Events Calendar

Free assistance from Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) volunteers to help you fill out and file your Federal and Wisconsin personal income taxes. Call 608-266-6350 no earlier than January 22, 2025 to make an appointment (required).

The VITA program is an IRS and Wisconsin DOR initiative designed to support free tax preparation service for the underserved. The VITA program offers free tax help to people who generally make $56,000 or less, persons with disabilities, the elderly, and limited English speaking taxpayers who need assistance in preparing their own tax returns.

Some situations are outside the scope of the service -- ask if in doubt. You must have lived in Wisconsin for ALL of 2024 to use this service.

All Central Library appointments will be on SATURDAYS: 2/8, 2/15, 2/22, 3/1, 3/8, 3/15, 3/29, 4/5

**We will begin taking appointments on Wednesday, January 22nd for the February (2/8, 2/15, 2/22) tax help dates. We will take appointments for March and April dates (3/1, 3/8, 3/15, 3/29, 4/5) on February 19th. **

Click here for a list of all 2025 Tax Assistance dates at Central, Lakeview, and Sequoya Libraries, or take a look at our calendar. Appointments are required at all locations.

For people interested in a wide variety of role-playing games, including traditional role-playing games such as Original D&D, 1st Edition AD&D, Classic Traveller, Pendragon, and Call of Cthulhu, as well as retro-clones like Old School Essentials, Labyrinth Lord, Swords & Wizardry, and others.

We also play more contemporary RPGs such as Savage Worlds and GURPS, as well as games like Beyond the Wall, Torchbearer, Powered By The Apocalypse and FATE.

If you played any of these games in the past, or are COMPLETELY NEW to them, we're happy to have you come and play. 

Meets every third Saturday at Hawthorne Library.

Find great bargains and support the library.  Low prices from 9am-4pm: 

• Adult Hardcover $2
• Adult Paperback $1
• Children/Young Adult Books: Hardback: $1, Paperback: $.50
• Audiobooks, CD’s, DVD’s $1
• plus specialty books and sets priced as marked

Bag Sale 2:30-4PM $5/Bag

Note: We will close the sale room briefly from 2:15-2:30pm to prepare for the bag sale. Attendees must get pre-approval from book sale coordinator to use their own bags.

Cash or Checks accepted only (sorry, no credit cards or bills over $20)

Presented by the Friends of the Alicia Ashman Branch Library

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

¡LEE y JUEGA junto con otros niños de 0 a 5 años, en inglés y español! Participar con libros, canciones y experiencias divertidas ayuda a los niños a desarrollar la comunicación, paciencia, empatía y habilidades de la alfabetización temprana y ayuda a desarrollar un amor eternal por la lectura! Los programas de la biblioteca son siempre gratuitos. Los hermanos y los grupos de cuidado infantil son bienvenidos. 

(Rescheduled from 2/1/25)

The Pinney Saturday Music Series welcomes performers each month! (Intended audience is adults, teens, and older children.)

Shelene Zárate and Hiram Sánchez - This local music duo performs an intimate acoustic blend of boleros, rancheras, and romantic ballads inspired in their Mexican and Latino culture and folklore. 

This series is generously sponsored by The Friends of Pinney Library.

What have you been reading lately? What books have stuck to your ribs over the years? Join us for a book schmooze, an informal get-together to talk about books. Share what books you've enjoyed, and get ideas for what to read next. 

Come join the book club for a lively thoughtful discussion of "Parable of the Sower" by Octavia Butler. Everyone is welcome to our public group. Please find our books for the club next to the Reference Desk.

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 Saturday Jazz! This month, we welcome The Sandhill Cranes.

The Sandhill Cranes is an instrumental quintet that performs a variety of music from the blues and early 20th century American music tradition including classic, contemporary and original music. The ensemble aims to bring a fresh perspective through improvisation that is influenced by present-day music. Each member of the band brings a unique and fresh perspective. The group is led by Neil Daily (trumpet) and consists of trumpet, saxophone, bass, guitar and drums.

Jazz at Sequoya features local musicians on the third Saturday of every month. The series is generously funded by the Friends of Sequoya 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.

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.