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.

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.

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

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.
 

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.

Presentado por University League en asociación​ con la Biblioteca Sequoya. Todos son bienvenidos--no hay necesidad de ser miembro de la University League. Los libros y las discusiones son completamente en español. 

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. Para participar virtualmente a través de Zoom, por favor regístrese abajo. No es necesario registrarse para participar en persona. 

Vamos a discutir "El portero," escrito por Reinaldo Arenas.  La biblioteca Sequoya tiene más de diez copias del libro que pueden prestar. Si prestan de la biblioteca, pidan el libro en la estación de servicio e información.  Al prestar el libro, aseguren contar al bibliotecario que el libro es para el "book club"; así que se puede prestar el libro hasta el fin de año.

El libro consiste en 40 capítulos cortos y tomando en cuenta que nuestro grupo se reúne dos veces cada mes (el primer jueves y el tercer jueves), discutiremos alrededor de 30 páginas cada sesión.

21 de noviembre -- Capítulo 38 al fin del libro y repasaremos el libro entero

Presented by the University League in partnership with the Sequoya Library. Everyone is welcome, one does not have to be a member of University League. Books and discussion are completely in Spanish. 

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. If you would like to join by Zoom, please register below. Registration is not necessary for in-person attendance.

Join us for a discussion of this month's book: Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange. New members always welcome! Copies may be available at the Ask Desk.

Synopsis: Wondrous and shattering, this follow-up to the breakout novel There There traces a legacy from the Sand Creek Massacre of 1864 and the Carlisle Indian Industrial School to 2018, where a Native family is adrift in the aftermath of a shooting.

Sweet Dreams

Directed by Lije Sarki.  Performances by  Johnny Knoxville, Bobby Lee, Kate Upton, Jay Mohr, Brian Van Holt. Paramount Pictures, 2024.  Rated R.  99 minutes.  Comedy / Drama

Johnny Knoxville, Mo Amer, Theo Von and Kate Upton unite in this wild and off-the-wall journey of second chances from the producer of The Peanut Butter Falcon. Forced into rehab at SWEET DREAMS recovery center, Morris (Knoxville) struggles to confront the wreckage of his life. But when their house goes up for auction, he reluctantly agrees to coach their misfit softball team of recovering addicts to win a cash prize and prove that everyone, despite their past, can hit a home run.

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 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.

Kids are invited to join us for a fun STEM program focusing on robotics and coding. This week we will be coding with Scratch!

Kids of all ages are welcome to join, but kids ages 7 and under will require the assistance of an adult. No registration required.

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

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.

Goodman South Madison is excited to continue our Dungeons & Dragons programming for youth. This is a drop in Dungeons and Dragons program for kids of all ages (kids ages 7 and under will need the assistance of an adult). Pre-developed character sheets, dice, and players manuals will be provided. Stop in for a short adventure and to learn how to play!

About D&D: Dungeons and Dragons is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game that allows each player to create their own character to play. These characters embark upon imaginary adventures within a fantasy setting. A Dungeon Master (DM) serves as the game's referee and storyteller, while maintaining the setting in which the adventures occur.

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

Join us for a mystery book group discussion of "The Bangalore Detectives Club" by Harini Nagendra. Books are available at the library. New members always welcome!

"When clever, headstrong Kaveri moves to Bangalore to marry handsome young doctor Ramu, she's resigned herself to a quiet life.

But that all changes the night of the party at the Century Club, where she escapes to the garden for some peace and quiet—and instead spots an uninvited guest in the shadows. Half an hour later, the party turns into a murder scene.

When a vulnerable woman is connected to the crime, Kaveri becomes determined to save her and launches a private investigation to find the killer, tracing his steps from an illustrious brothel to an Englishman's mansion. She soon finds that sleuthing in a sari isn't as hard as it seems when you have a talent for mathematics, a head for logic, and a doctor for a husband . . .

And she's going to need them all as the case leads her deeper into a hotbed of danger, sedition, and intrigue in Bangalore's darkest alleyways." -- 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. 

Join us every third Thursday, 6-8:45pm to play board games! Starting in January, we'll meet the 1st and 3rd Thursdays!

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!

Join Juliet King of Hijinx Mixed Media to make your own one-of-a-kind collage masterpiece. In this workshop, participants will explore various printed materials provided. Hand-drawn illustrations can be added to the piece for a personal touch. In this exercise of gratitude, participants are encouraged to reflect on what they are most thankful for as they scavenge for imagery and text, cut out shapes, create illustrations, write poetry, and paste pieces onto their paper. Experienced artist Juliet King will guide and instruct with helpful tips on composition and technique. 

Some things to consider when collage-making:

• Composition: balance, movement, focal points, contrast, scale, patterns
• Preserving limited resources of upcycled print materials
• Complexity of shapes to be cut and pasted
• Hand-drawn embellishments to unify the piece

Materials will be provided for this workshop, and participants can bring their own print materials and publications such as books, magazines, or advertisements (remember that these publications will be cut up).

Finished collages can be art for decoration, daily affirmations and gratitude reminders, a gift to a loved one, or just an exercise focused on the process of art-making. Since elements are foraged from pre-made print material, the process of collage-making is flexible depending on what can be found and how those pieces fit together within the composition.

This 2-hour workshop is ideal for beginner to advanced crafters who are comfortable with limited instruction and is open to ages 16+. Registration is required. Both November workshops are the same content; please select just one to register for. Registration opens 2 weeks in advance (Nov. 7, 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.

Adults of all ages and abilities are invited to socialize and enjoy a variety of board games at this monthly meeting hosted by Living Our Visions Inclusively (LOV Inc.) in partnership with the Sequoya Library. We'll have a selection of games on hand, but feel free to bring your favorites!