ILP Presents: The Hidden Gifts of Visual Thinkers with Dr. Temple Grandin

Lincoln Library joins more than 200 Illinois libraries for Season 3 of Illinois Libraries Present, a collaborative effort featuring virtual events with bestselling and award-winning authors and esteemed speakers. The season continues with The Hidden Gifts of Visual Thinkers with Dr Temple Grandin. The event will take place via Zoom on Tuesday, June 4 at 7 PM.

Dr. Grandin has been at the forefront of research and activism for autism and neurodiversity for decades. She has written many books on those subjects, with a specific focus on visual thinking. Her book, Thinking in Pictures, upended the way the world understood autism and her latest, Visual Thinking, published more than twenty-five years later, was an instant New York Times bestseller.

Although not formally diagnosed with autism until adulthood, Grandin learned from a young age that she processed her environment in a vastly different way from her peers. Grandin used her experience with neurodivergence to advocate for better treatment and handling of livestock and is an expert in animal behavior. Grandin holds a Ph.D in Animal Science from the University of Illinois and is a faculty member at Colorado State University. 

Author events are often a cornerstone of library programming. Throughout the pandemic these events continued virtually and libraries often collaborated to host authors and speakers. This allowed Illinois communities to access events that may otherwise have been unattainable for a single library due to budget or production constraints. Illinois Libraries Presents does just that, bringing together diverse communities, ensuring access to patrons across the state, and expanding the speaker’s platform.  

Season 3 of Illinois Libraries Present will continue in May with The Many Lives of Kal Penn. He is known for his role in the movie Harold & Kumar, serving in the Obama administration, guest-hosting The Daily Show, and writing a bestselling memoir. The event will take place via Zoom at 7 PM on Tuesday, May 7.

The Hidden Gifts of Visual Thinkers with Dr Temple Grandin is made possible by Illinois Libraries Present (ILP), a statewide collaboration among public libraries offering premier events. It will begin at 7 PM on Wednesday, April 4. The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required. For more information or to register, visit https://bit.ly/ILP_TempleGrandin.

Illinois Libraries Present is funded in part by a grant awarded by the Illinois State Library, a department of the Office of Secretary of State, using funds provided by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services, under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA). Illinois Libraries Present is committed to inclusion and accessibility.