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10/08/26 @ 6:30pm - 10/08/26 @ 8:30pm Room C Bloomingdale Public Library Registration is required. Registration starts: 09/14/2026 @ 9:00am Registration end: 10/08/2026 @ 3:00pm

Learn the basics of using the library’s sewing machines to make a Halloween fabric bookmark.

Registration Limit: 4 patrons max per session, Bloomingdale Public Library card required, ages 12 to adult. 

Sessions - Please sign up for one session only:
Thursday, October 8 | 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Monday, October 26 | 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.

First Time Makerspace Users: For Bloomingdale cardholders ages 12-17, please bring a completed Makerspace waiver filled out by a parent or legal guardian. Adult Bloomingdale cardholders can fill out a waiver at the session.

10/26/26 @ 6:30pm - 10/26/26 @ 8:30pm Makerspace Bloomingdale Public Library Registration is required. Registration starts: 09/14/2026 @ 9:00am Registration end: 10/26/2026 @ 4:00pm

Learn the basics of using the library’s sewing machines to make a Halloween fabric bookmark.

Registration Limit: 4 patrons max per session, Bloomingdale Public Library card required, ages 12 to adult. 

Sessions - Please sign up for one session only:
Thursday, October 8 | 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Monday, October 26 | 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.

First Time Makerspace Users: For Bloomingdale cardholders ages 12-17, please bring a completed Makerspace waiver filled out by a parent or legal guardian. Adult Bloomingdale cardholders can fill out a waiver at the session.

10/01/26 @ 6:00pm - 10/01/26 @ 8:00pm Room A/B Bloomingdale Public Library Community Group Just to watch film with the team

10/08/26 @ 5:30pm - 10/08/26 @ 8:45pm Room A/B Bloomingdale Public Library

Community Group

02/18/27 @ 7:00pm - 02/18/27 @ 8:00pm Virtual Bloomingdale Public Library VIRTUAL: Illinois Libraries Presents: Navigating Hallowed Ground with David Grann

Thursday, February 18 at 7 PM CST

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 episodes, to which Grann lends an immediacy that freshens their intrigue while considering them within their respective historical contexts.

In Grann’s most recent book, The Wager, the wreck of a British warship off the coast of Patagonia in the 1740s’ is retold by two different groups of survivors: one group is hailed as heroes who survived against the odds, while the other finds themselves painted as conniving mutineers. Much like Killers of the Flower Moon, where a then-developing FBI uncovers a vast conspiracy in what feels to the reader like “real time,” The Wager sees Grann utilize his historic vantage point to render a complex and gripping narrative, which pits the conventions of the past against those of the present to uncover the merits and blindsides of each.

Moderator
Daniel Zalewski, Executive Editor of The New Yorker, will join David Grann in conversation. A longtime editor and writer for the magazine, Zalewski has worked closely with many of today’s leading nonfiction authors, including Grann, helping shape some of the most compelling long-form journalism of the past two decades.

03/16/27 @ 7:00pm - 03/16/27 @ 8:00pm Virtual Bloomingdale Public Library VIRTUAL: Illinois Libraries Presents: Global Voices, Personal Stories: Megha Majumdar

Tuesday, March 16 at 7 PM CST

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 bestseller, as well as a TODAY Show Read With Jenna book club pick and a nominee for the National Book Award.

Majumdar’s work touches on the interconnectivity of today’s most pressing issues, including immigration and the prospect of climate refugeeism; political polarization and its complicating effects on political, racial, and religious identities; and the shifting of morality in the face of hardship.

Moderator
Alison Cuddy, a Chicago-based writer, interviewer, and cultural producer, will join Megha Majumdar in conversation. Formerly the host of WBEZ's award-winning Eight Forty-Eight and Artistic Director of the Chicago Humanities Festival, Cuddy is known for thoughtful conversations that explore literature, culture, and the ideas shaping our world.

04/13/27 @ 7:00pm - 04/13/27 @ 8:00pm Virtual Bloomingdale Public Library VIRTUAL: Illinois Libraries Presents: The Shape of a Story: Ocean Vuong

Tuesday, April 13 at 7 PM CST         

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 quiet moments that shape who we are. His latest novel, The Emperor of Gladness, is an instant New York Times bestseller and Oprah’s Book Club Pick.

Born in Saigon, Vietnam and raised in a working-class family in Hartford, Connecticut, Vuong brings a deeply human perspective to his writing; one rooted in care, survival, language, and transformation. A recipient of the MacArthur “Genius” Grant, the American Book Award, and numerous literary honors, his work has resonated with readers around the world for its emotional honesty and lyricism.

In The Shape of a Story, Vuong will reflect on the creative process, the power of storytelling, and the ways stories are shaped by memory, silence, community, and lived experience. Whether you’re a longtime admirer of his work or discovering him for the first time, this event offers an intimate look at the craft and heart behind one of contemporary literature’s most compelling voices.

Moderator
Adrian Matejka, an award-winning poet, editor, and educator, will join Ocean Vuong in conversation. The author of several acclaimed poetry collections and a leading voice in contemporary literature, Matejka is known for his work exploring history, identity, and culture through poetry and storytelling.

05/11/27 @ 7:00pm - 05/11/27 @ 8:00pm Virtual Bloomingdale Public Library VIRTUAL: Illinois Libraries Presents: On Resistance and Responsibility with Angela Davis

Tuesday, May 11 | 7-8 PM CST

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 work has been indispensable to social movements addressing racial justice, feminism, mass incarceration, colonialism, and beyond.

Davis is a founding member of the prison abolitionist organization Critical Resistance; author of numerous books including If They Come in the Morning: Voices of Resistance (1971), Women, Race, and Class (1981), Blues Legacies and Black Feminism (1998), Are Prisons Obsolete? (2003), and Freedom is a Constant Struggle: Ferguson, Palestine, and the Foundations of a Movement (2015); recipient of the American Book Award, Sackler Center First Award, and José Muñoz Award; and a recent inductee into the National Women’s Hall of Fame.

Moderator
Arionne Nettles, a Chicago based storyteller and cultural reporter, will join Davis in conversation.

01/19/27 @ 7:00pm - 01/19/27 @ 8:00pm Virtual Bloomingdale Public Library VIRTUAL: Illinois Libraries Presents, Funny on Purpose with Sasheer Zamata

Tuesday, January 19 at 7 PM CST

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 Agatha All Along, Home Economics, Woke, Spree, and Netflix’s animated series Exploding Kittens. Beyond the screen, she co-hosts the hit podcast Best Friends with Nicole Byer and serves as the ACLU’s Celebrity Ambassador for Women’s Rights.

In this engaging conversation, Zamata will discuss her creative journey, the evolving landscape of comedy, and how humor can create space for connection and conversation. From live performance to television and advocacy work, her perspective offers an honest and often hilarious look at storytelling, identity, and finding purpose through creativity.

Moderator
Sasha-Ann Simons, an award-winning journalist, news anchor, and talk show host, will join Sasheer Zamata in conversation. Known for her engaging, in-depth interviews on Reset, including conversations with Zamata during her 2022 Chicago tour, Simons has spent nearly two decades covering issues of race, identity, culture, and community, earning recognition from the National Association of Black Journalists, the Society of Professional Journalists, and the Edward R. Murrow Awards.

09/30/26 @ 6:30pm - 09/30/26 @ 8:30pm Makerspace Bloomingdale Public Library Registration is required. Registration starts: 08/10/2026 @ 9:00am Registration end: 09/30/2026 @ 4:00pm

Learn the basics of machine embroidery and create a small embroidered project. 

Registration Limit: 4 patrons max per session, Bloomingdale Public Library card required, ages 12 to adult.

Sessions - Please sign up for one session only:
Wednesday, September 2 | 2:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Wednesday, September 30 | 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.

First Time Makerspace Users: For Bloomingdale cardholders ages 12-17, please bring a completed Makerspace waiver filled out by a parent or legal guardian. Adult Bloomingdale cardholders can fill out a waiver at the session.

10/04/26 @ 1:30pm - 10/04/26 @ 2:30pm Room C Bloomingdale Public Library Community Group Conduct annual Homeowners Association meeting.

10/05/26 @ 6:00pm - 10/05/26 @ 6:30pm Makerspace Bloomingdale Public Library

Evening Storytime (Drop-In)

 

6:00-6:30 p.m.

Children of all ages can join us for a storytime. The Youth Services department provides age-appropriate interactive fun with stories, sign language, music, and more!

 

10/12/26 @ 6:00pm - 10/12/26 @ 6:30pm Room A Bloomingdale Public Library

Evening Storytime (Drop-In)

 

6:00-6:30 p.m.

Children of all ages can join us for a storytime. The Youth Services department provides age-appropriate interactive fun with stories, sign language, music, and more!

 

10/19/26 @ 6:00pm - 10/19/26 @ 6:30pm Room A Bloomingdale Public Library

Evening Storytime (Drop-In)

 

6:00-6:30 p.m.

Children of all ages can join us for a storytime. The Youth Services department provides age-appropriate interactive fun with stories, sign language, music, and more!

 

09/30/26 @ 7:00pm - 09/30/26 @ 8:00pm Room B Bloomingdale Public Library Community Group Go over Film with team

10/07/26 @ 7:00pm - 10/07/26 @ 8:00pm Room C Bloomingdale Public Library Community Group Film with team

11/15/26 @ 1:30pm - 11/15/26 @ 3:30pm Room A/B Bloomingdale Public Library

Friends of the Library Fall Book Sale!

Two day event:
Saturday, November 14 | 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Sunday, November 15 | 1:30-3:30 p.m.

$10/bag of items, unless individually priced.

12/12/26 @ 12:00pm - 12/12/26 @ 4:00pm Room C Bloomingdale Public Library Community Group Celebrating the end of our November Novel Quest challenge to write or edit a novel during the month of November.

12/19/26 @ 12:00pm - 12/19/26 @ 4:00pm Makerspace Bloomingdale Public Library

Limited Hours in December and January - MAKERSPACE CLOSED FOR THE HOLIDAYS

Be sure to visit the Makerspace by Thursday, December 17 to get in your last minute holiday crafts and gifts! The Makerspace will be closed for the holidays starting Saturday, December 19 and will reopen for Bloomingdale cardholders on Thursday, January 7, 2027.

09/30/26 @ 1:00pm - 09/30/26 @ 5:30pm Room C Bloomingdale Public Library

The Open Study Room is available for any patrons to use without reservations during the specified time frame.

Please note that patrons cannot close the doors for personal use. If you wish to have private space for use, please see the Reference Desk to ask about the Group Study Room or Quiet Study Room.