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150th Anniversary Parties: You're invited!

Posted by Liz on Apr 9, 2025 - 9:40pm
Discover Madison Public Library - A Community Hub 150 Years in the Making

Attend a party in the library this May. Our first location opened on May 31, 1875, and we're ringing in 150 years of library service in Madison with birthday cake, giveaways, and interactive activities for every age at all nine locations! We invite you to attend our anchor event at Central Library, as well as neighborhood library celebrations to get the full experience. 

Attend the Central Library Celebration

The Central Library celebration will be our biggest 150th Anniversary event. We invite everyone from across the city to attend this celebration in addition to your own neighborhood library bash. 

Central Library Exterior 2024 Sunny Daytime
A woman sits in front of a wooden arched bookshelf with books on it
A woman stands holding up a library card in front of a book display at Madison Public Library
Three people stand looking at a book and smiling next to a table full of books and set against a wall of windows

Saturday, May 17

10am - 1pm: Central Library

All Ages Activities: 

  • 10-10:15am: Welcome and Speeches (Mayor Satya Rhodes Conway, Library Director Tana Elias, and more). Third floor.
  • 11am and 12pm: Tours of the library (available in multiple languages). First floor.
  • Take a commemorative photo with the Book Arch (and historic Wildflower sculpture). Lower level.
  • Get paired with the perfect book by browsing read-alikes, chatting with librarians, and checking out a fun book café. Third floor.
  • Enjoy a new art exhibition highlighting work made by library patrons and past Pinney artist-in-residence Phil Hassett showcasing Words For Now: Letterpress Prints from our Community. Third Floor.
  • Using Madison Public Library's new letterpress kit, print your own commemorative special edition 150th Celebration Print to take home. Third Floor.
  • Step into our imaginative cake land in the Bubbler Room to create with unexpected materials and explore CAKES as vessels for rich storytelling. Ground Floor.
  • Share your first library memory, what you love about the library, and your hopes for the library of the future by adding candles to our non-edible cake created by Artist-in-Residence National Velvet. Third floor.
  • Compete in 150th Anniversary trivia for prizes. First floor.
  • Get a library card. First floor.
  • Enjoy historic photos. All floors.

Youth & Family Activities: 

Located on the lower level

  • 10:30: Special adventure-themed storytime
  • 11:30am - 1pm: Be a library architect with building materials from Legos to Superspace Tiles
  • Pick up a WE READ Map and bag to start your summer reading journey

Attend A Neighborhood Library Celebration

You're invited to attend one or several celebrations--each will be unique!

Saturday, May 10

Enjoy events at libraries located on the west and south sides of the city! 

Alicia Ashman Library entrance

Alicia Ashman Library (Celebrating 25 Years!)

9-11am | 733 N High Point Rd
  • Make art with local artist Deckard Salm utilizing recovered library materials
  • Take selfies at a photo booth
  • Make your own button

Meadowridge Library

11am - 1pm | 5726 Raymond Rd
A three-piece band plays to a crowd indoors at Sequoya Library

Sequoya Library

1-3pm | 4340 Tokay Blvd

Goodman South Madison Library

3-5pm | 2222 S Park St
  • Picture yourself at the library! Youth have been creating a scale model of Goodman South Madison Library and the finished design will be on display during the celebration. Attendees can get their photo taken and add a miniature version of themselves to the model. Learn more about the My Library/Your Library project.
  • Get your face painted

Saturday, May 31

Enjoy events at libraries located on the east and north sides of the city! 

Pinney Library patio and exterior

Monroe Street Library

9-11am | 1705 Monroe Street
  • Do an art project led by local artist Deckard Salm
  • Make your own button

Pinney Library (Celebrating 5 Years!)

11am - 1pm | 516 Cottage Grove Rd
  • 11-11:45am: History of East Side Branch Libraries and Shopping Centers - Growing up Together. Learn about east side history during a panel featuring Sarah White and guests
  • 12-1pm: Jam to live music thanks to Yid Vicious
  • 11am - 12:30pm: Get your face painted
  • Meet Ellie Braun, the 2025 Pinney Studio Artist-in-Residence
WE READ Community Coloring Banner Hawthorne Library

Lakeview Library

1-3pm | 2845 N Sherman Ave
  • Make art with a local artist in the community room and contribute to a community coloring banner
  • Make your own button
  • Get your face painted

Hawthorne Library

3-5pm | 2707 E Washington Ave
  • Decorate a mini pot and plant a seed
  • Get your face painted

Event Details

Historic Photo of Card Catologues at Madison Public Library

All of the 150th Anniversary Parties will include birthday cakes and other light refreshments for attendees, as well as the following: 

Kids gather around a non-edible cake to add paper candles with testimonials written on them for Madison Public Library's 150th Anniversary
  • 150th Anniversary trivia and the chance to win prizes
  • Art cake fun! Share your first library memory, what you love about the library, and your hopes for the library of the future by adding candles to our non-edible cake created by Artist-in-Residence National Velvet
  • Library card sign-up
  • The start to summer reading. Pick up your WE READ Map and bag at any location
  • A slideshow of historic photos

No registration is required to attend the 150th Anniversary Parties. The parties are made possible thanks to generous support from the Madison Public Library Foundation.