9to5: The Story of a Movement
Fri, March 21 at 2 PM – Sun, March 23 at 11:59 PM
Watch the award winning documentary from the comfort of your home! The documentary highlights the creation of the 9to5 movement, established to fight for workplace equity and against wage discrepancy and was the basis for the feature film, 9 to 5, starring Jane Fonda, Dolly Parton and Lily Tomlin.
Register at: https://bit.ly/ILP_9to5
In the early 1970s, secretaries in Boston decided to fight against humiliating, harassing and illegal work environments. Their movement became national and is a largely forgotten story of U.S. twentieth century history. Director Julia Reichert was an Academy Award and Emmy Award winning documentarian.
The Art of Foraging with Alexis Nikole Nelson
Thu, April 10th | 7PM
Celebrate Earth Month with BlackForager, Alexis Nikole Nelson. A forager, outdoor educator, chef, and influencer based in Ohio, Nelson uses her platforms to yell, sing and celebrate all the edible plants hiding in plain sight. She invites all to come on her foraging journey with her via @alexisnikole (TikTok) and @blackforager (Instagram). Through her search for freely accessible edible plants, she peels back historical layers on African American and Indigenous food traditions that have traditionally been repressed and empowers those living in food deserts with greater self- sufficiency.
Register at: https://bit.ly/ILP_AlexisNikoleNelson
Nelson has also cooked up quite a few awards, receiving the James Beard Award for “Best Social Media” 2022, being chosen as a ‘TikTok Tastemaker’ for Forbes 30 Under 30 list, and honored as part of Fortune Magazine’s Creator 25 in 2021. With 5 million followers joining, Alexis takes audiences into the woods and to the oceans in search of edible plants and tasty recipes to enrich their palates and the planet. As Alexis would say, happy snacking, don’t die!
Nelson will be joined in conversation by Natalie Evans, a wild edible foods instructor based in Chicago.
Art and Adventures with
Author/Illustrator Dan Santat
Sat, May 3rd | 2PM
Join bestselling author and illustrator Dan Santat for an afternoon event all about books and art with friend and collaborator, author Minh Lê.
Dan Santat is the author and illustrator of over a hundred books for young people! Many of his books are New York Times-bestsellers, including The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend, Are We There Yet?, and After the Fall (How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again). His latest works include the best-selling graphic novels, The Aquanaut and A First Time for Everything. He is also the creator of the Disney animated hit, The Replacements.
Register for this virtual event at:
https://bit.ly/ILP_DanSantat
Santat won the Caldecott Medal for most distinguished picture book in 2015, the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature in 2023 and Golden Kite Award for Middle Grade Fiction in 2024.
Minh Lê is the award-winning author of picture books including Drawn Together (winner of the 2019 Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature), The Blur (with Dan Sanat!), Real to Me, Lift, and graphic novels such as Green Lantern: Legacy and Enlighten Me. In addition to writing books, Dan serves on the board of We Need Diverse Books, and has been a contributor to a variety of national publications, including NPR, HuffPost, and the New York Times.

A collaborative effort featuring virtual events with bestselling and award-winning authors and esteemed speakers.
These events are made possible by Illinois Libraries Present, a statewide collaboration among public libraries offering premier events. ILP is funded in part by a grant awarded by the Illinois State Library, a department of the Office of Secretary of State, using funds provided by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services, under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA).
ILP is committed to inclusion and accessibility. To request accommodations, please email illinoislibrariespresent@gmail.com