Events Calendar

We’re here to mend anything you need for the colder months, including clothing, coats, and any other fabric-related repairs, except for zippers. Sewers from the Sewing Machine Project will be available to mend your things for free every Thursday of the month.

Join artist Amy Mietzel for hands-on art activities inspired by picture books! We'll start by doing a read-aloud of the book - then create art using unique materials and fun supplies. Additional books that fit the theme will also be available for caregivers and youth to read together and check-out. For ages 2-5. Siblings & groups welcome. 

September – What did you do today? – Watercolor & Crayon Resist

October – Let’s Play Monsters– Drawing 

November – The Blue Table – Sculpture 

December – Grumpy Pants – Mixed Media

Find help navigating application processes and filling out forms required for housing, immigration, food, health, and other community support services.

In partnership with the City of Madison and Madison Public Library, the African Center for Community Development provides in-person assistance. Examples include: 

• Disability
• Employment
• Housing
• Passport
• Social security
• Unemployment
• WIC

For questions about the program or to schedule an appointment, please call the African Center at 608-957-5623 or 608-294-0066.

*Neither The African Center for Community Development nor Madison Public Library can provide legal assistance or advice.  We cannot fill out applications on your behalf or assess program eligibility.
 

The Intern

Directed by Nancy Meyer.  Performances by Robert DeNiro, Anne Hathaway, Renee Russo. Warner Brothers, 2015. 121 minutes.  Rated PG-13.  Comedy / Drama

When charismatic but down-on-his-luck Stanton Carlisle (Bradley Cooper) endears himself to clairvoyant Zeena (Toni Collette) and her has-been mentalist husband Pete (David Strathairn) at a traveling carnival, he crafts a golden ticket to success, using this newly acquired knowledge to grift the wealthy elite of 1940s New York society. With the virtuous Molly (Rooney Mara) loyally by his side, Stanton plots to con a dangerous tycoon (Richard Jenkins) with the aid of a mysterious psychiatrist (Cate Blanchett) who might be his most formidable opponent yet.

Visit the Dream Bus to browse books and other library materials, place or pick up holds, and sign up for a library card.

Learn more at dreambus.org

Register online by September 30th for this FREE Dane County Aging & Disability Resource Center series.

This is a 6-week course for caregivers of persons with Alzheimer's Disease or related dementias.  Please plan to attend all 6 sessions.

This course will cover:

• Strategies to manage activities of daily living
• Skills to assess your loved one and how to adjust your approach to care
• Understanding of the different types of dementia and how decline in cognition affects behavior
• Ability to manage emotions and feelings of caregiving
• Decision-making skills and confidence-building to achieve caregiving goals

Session dates: October 10, October 17, October 24, October 31, November 7, November 14.

The River Food Pantry's Munch Truck will be stopping outside Hawthorne on Thursdays from 3:55PM - 4:15PM.

About River Food Pantry & Munch Truck

Launched in 2016, Munch(link is external) is our mobile meals program that delivers free healthy meals to children and adults in over a dozen low-income neighborhoods throughout Madison. Each meal contains a sandwich or main menu item, a fruit or vegetable, a grain, a treat, and a drink. Everyone is welcome to take home a free meal. No registration or ID is required.

Neighborhoods served by Munch have large populations of children eligible for free school lunch. To bridge the gap that exists when school lunch is not available, Munch operates up to 6 days per week, Monday–Saturday, any time school cafeterias are closed (including breaks and periods of remote learning).

For any questions or comments, please contact the Munch staff at munch@riverfoodpantry.org(link sends e-mail) or (608) 661-1223.

The Madison Writing Assistance (MWA) program offers free, one-to-one writing support for community members at library branches throughout the city. Our friendly, experienced writing coaches are happy to help with writing projects across a wide range of genres, including resumes, cover letters, application essays, grant proposals, fiction writing, memoirs, and more.

Schedule an appointment online with the link below, by phone, or in person.

MWA services are made possible through generous donations from the Evjue Foundation and UW Anonymous Fund, along with administrative and program support from the UW-Madison English Department, the UW-Madison Writing Center, and our Library and neighborhood center partners.

Play Minecraft in both creative and survival worlds! Ability to fully use both a computer keyboard and a computer mouse required. Recommended for ages 8 and up.

Visit the Dream Bus to browse books and other library materials, place or pick up holds, and sign up for a library card.

Learn more at dreambus.org

The Madison Writing Assistance (MWA) program offers free, one-to-one writing support for community members at library branches throughout the city. Our friendly, experienced writing coaches are happy to help with writing projects across a wide range of genres, including resumes, cover letters, application essays, grant proposals, fiction writing, memoirs, and more.

Schedule an appointment online with the link below, by phone, or in person.

MWA services are made possible through generous donations from the Evjue Foundation and UW Anonymous Fund, along with administrative and program support from the UW-Madison English Department, the UW-Madison Writing Center, and our Library and neighborhood center partners.

Come enjoy a sale of gently used and donated books, CDs, audiobooks, and higher priced specialty books during the Wisconsin Book Festival from October 17-20! All proceeds go to support Madison Public Library.

Prices include: 

• $2 Hardcover
• $1 Paperback
• $1 Children's hardcover and Children's DVDs
• $2 Feature DVDs
• $1 CDS and Audiobooks on CD
• $.50 Children's paperbacks
• Higher priced treasures

The sale will take place on the first floor of Central Library outside of the Friends of the Madison Public Library Book Store! Friends can accept cash, check or credit cards. 

About the Friends Bookstore: 

The bookstore is volunteer-run and open at the same hours as Central Library. Thanks to the proceeds from the bookstore and Friends’ membership dues, the Friends of Madison Public Library (at Central Library) have funded the following: a $100,000 pledge to the Central Library, the Library's Beyond the Page Program, a portion of the Library's Summer Reading Program (WE READ), audiobook collection sponsorship, the New York Times and Wisconsin State Journal subscriptions, and a portion of the Naturalist-in-Residence program. Learn more about the Friends or become a member by visiting their website at friendsmpl.com.

65+ author events over four days in and around the Central Library. See a full schedule at https://www.wisconsinbookfestival.org

Visit the Dream Bus to browse books and other library materials, place or pick up holds, and sign up for a library card.

Learn more at dreambus.org

Join us for a mystery book group discussion of "Small Mercies" by Dennis Lehane. Books are available at the library. New members always welcome!

"In the summer of 1974 a heatwave blankets Boston and Mary Pat Fennessy is trying to stay one step ahead of the bill collectors. Mary Pat has lived her entire life in the housing projects of “Southie,” the Irish American enclave that stubbornly adheres to old tradition and stands proudly apart.

One night Mary Pat’s teenage daughter Jules stays out late and doesn’t come home. That same evening, a young Black man is found dead, struck by a subway train under mysterious circumstances.

The two events seem unconnected. But Mary Pat, propelled by a desperate search for her missing daughter, begins turning over stones best left untouched—asking questions that bother Marty Butler, chieftain of the Irish mob, and the men who work for him, men who don’t take kindly to any threat to their business.

Set against the hot, tumultuous months when the city’s desegregation of its public schools exploded in violence, Small Mercies is a superb thriller, a brutal depiction of criminality and power, and an unflinching portrait of the dark heart of American racism. It is a mesmerizing and wrenching work that only Dennis Lehane could write." -- Amazon.com

Navigate this new world as Season2 comes to a close and second threat looms over the horizon will our heroes be brave enough to stop what comes? Will they be wise enough to solve the mystery? How many fart jokes can I squeak in?? Find out in A Ballad of Interesting Events. This campaign is geared towards middle and high school age youth and takes place on Thurday evenings at Meadowridge Library. 

Rugs for Your Mugs! A Rug Making Workshop

Join Juliet King of Hijinx Mixed Media to make your own one-of-a-kind rug coaster! This workshop will explore Juliet’s favorite form of fiber art–punch needle rug tufting. Juliet will provide background information and a demonstration of rug hand-punching method.  Each participant will have a selection of yarns to work from with experienced artist Juliet King. Using the yarn, colors, and design provided, the goal is for each participant to come away from this workshop with experience in rug making with a punch method.  You may choose to use a simple design provided or bring your own for more variety.  Embroidery hoops and needles will be available to use during the workshop. 

Things to consider when rug-making for you to think about in preparation and will be discussed at the workshop:
● Text is difficult, especially with small rugs
● Big & bold graphics work best
● Intricate detail will likely get lost
● Consider what kind of yarn is best for each project
● Is your rug for touching or just for looking?

This 2-hour workshop is ideal for intermediate to advanced crafters who are comfortable with limited instruction and is open to ages 16+. 

Space is limited and registration is required. Both October workshops are the same content; please select just one to register for. Registration opens 2 weeks in advance (Oct 3, 2024).

About the instructor:

Juliet (she/they) founded Hijinx Mixed Media as a way to spread joy and laughter through art. Using humor, my art aims to accessibly explore difficult topics like humanity's impact on the planet, loneliness and community, or reminders of death (memento mori). Navigating the world as a mixed race queer artist, I hope to encourage community, solidarity, and resistance.  Learn more about Juliet's art at hijinxmixedmedia.com / IG & TikTok @hijinx.mixed

The Madison Writing Assistance (MWA) program offers free, one-to-one writing support for community members at library branches throughout the city. Our friendly, experienced writing coaches are happy to help with writing projects across a wide range of genres, including resumes, cover letters, application essays, grant proposals, fiction writing, memoirs, and more.

Schedule an appointment online with the link below, by phone, or in person.

MWA services are made possible through generous donations from the Evjue Foundation and UW Anonymous Fund, along with administrative and program support from the UW-Madison English Department, the UW-Madison Writing Center, and our Library and neighborhood center partners.

Gathers most Thursday evenings! Middle and high school students can meet other aspiring authors, bounce ideas off one another, share their stories, and feel the creativity flow! Writing club is led by local author Carole Madrzak.

Join us every third Thursday, 6:30-8:30pm to play board games!

There will be a mix of longer-play games (Settlers of Catan, Betrayal at House on the Hill, etc) and some shorter games (Code Names, Exploding Kittens, Yahtzee, and more!)

Snacks will be provided, no registration needed!

This year marks the 100 year anniversary of the Indian Citizenship Act. Join Torey Dolan, William H. Hastie Fellow at the University of Wisconsin Law School, for a reflection on the past 100 years of Indian citizenship and the role that Native Americans play as voters, candidates, and organizers in our modern political landscape. This talk will cover the good, the bad, the different, and the triumphant stories of Native people with varying approaches to citizenship - from rejection to incorporation.

About the presenter: Torey Dolan (Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma) is a William H. Hastie Fellow at the University of Wisconsin Law School. Her scholarship focuses on Tribal Nations, Democracy, and American Indian self-determination and political actualization in the intersections of Federal Indian Law and Election Law. Prior to receiving the Hastie Fellowship, Dolan was a Native Vote Fellow with the Arizona State University Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law Indian Legal Clinic where she helped lead the Arizona Native Vote Election Protection Project through the 2020 and 2022 election cycles. She has assisted in litigation on matters pertaining to Tribal sovereignty, the Voting Rights Act, and state election law before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, the Federal District Court of Arizona, and the Superior Court of Apache and Pinal Counties in Arizona.

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This event will be hosted virtually through Zoom. The link to this program will be sent to you by email when you sign up. Zoom is a free video platform, and you can watch on a browser, or through the free mobile app for iOS or Android. You can also call in with a phone to attend with audio only. 

Part of the Teejop and Beyond: Celebrating Native Nations series in partnership with Ho-Chunk Gaming Madison and made possible thanks to the Friends of Madison Public Library. Visit madpl.org/teejopandbeyond for more info.