Robert Kurson July 1

Please join us Wednesday, July 1 at 7 p.m. to hear Chicago author Robert Kurson talk about his writing and his new book, Pirate Hunters: Treasure, Obsession and the Search for a Legendary Pirate Ship.

Kurson is also the author of Shadow Divers: the True Adventure of Two American Who Risked Everything to Solve One of the Last Mysteries of World War II and Crashing Through: the Extraordinary True Story of the Man who Dared to See. 

He began his writing career at the Chicago Sun-Times and worked for Chicago magazine and Esquire, where he won a National Magazine Award. Kurson's stories have appeared in Rolling Stone and The New York Times Magazine. A graduate of Harvard Law School, he also worked as an attorney.

The New York Times wrote of Shadow Divers, "You know a book has you when you avoid looking at its photo display or final pages for fear of spoiling its surprises. Robert Kurson has written a genre-mixing sprint of a narrative, an adventure story that is also a genuine historical mystery."

Exploring China's Past at The Field Museum

©The Field Museum

After years of preparation, The Field Museum will open its Cyrus Tang Hall of China on June 24. Before you visit this major permanent exhibit, get your bearings at our special presentation on Monday, June, 29 by the Field's Lisa C. Niziolek, a postdoctoral fellow in East Asian anthropology and a member of the curatorial team. The program begins at 7:30 p.m.

Dr. Niziolek will guide us through examples of the ceramics, bronzes, textiles, sculptures, paintings, and puppets showcased in the 6,000 square foot exhibit, including artifacts recovered from the 800-year old Java Sea Shipwreck.

Please join us for a fascinating look at a culture filled with deep traditions and dynamic change. As the Chicago Sun-Times notes,  "As China asserts itself on the world stage, it is easy to reduce this ancient nation to sound bites and headlines, subsuming its history in discussions of global economic and world politics - but the Cyrus Tang Hall of China helps recalibrate our understanding of its rich culture."

Dr. Niziolek's talk is part of our Visiting Professor series, sponsored by the Friends of the Glencoe Public Library.

Visit us at the Glencoe Sidewalk Sale

This Friday and Saturday, June 26 and 27 is Glencoe's annual Sidewalk Sale! As always, we'll have a table set up in front of the library. Please stop by to ask about books and register for Summer Reading.

Reading and Ravinia!

Sign up for our Summer Adult Reading Program and receive two lawn tickets (one set per family) for a performance at Ravinia.

We have tickets for 19 dates and beginning on Saturday, June 13, we will give them away on a first come, first served basis. So hurry in, sign up  for the reading program and start planning your night under the stars!

Giants in the Park: Part One

Join us Tues, June 16, from 7:30 to 9:00 pm for Part One of Giants in the Park, a virtual tour of the bronze giants which inhabit Lincoln Park, Chicago's largest and most historic park.

Among those who statues preside over the park are: Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, Robert de La Salle, John Peter Altged, General Philip Sheridan, William Shakespeare, and Johann von Goethe. The celebrated sculptors and architects involved include Augustus Saint-Gaudens and Stanford White.

Our tour guide is Krista August, who will discuss the stories and history behind each portrait statue, the monuments than have gone missing, and salient park and city history. For seven years Ms. August volunteered for the Chicago Architecture Foundation and led walking tours of the city's historic and modern skyscrapers. She is a member of the Chicago Tour-Guide Professionals Association.

Ms. August's book, Giants in the Park, was named a Book of the Year by the Chicago Writers Association and recognized with a Certificate of Excellence by the Illinois State Historical Society. Rick Kogan of WGN radio called Giants in the Park, "an essential item for any Chicago lover's bookshelf."

Part 2 will continue the tour and take place on July 14.

Friends' Book Sale: June 13 - 15!

The summer Friends of the Glencoe Public Library used book sale is almost here! It's the perfect place to discover gently used picture books or perhaps the missing season of your favorite television series - all at terrific prices. You'll find great deals on all types of books, audiobooks, DVDs, and CDs.

Sale hours are: Saturday, June 13, 9:00 am-5:00 pm; Sunday, June 14, 1:00-5:00 pm (everything is half price); and Monday, June 15, 9:00 am-12:00 pm ($3 a bag sale). 

Members of the Friends - and yes, you can join at the door! - are invited to the members' preview sale on Friday evening, June 12, from 6:00-8:00 pm. Membership in the Friends is limited to current Glencoe residents. The Friends use profits from the sale to bring you wonderful library programs like the spring and fall concert series.

Yoga for Travelers and Commuters

Graham Roumieu

We've all been there: feeling achy, stressed and tired after traveling for long periods of time in a car, or by train or airplane. Come join us on Tues. June 9, from 7:00 to 8:00 pm when Judy Roin of Glencoe's Reach Yoga will present simple ways to relieve tension in your neck, shoulders, back and hips while you're on the go.

Wear comfortable clothes (no yoga clothes are required) and come prepared to learn to wonderful ways to relax while traveling or on your daily commute!

Ravine Bluffs Centennial Programs

Don't miss one of our last Ravine Bluffs Centennial program!

On Sunday, June 14, at 5 pm, Maggie Hein, the current owner of 272 Sylvan Road (the Chesley Perry House), will present "Making it Wright Again," the story of her home’s history and how she and architect Scott Javore used her research to shape its restoration.

Remember: Due to summer hours, the library will be closed that day but we will open at 4:30 pm for program seating. We are co-sponsoring this event with the Glencoe Historical Society.

Author Mary Morris at The Book Stall

On Wednesday, June 3, from 6:30 to 8:30pm, the library and The Book Stall at Chestnut Court will co-sponsor a reading by novelist and travel memoirist, Mary Morris. The reading will be held at the Book Stall. 

Author of Nothing to Declare: Memoirs of a Woman Traveling Alone, The Waiting Room, House Arrest, and three story collections, Morris will read from her newest book, The Jazz Palace, a sweeping novel that brilliantly captures Chicago's dynamic atmosphere and dazzling music during the Jazz Age. 

Morris' work has been translated into Italian, Spanish, German, Dutch, Swedish, and Japanese. She lives in New York and teaches at Sarah Lawrence College.
The Book Stall is located at 811 Elm St. in Winnetka.