Winter Reading Challenge
Adult Winter Reading Challenge is kicking off! This challenge is designed to give you the opportunity to discover new books, authors, and genres; so have fun and broaden your horizons. Whether you complete one task or all twenty, you’re welcome to join in on the fun! On the final day, join us for a celebration to discuss our challenge books, and win prizes. Stop by the library to pick up your list of tasks or download it from here. If you’re struggling to find books, use this handy guide.
Brown Bags & Books
Join us on the fourth Wednesday of the month at noon for Brown Bags and Books. Bring a sack lunch or enjoy our light refreshments as you listen to a book review.
2026 schedule coming soon
Cloud Library
The 3M Cloud Library app is available for Harrisburg District Library patrons to download e-books and e-audiobooks for free! All you need is your Harrisburg District Library card number and 4-digit PIN. The app is available for free download to iOS and Android devices. The Cloud Library has fiction and non-fiction for kids, teens, and adults.
https://www.yourcloudlibrary.com/
*Choose Illinois Heartland Library System when prompted to “Find Your Local Library.”
Hoopla
The Hoopla app is available for Harrisburg District Library patrons to download e-books, e-audiobooks, movies, TV shows, and music for free! All you need is your Harrisburg District Library card number and 4-digit PIN. The app is available for free download to iOS and Android devices. There are items available for all ages, with no wait times. Download the item immediately for easy access or stream online.
*Sign up with an email and password, choose your library, accept the terms and conditions, then enter your library card number and 4 digit PIN
Goodreads
Keep track of the books you’ve read and the books you want to read! See what your friends are reading and be a part of the world’s largest community of readers!
Fantastic Fiction
A great website where you can search for your favorite authors and easily see all of the books they have written. Plus, find all of your favorite series in order! https://www.fantasticfiction.com/
Explore More Illinois
“Explore More Illinois” is a free service offered to Harrisburg Public Library District cardholders to access discount offers from museums, cultural centers, and other attractions. Click on the following link “Explore More Illinois” to log in- choose our library and enter your library card number and PIN. Choose the attraction and date of your planned visit and submit your request. You will receive an email confirmation with details specific to the attraction. Current offers include Buy One, Get One Free admission from the Discovery Center in Rockford; $2.00 off regular adult admission from the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield; Buy One, Get One Free admission to Edwards Place in Springfield; 25% off your gift store purchase at Ernest Hemingway Birthplace Museum in Oak Park; and more! Partnerships with other attractions are pending so check back periodically.
Emily’s Pick of the Month
Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books by Kirsten Miller
Available at our library in print (MIL), as well as an audiobook and eBook on the Cloud Library and Hoopla apps.
Lula Dean attempts to gain attention by spearheading book banning in her small town and establishing a wholesome little free library on her lawn. Her teenage daughter secretly replaces her “wholesome” books with actual banned titles, leading to unexpected, transformative experiences for the townspeople who borrow them.
Sherry’s Pick of the Month
All Came Home by Paul K. McDevitt
Available at our library in print (640.548 MCD)
“All Came Home” is a true story of junior reserve officer Joe McDevitt during WWII, as told through letters mailed home to his family. This is a quintessential American story about a youngster of German and Irish ancestry striving to achieve the American dream.
Evan’s Pick of the Month
Poems & Prayers by Matthew McConaughey
Available at our library in print (NEW 811.6 MCC)
A collection of personal writings by Matthew McConaughey, blending poetry, prayers, and reflections on belief, faith, and the human experience. This collection is presented as a companion to his previous work, Greenlights, encouraging gratitude, resilience, and belief in oneself and humanity.
Emma’s Pick of the Month
Lilith by Nikki Marmery
Available as an eBook or audiobook on the Hoopla app.
In the tradition of Madeline Miller and Claire North, Lilith is the story of the first woman, who was expelled from Paradise for disobedience. In this retelling of the Hebrew myth that justified and explained woman’s subjection to man, Lilith will have her revenge – however long it takes.
Hadleigh’s Pick of the Month
Wreck the Halls by Tessa Bailey
Available at our library in print (BAI) as well as an eBook and audiobook on both the Cloud Library and Hoopla apps.
Beat Dawkins and Melody Gallard, the adult children of a feuding 90s rock duo, team up to reunite their mothers’ band for a Christmas Eve concert to earn a $1 million prize. While navigating their mothers’ explosive relationship and a chaotic live-streamed reality show, Beat and Melody discover a powerful attraction and develop a romance of their own.
Ray’s Pick of the Month
Confront Evil: Assessing the Worst of the Worst by Bill O’Reilly
Available at our library in print (NEW 170.9 ORE)
The concept of evil is universal, ancient, and ever present today. This book will recount the deeds of the worst people in Genghis Khan. Caligula. Henry VIII. The collective evil of the slave traders. Stalin. Hitler. Mao. The Ayatollah Khomeini. Putin. The Mexican drug cartels. Their stories starkly display how some of the worst events in history unfolded.
Maureen’s Pick of the Month
Twice by Mitch Albom
Available at our library in print (NEW ALB) as well as an audiobook on the Cloud Library app.
When he is eight, Alfie Logan discovers the magical ability to get a second chance at everything. He can undo any moment and live it again. The one catch: he must accept the consequences of his second try—for better or worse. In time, he falls deeply in love with Gianna, the woman he believes is the one. But as the years pass, Alfie’s eyes begin to wander. But once he undoes a love, that person can never fall in love with him again. Knowing if he gives in to temptation, he will risk losing what he has with Gianna, Alfie makes a choice that changes his life forever.