May 22, 2020

Are you looking for a way to liven up your writing? Many writers use prompts to get started on a story. Writing from a prompt can lead you to ideas and feelings you would not otherwise have discovered. Here’s a creative project to try at home! Supplies needed: A block of wood Sandpaper Antique picture books, catalogs or magazines Scissors Glue or Mod Podge Small paintbrush   Steps: Take your block of wood and sand off the rough edges using sandpaper.You can work with any size block (perhaps you have pieces left over from a birdhouse or furniture project.) Often lumber mills will give away odd ends for free 2. Cut out interesting-looking pictures from older picture books, catalogs or...

Adults Writing

May 21, 2020

As many are during this time, I am cooking more homemade food than ever! I’ve always loved cooking and baking, but now that I have a bit more time at home and am trying to keep my immune system in tip-top shape, I’ve been focusing even more on healthy, homemade meals (but still as tasty as ever!) As someone born with food intolerances to soy, dairy, and egg, (who outgrew them, only to have them reappear after a semester abroad back in college), I’ve always had to be conscious of what I eat and learned early on how to cook most of my meals at home due to safety concerns at restaurants. A few years ago, I was researching nutrition while going through a severe case of mononucleosis and went plant-based to try to...

Adults Books Catalogs and Collections Food Health Resources Websites

May 21, 2020

Check out these revamped book lists for our 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program! "25 Books Your Child Will Love" features favorites that will entertain and delight your child. They also come highly recommended from MCPL youth staff and libraries everywhere. There are also book lists that focus on specific, important concepts like ABCs, numbers, shapes, opposites and colors. Any of these books will keep your child engaged, learning and building pre-reading skills.  The 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program encourages parents and caregivers to read 1,000 books to their child before the child enters kindergarten. Studies show that children who hear 1,000 books or more are more ready to...

Reading Recommendations Children Early Literacy

May 20, 2020

You want to collage - but where to start? Collage can be a great artistic medium to experiment with because it can be anything you want it to be! Collage affords you the ability to be messy, be creative, have fun and not have to focus too much on how “nice” your project looks. The very nature of collage also allows you to more easily cover up any parts of your project that you are unhappy with. There are a few different ways to approach your collage projects, which I'll briefly cover below. Intuitive With intuitive collage, you pull pieces that you’re drawn to, gather them all, and determine if there’s a pattern or a way to bring them all together. To do this, flip through magazines...

Adults Arts and Crafts

May 19, 2020

In order to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 (coronavirus) and its impact on members of the community and our staff, the Marathon County Public Library’s headquarters in Wausau and its branches throughout the county will remain closed to the public through June 15, 2020. We will continue to provide important library services such as contact-free curbside pickup, free Wi-Fi outside of our buildings, online programming and reference phone calls and emails. In addition, due dates and fines are suspended during this time. We are working with county officials, statewide library leadership, and our library system on developing a multi-phase reopening plan that prioritizes public health....

Community COVID-19 Director's Report Government Information Health Resources Library Board Library Branches

May 14, 2020

In light of the recent news that the Wisconsin State Supreme Court has overturned Governor Evers' "Safer at Home" order, the library is gathering information and resources to determine our next steps.  As a county agency, we will be guided by our County Administration and County Health Officer. Keep watching the library's website and social media channels for updates. UPDATE (5/15): Marathon County has published "MARATHON COUNTY COVID-19 ORDER #1." Thank you for your support during these unusual times!   In the meantime, we are still happy to provide a variety of services during our COVID-19 (coronavirus) closure, including the following: Patrons may...

COVID-19 Director's Report Government Information Laws And Legal Issues Libraries Library Branches Community Events On-Site Services Wisconsin

May 13, 2020

A fun craft to do while at home with the family, these egg carton animals are an adorable and a cute way to use empty cardboard egg cartons. Since the craft requires a lot of cutting, it is best for older kids, teens and adults, or smaller children wtih adult supervision and assistance.  We'll show you how to make both a rabbit and a chick, though with a little imagination and ingenuity, you can improvise and make a variety of different animals. For this craft, you'll need...  Supplies: •  1 cardboard egg carton •  Scissors •  Acrylic paints and paintbrushes •  Glue •  1 white Pom Pom •  Other decorations or details you want to add to your animals (feathers, buttons, etc.)   Steps...

Arts and Crafts

May 11, 2020

Schools, libraries and other educational institutions have been closed for months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but some Marathon County Public Library (MCPL) staff members found a way to get much-needed books into the hands of area students during the closure. Over the past several weeks, Stephanie M., a library assistant at MCPL’s Wausau Headquarters, has arranged for children’s books to be donated to local school districts, as well as to the United Way of Marathon County. The donated books were removed from the library’s collection and would normally have been donated to the Friends of the Marathon County Public Library to be sold at one of the group’s quarterly book sales. But since those sales won’t be...

Books Children Community COVID-19 Early Literacy Education Library Staff

May 8, 2020

In March and April, we asked patrons in our communities to submit original works they wrote related to thoughts, feelings and experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. We received submissions from four people, and we are very happy to share three of them – two poems and one piece of short fiction - with the public. (The fourth submission is not included because it didn’t match up with the intent of the community writing project.) Thank you to those who submitted their work, and we hope the rest of you enjoy what they came up with! “COVID-19 Stinks” by Atia Kampstra (Age 7) The sun has gone down and the curtains have closed I sit in a graveyard sobbing so much I might not be able to cry...

Adults Community COVID-19 Events Writing

May 6, 2020

If you're looking for a colorful way to occupy your time, you can craft your own homemade toy that encompass elements of both art and science! Supplies needed: Printed template of circles String (ribbon or twine can also be used) Thin cardboard or heavy cardstock Markers, crayons or colored pencils Glue Scissors Steps: Cut a string to a length of 15 inches. Set aside for later. Print out the template of circles. Using crayons, markers or colored pencils, draw an artistic design of your choosing on each circle. The design can be the same on both circles or different - the choice is yours! Cut out each of the circles. Use a scissors to cut out or puncture the two black dots in the...

Children Arts and Crafts