• Monica Schmidt: Will the REAL Sherlock Holmes please stand up?

    Indianola Public Library, 207 N B St, Indianola, IA 50125, USA

    Will the REAL Sherlock Holmes please stand up?A 60-minute presentation delineating the differences between the literary Holmes and the Holmes of pop culture. Filled with movie clips exploring the evolution of the character. Perfect for civic groups — can be shortened to 30 minutes or lengthened to 60 minutes.

  • Beth Hoffman: Bet the Farm

    Burlington Public Library, 210 Court St, Burlington, IA 52601, USA

    Beth Hoffman was living the good life: she had a career as a journalist and professor, and a comfortable home in San Francisco. Yet in her late 40s, she and her husband decided to leave the big city and move to his family farm in Iowa—all for the dream of becoming a farmer, to put […]

  • Darcy Maulsby: Iowa’s Lost History from the Titanic

    Corning Opera House, 800 Davis Ave, Corning, IA 50841, USA

    Iowa’s Lost History from the Titanic What do an orphan train rider, a kidnapper, a missionary, a wealthy businessman, a wedding guest, a betrayed wife, a farmer and an immigrant recruiter have in common? All had ties to Iowa, and all were passengers aboard the ill-fated Titanic on the fateful night of April 15, 1912, […]

  • Darcy Maulsby: Savor Iowa’s Culinary History

    First Presbyterian Church, 201 3rd St, Odebolt, IA 51458, USA

    Savor Iowa’s Culinary HistorySavor Iowa’s amazing food heritage! Iowa’s delectable cuisine is quintessentially Midwestern, grounded in its rich farming heritage and spiced with diverse ethnic influences. From the chili-and-cinnamon-rolls phenomenon to Maid-Rites to the moveable feast known as RAGBRAI, discover the remarkable stories behind Iowa classics and savor a smorgasbord of other unique Iowa food […]

  • Danuta Hutchins: The Butterfly Effect

    German American Heritage Center & Museum, 712 W 2nd St, Davenport, IA 52802, USA

    The Butterfly Effect: ­ Why Do We Feel Empathy with the Victims of War, Hunger, Terror and Natural Disasters?Referring to her book, “Torn Out Memories,” Dr. Hutchins tells the experiences of a child living under the Nazi occupation of Poland and during the Warsaw Uprising. She relates her personal trauma to the terrors suffered by […]

  • Danuta Hutchins: Flowers of the Prairie

    Keokuk Public Library, 210 N 5th St, Keokuk, IA 52632, USA

    Flowers of the PrairieWith a copy of the “Prairie and Woodland Flowers Coloring Book” as reference, this presentation identifies prairie wildflowers, their common English names and Linnaeus-based classification in Latin. It informs when they blossom, where they grow and what medicinal and food uses have they served during the times of early pioneers and Native […]

  • Jeff Stein: Iowans You Should Know

    Swisher Community Library, 72 2nd St SE, Swisher, IA 52338, USA

    Iowans You Should Know: Stories from the Iowa Almanac (new in 2021)Did you know that the Eskimo Pie® was invented in Iowa? So was the electric razor, the clip-on bow tie, and the self-filling fountain pen. Iowa was also the childhood home of four Academy Award®-winning performers, and three different Iowa-born musical acts had national #1 […]

  • David Connon: Iowans Who Fought Against the Union

    Adel Public Library 303 S 10th St, Adel, IA, United States

    Iowans who fought against the UnionMost Iowans think that the state was solidly pro-Union during the Civil War. After all, some 76,500 residents fought for the North. In reality, Iowa Democrats formed a spectrum of dissent. The majority of Democrats opposed abolishing slavery (and yet favored the Union war effort); the minority sympathized with the […]

  • Danuta Hutchins; Flowers of the Prairie

    Prairie Heritage Center 4931 Yellow Ave, Peterson, IA, United States

    Flowers of the PrairieWith a copy of the “Prairie and Woodland Flowers Coloring Book” as reference, this presentation identifies prairie wildflowers, their common English names and Linnaeus-based classification in Latin. It informs when they blossom, where they grow and what medicinal and food uses have they served during the times of early pioneers and Native […]

  • Sarah Uthoff: Packing Up

    Laura Ingalls Park & Museum 3603 236th Ave, Decorah, IA, United States

    Packing UpLook in on Laura Ingalls Wilder as she is packing up to move to Missouri. Each artifact in the old chest holds a story.

  • CultureALL’s Open Book Presents: Gabby Guerra and Stefanie Kaylor

    Waterloo Public Library 415 Commercial St, Waterloo, IA, United States

    DreamsGabby GuerraGabby Guerra is a proud immigrant from Santa Ana, El Salvador. In 2002, she and her family were forced to immigrate to Iowa due to the violent and impoverished conditions in El Salvador. Gabby grew up in Des Moines and faced many challenges in learning a new language and navigating a different culture. Gabby […]