Frieze Lecture Series

The Rock Island Public Library and Augustana College are pleased to present the 27th annual Frieze Lectures

Democracy in America (or DeTocqueville Plus 189 Years) 

The Frieze Lectures, a free public lecture series created to celebrate the oldest library in Illinois founded under its Local Library Act of 1872, continues for its 27th year, from October 24 to November 14.

This year’s Frieze Lectures offers a non-partisan look at ideas and concepts surrounding the American practice of democracy. All presentations begin at 2:00 p.m. at the downtown location of the Rock Island Public Library, 401 19th Street. All are open to the public, free of charge.

Full list of topics and speakers: 
October 24: Transpacific Perspectives on American Democracy, presented by Dr. Liza Lawrence, assistant professor of history.
October 31: Teaching (and Living) Democracy on a College Campus, presented by Dr. Andrea Talentino, president of the College and professor of political science.
November 7: Unpacking the 2024 Election, presented by Dr. Paul Baumgardner, assistant professor of political science.
November 14: Abraham Lincoln and A House Divided, presented by Dr. Lendol Calder, professor of history.

The Rock Island Public Library is a non-partisan organization that supports free and open access to information and full participation in civic life.

The Frieze Lecture Series was created by the late Ruth Evelyn Katz in 1998, to celebrate the library board's recognition of the 125th anniversary of public library services in Rock Island. The name comes from the architectural feature around the top of the 1903 Downtown Library. The authors carved into the sandstone are Dante, Homer, Longfellow, Emerson, Virgil, Hugo, Shakespeare, Goethe, Burns, Hawthorne, Tegner, and Bancroft. Though not well known today, the names of Tegner, a Swedish poet, and Bancroft, a naval historian, would have been familiar to 1903 residents.

For additional information, please visit other portions of this website, or call 309-732-READ.