Marathon County Public Library

April 15, 2019

The sight of melting snow, budding trees and blooming flowers are all signs that spring is here, and the Marathon County Public Library (MCPL) has one more hallmark to add to the mix! For the second year in a row, MCPL will offer Trail Tales, an interactive outdoor reading experience that families can enjoy together as the temperatures get warmer and folks head outdoors. From April 22 through May 20, kids and families will have the opportunity to walk along the scenic River Edge Trail in downtown Wausau and read the pages of two children’s books that will be posted along the way. The trail will run north-to-south from Kickbusch Plaza (which begins behind MCPL’s Wausau Headquarters) to the River Life...

April 11, 2019

Due to the weather, the Marathon County Public Library's Hatley Branch will close today, April 11, at 5 p.m. Weather permitting, the branch will resume its normal hours and reopen tomorrow, April 12.  If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us at our Wausau headquarters. Thank you! 

March 28, 2019

Curious about what your friends and neighbors might be reading? Or which books are trending nationally? Check out the following books from the New York Times Best Sellers list! Have you read any of these books already? Let us know what you thought in the "Comments" section below! Happy reading! Please note: These are popular items that may not be immediately available. It is likely you will need to use the "Request" option in the Library Catalog (V-Cat) to add yourself to the waiting list. Do not be discouraged by long waiting lists for books; MCPL usually has enough copies in circulation to keep wait times reasonable.  Also: All of the following books are...

March 27, 2019

Each year, libraries across the country take some time in April to highlight “the valuable role libraries, librarians and library workers play in transforming lives and strengthening our communities,” as the American Library Association’s website notes. Specifically, April 7–13 is National Library Week, and April 9 is National Library Workers Day. While the Marathon County Public Library (MCPL) doesn’t have events specifically planned to celebrate the week, one look at our jam-packed events calendar will give you a sense of the unique programming our nine library locations offer throughout the year to engage and connect children, teens, working adults, retirees and more. We don’t want to pat ourselves on the...

March 21, 2019

Marathon County's Parks, Recreation & Forestry Department is responsible for maintaining over 60 parks, trails, forest units and recreational facilities across Marathon County. These properties include Marathon Park, Wausau's outdoor pools, the Dells of the Eau Claire Park, Sylvan Hill, The 400 Block, Mountain-Bay Trail and other scenic gems around the area.  Through April 14, the Parks, Recreation & Forestry Department is conducting a public survey of park and recreational facilities as part of an update to the County’s Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan. As a valued member of the community, you're invited to take an online survey that will let the County know what you think of our parks, trails,...

March 20, 2019

When the snow starts to fall, I grab an adventure book. I’m not sure why wintry weather makes me think adventure. Maybe it has to do with dreaming of being in a warm place, like in “The Lost City of Z,” or the opportunity to have an adventure that I will never be able to experience like in “The Martian.” Oddly enough, most of my adventure reading tends to be about surviving in the wilderness, like the escaped prisoners do in “The Long Walk” or Douglas Mawson’s amazing fight to survive in the Antarctic in “Alone on the Ice.” Sometimes learning about another person’s life as they tackle their dreams, as in “Welcome to the Goddamn Ice Cube,” where the author describes what it’s like to be a woman learning to run...

March 2, 2019

Parents and care givers, join your children in exploring the world of transportation in the Early Literacy Center (ELC) at the Marathon County Public Library's Wausau Headquarters! Throughout March, April and May, the theme for the ELC will be "Transportation." During these months, parents and children can: ·     Play on the magnetic board! Put together magnetic puzzles of trains, cars, and trucks; play a car color matching game; sort transportation pictures and words by type, and much more! ·     Re-create "The Wheels on the Bus" on the felt story board – and sing along! ·     Create patterned pictures of cars, trains, boats, airplanes, rockets, and more with the colorful Tangram blocks ·     Read the...

February 27, 2019

Curious about what your friends and neighbors might be reading? Or which books are trending nationally? Check out the following books from the New York Times Best Sellers list! Please note: These are popular items that may not be immediately available. It is likely you will need to use the "Request" option in the Library Catalog (V-Cat) to add yourself to the waiting list. Do not be discouraged by long waiting lists for books; MCPL usually has enough copies in circulation to keep wait times reasonable. Also: All of the following books are owned by MCPL in at least one version; however, the Library Catalog (V-Cat) may show versions not owned by MCPL and therefore unavailable for request by...

February 12, 2019

Due to the winter storm hitting central Wisconsin today, February 12, the Marathon County Public Library will close its Wausau Headquarters and all of its branch libraries at 5 p.m. As previously announced, the Stratford Branch will be closed the entire day today. This means that today's Facebook Fundamentals - Part 2 class and the meeting of the Hatley Book Club will also be canceled. Weather permitting, MCPL will resume its normal hours and reopen tomorrow, February 13.  If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us at our Wausau headquarters. Thank you!

February 12, 2019

Due to challenges created by the weather, the Marathon County Public Library - Stratford Branch is closed today, February 12, 2019. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us at our Wausau headquarters. Thank you!