iREAD on the Road: Last stop - Part 4

Aug 28, 2025

We finally made it! The last stop on our summer "road trip" exploring all the ways that libraries around the country (and the world!) leveled up this summer! 

Our last stop is "home" in Illinois. Let's take a peek at what has been going on in the Land of Lincoln . . . 

Illinois

Hillsboro Area Public Library - Hillsboro, IL

We had the Spoon Man come to perform and teach kids how to play the Spoons. It was a huge success.

We had the University of Illinois Extension Office come and make homemade ice cream and butter with the kids.

The Science Guy came and talked about wind, the kids rode a hoverboard, and so much more.

Finally, we had Do Art Productions come for a Bead Making Workshop. Great time!

Rock Island Public Library - Rock Island, IL

Our Youth Services staff at the Downtown Library had a lot of fun with the Level Up at Your Library theme. Using paper and cardboard, staff built Minecraft blocks, a fearsome dragon, and created a video game scavenger hunt.

Rock Island Public Library branch staff also leveled up the summer reading theme decor, creating fun and playful displays from the Level Up at Your Library theme. From Minecraft flowers to a racing wall, and an eye-catching Level Up at Your Library display case repurpose, the decor reminded patrons to sign up for summer reading.

All together Rock Island readers logged an impressive 684,512 minutes of summer reading, well past the original community goal of 500,000!

Thank you to all of the amazing iREAD libraries and library staff members that shared your summers with us! 

We can't wait to see what you do next summer. Until 2026 and Plant A Seed, Read.