Old barns are more than just functional farm buildings—they’re living symbols of Iowa’s agricultural heritage. In this engaging Humanities Iowa Speakers Bureau presentation, Rich Tyler explores the stories our barns tell about community, craftsmanship, and change. Drawing from his own experience restoring the historic Secrest farmstead and octagonal barn near West Branch, Tyler delves into […]

Join the Historical Society of Marshall County on March 10, 2026 for a Speakers Bureau program featuring author Beth Hoffman. After leaving a career in San Francisco to take up farming in Iowa, Hoffman experienced firsthand the challenges facing today’s farmers. Her book, Bet the Farm: The Dollars and Sense of Growing Food in America, […]

Join historian and Simpson College professor Chad W. Timm for a fascinating look at a little-known chapter of Iowa history. During World War II, thousands of German, Italian, and Japanese prisoners of war were housed in the United States—including at two Iowa camps in Algona and Clarinda. Dr. Timm explores how these POWs came to […]

Join LACES at the Independence Public Library for the Speakers Bureau presentation “Response to Coop, the Story of an Amish Conscientious Objector” by Mary Swander. Mary Swander will discuss her writing process and the research that went into her new drama called Coop. She will explain object theatre and why she embraced it for this work. […]

Join the Shenandoah Public Library for the Speakers Bureau presentation "Discussions, Readings, and Maybe a Banjo" by Mary Swander. Mary Swander will talk and discuss the state of poetry in contemporary society, illustrating her ideas with her original work, including the classic “Driving the Body Back” and her recent collection The Girls on the Roof, […]

Join the Lied Public Library for the Speakers Bureau presentation “Discussions, Readings, and Maybe a Banjo” by Mary Swander. Mary Swander will talk and discuss the state of poetry in contemporary society, illustrating her ideas with her original work, including the classic “Driving the Body Back” and her recent collection The Girls on the Roof, […]

The Terrace Hill Partnership will host historian and broadcaster Jeff Stein on March 19, 2026 at 5 p.m. for an engaging presentation highlighting Iowa’s remarkable people and achievements. From inventors and entertainers to athletes and civic leaders, Stein shares inspiring stories of both famous and lesser-known Iowans, drawing on his popular Iowa Almanac radio segments. […]

Join the Friends of the Onawa Library for the Speakers Bureau presentation Refuge, Torture, & Resistance: The Role of Music During the Holocaust by Dr. Christine Beard. This deeply moving and powerful lecture-recital delves into the extraordinary and often haunting role of music during the Holocaust, examining repertoire banned by the SS Kulturkammer and what type of […]

Join the Union Public Library for Ukraine 101, a Speakers Bureau presentation by Danuta Hutchins. "I earned a U.S. university PhD in Slavic Languages, Literature and Linguistics. In view of the barbaric, unprovoked, Russian army’s military invasion of Ukraine, I feel compelled to correct the misinformation Putin has spread about the relationship between Russia and […]

The Friends of the Ackley Library will host Jeff Stein on March 23, 2026 for a Speakers Bureau program. For three decades, ventriloquist Duane Ellett and his beloved puppet Floppy entertained generations of Iowans on WHO-TV and at the Iowa State Fair. Broadcaster and historian Jeff Stein celebrates this television classic with stories, photos, and […]

The West Des Moines Public Library will host John Liepa on March 23, 2026, as part of the Humanities Iowa Speakers Bureau. In this program, Liepa—professor emeritus, historian, and lifelong baseball card collector—explores the myths surrounding baseball’s origins, the game’s early history, and its spread to Iowa during the Civil War. Audiences will discover Iowa’s […]