Marathon County Public Library

October 16, 2018

I love horror. I really do. I like a book that’s going to scare me, unsettle me or just make me think differently about the world. October is the perfect time for dipping your toe into the horrors that lie between the covers of books. To that end, I offer you a list of both contemporary and classic horror tales.  From the short stories of Edgar Allan Poe and H.P. Lovecraft to the true story of murder in “In Cold Blood,” horror comes in a surprising number of flavors, both cosmic (Cthulhu, anyone?) and every day. Horror also has elements of its cousins, fantasy and science fiction, like the horror of discovering that the person you thought was your friend is actually that same person, but from...

September 26, 2018

From September 24 through September 28, the Marathon County Public Library is honoring Wisconsin veterans with a temporary exhibit at its Spencer Branch. The exhibit, called Wisconsin Remembers: A Face for Every Name is a traveling exhibit that features the name and photo of over 1,600 Wisconsin veterans who served in the Vietnam War.  The photos featured on the traveling memorial wall also appear on the official Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. “Sometimes, it is more than just doing a program. This one hits home to many,” said Audrey Kohlbeck, Spencer Branch Coordinator, who arranged for the traveling wall to come to Spencer. To commemorate this weeklong tribute, the Spencer Branch...

September 25, 2018

Would you like to hear about Wisconsin politics from an author receiving national attention? Ask an award-winning mystery writer a question? Want to learn how to start your own blog or create your own podcast? Maybe you’d like to hear Wausau-area writers — teenagers to senior citizens — read their own, original work?

August 27, 2018

A Community Writing Competition open to all patrons of the Wisconsin Valley Library Service took place earlier this year, January through May. Judging of the entries by library staff commenced, and the winners were selected in June. There were just over 25 entries to consider in the three categories of fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry, and the ages of participants ranged from 13 to 85. In the interest of sharing local writing with the community, winners’ entries were printed in the Record Review, a weekly newspaper that serves the areas around Athens, Edgar, Marathon, Stratford, and Spencer. The goal of the competition was to promote creative writing. It provided an incentive for...

August 24, 2018

This summer, several MCPL locations offered a Summer Craft Day, where kids and families could make a variety of crafts based on popular children’s songs to coincide with our Summer Library Program theme of “Libraries Rock!”  If you and your family missed this craft day, you can still make one of the crafts using a few things found around your home! Provided below are the instructions for making your very own monkey hat, in celebration of the song “Five Little Monkeys.”  Supplies:  2 pieces of brown construction paper  1 piece of tan construction paper 2 googly eyes glue  stapler black marker Cut one of the brown pieces of construction paper in half. Place the two pieces side-by-side...

August 22, 2018

This summer, the Marathon County Public Library once again encouraged kids and families to donate money to help animals in need with its Pennies for Animals program, which ran June 11-August 11. Throughout the summer, kids donated their spare change and other monetary donations, raising a total of $100! Along with donating money, kids could also vote for which animal-focused organization they wanted to receive the funds, and the winner of the vote was the Humane Society of Marathon County! MCPL wants to thank everyone who donated money -- and the animals want to thank you, too!

August 20, 2018

As children head back to school and the summer days begin to wane, the Marathon County Public Library will be undergoing some much-needed changes! We will be replacing the carpeting in our main library Children’s Department after having endured a sudden break in a water supply line in the dark of night. This unfortunate event was managed and mitigated admirably by the Marathon County Facilities and Capital Management Department, and they have our gratitude for helping to make a potentially bad situation little more than an inconvenience.  We also will be replacing many of the library’s 22+ years old public furnishings. Our intention is to better use our available space, as well as improve your access to...

August 15, 2018

Come visit MCPL’s new Early Literacy Center at our Wausau Headquarters!  In September, we’ll begin offering a variety of pet-themed activities, which will be the first of many rotating themes planned for the Early Literacy Center.  One of the many pet-themed activities you’ll be able to enjoy with your child includes a veterinary dramatic play set, complete with a veterinarian costume and all of the equipment needed to take care of our (stuffed) furry friends! Dramatic play is an integral part of a child’s social, emotional, and cognitive development. In learning to follow the rules of dramatic play, a child learns to coordinate with others, make plans, and resolve conflicts. Dramatic play also supports...

July 27, 2018

From recently published books to vintage classics, puzzles, DVDs, children’s books, and so much more, the Friends of the Marathon County book sale is back once again! Our dedicated group of Friends, who volunteer their time to sift through hundreds if not thousands of items for each new sale, has been working pretty close to feverishly to be ready for their next quarterly sale, which begins on Thursday, August 2, 2018, and continues through Sunday, August 5. If you haven’t stopped by the library’s Wausau Headquarters to check out our sale, what are you waiting for? The August sale marks the third in their newer space in the basement area of the building, which is accessible...

July 24, 2018

Organizers behind the second annual Central Wisconsin Book Festival are hard at work setting up a wide variety of free community events, and this year’s festival is already shaping up to be bigger— and hopefully as good or better — than last year’s festival! What started as a two-day book festival in 2017 with about 10 events has grown to at least 15 events (with more still to be added) over the course of four days, featuring fiction and nonfiction authors, poets, and maybe even you! The festival begins Thursday, September 27, 2018, and continues through Sunday, September 30. Visit www.mcpl.us/cwbf for more info! One of the goals of the festival — besides...