Summer 2013
Foundation
MADISON PUBLIC LIBRARY a quarterly newsletter from the Madison Public Library Foundation
FOUNDATION NEWS 2013 Wisconsin Book Festival October 17 - 20… and then some! The Wisconsin Book Festival is settling into its new home with a fresh direction, centralized venues, and an enthusiastic event coordinator, Conor Moran. “About half of the events will take place in the beautiful spaces at the new Central Library to give the festival a geographical home,” says Moran. “As always, the audience will see a mix of Wisconsin’s literary talents as well as some of the national voices that can contribute to the Wisconsin conversation.”
More than 50 programs incorporating literature, spoken word, art, and performance will take place October 17 - 20, but the festival doesn’t stop there. Wisconsin Book Festival programming will take place in branch libraries and other venues all year long. This past April, the book festival partnered with UW-Madison’s Office of Multicultural Arts Initiatives for events featuring authors Adam Mansbach and H. Samy Alim. Mansbach featured his New York Times bestseller at Bedtime Stories, in an adults-only story time, and Alim addressed language and racial politics at Articulate While Black. In May, award-winning journalists and authors of More Than They Bargained For, Jason Stein and Patrick Marley, shared their inside account of the 2011 - 2012 struggle over collective bargaining in Madison. David Rhodes also debuted Jewelweed, the follow-up to his 2008 novel Driftless, at Sequoya Branch.
Stay in the Know: Follow Wisconsin Book Festival on Facebook and Twitter , or sign up for email updates on the library’s website. OMAI Director Willie Ney, author Adam Mansbach, and Library Director Greg Mickells at Bedtime Stories
Author, Musican Ben Sidran to Speak at Lunch for Libraries, June 11 A man of many talents, Ben Sidran is an internationally known musician, award-winning show host, and acclaimed author with a Ph.D in philosophy and musicology. His thesis on African-American culture and music in the United States became his first book, Black Talk, published in 1971. Many years, dozens of albums, and a few books later, Sidran began writing There Was a Fire: Jews, Music, and the American Dream. Sidran will discuss There Was a Fire at the foundation’s Lunch for Libraries: Off-beat with Ben fundraiser in support of the Wisconsin Book Festival.
“Having a book festival in Madison is essential because it gathers so many different perspectives in one space. These individual voices contribute collectively to the Wisconsin Idea that we value so much.” -Ben Sidran
“Having a book festival in Madison is essential because it gathers so many different perspectives in one space,” said Sidran, who spoke at last year’s event. “These individual voices contribute collectively to the Wisconsin Idea that we value so much.” Hear what else Ben has to say at Lunch for Libraries. A limited number of tickets are available at mplfoundation.org.
Ben Sidran performing in France in 2011 Photo: bensidran.com
FOUNDATION NEWS Inquiring Minds Your Questions Answered
We Want to Know... We asked our Facebook friends: What are you looking forward to reading this summer and why?
Q: How do you place a value on public library services?
Dry by Augusten Burroughs. His style is irreverent, bold, and I find myself laughing out loud at his wry observations. The perfect read for fans of dark comedy. Also, since he’s a memoirist there is certainly weight to the narrative.
Al Friedman Foundation President
A study commissioned by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction that looked at the direct economic contribution made by public libraries to the Wisconsin economy and the market value of library services determined that the return on investment for every tax payer dollar spent on public libraries in Wisconsin was $4.06. The value of each type of library service to a library user was measured in terms of what it would cost users to buy the same services in an open marketplace. Take books, for example. The average cost of a hardcover children’s book is over $19. Adult fiction titles average more than $28 per book. Free book loan, of course, isn’t the only service the library provides; you can rent music, movies or your favorite periodical. Did you know you can even check out a piece of framed artwork? Recently, when a longtime patron learned that he could check out books on his eReader, he decided to make a donation to the foundation on the spot because of all the money he was going to save by getting future eBooks from the library. And the value of the Madison Public Library doesn’t stop at its physical materials. In 2012 alone, library patrons used its public meeting spaces over 6,000 times and logged onto the Internet more than 682,000 times. Perhaps you were not among those using these services, but many people rely on them.
Cedric Johnson
I’m excited to read Birds of A Lesser Paradise by Megan Mayhew Bergman. I keep hearing rave reviews, and I really like short stories. Trent Miller
I’m excited about David Sedaris’ Let’s Explore Diabetes With Owls. Of course, I can’t just read it; I also have to check out the audiobook, as Sedaris’ dry readings are sure to make the experience even more squeamishly delightful! Tami Belden
I’m looking forward to finishing the second installment of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire because imaginative fiction provides me with a reprieve from all of the technical communication that I perform each day. Padraic Casserly
I need to push myself to more fresh fruit & veggies. So Jonathan Safran Foer’s Eating Animals is up next.
As a donor to the Madison Public Library Foundation, you know your library offers something that can’t be bought in any other single place. We thank you for your support and for believing in the value of our public libraries. Nancy McCulley
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A newsletter published quarterly by
Madison Public Library Foundation, Inc. Executive Director
Jennifer J. Collins 201 W. Mifflin Street Madison, Wisconsin 53703 608.266.6318 mplfoundation.org info@mplfoundation.org
Newsletter Editor
Courtney Davis
Contributing Writers
Tana Elias
Newsletter Designer
Rebecca Curran
Madison Public Libraries • Alicia Ashman 733 N. High Point Rd. • Hawthorne 2707 E. Washington Ave. • Lakeview 2845 N. Sherman Ave. • Meadowridge 5740 Raymond Rd. • Monroe Street 1705 Monroe St. • Pinney 204 Cottage Grove Rd. • Sequoya 4340 Tokay Blvd. • Goodman South Madison 2222 S. Park St. • Central Library Interim Location 126 S. Hamilton St.
Book Club Corner: Meet the Lakeview Branch Library Noon Book Club
Early Donors give $50K to Book Fest
The Lakeview Branch Library Noon Book Club is open to anyone, though most members live in the branch’s Northside neighborhood. The group meets on the second Thursday of the month at – you guessed it - 12 PM. Madison alderwoman Anita Weier leads the discussions, which are often lively due to this well-read group’s fascinating life experiences. What book are you currently reading? Radioactive: Marie and Pierre Curie, A Tale of Love and Fallout by Lauren Redniss What author would you like to have as a book club guest? Barbara Ehrenreich, Stephen King, David Maraniss, Jodi Picoult If you could host book club anywhere, where would it be? Right here in the Lakeview Library in Madison If you could invite any person to join your book club, who would it be? Barbara Dimick, Dick Cavett, Michelle Obama, Bob Costas
Since January, the Madison Public Library Foundation has secured over half of the $100,000 it pledged to raise for the 2013 Book Festival, in large part thanks to a $25,000 gift from presenting sponsor Madison Community Foundation. “Our libraries provide great opportunities to learn and connect academically, socially and culturally,” said Bob Sorge, president of Madison Community Foundation. “The Madison Public Library system is a natural home for the Wisconsin Book Festival and we are really pleased to facilitate the transition of the festival from the Wisconsin Humanities Council to MPL.” The Wisconsin Humanities Council, as the founder of the book festival, has also pledged $10,000. Additional gifts from Alliant Energy Foundation, Inc., UW-Madison Memorial Library, Madison Arts Commission, Great Dane Pub & Brewing Company and Webcrafters-Frautschi Foundation bring the total raised to over $50,000. Book lovers and festival-goers are also encouraged to make individual gifts on the foundation website. Look for the Book Festival Program this fall from the Isthmus, the festival’s official Media Sponsor.
The Lakeview Branch Noon Book Club
Congratulations to the Lakeview Branch Noon Book Club! They’ve won a gift card to Barriques. If you’d like to be entered in the drawing for next quarter’s newsletter, send an email to newsletter@mplfoundation.org including a brief description of your book club and your answers to the four questions above.
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LIBRARY NEWS
From the Director’s Desk Construction and Expansion Gregory Mickells Director of Madison Public Library
One may think that overseeing the completion of a renovated central library would be sufficient in my first year on the job. But when an opportunity comes along to improve the delivery of library services, you just add it to your plate. That opportunity came in the form of expansion of the Meadowridge Library in the Meadowood Shopping Center, which was approved by the Common Council on April 16.
Food for the Mind and the Body Whole Foods Gives “Seeds to Read” To celebrate Earth Month, “We love to support Whole Foods Madison paired up with the foundation to initiatives like this that are help Madisonians recycle their smart environmentally books. Anyone who brought and beneficial to the in their used books received community.” a packet of seeds to make the -Caitlin Way planet a little greener. The books will go to the Friends of Madison Public Library to be sold in used book sales, with proceeds benefitting the library. “Spring cleaners responsibly disposed of their books and grew their gardens. Now, book browsers can rediscover those books, and help grow the library with their purchases. Everyone wins,” said Caitlin Way of Whole Foods. “We love to support initiatives like this that are smart environmentally and beneficial to the community.”
The project will increase the branch’s space by 42% with 3,138 square feet of shared space with the Madison School & Community Recreation (MSCR)’s Meadowood Neighborhood Center. This will allow the library and the neighborhood center to develop collaborative programs benefitting both organizations and better serve neighborhood residents. Join us at Meadowridge Library for one of three public meetings with architects Engberg Anderson as we discuss what services, spaces, and technologies would best meet the needs of our Meadowridge Library neighbors. Can’t make a meeting? Feel free to share your thoughts with library staff in person, via the library’s website or social media, or contact Meadowridge Branch Manager Alice Oakey at 288-6160 or aoakey@scls.lib.wi.us. Library Staff are excited to explore ways to further collaborate with the Meadowood Neighborhood Center through shared space, and are looking forward to offering an expanded floor plan and service program, including a dedicated teen services librarian and more computing capacity. The new library is expected to be ready by Spring 2014.
Meadowridge Library Public Meetings Listening Session
May 9, 6:30-8:30 PM
Options Evaluations June 6, 6:30-8:30 PM
Preferred Option Review June 20, 6:30-8:30 PM
Aaron from Whole Foods gives out seeds in exchange for old books
Head over to Whole Foods on Wednesday, August 28 for grilling and library activities for the whole family. Be sure to do your Labor Day weekend shopping while you’re there. Whole Foods will donate proceeds from the cookout and 5 percent of the day’s sales to Learning for a Lifetime: The Community Campaign for a New Central Library.
Foundation and Friends Working Together If you’ve made a purchase at one of the Monroe Street Library League book sales or a donation to their fundraising campaigns, you know that your funds have helped build your branch library. What you may not know is that the foundation plays a role in making that possible.
“This partnership enables both groups to capitalize on their strengths to achieve our shared goal. We all want to see this branch flourish.” -Orange Schroeder
As the league’s fiscal sponsor and a 501(c)3 nonprofit, the Madison Public Library Foundation collects those donations, ensuring that 100 percent of the funds go back to the Monroe Street Branch tax-free. The foundation also assists in handling the group’s memberships and mailing lists, allowing the group to focus on what they do best – building community support for their neighborhood branch. “This partnership enables both groups to capitalize on their strengths to achieve our shared goal,” says Orange Schroeder, president of the Monroe Street Library League, “We all want to see this branch flourish.”
LIBRARY NEWS Celebrate Summer with Baseball, Books, and the Botanical Gardens First Pitch, June 1 The Madison Mallards know the score: Summer reading’s a hit! Meet the players, get your photo with Maynard, and enjoy special library programs on Saturday, June 1. 9:30 - 10:30 AM, Alicia Ashman Library Have “Donuts with Dad” and your favorite Mallards players. 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM, Pinney Library Featuring a sing-along story time with the Mallards to “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.”
Is your bike ready for Summer? Ask DreamBikes On Saturday, May 4, bikers of all ages had their bikes “It’s about giving people the and helmets checked by tools they need to succeed.” DreamBikes, then tested their - Erik Lee riding skills in a parking lot rodeo at Alicia Ashman Branch. DreamBikes is a nonprofit that establishes used bikes stores in vulnerable communities that employ local teens, teaching them valuable skills related to computer systems, bicycle repair, customer service, and sales. “In the same way that the library seeks to improve our communities by giving access to information, we look to improve the lives of teens by creating opportunity,” said Erik Lee of DreamBikes. “It’s about giving people the tools they need to succeed.” DreamBikes stores sell affordable bikes, offer reasonably priced tune-ups, and conduct free safety checks.
Madison Bicycle Safety Coordinator Steve Meiers fits a helmet
Missed the last bike rodeo? Catch DreamBikes at Pinney Branch on May 25. Don’t forget your bike!
Don’t miss bubbles at the Dig into Reading Concert & Picnic on August 6
Dig into Reading Concert & Picnic, August 6 From 6 - 8 PM Tuesday August 6, pack a picnic supper and head to Olbrich Botanical Gardens for a fun-filled family concert. Play with bubbles from Diane Schwartz’s Get Kids Outside followed by a live performance from Duke Otherwise. Get your toes tapping while you munch! Admission is free for all events.
Summer Reading: Not Just for Kids Summer is here! It’s time to get outside, be active, and Dig into Reading with Madison Public Library’s summer reading program. We all remember summer reading: maybe as the kid under the covers with a flashlight well past bedtime or the teenager scrambling to finish The Great Gatsby before the first day of high school English. Whatever your reason for reading during the balmy months ahead, Madison Public Library will make it fun – and not just for kids!
Kids boogie down at last year’s summer reading event at Olbrich Gardens
Now the whole family can get in on the action as part of three different summer reading clubs with unique prizes for children, teen and adult participants. Visit reading.madisonpubliclibrary.org to register beginning June 1.
Central Roof Goes From Grey to Green On May 13, a flatbed full of green sedum plants was delivered to the Central Library construction site. These plants will cover the library’s roof, absorbing rainwater and helping insulate the building. It will also provide library-goers a lush overlook as they sip coffee or enjoy a book in the sun on the third floor outdoor patio. The green roof, complete with solar panels, and other environmentally-friendly features throughout the building are being funded thanks to a $250,000 gift from MG&E Foundation. In addition to creating renewable energy, a complete gutting and upgrading of the heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems will drastically increase energy efficiency, decreasing annual costs by 35.8 percent (approximately $85,000 a year). Learn more at mynewlibrary.org/going-green. The Findorff crew covers Central’s roof with pre-planted sedum trays.
Fuel Your Brain and the Campaign with Barriques Coffee “Brain Fuel,” a traditional Viennese blend of medium and dark roasts, will hit Barriques shelves in June. This coffee is medium-bodied, chocolatey and rich, with a deep roasty note, and $1 of each pound sold goes to the Learning for a Lifetime campaign.
A quarterly newsletter from the Madison Public Library Foundation mplfoundation.org 201 W. Mifflin Street Madison, WI 53703
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