Events Calendar

Central Library Madison and the American Red Cross are hosting an upcoming blood drive.

Please join our lifesaving mission and schedule an appointment today!

Be a force for good: Come give blood July 18tfor a Fandango Movie Ticket by email to see TWISTERS on us. rcblood.org/Twisters. All donors will also be entered into a 2025 RAM 1500 Big Horn truck raffle!

Reminder:  All donors now automatically earn points when they come to give. Donors can redeem points any time of year to receive e-gift cards and more!

Site: Central Library
Address: 201 W. Mifflin St, Madison, WI, 53703
Room Name: Community Room 301
Date: Thurs July 18th, 2024
Time: 9:30 AM - 1:30 PM

The need for blood is constant and only volunteer donors can fulfill that need!

Join We Read Bubbler Artist Kati Fernandez Lambert of Coyote Fire Arts each Thursday morning at Central library to explore, interact and connect with Nature through art. We'll follow the moon cycles of the summer with a variety of open ended projects, different each week, made with foraged materials. 

Ages 5 and up with their grown ups encouraged to join in too! Younger siblings welcome, but will need help from their adult. 

All library programs are free and open to the public. 

Calling all babies!  Come hear a story and play with fun toys picked just for you in a relaxed atmosphere. 

For children ages birth to 2 years old. No registration required.

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.

Come play in the children's area while local musician, Tina, plays a variety of songs on her violin. This is informal music, meant to be enjoyed while playing, drawing, or reading in the children's area! ​For families/all ages.

READ and PLAY together!

Engaging with books, songs and child-led play all help children develop communication skills, patience, empathy, and pre-reading skills​ and helps to build a lifelong love of reading. After about 20-30 minutes of stories and songs, we'll end with a time for child-led play together in our children's area. You are welcome to stay as long as you like!

Library programs are always free. Siblings, friends and childcare groups are welcome.

READ and PLAY together with children ages 5 and under! Engaging with books, songs and playful experiences all help children develop communication skills, patience, empathy, and pre-reading skills. It also helps to build a lifelong love of reading. Library programs are always free. Siblings and childcare groups are welcome.

Thursdays, June 20 - August 15, 10:30am

Note: No storytime on Thursday, July 4.

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.
 

Looking for a way to let off some STEAM? Drop in to Meadowridge Library to play, make and learn fun STEAM themed activities. Best suited for ages 5 and up with some support encouraged. 

This week we will program Ozobots to do specific actions using markers.

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 Making & Learning Intern Yaritza at Dream Bus and Parks Alive stops this summer for a fun, maker activity! While you're there, explore Madison Public Library's summer reading program WE READ: 

• Pick up your WE READ Card Game
• Fill your WE READ tote bag with books from the library collection
• Answer the Share Your Voice question of the week to earn a prize

Yaritza is bilingual in English and Spanish and will offer art and making programs throughout the summer. Learn more about Yaritza. 

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 Making & Learning Intern Yaritza at Dream Bus and Parks Alive stops this summer for a fun, maker activity! While you're there, explore Madison Public Library's summer reading program WE READ: 

• Pick up your WE READ Card Game
• Fill your WE READ tote bag with books from the library collection
• Answer the Share Your Voice question of the week to earn a prize

Yaritza is bilingual in English and Spanish and will offer art and making programs throughout the summer. Learn more about Yaritza. 

Join us for a discussion of this month's book, The Great Mrs. Elias by Barbara Chase-Riboud. New members always welcome! Copies may be available at the Ask Desk.

Synopsis: Hannah Elias, one of the richest Black women in early-1900‘s America, is brought to life in this atmospheric novel steeped in history. What will happen when an unsolved murder brings the police to Hannah’s glitzy five-story mansion?

Arthur the King

Directed by Simon Cellan Jones.  Performances by Mark Wahlberg, Juliet Rylance, Nathalie Emmanuel, Simu Liu  Lion's Gate Films, Inc.  2024.  107 min. Rated PG-13.  Adventure / Drama

Over the course of ten days and 435 miles, an unbreakable bond is forged between pro adventure racer Michael Light (Mark Wahlberg) and a scrappy street dog companion dubbed Arthur. Based on an incredible true story, ARTHUR THE KING follows Light, desperate for one last chance to win, as he convinces a sponsor to back him and a team of athletes (Simu Liu, Nathalie Emmanuel, and Ali Suliman) for the Adventure Racing World Championship in the Dominican Republic. As the team is pushed to their outer limits of endurance in the race, Arthur redefines what victory, loyalty and friendship truly mean.

Ready to get creative and messy with science? Come explore different scientific concepts through hands-on activities.

This event will take place outdoors and is subject to cancellation due to weather.

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 Making & Learning Intern Yaritza at Dream Bus and Parks Alive stops this summer for a fun, maker activity! While you're there, explore Madison Public Library's summer reading program WE READ: 

• Pick up your WE READ Card Game
• Fill your WE READ tote bag with books from the library collection
• Answer the Share Your Voice question of the week to earn a prize

Yaritza is bilingual in English and Spanish and will offer art and making programs throughout the summer. Learn more about Yaritza. 

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.

Make your own blackout poetry from withdrawn library book pages, play with word magnets to make your own fridge poetry, compete to write the the worst poem ever, and more fun with poetry! Come enjoy snacks and camaraderie at this event for teens!

Connect with Madison Public Library at Parks Alive. Stop by to get a library card, learn about library resources, and pick up a WE READ Library bag and a card game that inspires youth to read over the summer!  Parks Alive builds stronger neighborhoods and connects neighbors to their parks through fun, family-friendly activities, music and free food. Events are held in parks across the city and throughout the summer. Connect with your neighbors and engage with your community at a Parks Alive event near you!  Learn more at Parks Alive https://www.cityofmadison.com/parksalive.

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.

Join us for a mystery book group discussion of "The Survivors" by Jane Harper. Books are available at the library. New members always welcome!

"Kieran Elliott's life changed forever on the day a reckless mistake led to devastating consequences.

The guilt that still haunts him resurfaces during a visit with his young family to the small coastal community he once called home.

Kieran's parents are struggling in a town where fortunes are forged by the sea. Between them all is his absent brother, Finn.

When a body is discovered on the beach, long-held secrets threaten to emerge. A sunken wreck, a missing girl, and questions that have never washed away..." -- Amazon.com

Participants will learn English communication skills at the beginner or intermediate level.  

Los participantes aprenderán a comunicarse en inglés en los niveles principiantes o intermedio.

For more information, contact Literacy Network (608) 268-6425 bex@litnetwork.org

 Para más información, contactar a Literacy Newtork (608) 268-6425 bex@litnetwork.org

Thursdays 6-7:30pm May 30 - August 15 

 los jueves 6-7:30pm 30 de mayo-15 de agosto

Join "We Read" Bubbler Artist in Residence, Ellie Braun and explore the art of relief printmaking! Learn carving techniques, ink application, and printing methods to create your own unique prints. Perfect for beginners and artists seeking new skills, discover the joy of transforming ideas into striking images with expert guidance in a supportive environment.

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.

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.

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!