Check It Out

Public Services Recognition

In the spirit of Public Services Recognition week, we’d like to thank the many people who use our library. You keep us very busy!

We’d also like to take this opportunity to thank all our staff for a job well done. In addition to the people you see every day when you visit the library, there are many more employees that keep library service running smoothly. Our staff select, order, purchase, catalog, label, deliver, and repair the 1.1 million items in our collection, and we work with libraries throughout the South Central Wisconsin area and beyond to share our materials for your benefit. Other staff keep the sidewalks clean, the bathrooms working, the carpet vacuumed, the books shelved, and the holds filled. Still more staff take programs and resources out into the community, working with other city agencies, nonprofit groups, neighborhood associations, local businesses, and funding sources to share library resources with those learning to read, looking for jobs, or wanting to learn more about practically any subject.

And if a library visit isn’t exciting enough, there’s always the Public Services Recognition event on Wednesday, May 7 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Join Mayor Dave Cieslewicz at noon on the steps of City Hall, or stop by the first block of Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. near the Capitol to meet representatives from the Police Department, Fire Department, Metro Transit, and the Streets Department, and some of their equipment.

Public Service Recognition week is a time to help every citizen become more aware of the ways, both direct and indirect, that public services improve the quality of their lives. It is also a chance to highlight our accomplishments, to raise awareness of the good work City employees do every day, and to express appreciation for those efforts. The week offers an opportunity to celebrate the importance of contributions made by Madison’s public servants.

Add comment May 7th, 2008

Get Free Comics on Saturday, May 3

The first Saturday in May is Free Comic Book Day!

As the name implies, Free Comic Book Day is a single day when participating comic book shops across North America and around the world are giving away comic books absolutely free to anyone who comes into their stores.

In addition to comic shops, a selection of the Free Comic Book Day comics will be available at the following Madison Public Library locations, courtesy of Westfield’s Comics and Capital City Comics:

Alicia Ashman Branch
Central Library — in the Youth Services Department, 2nd floor
Meadowridge Branch
Sequoya Branch

Be sure to visit local comic book stores for even more great free comic book titles!

If you are new to comics or returning after not reading them for awhile, some useful links are available here.

Add comment May 1st, 2008

Libraries Closing at 4 p.m. on February 6

Due to extreme weather, all Madison Public Library locations will be closing at 4 p.m. today.  We hope to reopen tomorrow for regular open hours, but will post any updates here.

Even before we close, we recognize that returning library books or picking up holds are not top priority in winter storm weather.  If you were unable to pick up a hold or return an item on time due to weather, please let us know.  Our staff will do their best to credit any late charges or to replace lapsed holds - for today, and all days affected by exceptional weather.

And now is a good time to remind you that:

• any item returned to any book drop before we open is considered returned the previous day.
• you can renew most items online at http://www.madisonpubliclibrary.org (choose “LINKcat”) or via Telecirc at 261-9851. Items must be renewed by 10 p.m. on the day that they are due.
• you can call us or email us or chat online with a librarian if you have a question.

For more closing updates see the City of Madison news releases and the Channel3 web site, or watch your local news.

Add comment February 6th, 2008