August 2, 2022

The sixth annual Central Wisconsin Book Festival (CWBF) will be held next month, and there's a lot to look forward to! This year's festival will feature approximately 25 events over the course of five days, from September 21 through September 25. Like last year, festival events will be held throughout the region - in Wausau, Stevens Point and Wisconsin Rapids - as well as online!  Writers and experts from all different areas of literature will be part of this year's festival. Below, you can feast your eyes on a few of the events we're particularly excited for, with many more to be announced soon! A Poetry Walk in partnership with the Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets and the City of Wausau...

Adults Authors Central Wisconsin Book Festival Events

July 10, 2022

UPDATE - 7/25/2022 The work being done on the parking lot at MCPL's Rothschild Branch is mostly complete and the lot is fully accessible to the public once again. We thank our patrons for their patience over the last two weeks and hope you stop in to see us soon! Beginning Monday, July 11, the parking lot outside of MCPL’s Rothschild Branch may be inaccessible at times as the Village of Rothschild's Department of Public Works completes work to repave the lot. Patrons visiting the branch are advised to plan accordingly. It is unclear when the project will be complete. During times that the lot is completely closed, it is recommended that patrons park their vehicle on Alexander Avenue, which runs...

Adults Community Library Branches On-Site Services

July 5, 2022

Did you know July is Harry Potter's birth month? You can celebrate by immersing yourself in other magical stories that are simliar! If you enjoyed the fantastical world of J K Rowling's Harry Potter series, you might just enjoy the novels listed below. They're a lot like the Harry Potter series, except...  

Authors Books Reading Recommendations Teens Tweens

July 1, 2022

Of the factors that define a successful public library, free, equal, and open access to information is one of the most essential. But what about the members of our communities who cannot easily travel to their local library due to age, illness, accident, disability, or other factors? That’s where library homebound (or "outreach") programs come in — providing home delivery options to patrons who couldn’t access library materials in any other way. As of 2022, the homebound program at the Marathon County Public Library (MCPL) has been going strong for 50 years under the guidance of three successive coordinators — Beth Scott (1972–1976), Barb...

Adults Community On-Site Services Volunteering

June 13, 2022

This winter and spring, the Marathon County Public Library hosted a youth poetry contest. Students between the ages of 9 and 18 submitted their best work, and submissions were judged by Wausau Poet Laureate Dawn Anderson. Anderson said: “Thank you for this privilege to read these wonderful poems where young people pour out their hearts, joys, struggles and creativity. It confirms my resolve that poetry is a wonderful way to process thoughts and feelings, and share wonders.” MCPL is pleased to announce the winners in each of the two age groups. In first place, in the 9‒12 age group: “Spring is a Spring” by Macy Rentmeester. Second place went to “The Sea Emotions” by Paige Mathies, and in third place was “...

Children Contests Events Poetry Teens Tweens Writing

June 4, 2022

I previously wrote about the advantages of handwriting letters and as a follow up, I wanted to talk about decorating letters and envelopes. It’s easy to do, can be a lot of fun and makes the final product a little more unique. You can start off simple, soaking the paper in coffee, tea or food coloring to ‘age’ the paper and to add a light scent. Making your own envelope is fairly easy as well, which you can do using patterned or colored paper. 1. Start with a square piece of paper. I found it helpful to fold it corner to corner so I could see where the center was. 2. Take one corner and fold it to the center, fold the opposite corner so they meet in the middle. 3. Fold the bottom corner up so it...

Adults Arts and Crafts Children Teens Tweens Writing

May 31, 2022

Summer will be here soon! As a teen, you may not be any less busy when school is out. Maybe you’re working more hours at your job, visiting family or spending time with friends. Whatever you're up to, make sure to include reading great books in your summer plans! In addition to visiting your local Marathon County Public Library location or participating in our Summer Reading Club, here are three other ways to access free digital materials for teens this summer: With Sync, patrons can use a Sora account to read two different audiobooks per week. The program runs from April 28 until August 17. If you don’t have a Sora account through school, you can sign up for a free account. Please note, these books are not...

Audiobooks Books E-books Libraries Online Resources Summer Library Program Teens Websites

May 21, 2022

Fantastic Books and Where to Find Them is a new book club for tweens between the ages of 8-14. It will meet twice a month at MCPL Wausau starting in June and during each meeting, we'll talk about books and do fun, book-related activities! This is a great way to gather with friends during long summer days and to meet new kids who are also interested in reading. Unlike traditional book clubs where everyone reads and discusses the same book, we will instead be reading books around a similar genre or theme for each meeting. For example, at our first meeting on June 15, everyone should read a graphic novel - but it doesn’t need to be the same one! Make sure to register for the book club in advance on our...

Book Clubs Books Children Events Graphic Novels Reading Recommendations Summer Library Program Tweens

May 20, 2022

On May 21, 2022, the Marathon County Public Library (MCPL) will say goodbye to one of its longtime employees. Deb Gauerke, who has served as the coordinator of MCPL’s Edgar Branch for more than 30 years, will retire. Gauerke has been an employee of the library for the past 37 years. Gauerke started with MCPL in 1985, working as an assistant the library’s Athens Branch. Just a few short years after being hired, Gauerke was promoted to the position of Edgar Branch Coordinator, where she has worked ever since. “There have been so many awesome programs and events that we’ve done over the years,” Gauerke said. “Story time was the first program I did when I started, and I loved it.”   Gauerke said she’s always...

Adults Library Staff

May 18, 2022

While summer can be a busy season full of picnics, swimming, and other family activities, we hope you make Marathon County Public Library (MCPL) a part of your summer plans! Every year, we develop a Summer Program focused on learning, reading and fun for children and their families. The theme for this year’s program is “Oceans of Possibilities,” so we invite you to explore the library’s collections, join our summer reading club, and participate in any of our exciting upcoming events!   Reading is a great way for kids to keep their minds active and learning while out of school, and library staff can help your child find their next great read! Our staff is trained and well-...

Children Events Summer Library Program