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!

• Come to give blood Sept. 12 for an EXCLUSIVE Red Cross raglan shirt, while supplies last.

REMINDER:  When donors come to give at your blood drive, they’ll automatically earn points! Donors can redeem points any time of year to receive e-gift cards or save them to redeem and claim an exclusive Red Cross merchandise item in the next calendar year. Learn more at RedCrossBlood.org/Rewards.   

Drive Details:
Site: Central Library
Address: 201 W. Mifflin St, Madison, WI, 53703
Room Name: Community Room 301
Date: Thurs Sept 12th, 2024
Time: 9:30 AM - 1:30 PM

The need for blood is constant and only volunteer donors can fulfill that need for patients in our community. Nationwide, someone needs a unit of blood every 2 to 3 seconds and most of us will need blood in our lifetime.

Thank you for supporting the American Red Cross blood program!

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

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 other neighborhood families for a casual library playdate for children ages 5 and under and their caregivers. We’ll feature open-ended play materials and lots of books! Siblings welcome.

Youth group workshop.

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.
 

If you've ever wondered if yoga was right for you, join Instructor Sarah Dimick of Zen Ed at on Thursdays from 11:30a.m.-12:15p.m. at Alicia Ashman library in this safe and accessible yoga for all ages and all bodies. Attend one or attend them all; no experience needed. Poses are done on the chair or while standing, so no need to get on the ground. Chair yoga is a great way to relieve stress, soothe sore muscles, and find greater ease of movement.

Dates: 9/12, 9/19, 10/10, 10/24, 11/07, 11/21, 12/05, 12/19 

Space is limited and registration is required. Registration for ALL chair yoga sessions will open on August 29 at 10:00AM.

About the presenter

Sarah Dimick is a licensed school psychologist and certified children's, adult, and senior yoga instructor, with extensive experience leading various levels of movement classes. She is also co-owner of Zen Ed, a women-owned wellness and education business.

Read the book and join the discussion of "Perestroika in Paris" by Jane Smiley. New members always welcome!

"Paras, short for "Perestroika," is a spirited racehorse at a racetrack west of Paris. One afternoon at dusk, she finds the door of her stall open and—she's a curious filly—wanders all the way to the City of Light. She's dazzled and often mystified by the sights, sounds, and smells around her, but she isn't afraid. 

Soon she meets an elegant dog, a German shorthaired pointer named Frida, who knows how to get by without attracting the attention of suspicious Parisians. Paras and Frida coexist for a time in the city's lush green spaces, nourished by Frida's strategic trips to the vegetable market. They keep company with two irrepressible ducks and an opinionated raven. But then Paras meets a human boy, Etienne, and discovers a new, otherworldly part of Paris: the ivy-walled house where the boy and his nearly-one-hundred-year-old great-grandmother live in seclusion. 

As the cold weather nears, the unlikeliest of friendships bloom. But how long can a runaway horse stay undiscovered in Paris? How long can a boy keep her hidden and all to himself? Jane Smiley's beguiling new novel is itself an adventure that celebrates curiosity, ingenuity, and the desire of all creatures for true love and freedom." -- Amazon.com

Introducing Metro Transit Fast Fare! This Go By Metro series is dedicated to everything Fast Fare! Metro Transit and City employees will be distributing the new reloadable cards. Staff will also be available to answer questions, and help rider’s set up online accounts, add any half-price entitlements and trade in unused passes/ cards. Get the latest updates on BRT to prepare for the Rapid Route A launch.

¡Acompáñenos!  Los miembros del Grupo de Conversación en Español de University League ofrecen este programa de conversación gratis para adultos con nivel intermedio o avanzado, del segundo jueves del mes, en la biblioteca Sequoya.  Los principiantes que quieran escuchar el idioma, serán bien recibidos.

Este evento tambien se realizará virtualmente a través de Zoom. Más información sobre este programa se le enviará por correo electrónico cuando se registre. Zoom es una plataforma de video gratuita, y puede mirar en un navegador, a través de la aplicación móvil gratuita para ios o android, o llamar para participar solo por voz.

Come join us! Members of the University League's Spanish Conversation Interest Group host this free monthly conversation for adults with intermediate to advanced level Spanish skills on the second Thursday each month (Oct. 12, 2023 - August 8, 2024). Beginners who want to listen to the language are also invited.

This event will also be hosted virtually through Zoom; more information will be emailed to you upon registration. Zoom is a free video platform, and you can watch on a browser, through the free mobile app for ios or android, or call in to participate by voice only.

Calling all kids! Join Nate from the Bubbler to learn the basics of photography. During this session, Nate will give tips on photography skills -- which you’ll get to try your hand at by completing a photography scavenger hunt in the library. Be ready to use your imaginations and creativity! 

No experience or equipment is required to take part in this program. The Bubbler will provide all cameras. This program is open to kids of all ages, but kids ages 7 and under will need a parent or guardian to accompany them.

Young people, ages 6-17 years old, are invited to cook with Chef Lily at Hawthorne Library! Participants will prepare and enjoy a wide variety of recipes, while learning about meal planning, following recipes, and using kitchen gadgets and tools.

Stop by Madison Public Library's table (likely Top of State or on the Square) at this month's Madison Night Market. The Market is located along State Street, Gilman Street, and the Capitol Square, in the heart of downtown Madison, and where library staff will join vendors showcasing handmade products, local art, artisan gifts, prepackaged foods and fresh produce.

Sign up for a library card, find out about upcoming events or programs, or just say hello! 

The event includes live music, artists, special visiting food carts and pop-up restaurant experiences.

The Madison Night Market is presented by Madison's Central Business Improvement District (BID). For more info, go to MadisonNightMarket.com

Learn to block print with local artist Bernie! Block printing is an ancient process that is widely used today in both paper and fabric applications. In this workshop we will draw inspiration from the botanical world, carve our own blocks, and learn how to print multiples on paper. No prior experience with art or drawing skills are needed.

Both block printing workshops are the same content and are in high demand; please select one session date.  This 2-hour workshop is ideal for older teens 16+ and adults.  Space is limited and registration is required, opens on Aug. 29, 2024. If full, call Pinney Library information desk at 608-224-7100 to be placed on a short waiting list in case of cancellations.

bernie & zuzu is named for Bernie Witzack (she/her, a human) who is the creative force behind bernie & zuzu, and the extraordinary zuzu (a cat) who takes care of the business side of things. At bernie & zuzu, we create handmade, hand-painted, and screen-printed goods in small batches. We specialize in unique, one-of-a-kind art, home goods, accessories and prints with an emphasis on bright, bold color and playful shapes. bernie & zuzu is run out of a studio in the Madison Enterprise Center and we screen print at Polka Press, Madison’s local printmaking collective. We hope our artwork and goods inspire tiny moments of beauty, wonder and joy. 

Bernie studied Studio Art at Beloit College and has been making and exhibiting her art ever since. She earned an MFA in Fine Art & Design from the University of Michigan in 2013, focusing on improvisational drawing and painting. She then went on to study graphic design at Madison College, falling in love with screen printing along the way. She was working full time as a graphic designer and pursuing her art on the side when the pandemic hit in spring 2020. She left the design field in spring 2021 to focus on her art full time, launching bernie & zuzu in fall of 2021.

You can find bernie & zuzu’s goods at the Dane County Farmer’s Market on Saturday mornings from April-October, at Little Luxuries, Hatch Art House, and Communication Madison. They also vend at local art markets such as The Eastside Winter Market, Femmestival, The Crafty Fair and the Madison Maker Markets. bernie & zuzu have an online shop at www.bernieandzuzu.com

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 Chef Paul to explore the unlimited choices of plant-based meals.

Limited space; registration is required. Registration opens two weeks prior to the program date. Click the sign-up button below or contact Lakeview Library at (608) 246-4547 to register.

Presented in partnership with Willy Street Co-Op.

About the Presenter

Paul grew up in Taiwan surrounded by fresh hanging foods in the market, but he didn’t have an appreciation for Taiwanese or Chinese ingredients until attending culinary school in Chicago where he developed a love for cooking. After serving in many kitchens over the years, he wanted to share the skills he learned with others which led him to teach. He says about teaching, "Cooking and sharing what I have learned is my passion. Teaching a cooking class gives me a chance to share my knowledge about the differences and uniquenesses of foods that people overlook. I want to show people how to be respectful, creative, and economical about food. To feel delighted when they learn an easy cooking technique using just a couple of simple fresh ingredients. The food is the real star, we are just the facilitators."

The solution is under our feet...

Narrated and featuring Woody Harrelson, Kiss the Ground (2020, 84 minutes) is an inspiring and groundbreaking film that reveals the first viable solution to our climate crisis.

Kiss the Ground reveals that, by regenerating the world’s soils, we can completely and rapidly stabilize Earth’s climate, restore lost ecosystems and create abundant food supplies. Using compelling graphics and visuals, along with striking NASA and NOAA footage, the film artfully illustrates how, by drawing down atmospheric carbon, soil is the missing piece of the climate puzzle.

This free screening is made possible by ROCO Films and is hosted in partnership with the Midvale Heights Community Association Green Team. 

You may also be interested in other events in the Let's Talk About Soil series, Making and Using Compost in Your Backyard (presentation, October 3) and Common Ground (documentary screening, November 12)