Quad City Quarantine Cookbook Now Available from Rock Island Public Library
Rock Island Public Library created The Quad City Quarantine Cookbook to document how the community spent time in their home kitchens during the COVID-19 shutdown. Now, this very tasty project is available for checkout, download, or purchase.
Reference Librarian Rachel Ippolito first cooked up the special library project this spring, and then invited participation from other libraries in the Quad City Adult Programming Librarians Facebook group. The cookbook features 70 submissions from Illinois and Iowa patrons of 
the Rock Island, Colona, Cordova, East Moline, Silvis, Bettendorf, Davenport, and LeClaire Libraries.
“We are really excited to see this project come together. From the community cooks who submitted recipes to the staff who helped proofread the finished product, it’s been a collaborative effort,” said Ippolito.
The cookbook is now available electronically via the Rock Island Public Library website for free online reading or PDF download. Additional formats for Android, Apple, and Kindle devices are also available by email upon request. The library has also uploaded the eBook formats to BiblioBoard Library of Illinois for eventual availability via the Indie Illinois collection.
For cooks who prefer print, the library has produced a spiral-bound cookbook. It’s available for checkout from the library catalog, or for purchase at just $5 while supplies last. To check out or purchase, just visit the Rock Island Downtown or Southwest Library locations. To check availability before visiting, call the Library’s Reference Desk at 309-732-7341.
To create the 96-page digital cookbook, Rock Island turned to the Inkie.org suite of resources available to anyone in Illinois at no charge. A project of Reaching Across Illinois Library System (RAILS), Inkie.org supports local authors with online creation and publishing tools and allows readers to access locally-produced content. Producing the print-ready file extended availability, and provided a copy for archiving in the library’s Special Collections room.
The results have been delicious, added Ippolito. “Sharing our at-home kitchen experiences during this historic time helps connect us, even when we can’t gather in person. We’re happy to have this cookbook available in time for winter. Some of us can’t wait to get cooking!”
For more information about the cookbook, visit www.rockislandlibrary.org, call 309-732-7341 or email RiLibRef@Rigov.org.
