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 give blood Dec. 9 to 15 for $15 e-gift card as our gift to you. See rcblood.org/gifts.

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

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.

Youth group workshop.

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.

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.

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.
 

Donate blood and help maintain a stable blood supply. Every day the Red Cross must collect more than 13,000 pints of blood for patients across the country. Encourage family and friends to join you in donating on December 12th from 12:00 to 5:00 at Sequoya Library. A pint of blood from you could be a gift of life for someone in need. Download the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS to learn more and make an appointment.

Come give blood Dec. 9 to 15 for $15 e-gift card as the Red Cross's gift to you. See rcblood.org/gifts.

The Red Cross encourages donors to answer screening questions on the day of their donation through Rapid Pass: redcrossblood.org/RapidPass

Blood drives take place at Sequoya Library on the second Thursday of each month.

This drive is sponsored by the Midvale Heights Community Association.

Read the book and join the discussion of "Olga Dies Dreaming" by Xochitl Gonzalez. New members always welcome!

"It's 2017, and Olga and her brother, Pedro “Prieto” Acevedo, are boldfaced names in their hometown of New York. Prieto is a popular congressman representing their gentrifying Latinx neighborhood in Brooklyn, while Olga is the tony wedding planner for Manhattan’s power brokers.

Despite their alluring public lives, behind closed doors things are far less rosy. Sure, Olga can orchestrate the love stories of the 1 percent but she can’t seem to find her own. . . until she meets Matteo, who forces her to confront the effects of long-held family secrets.

Olga and Prieto’s mother, Blanca, a Young Lord turned radical, abandoned her children to advance a militant political cause, leaving them to be raised by their grandmother. Now, with the winds of hurricane season, Blanca has come barreling back into their lives.

Set against the backdrop of New York City in the months surrounding the most devastating hurricane in Puerto Rico’s history, Xochitl Gonzalez’s Olga Dies Dreaming is a story that examines political corruption, familial strife, and the very notion of the American dream―all while asking what it really means to weather a storm." -- Amazon.com

¡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.

Gremlins

Directed by Joe Dante.  Performances by Zach Galligan, Hoyt Axton, Frances Lee McCain, Phoebe Cates, Polly Holliday.  Warner Bros., 1984.  106 min.  Rated R.  Dark Comedy / Holiday /  Fantasy / Horror. 

With its Christmas lights and dusting of snow, Kingston Falls is an idyllic small town--until the gremlins take over. A father returns from Chinatown with an unusual pet, a Mogwai--a gift for his son. The rules are simple: Keep your Mogwai away from water, bright lights and, most importantly, never--never--feed him after midnight. But the rules are inadvertently broken, and the consequences multiply at an alarming rate.

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.

It Takes A Village After-School Enrichment sessions are created in an effort to promote community, and a safe place for youth patron between 12 and 18 years old. 

Nate from The Bubbler has expertise in film production, editing, animation, game design, graphic design, and digital art.

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

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. 

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.

In cold weather, making stock will warm up our dwellings and hearts. In this class, you will learn how to make stock, and Chef Paul will also demonstrate how to utilize trimmings from produce and meat. Once the stock is made, shabu-shabu can be served. It’s a great way to entertain by gathering your friends and family around the hotpot on a cold winter day.

Limited space; registration is required. Registration opens on November 30. Click the sign up link 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."

You're never too old to make music!

Everyone is welcome at this concert of the Second Wind Band. Band members are adult musicians who may be new to playing a musical instrument, those who have not played since they were in high school or college, and those who want to learn to play a different instrument. This concert is the culmination of their autumn session.

Music for this concert will include: ‘Towards A New Horizon’ by S.  Reineke, ‘Salvation Is Created’ by P. Chesnokov, ‘Happy Holidays’ by I. Berlin, ‘Sleigh Ride’ by L. Anderson and many more selections to brighten your day.