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Cultural Programs

Registration is required for the following programs. Sign up at the Reference Desk or call 708-246-0520 to reserve your place.

The Big Read 2010: The Help


The 6th annual The Big Read, a community celebration of reading, has begun. This year, we are featuring The Help by Kathryn Stockett, a popular Southern novel about Mississippi in the early 1960s. It’s a story of three women, one young white Ole Miss grad and two African American maids whose determination to start a movement changes the way their community and women as a whole view one another.


Book discussions and programs are scheduled at Thomas Ford Memorial Library and nine other area libraries! Thomas Ford programs include the following:

The Help Wednesday, March 3, 7:30 p.m.
Big Read Book Discussion
In March we discuss The Help, the story of a young white journalist and two black domestic workers in 1962 Jackson, Mississippi, who collaborate on a writing project. The novel portrays women on both sides of the racial divide with resonance and humor.

Monday, March 15, 7 p.m.
The 1960s: Reform and Rebellion,
Dr. Walter Burdick, professor at Elmhurst College, will discuss how twin forces of reform and rebellion shaped the decade.

Friday, March 19, 7 p.m.
Film: Cora Unashamed (2000)
Based on the short story by Langston Hughes about an African American maid and her affluent employers.

Thursday, March 25, 7 p.m.
Decades of Dresses: Princess Grace to Twiggy (1950-1969)
Ruth Thomas and Chloe Berg share their fascination with clothing from the past. The presentation includes information about women’s history, fashion trends, and contemporary events from the 1950s and 60s.

Friday, April 30, 7 p.m.
Film: The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman (1974)
In 1962, 110-year-old Jane Pittman tells a journalist about her earliest memories and her decision to become involved in contemporary issues.

Brochures providing complete details on programs at all of the libraries may be found on our The Big Read display or at The Big Read Website.


Henri Matisse: From the Painting to Paper Collage
Thursday, May 13th, 7 p.m.


Henri Matisse is widely regarded as one of modern art's great masters. On the occasion of a Matisse exhibition in Chicago scheduled for 2010, art historian Jeff Mishur presents this lecture that examines Matisse's career from his association with the Fauves, or Wild Beasts, to his work with paper cutouts. The program will explore Matisse's fascination with the processes of making art as well as his connections with fellow modernists such as Pablo Picasso. Mishur is the owner of Art Excursions and is a member of the Illinois Humanities Council's Road Scholars Speakers Bureau. Limit 50 participants; registration required.


Museum Adventure Pass


Museum Pass Promotion Venture into an aardvark den or master a mythical maze. Come face to face with a human-headed winged bull and sit peacefully in a Japanese garden. Your pass to these adventures and many more is already in your hands. Beginning in September, Thomas Ford Library card holders can receive free admission to 17 exciting museums and cultural institutions throughout the Chicago area, such as the Chicago Botanic Garden, Brookfield Zoo, Graue Mill, Morton Arboretum and Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies.

This special opportunity is made possible by a generous contribution from Macy's in partnership with the Metropolitan Library System.

You must visit the Library to pick up a pass for the museum of your choice. Each museum is contributing four passes each week, good for two to four free admissions depending on location. They are available on a first come, first served basis. So many adventures await! All you need to take part in these learning adventures is a valid library card. Note: You can only check out passes from your home library. One Museum Adventure Pass may be checked out per person, per loan period.

For a full listing of participating institutions and for check-out guidelines, go to www.museumadventure.org, or ask a Reference Librarian the next time you visit the Library.