IN THE LIBRARY LOOP - JUNE 2026
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Summer Reading 2026: Plant a Seed, Read |
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We kicked off Summer Reading like never before with a special family-friendly concert on Peoria’s riverfront with 5-time Grammy-nominated musician Justin Roberts on May 30!
About 400 people joined us and signed up for our signature reading challenge. Summer Reading participation is up more than 200 percent over this time last year.
If you and your family haven’t signed up, it’s not too late. Pick up a paper BINGO sheet at any location or use our free Beanstack app. |
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Pick up a Summer Reading program guide at any location to keep track of all the great programs we have planned this summer – everything from a BMX Stunt Show to jam sessions to author events and murder mystery events and magic shows. Here’s a link to the program guide too
How to play Summer Reading BINGO!
Sign up in person or online. Summer Reading starts June 1, but you can sign up anytime before July. Each age group will have a unique Bingo card, full of reading-themed challenges. Get a BINGO and earn a Party Pass. Check in to your favorite PPL location every week to pick up a prize. Fill in your entire BINGO card and you’re eligible for our GRAND PRIZES! GRAND PRIZES
Ages 0-5: Early Reader Set: Includes Leap Pad, books, plushie and blanket Ages 6-12: Nintendo Switch 2 Ages 13-18: Apple iPad Study Set Adult: Apple iPad and Libro.fm gift card
Special note: Summer Readers at Lincoln Branch who complete Summer Reading are eligible to be part of our annual bike drawing. Open to pre-K through high schoolers. Must be registered at Lincoln Branch. Sponsored by BioUrja Renewables |
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Here are a few Summer Reading program highlights for June: Tuesday, June 8 ~ Southside Steel Performance
10 AM at Lincoln Branch Free and for children of all ages
Wednesday, June 10 ~ Whiz Bang Science: The World of Dinosaurs 4 PM at McClure Branch (next door in Columbia Park) Free and for all ages
Friday, June 12 ~ After-Hours Horror Trivia: Books to Movies Edition Featuring The Slash Sisters
6:30 PM at North Branch (Must RSVP) Free and for teens & adults only |
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Friday, June 12 ~ Jam Session with Dexter O’Neal and the Funk Yard Band
6:30 PM at Lincoln Branch Free and for adults
Monday, June 22 ~ Learn How to Wield a Sword Featuring The Duelling Dames 1 PM at Lakeview Branch
Free and for ages 8 and older Friday, June 26 ~ Murder at the 1980s Prom
6:30 PM at Lakeview Branch (Must RSVP) Free and for teens only
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| Spotlight: Banned Together Film Screening |
Together with the Interfaith Alliance of Central Illinois, Peoria Public Library is hosting a screening of the documentary, Banned Together on Monday, June 8 at 5:30 p.m. at North Branch.
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Banned Together is a 2024 award-winning film that follows three students and their adult allies as they fight to reinstate 97 books suddenly pulled from their school libraries. Runtime: 93 minutes.
Free and open to all adults. |
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| Coming Monday, June 15th… | Join us for an evening with food historian and writer Michael W. Twitty.
| Monday, June 15 6:30 to 8:30 PM at Main Library
Free and open to teens and adults.
Twitty, the author of several highly acclaimed books, is celebrated for his profound exploration of how food intertwines with ancestry and culture. |
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His groundbreaking work, The Cooking Gene, not only traced his own ancestry through food from Africa to America and from slavery to freedom but also earned him the 2018 James Beard Award for best writing and book of the year – a historic first for a Black author. He followed this success with Rice, a New York Times-noted cookbook, and KosherSoul, which garnered the National Jewish Book Award. His latest book, Recipes from the American South, was released in October 2025.
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| Coming June 24th…. |
Step into the dark with horror author Christina Henry as she unpacks what it takes to write stories that will haunt you.
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Wednesday, June 24 5:30 to 7:30 PM at North Branch Free and open to adults |
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She’ll talk about her horror writing process and her latest novel, The Place Where They Buried Your Heart, before opening the floor for a short, spine-tingling Q&A. Stay brave till the end for a book signing—if you dare.
Peoria Book Rack will be on site with books available for purchase, and horror aficionados The Slash Sisters will also be there to promote their social media and upcoming events. |
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| Happy Pride Month! | Check out our book displays (Main Library pictured), and help yourself to stickers and buttons and, of course, books!
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We also have bookmarks for our two LGBTQIA+ book clubs -- Friends of Dorothy or the YA Queer Book Club. Learn more about them here
Also, the winners of our Read Out Proud bookmark contest have their bookmarks featured at all of our locations. Congrats to Krin Bradbury, Ian Brown and Adrianna Young! Your artwork looks great!
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| Can You Spell
C-O-N-G-R-A-T-U-L-A-T-I-O-N-S! | Well done, Isa!
Isa Zaid, a 7th grader from Peoria Academy, made it to quarterfinals (Round 6) at the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C last month.
| Unfortunately, the word "ochlophobist" did him in.
For those playing at home, the word refers to someone who has an intense, irrational fear of crowds.
Isa should be very proud of his performance. He ended up tied for 55th place out of the 247 top spellers from across the U.S. that qualified for the Scripps Bee. |
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Illinois had 13 spellers qualify for the Scripps National Bee, and five, including Isa, made it to the quarterfinals. That's spectacular!
We're so proud of all the spellers who participated in our Regional Bee and, of course, of Isa who represented us on the national stage.
Peoria Public Library will continue to be a regional sponsor so keep an eye out for when your school can sign up for next year's regional Bee! Follow us on our socials to be in the know.
Photo Credit: Isa Zaid/Scripps National Spelling Bee |
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| Free Parking at Main Library | Great news for our Main Library patrons!
Just in time for Summer Reading...
| Peoria Public Library is testing free parking at our Downtown location.
We want to make Main Library as accessible as possible — and that means you shouldn't have to worry about paying to park. |
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During this pilot parking program, the parking meters at Main Library will not be enforced during library hours. (This only applies to spaces in our parking lot, not street parking. Also, overnight parking is still not allowed.)
Signs will be posted noting that parking is for library patrons only. We'll also be monitoring our lot to make sure our patrons aren't being squeezed out by people parking for unrelated business. Please help us keep our parking free! |
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| Taking the Summer Off: Hatha Yoga & Zumba | Just a friendly reminder that we are pausing our Hatha Yoga and Zumba classes at North Branch for June and July. Both will resume at their regular times and days, starting in August.
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You can still take advantage of free yoga classes at the library every Tuesday and Thursday from 12:15 p.m. to 12:45 p.m. at Main Library, Downtown. |
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We have permission to share virtual yoga sessions with top YouTube instructor Adriene of Yoga with Adriene. These gentle, 30-minute yoga classes are for adults only. Perfect for those who work Downtown. Please bring your own yoga mat and water and meet us in the auditorium, lower level 2 of Main Library. We dim the lights for optimal relaxation.
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| Coming soon: New Book Drop at North Branch | This summer, Peoria Public Library will move the outside book drop at North Branch to near the front doors instead of in the middle of the parking lot.
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Not only is this for safety reasons, but the exposure to the elements in that location has caused damage to materials in the past. |
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Peoria Public Library will still have a drive-up book drop at Main Library. Materials can be returned at any PPL location no matter where they were checked out. |
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| Resource Spotlight: Kanopy | Whether it’s date night, family movie night or the kids-need-distracting time, Kanopy has more than 30,000 films to choose from.
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Stream from home for free. All you need is your Peoria Public Library card to set up a free account. |
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Adults get 24 “tickets” to use each month, but kids have unlimited access to Kanopy Kids, which includes new titles and vintage PBS shows too. Go to kanopy.com to set up your free account.
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