Wonderland Tea Party!

On a no school day, families at Middleton Public Library were treated to a Wonderland Tea Party! Over 60 people attended two sessions held back to back. The tea party included drinks, snacks, crafts, music, a photo backdrop, and more! We borrowed vintage tablecloths, oversized chess pieces, and some of our serving trays from local community members. Kids and adults alike had a blast!

Photo from Middleton Public Library

The best part might be the feedback we got from patrons who participated in this event. One said, "The library's tea party gave us an affordable way to dine out without the stress of the cost and a place to practice using manners with the help of all the staff." 

The library truly is one of the last places where people can just be, where they are invited to spend time without spending money. This was an excellent reminder of how important it is that libraries continue to be that space for people. We offer the opportunities to experience something new for our communities, and sometimes it's nice to be reminded of how important what we do is, even when it seems simple. 

Kelly Starling Lyons is coming to Middleton Public Library!

Photo from Midlibrary.org

The Middleton Public Library is so excited to announce that award winning children's author Kelly Starling Lyons will be visiting the library on Thursday, March 5th at 6pm to share a program called Write the Story Only You can Tell. 

In each of us, there are stories waiting to be told. In this session, Kelly shares her journey to publication and how her life informs the stories she creates. The audience will receive tips on mining their lives for ideas, using their senses to fill stories with meaningful detail and showing instead of telling. Readings and a Q&A are part of this inspiring program.

Kelly Starling Lyons is a founding member of The Brown Bookshelf, a teaching artist, and an award-winning author of more than 30 books for young readers. Among her acclaimed picture books are Caldecott Honor winner Going Down Home with Daddy, Christopher Award winner Tiara's Hat Parade, Anna Dewdney Read-Together Award winner, My Hands Tell a Story, and Bank Street Best Books selection, Sing a Song: How Lift Every Voice & Sing Inspired Generations. Kelly is also the author of three popular series for young people - chapter books starring her characters Jada Jones and Miles Lewis, and the Ty's Travels early readers which won a Geisel Honor for Zip Zoom. She regularly presents to schools, libraries, festivals, and conferences around the country. Learn more at www.kellystarlinglyons.com.

Please join us for this special event!

Register to attend this event here.

Get Messy: Indoor Snow Day!

The Middleton Public Library hosted an indoor snow day this past weekend, and what an amazing time we had! Library staff began collected shredded paper from the community in October, and had just enough to fill one of the small conference rooms at the library. Kids from 0-99 had an absolute blast building piles, having snow fights, and burying their librarians! 

One thing to prepare for...DUST! So much paper dust. We were unprepared for the amount of dust that covered every inch of the room, and us! Was it worth it to hear the squeals and giggles of the over 125 happy kids who attended. Yes! Would we do it again? Ask us in a couple years and we'll see. 

Photos from Middleton Public Library