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Adult May Events & Programs
Wednesday, May 6 & 20
Adult Crochet Club
3:00 PM Registration Required Whether you're new to crochet or a seasoned stitcher, come join us to learn new techniques, share tips, and connect with other adult crocheters.
Thursdays, May 7 & 21
Movie Matinees
Noon At the Edwardsville Public Library. Bring a brown bag lunch, and we’ll provide the drinks and popcorn. Please call the library or go to our website for movie titles.
Monday, May 4
Chess Club
6:30 PM A casual environment for masters and novices to meet up to play and enjoy one of the oldest games in the world.
Saturday, May 9 & 23
Chair Yoga
10:00 AM Registered yoga teacher Julie Hamilton will lead the class using modifications of many common yoga poses.
Saturday, May 23
The Rough Drafts Writing Club
2:00 PM Let's make time to write! Bring your current project or start a new one.
Sunday, May 17
Bits & Pieces Junk Journal Club
2:00 PM Bring all necessary supplies to work on your junk journal in a welcoming, no pressure environment.
Thursday, May 14
The Cozy Comics Club
6:30 PM Discussing – Absolute Wonder Woman Vol. 1: The Last Amazon by Kelly Thompson
Monday, May 18
Adult Animation Showtime
5:30 PM Anime club has been revamped to include all forms of adult animation! For this meeting, we will be showing Gay Purr-ee starring Judy Garland.
Monday, May 18
Reader’s Outpost
6:30 PM The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester
Wednesday, May 20
Greeting Card Class
6:00 PM Join Laura Borchert for a summer card making class at the library. Attendees will participate in making 3 different greeting cards.
Thursday, May 21
Happily Ever After
6:30 PM A romance book club, discussing –Same Time Next Summer by Annabel Monaghan
Tuesday, May 19
Recovery Without Stigma
6:00PM Mark Knott, from the Metro East Recovery Council, will be discussing the stigma of substance abuse disorder and how to deal with this sensitive and personal issue in a non-judgmental manner.
Saturday, May 30
Adult Dungeons & Dragons One-Shot Adventure
10:00AM and 2:00PM Registration Required Join us for a single session D&D adventure with pre-generated characters & a staff Dungeon Master. No books, dice, or prep necessary. Just sit down & enjoy an adventure in a single two-hour session.
Monday, May 11
Monday Evening Yoga
6:00 PM Join Yoga Instructor Lisa Allen for an hour of peaceful yoga and meditation.
Tuesday, May 28
Riveted Readers Book Club
6:30 PM Discussing – Notes of A Native Son by James Baldwin
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Saturday, May 2
NAACP Community Health Fair
10:00AM Taking charge of your health starts here! Designed for adults seeking to monitor and improve their health - including free screenings for blood pressure, glucose, and A1C. Free and open to the public. Presented by the Edwardsville NAACP. In partnership with SIUE mobile health unit.
Tuesday, May 5
Red Cross Blood Drive
10:00AM Donate blood and save a life. To schedule an appointment, visit RedCrossBlood.org and enter sponsor code: EdwardsvillePL or call 1-800-733-2767
Tuesday, May 5 & 19
Memory Cafe
10:00AM A welcoming social gathering for people living with changes in memory or thinking, and those who care for them. Talk with others who understand and can share thoughts and ideas.
Saturday, May 9
Learn How to 3D Print at the Edwardsville Library
2:00PM An introduction to 3D printers and how to 3D print at the library. Come learn how a 3D printer works, where to find 3D print files, how to make your own with Tinkercad, and all the steps for submitting your file to the library. Q&A to follow.
Wednesday, May 13
Screen Screams Society
5:30PM Screen Screams Society is a horror movie club for adults featuring regular screenings of classic and modern scary films. Sit back, grab some popcorn, and enjoy a fright on the big screen. This month, we will be celebrating Mother’s Day with the 1960 Alfred Hitchcock classic, Psycho.
Tuesday, May 19
Babel-On with R.F. Kuang
7:00PM Watch remotely or attend the viewing at the library. R.F. Kuang’s genre-bending fiction broaches ordinarily serious topics from a satirical and fantastical perspective. Academic yet approachable, Kuang’s work combines history, magic, and classical literary tradition to render powerful critiques of academia, the publishing industry, and even contemporary popular culture.
Friday, May 29
EPL & Thrillsville Present: Cult Classic Movie Club
6:00PM The Thrillsville/EPL Cult Classic Movie Club is a place to enjoy horror, sci-fi, and fantasy cult classic films. This month's movie will be the 1975 dystopian action film, Death Race 2000, staring David Carradine.
May 28- July 31
Plant a Seed, Read: Summer Reading is Coming
Plant a Seed, Read is rooted in the concept of farm to table. A farm grows food that nourishes our bodies; a library grows ideas that nourish our minds. Both food and stories connect us to our family, culture, economy, and ecology. This summer, we invite you to imagine the library as a community table where, instead of food, we feast on ideas! What will you grow with the seeds you plant?
2026 Edwardsville Street Banner Contest
Presented by the Edwardsville Public Library, the City of Edwardsville, and the Edwardsville Arts Center Create artwork inspired by this year’s theme: Route 66 (Happy Birthday to our historic highway!)
All ages welcome – from kindergarten to adults! 16 winners will be featured on banners displayed throughout the City of Edwardsville.
Edwardsville Memory Digitization Project
The goal of the Edwardsville Memory program at EPL is assist our patrons in preserving the history of Edwardsville, its people and institutions. In honor of Black History Month, we want to assist in preserving artifacts related to The Historic Lincoln School and those who spent time there. We would like to encourage anyone with artifacts relating to the school or its students to come to the library and have those items digitized. No items are too small to preserve, photos, clippings, assignments, notes, journals, score cards, etc. All originals will be returned to their owners along with digital copies. Contact Greg at 618-692-7556 X437 to make an appointment or ask questions about the program. Digital copies of the items can be donated to historical organizations with the agreement of the owner.
Contact Us
618-692-7556 ext. 6 edereference@edwpl.org
Greg Kessler, Head of Adult Services gregk@edwpl.org
Kelcey Stewart Adult Services Assistant kelceys@edwpl.org
Greg Guntren Adult Services Assistant gregoryg@edwpl.org
Youth Events & Programs – April 2026
Plant a Seed, Read!
Summer Reading is Coming! May 28 – July 31. Plant a Seed, Read is rooted in the concept of farm to table. A farm grows food that nourishes our bodies; a library grows ideas that nourish our minds. Both food and stories connect us to our family, culture, economy, and ecology. This summer, we invite you to imagine the library as a community table where, instead of food, we feast on ideas! What will you grow with the seeds you plant?
Sprout-Tacular Showcase
A weekly, wildly fun show series where imagination grows! Preview some of our guest visitors for this summer!
· Wednesday, June 3 at 10:00 AM – Celia’s Sing-Along Dance Party
· Wednesday, June 10 at 10:00 AM – The Lion & the Mouse Puppet Show with Papa & Jackie Wright
· Wednesday, June 17 at 10:00 AM – Cowboy Critters Petting Zoo
· Wednesday, June 24 at 10:00 AM – Will Stuck’s M.E.S.S. Show
· Wednesday, July 1 at 10:00 AM – Stegosaurus Steve & Iggy with St. Louis Dinosaur
· Wednesday, July 8 at 10:00 AM – Misfit Marionnettes: The Farm Review
· Saturday, July 11 at 10:00 AM & 1:00 PM – Opera Edwardsville
· Wednesday, July 22 at 10:00 AM – Animal Tales
2026 Edwardsville Street Banner Contest
Presented by the Edwardsville Public Library, the City of Edwardsville, and the Edwardsville Arts Center. Create artwork inspired by this year’s theme: Route 66 (Happy Birthday to our historic highway!) All ages welcome – from kindergarten to adults! 16 winners will be featured on banners displayed throughout the City of Edwardsville. For more details, visit https://www.edwardsvillelibrar...
Find Us Out & About!
Check out these cool events, and you could see us there!
· Goshen Market – Saturdays, starting May 9th from 8:00AM – 12:00PM. Give your weekends a fresh start at the Land of Goshen Community Market, located this season outside the library on Park Street and S. Kansas Street. Hear live music, stop by the 80+ vendor tables, and bring the kids to Market Sprouts – a hands-on educational program that educates children – and their families – on the importance of eating fresh, local produce!
· Embracing Inclusion: Community Support for Neurodiverse Learners – Saturday, May 9th from 10:00AM – 2:00PM at the Edwardsville Public Safety Building. Introduce your neurodiverse learner to our first responders in a sensory-friendly event! Stop by the library’s table for more Summer sneak-peeks and something fun to take home.
· Pet Adoption Day – Saturday, May 23rd from 11:00AM – 1:00PM at the West End Service Station. Ms. Megan will be reading a few of her favorite dog stories alongside some doggone cute and adoptable pups!
May 2026
Wednesday, May 6
Preschool Story Time
10:00 – 11:00 AM. For ages 3 – 5 years. Join us for a special story time to celebrate International Compost Awareness Week! Our special guest, Mary Grose of Good Dirt Composting, will be here to read with us about gardens, composting, and worms! Be sure to check out our composting book displays while you’re here.
Monday, May 11
Read to a Dog
4:00 – 5:00 PM. Registration Required. A therapy dog is visiting the library and wants to listen to you read! Register to get a 15-minute session with the dog-on-duty.
Saturday, May 16
Read to a Dog
10:00 – 11:00 AM. Registration Required. A therapy dog is visiting the library and wants to listen to you read! Register to get a 15-minute session with the dog-on-duty.
Wednesday, May 20
To Be Read…Book Club
4:00 – 5:00 PM. Registration Required. For Grades 6 – 12. Register to get a copy of this month’s book pick at the Youth Desk, read it, and join us to talk all about what you loved, hated, wished, and everything in between! We’re diving into the third installment of Libba Bray’s Diviners series, Before the Devil Breaks You. After battling a sleeping sickness, The Diviners are up against a group of new and malevolent foes – ghosts!
Thursday, May 28
Children’s Book Sale
4:00 – 6:30 PM. Join the Edwardsville Library Friends (ELFs) and discover a treasure trove of children’s books for sale downstairs in the large meeting room. Who knows what magical tales you’ll uncover? The fun begins at 4:00 PM and continues through the Summer Kickoff Party! Every sale supports the library and our free events & activities.
Thursday, May 28
Summer Kickoff Party
4:30 – 6:30 PM. Summer fun is about to be in full bloom at our Kickoff Party in City Park, just outside the library! We proudly cohost this annual event with our friends at the City of Edwardsville’s Parks & Recreation, and we hope to see you there!
4:00 PM – Children’s Book Sale – with the Edwardsville Library Friends inside the Library.
4:30 PM – Party in the Park Begins – Find out what your favorite spots in town have in store for you at the Community Group tables. Complimentary Mahalo Shave Ice. Bubbles with FoamZees.
5:00 – 6:00 PM – Farmer Jason – Catch Jason Ringerberg of Jason & the Scorchers rock the bandstand with a family-friendly show all about nature, animals, and life on the farm! So grab a pitchfork, or your guitar, and climb aboard the tractor!