Calendar

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 17TH – ALL THREE DAVENPORT PUBLIC LIBRARY BRANCHES WILL BE CLOSED MONDAY, FEBRUARY 17TH IN OBSERVANCE OF PRESIDENT’S DAY.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 22ND – DELAYED LIBRARY OPENINGS — ALL THREE DAVENPORT PUBLIC LIBRARY LOCATIONS WILL OPEN AT 11AM ON SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 22ND, DUE TO STRATEGIC PLANNING FOCUS GROUPS

THURSDAY, APRIL 10TH – ALL THREE DAVENPORT PUBLIC LIBRARY BRANCHES WILL BE CLOSED THURSDAY, APRIL 10TH OF OUR ANNUAL STAFF DEVELOPMENT DAY.  Normal business houses will resume Friday, April 11th. 

FRIDAY, APRIL 18TH – ALL THREE DAVENPORT PUBLIC LIBRARY BRANCHES WILL BE CLOSED IN OBSERVANCE OF GOOD FRIDAY.

MONDAY, MAY 26 – ALL THREE DAVENPORT PUBLIC LIBRARY BRANCHES WILL BE CLOSED IN OBSERVANCE OF MEMORIAL DAY

THURSDAY, JUNE 19TH – ALL THREE DAVENPORT PUBLIC LIBRARY BRANCHES WILL BE CLOSED IN OBSERVANCE OF JUNETEENTH

DAVENPORT PUBLIC LIBRARY, 321 N. Main Street, Davenport, IA 52801-1490 – 563-326-7832 – Hours:  Monday 9am-9pm – Tuesday thru Saturday 9am-5:30pm – Sunday Closed
RICHARDSON-SLOANE COLLECTION CENTER, 321 N. Main Street, Davenport, IA 563-326-7902 – Hours: Beginning February 26th, open from 9:00am to 5:00pm Monday thru Friday. 

Richardson-Sloane Collection Center – Genealogical/family history research -Local history research.  You can visit or send requests to them or to SCIGS.  Questions:  Special Collections:  call 563-326-7902 or emailing specialcollections@davenportlibrary.com.  — SCIGS Corresponding Secretary:  scigscorsec@gmail.com

SCOTT COUNTY IOWA GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY (SCIGS) – 2025 Monthly meetings
Monthly meetings will be held on Saturdays at 1:00pm at the Davenport Main Street Library – Large Meeting Room, unless otherwise announced – Programs will be announced as they become available. 
Meeting will be held 1st Saturday of each month with the following exception:  September the 2nd Saturday — No meeting in January or July
–March 1, 2025 – 1pm-3pm – Meeting Room B, Main – ‘Setting Yourself Up for Success:  Organizational Tools and Tips to Break Down Brick Walls’ — March presentation, we will be viewing the American Ancestors’ presentation of ‘Setting Yourself Up for Success:  Organizational Tools and Tips to Break Down Brick Walls” by Rhonda R McClure.  The description from the American Ancestors’ website states, “When researching family history, it can be easy to get swept up in the discoveries you’re making and to forget to stay organized.  You may think you’ll remember your initial research goal, the information you found, and the sources you used – but chances are you’ll soon find yourself in a sea of information and unanswered questions wondering how to proceed!  Staying organized is essential for breaking down genealogical brick walls.  In this online lecture, Senior Genealogist Rhonda R. McClure will share her top tips for staying organized.  She’ll discuss how to create a research plan, maintain a research log; organize digital files, and more.’  Join us and see what you can learn about breaking down your genealogical brick walls. – Available in person and virtually.
–April 5, 2025 – 1pm-3pm – Meeting Room B, Main – ‘Genealogy Bring and Share with Mike Thomas’ – Do you have an interesting ancestor you’d love to tell others about?  What about an object that holds a memory of a special ancestor?  Or have you found a great website you think others would want to know about?  Do you have a story about a brick wall you’ve gotten over?  Is there a great genealogy search tip you can share? – During the meeting, we’ll spend a brief time looking at some of the ways to share a story about an ancestor or about a memento.  Then we’ll give you some time to organize your thoughts and maybe jot down some ideas.  Finally, we’ll spend time taking turns and sharing about that ancestor, their possession, or the genealogy research tip you have; one person, object, or tip at a time.  If people have more than one thing to share, we will go around as many times as the meeting hour allows.  Feel free to bring an object or a photo of the ancestor you plan to share.  Of course, you are welcome to come and observe even if you don’t wish to share.
–May 3, 2025 – 1pm-3pm – Meeting Room B, Main – ‘So Many Newspapers, So Little Time’ – Newspapers can give you more than just birth, marriage, and death information.  It may tell you about their activities and hints about their character.  You may find both direct and collateral relatives, find FANSs (family, associates, neighbors), and so much more.  Learn tips about both how and where to search.
–June 7, 2025 – 1pm-3pm – Meeting Room B, Main – ‘IGS Irish Interest Group and Intro to Irish Resources.’ – Theresa Liewer is a volunteer with the Iowa Genealogical Society where, among other things, she moderates the monthly Irish Special Interest Group meetings on Zoom.  She’s spent years researching Irish records and delights in sharing what she’s learned.  For this class, she’ll star with where to search with American records for clues to your family’s Irish origins.  Then she’ll introduce you to the wonderful and for the most part free, online Irish resources for researching church records, census records, civil records of births, deaths, and marriages, detailed maps, tax records, and more.  Despite the rumors, not all Irish records were destroyed in 1922, and Theresa looks forward to helping you uncover your Irish story.
–JULY NO MEETING

RICHARDSON-SLOANE SPECIAL COLLECTIONS & DAVENPORT LIBRARY PROGRAMS
Additional information can be found at davenportlibrary.libcal.com

Genealogy 
Opening the Box Series – Davenport Public Library-Richardson-Sloane Special Collections -First Friday of every month to explore and learn about the curious world of archives and manuscripts at the Richard-Sloane Special Collections.  Each month a different topic relating to the use and study of archives and manuscripts.  They will feature collections and examples of relevant materials during each presentation – Further information & how to attend by going to Library Calendar, Davenport Library.libcal.com – Past topics available on Library You Tube

Preservation Workshops – Davenport Public Library-Richardson-Sloane Special collections – Join in learning how to practically care for and preserve materials at home with tips and tricks from the staff of the Richardson-Sloane Special Collections Center.  Each workshop will showcase different techniques and share applicable knowledge on creating tools and demonstrating methods of preservation for photographs, letters, books, and more. – Past topics available on Library You Tube

OTHER WORKSHOPS, LECTURE SERIES, ETC

-ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL LECTURE SERIES:  250 YEARS OF THE US ARMY – This lecture series is commemorating the 250th anniversary of the creation of the United States Army in 1775.  All talks in this series are presented by a member of Army Sustainment Command’s Office of the Historian, based on the Arsenal.  This program is jointly hosted by the Davenport Public Library and Rock Island Public Library.  If you are unable to attend the Davenport Public Library’s session, another session will be offered earlier in the day at 2:00PM at Rock Island Public Library.
–January 8, 2025 – Foundations of the Nation and the Revolutionary War
–February 12, 2025 – 1860: A New Nation, A New Army
–March 12, 2025 – 1861-1865:  The Army and the Civil War
–April 9, 2025 – 1866-1917:  The Army as an Expeditionary Force
–May 14, 2025 – The Army and a World at War
–June 11, 2025 – The Interwar:  Downsizing & Celebration of the Army
–August 13, 2025 – World War II, Reorganization and the Dawn of the Atomic Age
–September 10, 2025 – 1919-1975:  The Army in East Asia
–October 8, 2025 – Desert Shield & Desert Storm
–November 12, 2025 – Building the Army of the Future

Rock Island County Illinois Genealogical Society (RICIGS)
–Check their website for current program information – https://ricigs.org

Davenport Iowa Family History Center
4929 Wisconsin, Davenport, IA – 563-386-7547
Hours vary so call before going to do research.

German Heritage Center & Museum
712 W 2nd St, Davenport, IA – 563-322-8844 – gahc.org