Madison Public Library

October is almost here, and the Wisconsin Book Festival Fall Celebration (Oct 15-18) is getting closer! In the meantime, join us at Central Library for these two upcoming author visits:

- Tuesday, Sept 29 from 7-8pm | Assembled Audience by Erika Meiter
- Wednesday, Sept 30, from 7-8pm | Unbelonging: A Life in Search of Home by Catherine Jagoe

Both events, as all Wisconsin Book Festival events, are free and open to the public. We hope you'll join us for an evening of books and wonderful conversation!

Check out the full Wisconsin Book Festival Fall Celebration schedule to discover all the authors, conversations, and events happening Oct 15-18.

The leaves are starting to fall, the nights are getting longer, and at the library, adventurers are getting ready for their next quest.

This October, school-age adventurers (from seasoned D&D players to first-time heroes) are gathering for new adventures at Madison Public Library. During these programs, kids will learn how to create their own character and get started playing Dungeons & Dragons, with tips and tricks on storytelling, strategy, teamwork, and most importantly, how to have fun along the way. Visit us on:

October 1, 5-7pm at Goodman South Madison Library
October 7, 4:30-6:30pm at Sequoya Library

No need to register for either program; simply be ready to play!

Are you ready for spooky season? You'll have two opportunities to hear from Mitch Goth and Brandon Rugzie, co-authors of the book 30 Haunted Nights in Wisconsin this October!

Your first chance for thrills and chills is on Sat, Oct 10 at Hawthorne Library, where Mitch and Brandon will regale audience members with tales, history and ghost stories from some of Wisconsin's most haunted places, roadside oddities, and one-of-a-kind attractions from 2-3:30pm.

If you can't make it, don't worry! They'll return the next Saturday to Alicia Ashman Library at the same time for the same presentation. No registration is required!

Save the date for these creepy history lessons at Madison Public Library.

We've wrapped up the grand opening celebration weekend of the Imagination Center at Reindahl Park, and we’re still taking in all the wonderful moments.

None of this would have been possible without the many people and organizations who helped bring the Imagination Center to life. A huge thank you to Madison Public Library staff, our partners at City of Madison, Wisconsin Government, Madison Parks, City of Madison Engineering, Madison Public Library Foundation, and City of Madison Planning, Community, & Economic Development, Sabrina Madison for District 17 Alder and Julia Matthews For District 12, as well as our community partners Literacy Network, Aldo Leopold Nature Center, City of Madison Water Utility, Roots & Wings Foundation and Madison Schools - MMSD (MMSD).

Thank you as well to the incredible artists and organizations who helped make this celebration even more special: Aleida Hertel, Terrence Adeyanju, Nate Page, Tacos el Cucuy, Atwood Creamery, Mariachi Corcel de Madison, and Forward! Marching Band.

Most of all, thank you to everyone who came out, explored the space, joined an activity, listened to a story, danced or simply celebrated with us. The Imagination Center at Reindahl Park is officially open and we can’t wait to see all the memories our community will create here.

Ready to visit the new Imagination Center Library? Join the first of six sessions on miniature character painting for Dungeons & Dragons next Tuesday, September 29 from 6-7:30pm.

During this session, you'll learn how to prepare your minis for success, all from cleaning to choosing primers and applying smooth, intentional base coats.

Registration is required; please register at https://bit.ly/46IMjgQ.

What a day!

Today, we celebrated the inauguration of the Imagination Center at Reindahl Park. A new space for imagination, learning, connection, and community. We saw the first returns, first library cards, and first checkouts!

Thank you to everyone who joined us to celebrate this special milestone, and to all community members, partners, and staff who helped make this vision a reality.

But the celebrations aren't over yet! Join us tomorrow, Saturday, Sept. 26, from 10am - 4pm for even more fun at Reindahl Park, including:

- Nature Walk and Storytime with Nature Everywhere from 10-11am.
- Wild Rumpus and MMSD Play & Learn outside from 12-2pm
- Live Music with Mariachi Corcel de Madison and Forward Marching Band.
- Free Food Trucks
- And more!

Come explore the new Imagination Center and enjoy the festivities.

We don't have one or two movie screenings for Hispanic Heritage Month, we have FOUR! 🎬🎞️

Join us at Pinney, Lakeview, and the Imagination Center libraries for a month of movies celebrating Latino stories, culture, and community. Some screenings will have refreshments available, but feel free to bring your own popcorn, attend with your friends and family, and enjoy a movie night with us.

- Encanto | October 2, 5:30-7:30pm | Imagination Center Library
- La Bamba | October 2, 6-8pm | Lakeview Library
- In The Heights | October 9, 5-7:30pm | Imagination Center Library
- McFarland USA | October 9, 6-8:30pm | Pinney Library

¡Nos vemos en las tardes de cine!

We've been working closely with both the Madison Arts Commission and the artist Nate Page on fabricating and installing the public art sculpture, The Passage of Being, on site at the Imagination Center.

Although there have been some delays, we're hopeful that it will be ready for viewing during the grand opening weekend Sept 25-26! Regardless, we're excited to announce that Nate Page will be in attendance this weekend, and that we'll be hosting a short dedication ceremony on Friday, September 25 at 4:30pm.

You'll hear from the Madison Arts Commission, as well as Nate himself,
about how the piece moved from initial inspiration to final form thanks to community feedback, site-specific design, and a desire to encourage interaction between people, nature, and art.

City of Madison Planning, Community, & Economic Development
Madison Parks
The Bubbler at Madison Public Library
Madison Public Library Foundation

Go Big Read book discussions will begin in our libraries next month, with the first book club taking place at Hawthorne Library on Sat, Oct 3 from 1-3pm.

Save the date for three additional book discussions planned in October at Goodman South Madison Library (October 17, 1:30pm), Central Library (October 21, 7pm) and Meadowridge Library (October 27, 4:30pm). Copies of the 2026-27 Go Big Read selection, Custodians of Wonder by Eliot Stein, are set aside specially at each location for these book discussions and are available now.

If you plan to attend, ask at the desk and check out a copy to read before the event! No registration required.

Inspiring - that's the word. The Recollection: The Stories that Stay exhibition at Central Library is inspiring. And not just because the artwork is incredible and aspirational (it is), but because it also inspires conversations, smiles, and deep reflection. This exhibition is truly one not to be missed.

The Memory Collectors Storytelling Project was launched in 2022 to support the successful aging of Black women, particularly in response to the alarming prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) in the Black community. Although this program was created to service Black women, the MCSP community is open to participants from any race/ethnic background; and although it began as a place to support healthy aging, it's clear from these photos taken by Akromahphotography at the opening reception for the show that the ties that bind within this group are stronger than mere thread.

The exhibition features quilts by 30 members of the Memory Collectors Storytelling Project, and for some artists in the show, this was their first-ever exhibition, lending the evening an especially meaningful air. We’re grateful to everyone who helped us celebrate these artists and the community supporting this work. The exhibition will be on display in the Diane Endres-Ballweg Gallery on the 3rd Floor of Central Library through January 31, 2027.

Learn more about the show and how to visit the gallery at madpl.org/recollection