• Preserving History with Geoffrey Baer

    Centralia Regional Library District 515 East Broadway, Centralia, IL, United States

    Tag along for a special conversation with Geoffrey Baer, beloved Chicago historian, storyteller, and host of numerous PBS programs exploring the architecture, history, and hidden stories of the city and surrounding region. Known for bringing local history to life, Baer has helped audiences connect more deeply with the places and communities around them. Perfect for […]

  • Words, Power, and Community: Dr. Eve L. Ewing

    Centralia Regional Library District 515 East Broadway, Centralia, IL, United States

    Engage in an important and thoughtful conversation with Dr. Eve L. Ewing, acclaimed author, educator, poet, and cultural organizer whose work explores race, education, identity, and community. Through writing that blends scholarship, storytelling, and activism, Dr. Ewing has become one of today’s most influential public voices on culture and education. Explore the power of language […]

  • Funny on Purpose with Sasheer Zamata

    Centralia Regional Library District 515 East Broadway, Centralia, IL, United States

    Comedy has the power to challenge, connect, and bring people together, and few voices do that as effortlessly as Sasheer Zamata. Known for her four seasons on Saturday Night Live, Zamata has built a career defined by sharp humor, thoughtful storytelling, and memorable performances across television, film, and stand-up comedy. Audiences may recognize her from […]

  • Navigating Hallowed Ground with David Grann

    Centralia Regional Library District 515 East Broadway, Centralia, IL, United States

    David Grann is an author and journalist whose bestselling titles include The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession (2009), Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI (2017), and The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder (2023). Grann’s work navigates bizarre, often violent historical […]

  • Global Voices, Personal Stories: Megha Majumdar

    Centralia Regional Library District 515 East Broadway, Centralia, IL, United States

    Megha Majumdar’s most recent novel, A Guardian and a Thief (2025), considers the near-future implications of climate change in her home city of Kolkata, India. The bestselling novel is an Oprah’s Book Club pick and a finalist for the Kirkus Prize and the National Book Award. Her first novel, A Burning (2020), was likewise a […]

  • The Shape of a Story: Ocean Vuong

    Centralia Regional Library District 515 East Broadway, Centralia, IL, United States

    Join us for a special conversation with Ocean Vuong, award-winning poet, novelist, professor, and one of today’s most influential literary voices. Best known for his bestselling novel On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous and acclaimed poetry collections Night Sky with Exit Wounds and Time Is a Mother, Vuong’s work explores memory, identity, grief, family, and the […]

  • On Resistance and Responsibility with Angela Davis

    Centralia Regional Library District 515 East Broadway, Centralia, IL, United States

    The legendary Angela Davis joins Illinois Libraries Present to discuss her extensive contributions to social justice movements worldwide as an activist, author, philosopher, and educator. Davis’ influence has expanded and evolved over several decades and fields of study, from front lines activism to esteemed recognition by some of the world’s most prestigious academic institutions. Her […]