Ray Bradbury donated many of his personal books to the Waukegan Public Library in his hometown of Waukegan, Illinois, which the Library received after his passing. The Library has posted a series of videos showcasing some of the highlights of the books it received from Ray in a series called, "The Ray Bradbury Collection Miniature Showcase". Each video is hosted by the Library's Reference Librarian Gabriel Scuglik, and lasts about four to six minutes. There have been seven such videos to date, and they can be viewed by clicking on the links below. For me at least, a high spot was seeing Ray's personal copy of DANDELION WINE, inscribed by Ray back in 1957 as the first copy of the book and received by him in London.
From the Chicago Tribune, an article discussing how the Waukegan Public Library could best to display to the public its Ray Bradbury collection, willed to the Library by Ray after his death. While some articles from the collection are on display in the Library, much remains in storage. One fine idea discussed in the article: display the collection at the Carnegie Library in Waukegan used by Ray as a child, which is currently undergoing renovation. To read the entire article, just click on the link below:
Ty Rohrer, Manager of Cultural Arts for the Waukegan Park District, will be giving talk at the Waukegan Public Library tomorrow, October 11, 2022, called "Ray Bradbury: A Waukeganite Who Loved Halloween". The event is scheduled for 4:30 pm to 5:30 pm. Pre-registration is required. For more information, click on the link below:
For those who live in the Chicago area, the Waukegan Public Library has announced that it will hold a Ray Bradbury Story Hour on the last Wednesday of each month, from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm, at which a different Ray Bradbury story will be discussed. The program kicks off on Wednesday, January 25, 2023 with "Mars Is Heaven", one of Ray's best stories! For more information, just click on the link below to access the Library's website:
And for the February 22, 2023 Ray Bradbury Story Hour at the Waukegan Public Library, the story that will be discussed is "The Whole Town's Sleeping". In my opinion, it's the scariest story Ray ever wrote! Again, the event will take place from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm:
"The Anthem Sprinters" will be the story discussed at the March 29, 2023 Ray Bradbury Story Hour at the Waukegan Public Library. Again, the discussion will take place from 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM. For more information, click on the link below:
On April 26, 2023, the story that will be the topic of discussion at the Waukegan Public Library's Ray Bradbury Hour will be "The Messiah". The event takes place between 5:30 pm and 6:30 pm. For more information, and to register to attend, click on the link below:
"All Summer in A Day" will be the story discussed at this month's Ray Bradbury Story Hour, which will take place from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm, on Wednesday, May 31, 2023, at the Waukegan Public Library. For more information, and to register for the event, click on the links below:
On Wednesday, June 28, 2023, the topic of discussion at the Ray Bradbury Story Hour at the Waukegan, Illinois Public Library will be "The Fire Balloons". The event will start at 5:30 p.m. For more information, click on the link below:
On Wednesday, August 30, 2023, the Ray Bradbury Story Hour at the Waukegan, Illinois Public Library will feature a discussion of Ray's short story (not the novel) "Farewell Summer". The event starts at 5:30 pm and runs to 6:20 pm. For more information, click on the link below:
I am posting this somewhat late, but I still wanted folks in the Chicago area to know that today, September 27, the Ray Bradbury Storytelling Hour at the Waukegan Public Library will feature a discussion of Ray's truly chilling short story, "The Playground". The event lasts from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm, and registration is required. For more details, click on the link below:
The next Ray Bradbury Story Hour at the Waukegan Public Library will be on Wednesday, December 27, 2023, from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm. The story to be discussed is Ray's wonderful Christmas story, "The Gift"...very appropriate for this time of year! For more information, click on the link below:
