May 2026

May is "Get Caught Reading" month, and what better place to get caught reading than at the library!

Check out our various displays and our shelves to find your next adventure.

The theme for this year's Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month is Power in Unity: Strengthening Communities Together. The goal is to highlight the role of AANHPI communities by sharing their stories and reflecting on their contributions to American History.

For further reading, check our catalog

Children's programming is on hold in May as we prepare for Summer Reading.

Sign up for Summer Reading begins May 11th!

We are getting prepped for all kinds of fun events, so stay posted to our socials to see what's going on when.

Create a Scent and Memory Garden with us on May 20th from 4:00-7:00 PM. Patrons will receive 3 pots and can choose from a selection of plants. Open to adult patrons, supplies are limited, and registration is required. Sign up either in person or by calling us at 815-284-7261, from May 4th to May 15th

In some circles, April 30th is considered May Eve. This is said to be when Fairies will gather on hilltops to battle each other over crops. Or it could be to cause mischief and mayhem, as fairies are wont to do. This is a night for people to remain indoors. Spreading yellow May flowers, such as marigolds and primroses, across window ledges and along the threshold, and placing branches from a rowan or willow tree above the door, is suggested for added security against a fae invasion. May 1st brings us Beltane, or May Day, which was a festival of fire and flowers, the midpoint between Spring and Summer.

For more information on May Eve and May Day, you can check out these links:

https://emeraldisle.ie/bealtaine-the-month-of-may

Medium: April 30th is May Eve — Summer is Almost Here!

May Eve and the Fairies in Irish Folklore

How to Spot a Fairy: a field guide to sprites, sylphs, spriggans, and more by Marsh, Sarah Glenn

This stunning compendium explores the history & mythology of fairies and offers information on how/where to find these magical beings. From boggarts and pixies to weeping women, water nymphs, moon maids, and more, this book organizes fairies by habitat and offers tips on how to seek out the mystical beings in our midst. Complete with interactive elements like quizzes ("Which Type of Fairy Are You?"), crafts ("Build Your Own Fairy Garden" and "Make Your Own Fairy Potion"), and recipes ("Brew Your Own Fairy Tea"), there's endless fun to be had while on the search for fairy folk.

A Natural History of Fairies: from the notebook of Professor Elsie Arbour by Hawkins, Emily

Fairies are all around us - you just need to look carefully and you'll see signs of them everywhere. Written and compiled by the esteemed botanist Professor Arbour, prepare to be amazed as we discover everything there is to know about the natural history of fairies.

The Magical Wheel of the Year by Demoncy, Bérengère

Join sisters Selene and Gaia on a magical adventure to celebrate the 8 festivals of the Pagan Wheel of the Year.

Party with ghosts at SAMHAIN, decorate a tree with forest animals at YULE, dance with elves and fairies on BELTANE, and enjoy some midsummer fun at LITHA!

Bursting with beautiful illustrations and 40 engaging activities, this book invites young readers to experience nature's magic all year long. Families can enjoy crafting, baking and celebrating together, from carving pumpkins and making wish trees to baking bread and making leaf prints.

This is the perfect way to make every pagan festival feel extra special!

Support your library by joining the Teen Advisory Board at Dixon Public Library. This group will meet once per quarter to discuss a variety of library-related content. This includes ideas for teen programming, library strengths and improvements, media trends, and more. Snacks are included! The next meeting will be on Monday, May 4th. Join today to earn volunteer hours and have your voice be heard.

Book Groups:

This month, Monday Mysteries will meet on the 18th due to Memorial Day. The goal for this month is to read a mystery written by a local (give it a 150-mile radius) author, for example: Julia Buckley, Julie Hyzy, Terri Reid, Shannon Bailey, Alex Bledsoe, Kathleen Ernst, and Annelise Ryan. Meeting time is at 1:30 p.m.

In recognition of Short Story Month, Literary Merits gets to read a short story collection of the patron's choice. Books to look for include: "The Souvenir Museum": stories by McCracken, Elizabeth, "You Like It Darker": stories by King, Stephen, "Seasonal Work": stories by Lippman, Laura, and Table for Two": fictions by Towles, Amor

It's a choose-your-own month for orbital, where you can pick your own book to read, so long as it's a part of the Sci-Fi genre.

Suggested Titles:

Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots: The Boys meets My Year of Rest and Relaxation in this smart, imaginative, and evocative novel of love, betrayal, revenge, and redemption, told with razor-sharp wit and affection, in which a young woman discovers the greatest superpower--for good or ill--is a properly executed spreadsheet.

Red Rising by Brown, Pierce

Darrow is a Red, a member of the lowest caste in the color-coded society of the future. Like his fellow Reds, he works all day, believing that he and his people are making the surface of Mars livable for future generations. Yet he spends his life willingly, knowing that his blood and sweat will one day result in a better world for his children. But Darrow and his kind have been betrayed. Soon he discovers that humanity reached the surface generations ago. Vast cities and sprawling parks spread across the planet. Darrow and Reds like him, are nothing more than slaves to a decadent ruling class. Inspired by a longing for justice, and driven by the memory of lost love, Darrow sacrifices everything to infiltrate the legendary Institute, a proving ground for the dominant Gold caste, where the next generation of humanity's overlords struggle for power. He will be forced to compete for his life and the very future of civilization against the best and most brutal of Society's ruling class. There, he will stop at nothing to bring down his enemies . . . even if it means he has to become one of them to do so.

 

The Doors of Eden by Tchaikovsky, Adrian

"Four years ago, two girls went looking for monsters on Bodmin Moor. Only one came back... Lee thought she'd lost Mal, but now she's miraculously returned. But what happened that day on the moors? And where has she been all this time? Mal's reappearance hasn't gone unnoticed by MI5 officers either, and Lee isn't the only one with questions. Julian Sabreur is investigating an attack on top physicist Kay Amal Khan. This leads Julian to clash with agents of an unknown power - and they may or may not be human. His only clue is grainy footage, showing a woman who supposedly died on Bodmin Moor. Dr Khan's research was theoretical; then she found cracks between our world and parallel Earths. Now these cracks are widening, revealing extraordinary creatures. And as the doors crash open, anything could come through."-- From publisher's description.