Rock Island Public Library Programs Look At Global Crises, Past and Present
The 23rd annual Frieze Lecture Series for the Rock Island Public Library takes a deeper look at our reaction to global crises, past and present, in a two-part series presented by Augustana College professors with expertise in history and public health.
Free and open to the public, the 2020 Frieze Lectures are offered online at 2:00 pm on two Tuesdays in October 20 
and 27.
The 2020 series topics include:
Tuesday, Oct 20: Why We Forgot the 1918 Flu: A Historian Looks at a Century of Pandemics. Dr. Lendol Calder, professor of history at Augustana College, will consider the global influenza pandemic of 1918. His presentation reviews America’s response to the 1918 pandemic, as well as how the legacy of that tragedy has – and hasn’t – shaped responses to subsequent public health emergencies.
Tuesday, October 27: Tip of the Iceberg: Understanding the Bigger Picture of Pandemic Disease Severity. Dr. Rebecca Heick, assistant professor of public health at Augustana College, considers the rising death toll of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. While it is understandable that the number of deaths has become a major focus of media reports and intervention efforts, mortality is just the tip of the iceberg. Less severe disease is much more common and is an important component of the bigger prevention picture.
In keeping with community COVID-19 prevention efforts, both lectures will be presented virtually. To register for either lecture, visit the library website calendar. Registered participants will receive the ZOOM meeting invitation via email.
All Frieze presentations are free to the public, and offer a way for participants to expand their understanding of a topic by bringing the resources of Augustana College into the public “square.”
Now in their 23rd year, the Frieze Lectures are named for the architectural frieze which wraps around the Downtown Library building. The stories of the 19th Century writers and poets engraved there were the subject of the first lecture series in 1998. The fall series has continued with new topics annually as a partnership between Augustana College and its hometown public library.
For more events at the Rock Island Library, call 309.732.7323, follow the Rock Island Library calendar on Burbio.com, or check the online calendar at www.rockislandlibrary.org.
While Rock Island Public Library buildings are open for limited “grab and go” visits and Curbside pickup, all programs are presented either virtually or via take-home kits.
