April 22, 2021

Earth Day is an annual event celebrated around the world on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection. Since I love to craft, I wanted to make something but also be environmentally-conscience. I chose to upcycle a t-shirt. Upcycling is taking something you already have and transforming it into something else.  I hope you join me and try this very simple project: a reusable t-shirt bag! Best of all, no sewing or skill of any kind is required to make! Supplies needed: - T-shirt -Scissors   Steps: 1. Find a t-shirt that you no longer want to wear. Maybe use that one that has gone out of style, or one that has a small stain on it. 2. Cut the sleeves and the collar off of the shirt (this...

Adults Holidays Teens Tweens

April 20, 2021

UPDATE - 5/3/21 As of May 3, the road construction work immediately in front of our Athens Branch has been completed and the library entrance and book drop are now accessible to the public. With the Athens Branch once again accessible, patrons may resume making computer and browsing appointments.  Construction work continues on other parts of Caroline Street, however, and options for parking outside of the Athens Branch remain limited. Patrons visiting the library for appointments or curbside pickup are advised to park along Elm St. (see map). then walk along Caroline Street to the branch. Patrons with limited mobility and other considerations are asked to call the branch at 715-257...

Adults Libraries Library Branches

April 20, 2021

At its April 2021 meeting, the Library Board decided to maintain the "limited re-opening" status of the Marathon County Public Library (MCPL), based on recommendations from the Marathon County Health Department.

"This past week [...] reinforced COVID-19 has not gone away, having 154 new cases reported and seeing an uptick in cases over the past two weeks. This is the most cases we’ve seen since late January-early February. The climb in cases can be contributed to people growing tired and resuming behaviors that increase their risk for exposure along with the arrival of variants of the virus that spread more easily. [...] To get us “out of the woods” calls upon everyone to continue the practices...

COVID-19 Library Board Library Branches

April 20, 2021

It’s probably fair to say that we’ve all had enough of the COVID-19 pandemic. We here at the Marathon County Public Library are certainly looking forward to reopening our doors and getting back to that thing we enjoy doing so much - serving you, the public. That said, we are not quite out of the woods just yet.  After conferring with the Marathon County Health Department and the MCPL Board of Trustees, I am delighted to offer a tentative schedule for our next stage of reopening. On Monday, April 19, our board agreed to target Tuesday, June 1 as the tentative date we intend to reopen to the public. If we are able to meet that goal when factoring in local...

Adults Community COVID-19 Director's Report Libraries Library Board Library Branches Wausau Headquarters

April 15, 2021

Recently, I came upon a word I’ve never seen before; I discovered it while doing a bit of research on a book I was about to read. The word seemed so odd, so I switched my attention to finding a definition for it. The word is Bildungsroman. It is a literary term for a genre describing a protagonist’s formative growth, both physical and psychological, often through painful or trying life experiences. The word itself originates from the German word “bildung” meaning “education” and “roman” meaning “novel.” So a “Bildungsroman” translates to “a novel of education” or “a novel of formation.” Though stories and details vary, the Bildungsroman often has a particular structure. According to masterclass.com...

Adults Books Learning Teens Tweens

April 8, 2021

Each year, the month of April is recognized as the National Poetry Month. To celebrate this, we at MCPL wanted to create a program that would inspire young patrons and students to learn more about poetry, and maybe even write a few poems themselves! The idea of a Poet-Tree came about from one of the children’s Library Specialists. She was inspired to create a program for tween and teen patrons to submit poems to display on a tree within the library. What could be more fun than hanging a leaf shaped poem you wrote on a 3D tree? With that thought in mind the mixed media Poet-tree was created! The poems currently being featured on our first-ever Poet-Tree were written by students from within the Wausau School...

Children Education National Poetry Month Poetry Tweens Writing

April 2, 2021

Spring is officially here and I am ready to plant my garden!  However, we live in Wisconsin, where winter tends to stick around for a bit longer.  To cure my “Spring Fever” and prepare for the gardening season, I like to make seed tape. This is a very easy process.  Plus, seed tape will help you make nice, straight rows in your garden.  Supplies needed: -Seeds -Elmer's glue -Newspaper or toilet tissue -Scissors Steps: 1. If you are using toilet tissue, very gently separate your tissue into single layers (or use single ply tissue.) Then cut the tissue into 2 long strips.  If you are using newspaper, cut thin strips about 1 inch wide.   2. Choose your seeds, and look on...

Adults Nature

March 25, 2021

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic led many of us to discover (or re-discover!) our love of the outdoors. According to the Wisconsin Policy Forum report Take It Outside: Pandemic Spurs Outdoor Pursuits, sales of state park vehicle stickers rose by more than 42% last year. The number of fishing licenses sold increased, and Wisconsin residents bought more sporting goods and outdoor gear. Personally, my family spent time visiting state parks that we hadn't been to before, hiking portions of the Ice Age Trail, and I even went backpacking for the first time!  I am eager to continue exploring as the weather gets nicer and I am always looking for new places in Wisconsin to visit.Here are some great reads to get you...

Adults Books COVID-19 Nature

March 19, 2021

Get some things planted indoors by making this quick and easy decorative bottle planter! Please note that this craft is designed for adults, as plastic bottles can have very sharp edges after you cut them.  To get started, you'll first need to gather a few common supplies: Supplies needed: Plastic bottle (preferably 2-liter - the larger, the easier to work with) Marker Scissors Acrylic paint and brushes Sand paper Sealant Cotton string (optional) Decorative supplies (optional)   Steps: 1. Wash and dry your bottle, then lightly sand the surface to prep it for paint (paint will flake off if not prepped). 2. Using a marker, trace your desired bottle design onto the plastic (the...

Adults Learning

March 17, 2021

Everyone needs something new to read from time to time, even tweens!  Occasionally, we'll post tween book talks right here on www.mcpl.us. The talks will cover a wide range of novels aimed at late elementary and middle school-age kids. The talks can be experienced in two different ways. Tweens can either watch the YouTube video discussion associated with each book below, or can download an MP3 file of the talk to their computer, tablet or smartphone and listen to it podcast-style! The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate  by Jacqueline Kelly Available from the library as a book or audiobook (see link below), or via Wisconsin's Digital Library as an e-book   The Fourteenth...

Books Reading Recommendations Tweens