Adults

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Monday, August 17, 6:30pm

Guest speaker: Amber Wichowsky, Associate Professor of Public Affairs and Leadership Wisconsin Endowed Chair for the Division of Extension, University of Wisconsin-Madison

In today's world, conversations can quickly become tense, emotional, or polarized. Whether in the workplace, community, or personal life, many people find themselves navigating difficult discussions. Join Amber Wichowsky, Associate Professor at UW-Madison, for a workshop on facilitating difficult discussions. She'll make the case for why pluralism matters for individual and community thriving, then guide participants through strategies for engaging disagreement productively, finding common ground, and surfacing new ways of thinking about old problems

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Tuesday, September 1, 10am

The Undoing Project: The Friendship That Changed our Minds, Michael Lewis

Everyone is welcome at our monthly book club. We meet the 1st Tuesday of most months (Not in November) from 10-11am. Light refreshments are provided. Pick up a copy of the month's title at the Circulation Desk. Large print is available.

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Saturday, September 12, 9am

2026 Selection: This Vast Enterprise, A New History of Lewis & Clark, Craig Fehrman

Each year the library selects books they encourage everyone to read and talk about. Called the Big, Middle and Little Reads, this multi-faceted programming series is a great way to connect with people and topics. Thanks to the Friends of the Mt. Horeb Public Library, copies of the books will be given away Saturday, September 12 beginning at 9am.  Quantities are limited. One book per person. Arriving early is recommended. Though Large Print is not available this year, we have a small number of kindles preloaded with the book we will check out during this series.  Can't make it on Giveaway Day? You can call us, beginning Sept 12, to request one. (There is a limited number, so no guarantees!) 

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Wednesday, September 16, 1pm

Presenters join us virtually, we'll meet at the library. 

Brigit Rooney & William McShae,
Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute

From 1804-1806, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark took part in an expedition that reshaped our collective understanding of the North American continent. The resulting maps, sketches and journals shaped early scientific understanding of North American wildlife and biodiversity. 

More than 200 years later, Smithsonian ecologists are returning to Lewis and Clark’s historic route, installing camera traps to document wildlife across those same landscapes. The project will unite scientists and the public by providing detailed information about the abundance, distribution, and behavior of wildlife. The resulting data will support land managers, researchers, and community scientists in understanding long-term changes in American biodiversity and informing conservation efforts along this nationally significant corridor. 

Join biologists Brigit Rooney and Bill McShae to discover some preliminary data and learn more about this incredible project.

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Saturday, September 19, 10 am

Unpasteurized Inga: Recipes and Reflections on Food, Farming, and Finding Your Way Back
Book Talk and Cooking Demonstration

Join author and farmer Inga Orth for a cooking demonstration and conversation featuring a recipe from her new cookbook. Inga will prepare creamy polenta made with Wisconsin-grown corn and her own farmstead cheddar whi

"I’m Inga, a fourth-generation dairy farmer, licensed Wisconsin cheesemaker, and co-owner of St. Isidore’s Dairy. For years, I was the host of a national farm-to-table television series. On camera, it looked like I was living the dream. Behind the scenes? I was silently unraveling. Burnout, people-pleasing, and unhealed family patterns nearly took me down. I had to step away from the life I’d built to finally figure out who I really was — and what I wanted to fight for.Now, I speak honestly and unapologetically about mental health, boundaries, and burnout in rural life."

Monday, September 21, 6:30pm

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Dr. Eugene Tesdahl, UW-Platteville

Though you've likely heard of the Louisiana Purchase, chances are you haven't thought about it in years—if ever. But this landmark land deal reshaped the future of the United States, transformed the lives of the Indigenous nations who called these lands home, and forever changed the course of early Wisconsin. Join Professor Eugene Tesdahl as he offers a fascinating glimpse into this pivotal moment in history.

 Dr. Eugene Tesdahl is a farm kid, originally from a town of 2000 people. He serves as professor and chair of the Department of History and Social Sciences at UW-Platteville in Platteville, Wisconsin. He teaches courses on Indigenous history, early American history, women’s history, social studies teaching methods, and public history. Tesdahl holds a BA in history from Luther College (Decorah, Iowa), an MA in history from Miami University (Oxford, Ohio), and a Ph.D. in history from the University of Colorado at Boulder. He welcomes all into a dialogue about the complex legacy of the Louisiana Purchase after 223 years. 

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Tuesday, September 22, 6:30pm

Part of our Disagree Better Series. 

Guest speaker: Katherine Cramer, Natalie C. Holton Chair of Letters & Science and the Virginia Sapiro Professor of Political Science at UW–Madison.

More info coming soon.

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Monday, September 28, 5:30pm (Note earlier than usual start time.) 

A lot of ideas, strategies and action steps were generated in our community discussion in July. Now it's time to put these ideas into action!  What will happen at this meeting?  This is where we, the planning folks, hand the reins over to YOU.  Our hope is that you form a planning committee, or team that will lead the efforts.  There are so many opportunities to help - whether that's taking on a specific task, coordinating activities, connecting with organizations and people, or serving on a committee. Even a small contribution can make a big difference!

All are welcome, even if you didn't attend the community conversation. There is room for you at the table!

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Thursday, October 1, 1pm

Hasan Davis, author, living history interpreter

*Hasan Davis joins us virtually. We'll meet in the library.

This powerful living history play describes the heroic leadership and sacrifices made by York, an enslaved Kentuckian who was the only Black member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition from 1803 to 1806. Hasan has presented to groups ranging from corporations, colleges, historical organizations, public libraries, schools, prisons, to churches in over 37 states. A G.E.D. recipient, Davis earned a Bachelor’s degree from Berea College and a Law Degree from the University of Kentucky College of Law. He lives in Berea, Kentucky with his wife Dreama Gentry and their children Malcolm and Christopher. Through his performances, Hasan invites audiences to see themselves in history, sparking reflection on the critical role that individual and collective actions play in shaping a more just future.