Morris Area Public 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 4th 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.

This event is made possible by Illinois Libraries Present (ILP), a statewide collaboration among public libraries offering premier events. ILP 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). 

ILP is committed to inclusion and accessibility. To request accommodations, please email illinoislibrariespresent@gmail.com