Events Calendar

Shake Rattle and Roll, it's time to dance! Enjoy some fun tunes in a cool, toddler-friendly environment. For ages 14 months to 3 years. 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.

January: Lunch by Denise Fleming — Mixed Media Mouse

February: L is for Love by Atinuke — Stamps & Printing

April: Stick by Irene Dickson — Simple Flag

May: Lola and the Bees by Anna McQuinn -- Bee Hand Puppet

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.
 

Join us for a casual playdate for babies ages birth to 18 months and their caregivers. This neighborhood event will include play materials, books, and early literacy resources. Siblings are welcome and registration is not required.

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. Vamos a discutir "La Tia Julia y el Escribidor," escrito por Mario Vargas Llosa.  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 junio.

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. 

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.

Madison Public Library will be providing free garden seeds for community members at eight locations this year! 

The library is looking for volunteers to help with packaging the seeds so library patrons can take them home. If you would like to donate your time and effort to this project, please register below or contact your local library.

Registration opens two weeks before event date.

Join us for a discussion of this month's books, James by Percival Everett and/or Washington Black by Esi Edugyan. Read either book, or both--we'll compare and contrast! New members are always welcome. Copies of the books may be available at the Ask Desk.

Synopsis of James: When the enslaved Jim overhears that he is about to be sold to a man in New Orleans, he ends up on a dangerous and transcendent journey by raft down the Mississippi River toward the elusive Free States and beyond. A brilliant, action-packed reimagining of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn told from Jim's point of view, in which Jim’s agency, intelligence and compassion are shown in a radically new light.

Synopsis of Washington Black: Washington Black is an eleven-year-old field slave who knows no other life than the Barbados sugar plantation where he was born. When his master's eccentric brother chooses him to be his manservant, Wash is terrified of the cruelties he is certain await him. But Christopher Wilde, or "Titch," is a naturalist, explorer, scientist, inventor, and abolitionist. He initiates Wash into a world where a flying machine can carry a man across the sky; where two people, separated by an impossible divide, might begin to see each other as human; and where a boy born in chains can embrace a life of dignity and meaning.

Wicked

Directed by Jon M. Chu.  Performances by Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Kristin Chenoweth.  Universal Pictures, 2024.  160 min.  Rated PG.  Fairy Tale / Musical / Fantasy

Wicked, the untold story of the witches of Oz, stars Emmy, Grammy and Tony winning and Oscar®-nominated powerhouse Cynthia Erivo (Harriet, Broadway’s The Color Purple) as Elphaba, a young woman misunderstood because of her green skin who has yet to discover her true power, and Grammy-winning, multi-platinum recording artist and global superstar Ariana Grande as Glinda, a popular young woman gilded by privilege who has yet to discover her true heart.

The two meet as students at Shiz University in the fantastical Land of Oz and forge an unlikely but profound friendship. Following an encounter with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, their friendship reaches a crossroads and their lives take very different paths. Their extraordinary adventures in Oz will ultimately see them fulfill their destinies as Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.

The Munch Mobile Lunch Van will make a stop at Lakeview Library on Thursdays. All people in and around the library can get a free lunch.

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

Ready to color your way through winter with a rainbow of art projects? Join us for Warm Creativity on Cold Afternoons with Bernie & Zuzu! Returning for a mini-winter season, Bernie is back in the Pinney Library Studio from 3:30-5:30 every Thursday in Feb. and every Tuesday in March with drop-in art making projects for grown-ups, teens, and kiddos. Different surprise projects and medium(s) will be featured each week to help you add some color play to your winter day.

No registration necessary, drop-in and get creative with your friends and neighbors of all ages.

About Bernie & Zuzu:

At bernie & zuzu, we design unique, one-of-a-kind goods with bold, bright color and exuberant patterns that inspire playfulness, creativity and joy. bernie & zuzu is named for Bernie Witzack, founder and artist, and her brilliant and extraordinary cat zuzu (bios below). bernie & zuzu is run out of a studio in the Madison Enterprise Center at 100 S. Baldwin Street in Madison, Wisconsin. We screen print at Polka Press, Madison’s local printmaking collective.

Bios:

Zuzu was adopted by Bernie when she was a wee little kitten. Her favorite napping place as a kitten was a hiking boot. She has an MBA from Harvard and is a social media expert. When she’s not working as the CEO, CFO and COO of bernie & zuzu, you can find her napping in her bed in Bernie’s closet, or at the top of her cat tree. Zuzu is nineteen years young. She really, really loves watermelon.

I [Bernie] grew up in a small town south of Madison, in a home where my dad’s paintings lined the walls and my mom’s quilts covered the beds. I staged my first art show at age 9, lining my wood-paneled dining room with drawings and charging my parents’ friends a dollar a drawing. I took all the art classes I could in high school, studied Studio Art at Beloit College and earned an MFA in Fine Art from the University of Michigan. In grad school, I focused on drawing and painting, working in an improvisational and materials-based process. I never feel more connected and alive than when I am creating art. My hope is that the joy I feel when creating comes through in bernie & zuzu’s goods and inspires tiny moments of happiness, joy and wonder in our fans.

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.

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

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

Join us for a mystery book group discussion of "The River We Remember" by William Kent Krueger. Books are available at the library. New members always welcome!

"On Memorial Day in Jewel, Minnesota, the body of wealthy landowner Jimmy Quinn is found floating in the Alabaster River, dead from a shotgun blast. The investigation falls to Sheriff Brody Dern, a highly decorated war hero who still carries the physical and emotional scars from his military service. Even before Dern has the results of the autopsy, vicious rumors begin to circulate that the killer must be Noah Bluestone, a Native American WWII veteran who has recently returned to Jewel with a Japanese wife. As suspicions and accusations mount and the town teeters on the edge of more violence, Dern struggles not only to find the truth of Quinn’s murder but also put to rest the demons from his own past.

Caught up in the torrent of anger that sweeps through Jewel are a war widow and her adolescent son, the intrepid publisher of the local newspaper, an aging deputy, and a crusading female lawyer, all of whom struggle with their own tragic histories and harbor secrets that Quinn’s death threatens to expose.

Both a complex, spellbinding mystery and a masterful portrait of mid-century American life that is “a novel to cherish” (Star Tribune, Minneapolis), The River We Remember offers an unflinching look at the wounds left by the wars we fight abroad and at home, a moving exploration of the ways in which we seek to heal, and a testament to the enduring power of the stories we tell about the places we call home." -- 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. 

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 the curator, Sharon Bjyrd and exhibiting artists of I Am A Man: The Re-humanization of Black Men, Goodman South Madison Library's current art exhibition. There will be community conversations, comments from the artists, performances from Da Classroom Ain't Enuf and participatory art opportunities.

You can learn more about the exhibition here: https://www.madisonbubbler.org/exhibitions/current/goodman-south

Note: This workshop is intended for women and nonbinary individuals and is hosted by  Madison Women in Tech 

Are you ready to build your public speaking skills in a fun and empowering environment? Join us for our hands on lightning talk workshop!

We’ll start with an introduction to lightning talks including tips and tricks for creating one. Then we’ll dive into a working session where you’ll brainstorm and draft your own lightning talk. Mentors will be on hand to provide guidance, feedback, and support throughout the process. Finally we’ll present our drafts to a group of supportive peers and gain valuable experience in public speaking, all in a welcoming and encouraging setting.

No prior public speaking experience is needed. While the content will be focused on technical talks, you can speak about any topic you are passionate about–you are “technical enough”.

Join us every 1st and 3rd Thursday, 6-8:45pm to play board games!

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!

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!

Bernie of bernie & zuzu is back in the Pinney Studio with encouraging prompts to enhance your art flow.

We are all inherently creative! If you’ve ever worried that you aren’t creative enough, or if you love to make art but struggle to carve out the time to do it on your own, this workshop is for you. In this process-based workshop, you will be led through a series of creative prompts that encourage intuitive and improvisational art making through drawing, painting and collage. Joy, flow and tapping into your own creative energy will be our focus!

This 2-hour workshop is ideal for adults and older teens 16+.  Space is limited and registration is required. Registration opens two weeks prior; please only register if you can confirm you will attend. If full, call Pinney Library information desk at 608-224-7100 to be placed on a short waiting list in case of cancellations. 

This workshop is being offered on two dates: 2/20/25 & 3/18/25 - please select just one, allowing space for other community members to try out.

About Bernie & Zuzu:

At bernie & zuzu, we design unique, one-of-a-kind goods with bold, bright color and exuberant patterns that inspire playfulness, creativity and joy. bernie & zuzu is named for Bernie Witzack, founder and artist, and her brilliant and extraordinary cat zuzu (bios below). bernie & zuzu is run out of a studio in the Madison Enterprise Center at 100 S. Baldwin Street in Madison, Wisconsin. We screen print at Polka Press, Madison’s local printmaking collective.

Bios:

Zuzu was adopted by Bernie when she was a wee little kitten. Her favorite napping place as a kitten was a hiking boot. She has an MBA from Harvard and is a social media expert. When she’s not working as the CEO, CFO and COO of bernie & zuzu, you can find her napping in her bed in Bernie’s closet, or at the top of her cat tree. Zuzu is nineteen years young. She really, really loves watermelon.

I [Bernie] grew up in a small town south of Madison, in a home where my dad’s paintings lined the walls and my mom’s quilts covered the beds. I staged my first art show at age 9, lining my wood-paneled dining room with drawings and charging my parents’ friends a dollar a drawing. I took all the art classes I could in high school, studied Studio Art at Beloit College and earned an MFA in Fine Art from the University of Michigan. In grad school, I focused on drawing and painting, working in an improvisational and materials-based process. I never feel more connected and alive than when I am creating art. My hope is that the joy I feel when creating comes through in bernie & zuzu’s goods and inspires tiny moments of happiness, joy and wonder in our fans.

*note: this program will contain no elements of the game Fortnite*

What's a "Lateover"? It's like a sleepover, but you go home at your bedtime to sleep in your own familiar beds. Register for this program to get special after-hours access to the library!  We'll provide some blankets and sheets, but feel free to bring your own additional sheets and some comfy pillows to include in your fort. Eat dinner before you arrive, but we'll provide a bedtime snack. All children must be accompanied by an adult.