Events Calendar

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

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 give blood Nov. 14 & get a $10 gift card by email. PLUS a chance to win a $7,000 prize! There will be two lucky winners. Terms apply: rcblood.org/thanks.

Drive Details:
Site: Central Library
Address: 201 W. Mifflin St, Madison, WI, 53703
Room Name: Community Room 301
Date: Thurs Nov 14th, 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!

Youth group workshop.

Growing Voices Music Class is an interactive class for caregivers and their children, birth-4, to play, learn, and bond with music. In our classes we sing, play instruments, dance, and have fun together! After the class, participants can stay for free play.

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

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.
 

Read the book and join the discussion of "How Far the Light Reaches: A Life in Ten Sea Creatures" by Sabrina Imbler. New members always welcome!

"A queer, mixed race writer working in a largely white, male field, science and conservation journalist Sabrina Imbler has always been drawn to the mystery of life in the sea, and particularly to creatures living in hostile or remote environments. Each essay in their debut collection profiles one such creature, including:

   ·the mother octopus who starves herself while watching over her eggs,

   ·the Chinese sturgeon whose migration route has been decimated by pollution and dams,

   ·the bizarre, predatory Bobbitt worm (named after Lorena),

   ·the common goldfish that flourishes in the wild,

   ·and more.

Imbler discovers that some of the most radical models of family, community, and care can be found in the sea, from gelatinous chains that are both individual organisms and colonies of clones to deep-sea crabs that have no need for the sun, nourished instead by the chemicals and heat throbbing from the core of the Earth. Exploring themes of adaptation, survival, sexuality, and care, and weaving the wonders of marine biology with stories of their own family, relationships, and coming of age, How Far the Light Reaches is a shimmering, otherworldly debut that attunes us to new visions of our world and its miracles." -- Amazon.com

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. Metro Transit staff can also answer route questions about the new Bus Rapid Transit Route A. No registration is required. 

The Blowout

Directed by Brian DePalma.  Performances by John Travolta, Nancy Allen, John Lithgow, Dennis Franz, Peter Boyden. Metro-Goldwyn-Meyer, 1981.  Rated R. 107 minutes.  Conspiracy Thriller / Political Thriller / Drama

While recording sound effects for a slasher flick, Jack Terri (John Travolta) stumbles upon a real-life horror: a car careening off a bridge and into a river. Jack jumps into the water and fishes out Sally (Nancy Allen) from the car, but the other passenger is already dead -- a governor intending to run for president. As Jack does some investigating of his tapes, and starts a perilous romance with Sally, he enters a tangled web of conspiracy that might leave him dead.

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.

It Takes A Village After-School Enrichment sessions are created in an effort to promote community, and a safe place for youth patrons between 12 and 18 years old. We will supply various gaming activities board games and electronic games also VR gaming

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.

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

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. 

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 Chef Paul to learn how to select and store produce, meal plan to make the most of fresh fruits and vegetables, and how to reduce food waste in your kitchen. Enjoy samples of Paul's tasty and versatile recipes!

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."