds! We have (through a combination of purchasing and a grant) a wide variety of vegetable, herb and flower seeds, all of which have been obtained from Seed Savers Exchange in Decorah, Iowa. These seeds are all heirloom varieties, many of which you won’t find in seed racks at the store and many of which have interesting stories, having traveled from across the world and preserved for generations in family gardens.
Watch this space and other Library media outlets for more information and plan on stopping by the Main library starting on April 19 to take a look at the Seed Library and pick up a few gems for your own garden!
The time to bundle up, lay down on the couch, and be entertained by your television is almost upon us. But what to watch?
Consider Kanopy.
The library recently added this on-demand streaming video service to our offerings. You might choose a classic movie, such as the John Wayne feature “McLinktock!” Or the 2019 Best Picture winner “Parasite.” Whatever your cup of tea, with its over 30,000 movies, you are sure to find something to suit your tastes.
Whether using the Kanopy desktop software or the app, you can select from feature films, classic movies, foreign films, and documentaries to while away the cold winter evenings.
Davenport Library cardholders may logon using their library card number and their password/pin for their account. After that you’ll need to Sign Up for a Kanopy account by providing a name, an email address, and then make up a password.
Kanopy operates on Play Credits. Each time you begin to watch a movie, a Play Credit is deducted from your account. You may use up to four (4) Play Credits a month. Play Credits reset at the beginning of each calendar month.
Once you Watch a video, you will have access to it for 48 or 72 hours, depending upon movie. During that period, you may watch it as many times as you like without using another Play Credit.
There is a section of Kanopy that is designed especially for children, Kanopy Kids. It offers educational and entertainment content for children ages two to eight. There are parental controls that can be set up, so that you can allow your kids to browse the site.
The Great Courses are also available. Once you begin a Great Course you have 30 days to complete it.
Films can be streamed from any computer, television, mobile device or platform by downloading the Kanopy app for iOS, Android, AppleTV, Chromecast or Roku.
Grab a cup of cocoa, put on your pajamas, and stream the night way.
If your 2020 experience was not accompanied by the soothing background music of this gently capitalist video game, this is the time to check it out – not only for the fun experience of playing, but because soon you may be able to visit the Davenport Library in-game! Keep an eye on our website and social media for more details on that programming opportunity. For now, here’s all the other reasons to try the game.
Animal Crossing is (and as I understand it, always has been) escapism at its finest. The idea is, your character has decided it’s time to get away from modern life, and so takes advantage of a unique opportunity: making a new home from scratch on an uninhabited island! In another game, this would be a grim process, probably involving dying of scurvy or dysentery along the way, but not in Animal Crossing. You’re taken under the wing of the Nook family — Tom, Timmy, and Tommy — who guide you every step of the way in creating your island paradise. (Incidentally, you also go pretty heavily in debt to the Nooks, but they’re nice about it and don’t charge interest.) You start out small, building tents, inviting villagers, upgrading to buildings, learning to craft things, catching bugs and fish for the local museum, and more pleasantly domestic tasks. Eventually, you can build bridges and ramps, or reshape the land itself. Everything turns on the idea of customization: lots of options are provided for you to make everything, from your own appearance and clothing, to island decor, to the island landscape itself, into whatever you want it to be.
If it sounds incredibly self-indulgent, it is – but the capitalism previously mentioned offers some valuable parallels to the real world, including using a banking terminal, depositing money in an account, selling items to make a profit, paying off loans, etc. The game is also seasonal and continually updated: each season corresponds to real life in both weather and wildlife, with a number of festivals and holidays bringing special in-game events.
There’s also an excellent social component of the game: a good deal of your success revolves around building good relationships with your adorable animal villagers, recruiting others, making sure everybody gets along, and just generally making the island a nice place to live. Eventually, with the proper memberships and resources, you can visit other players’ islands and share gifts. As previously mentioned, this means you can also visit the library’s island paradise, coming soon! If you’re looking for a gentle, social escape video game, I recommend giving Animal Crossing a try.
Hey! Have you had a chance to stop by the Main library lately to see the renovations? If you haven’t yet you’re in for a treat!
The renovation has created a fresh, open look while preserving the mid-Century modern aesthetic from when the building first opened. You’ll find a greatly expanded Children’s area, a separate area for Young Adult readers as well as lots of room for public computers, books, video games and DVDs and a new Maker’s Space which will have equipment such as 3-D printers for the public to use.
As typical with any renovation, not everything is completely in place yet. We are still waiting for the arrival of equipment for the Maker’s Space and for delivery of the lemurs for the Zoological Habitat . Never fear, it will all come together eventually!
Speaking of the Zoological Habitat, be sure to be careful when walking through the Tiger Exhibit. Since you have to walk right through the midst of their habitat, you’ll want to be sure to wear good running shoes. Those tigers are fast. And usually hungry. But no worries, there’s a first aid kit right next to the exit door! We’ve also discovered that it pays to be alert when walking through the Grizzly Bear Exhibit; they’ve been grumpy ever since we took away their honey tree. Whatever you do, don’t make eye contact!
As always, our goal at the Library is to provide an educational, inspiring and comfortable environment (but don’t get too comfortable in the Reptile House! Those slithery dudes love to nip at your heels!) We look forward to seeing you soon!
Haha! April Fool! Well, not the part about the Main Library being open again after the renovation – all of that is true! But the bits about the Zoological Habitat, not so much. Of course, we have lots of books about animals, but so far, no actual tigers. Or grizzly bears. Or snakes. Whew!
And we do look forward to seeing you soon, in our newly renovated, wild-animal-free Main Library!
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