Library Early Closure Notice

All IPDPL locations that are open on Thursday, May 8, 2025, will close at 5:30 PM for a staff in-service training event.  Branches will reopen according to their regular schedules on Friday, May 9, 2025.

We apologize for any inconvenience.


The IPDPL Digital Library is always open!  Manage your online library account, search the catalog, or explore our e-book and audiobook collection from the comfort of your home.  

Hoopla Service Update

Beginning May 1, hoopla checkouts will be limited to 3 per month for IPDPL cardholders.  This small change helps ensure we can continue offering hoopla to our community.  You’ll still have access to the full catalog, plus a wide range of other digital resources, free with your library card.  For complete details, please visit the Library News page.

Book Buzz Book Club

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Program Type:

Book Clubs

Age Group:

Adults
Please note you are looking at an event that has already happened.

Program Description

Event Details

Book Buzz

The Book Buzz Book Club is an adult book club, reading a variety of fiction and non-fiction titles.   They meet on the second Tuesday of the month at 1:00 pm at IPDPL - Germantown Hills.  

For more information about previous and upcoming titles, or to join our online community, please visit our Bookclubs.com website.

 

A remarkable novel about J. P. Morgan’s personal librarian, Belle da Costa Greene, the Black American woman who was forced to hide her true identity and pass as white in order to leave a lasting legacy that enriched our nation, from New York Times bestselling authors Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray.

In her twenties, Belle da Costa Greene is hired by J. P. Morgan to curate a collection of rare manuscripts, books, and artwork for his newly built Pierpont Morgan Library.  Belle becomes a fixture in New York City society and one of the most powerful people in the art and book world, known for her impeccable taste and shrewd negotiating for critical works as she helps create a world-class collection.

But Belle has a secret, one she must protect at all costs.  She was born not Belle da Costa Greene but Belle Marion Greener.  She is the daughter of Richard Greener, the first Black graduate of Harvard and a well-known advocate for equality.  Belle’s complexion isn’t dark because of her alleged Portuguese heritage that lets her pass as white — her complexion is dark because she is African American.

The Personal Librarian tells the story of an extraordinary woman, famous for her intellect, style, and wit, and shares the lengths she must go to — for the protection of her family and her legacy — to preserve her carefully crafted white identity in the racist world in which she lives.

Join us to discuss this fascinating story!

Disclaimer(s)

Illinois Mask Mandate

Due to safety concerns surrounding COVID-19, the state of Illinois has issued a mask mandate for all indoor activities.  All visitors ages 2 and up are required to wear a mask while visiting the library or attending IPDPL programs.