No registration necessary, unless specified. We add events often. Make sure you check back for the most up-to-date calendar!
Questions? Please reach out to Melissa, Adult Programming Librarian, at 608-437-5021, ext 4109, or melissa.roelli [at] mounthorebwi.info.
Upcoming Events
Saturday, September 14
Book Giveaway begins at 9am.
The Kick-Off Program, The Global Cold War, begins at 9:30am.
Connect with ideas and your community during our annual Big Read programming series! Each fall we select a title we encourage everyone to read and talk about. We give away 65 books, thanks to the Friends of the Library, and host a variety of programs that expand on the book's themes.
The 2024 Adult Title is Wise Gals by Natalia Holt. This book features the never-before-told story of a small cadre of influential female spies in the precarious early days of the CIA—women who helped create the template for cutting-edge espionage in the treacherous post-WWII era
We recommend arriving early to receive your copy!
“From my experience as Director of the CIA, it was clear that both men and women played critical roles in defending our nation. Unfortunately, history and legend focuses largely on the men who were part of the CIA – “male, pale and Yale” summarized the makeup of early spies. But the reality is that both men and women made up the “silent warriors” who put their lives on the line to gather intelligence. There always were influential female spies who led dangerous missions behind enemy lines. Because of the great research by author Nathalia Holt, their story is finally being told in Wise Gals. Their patriotism will be an inspiration to both men and women who want to serve this country.” –Leon Panetta, former Director of the CIA (2009-11) and U. S. Secretary of Defense (2011-13)
For young readers:
Little Read: Code Breaker, Spy Hunter by Laurie Wallmark
Middle Read: The Enigma Girls by Candace Fleming
Saturday, September 14, 9:30am
Professor Andrey Ivanov, UW-Platteville
Part of our Big Read Programming Series. Open to everyone.
The Cold war, an open but restricted rivalry between The Soviet Union, the United States and their respective allies, lasted nearly 50 years. Dr. Ivanov will give us an overview of this time frame and share what was going on worldwide. Our Big Read book, Wise Gals, is set mostly during the Cold War. This program is a perfect preview of the timeframe the author writes about.
Made possible by Beyond the Page, The Madison Community Foundation and the National Endowment for Humanities.
Thursday, September 26, 6:30pm*
*Registration required. Sign-up opens September 14. Register here.
Part of our Big Read Programming Series. Open to everyone.
Join Pastry Chef Nicole Bujewski, of The Book Kitchen in Mineral Point, as she demonstrates a classic French pastry found in every pâtisserie in France. During the demonstration, Nicole will show how to perfect an Italian meringue, the French technique of macaronage, and a chocolate ganache filling.
During the demonstration, Nicole will provide expert tips, troubleshooting solutions, and a sample after class.
(Why a French baking class? It will make sense when you read the book!)
Allergen-Friendly: Macarons are gluten-free and made with almond flour, eggs, and dairy.
Nicole is a distinguished French-trained pastry chef, celebrated for her skills and innovative culinary creations. Her formal training took place under the tutelage of the renowned Chef Sébastian Canonne, M.O.F., and Chef Jacquy Pfeiffer at the prestigious French Pastry School. It was there that she meticulously honed her craft to perfection, setting the stage for her culinary career. Now living in Mineral Point, Nicole continues to impart her culinary wisdom as the Founder of The Book Kitchen, where she generously shares her knowledge and love for the culinary arts with students and enthusiasts across the globe, creating a bridge between her passions – food, teaching, and literature. She is a founding member of the Greater Madison Chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier International, a prestigious organization that celebrates and supports women in the food, fine beverage, and hospitality industries.
Made possible by Beyond the Page, The Madison Community Foundation and the National Endowment for Humanities.
Monday, September 30, 6:30pm
Presented by Carol Ann Lloyd (Carol Ann visits us via Zoom. We'll meet in the library.)
Part of our Big Read Programming Series. Open to everyone.
It’s time to explore the darker corridors of the royal courts of two of history’s most famous queens: Elizabeth I and Mary Queen of Scots. As the two women navigated a world led mostly by men, they employed a network of “watchers” throughout all levels of European society to gather and use information to secure their power and hold onto their thrones. Once the Queen of Scots came to England, the use of ciphers and codes were used to disguise and distract plans to overthrow Elizabeth and place the Catholic Mary on the throne of England. For many years, alliances were made and shattered among nations and leaders based on gathering, sharing, hiding, and interpreting information. This period, with its spymasters and extensive networks of hidden men and messages is often called the birth of modern espionage, with methods and practices that are similar to those used today. Join us to see how the ability to control information became the most potent tool of the realm and often the only means of survival.
Carol Ann Lloyd is a popular historian and Shakespearian with expertise in Shakespeare, 16th century England, women’s lives, and leadership. She speaks globally for Smithsonian Associates, Agecroft Hall, Royal Oak Foundation, and other organizations, as well as Smithsonian Journeys and on the Queen Mary 2 and other cruise ships. Carol Ann delivers programs for business audiences about leadership, focusing on how today’s leaders can use timeless leadership principles from Shakespeare and history to achieve success in the modern world. Carol Ann is the host of the popular “Royals, Rebels, and Romantics” podcast and is the author of books, including The Tudors by Numbers, Courting the Virgin Queen, How to Build Relationships One Conversation at a Time, and Meaningful Conversations. She holds graduate degrees from the University of Virginia and University of Utah and is doing additional postgraduate work with Oxford University. Carol Ann is a member of National Speakers Association and Immediate Past President of the Washington, DC chapter.
Tuesday, October 1, 10am
The Truth According to Us, Annie Barrows
All welcome to join. Books (including Large Print) are available at the Circulation Desk. Please ask for the Book Club book. Tea and light snacks are provided.
October 1, 6:30pm
Bill Oemichen
Co-sponsored by the Mt. Horeb Chamber of Commerce
Interested in how local government works? How does it relate to county and state government? Who do you contact if you have a concern? UW-Madison Division of Extension Professor of Practice – Law Bill Oemichen will present an interactive one-hour session on how our federal, state and local governments are organized and how all three levels of government can be accessed and leveraged to benefit the Mount Horeb community.
Professor Oemichen is a member of the Local Government Education Program team within the Division of Extension and is President of the New Glarus School Board. Oemichen was elected to four terms on the St. Croix County Board of Supervisors, served as a member of multiple Village of Waunakee committees, and was also active in town government. He previously served as Director of the Wisconsin Office of Preparedness and Emergency Health Care at the Wisconsin Department of Health Services and as the state’s chief Consumer Protection official at the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade & Consumer Protection. Oemichen also served as a senior Minnesota state government official and as a staff member for the Minnesota House and Senate.
Wednesday, October 9, 6:30pm
Professor Yoshiko Herrera
Part of our Big Read Programming Series. Open to everyone.
What was the Red Scare? Why were people so afraid of the USSR? What was the Soviet Union trying to achieve? Professor Herrera sheds a light on an era filled with propaganda, fear and nuclear threats.
Made possible by Beyond the Page, The Madison Community Foundation and the National Endowment for Humanities.
October 15, 1pm
Part of our Big Read Programming Series. Open to everyone.
What causes the wage gap between genders? Do you think you know? Has it changed over time? Join us as watch a video interview of Nobel Prize Winning Economist Claudia Goldin discussing her research on the gender wage gap, and talk about her findings.
Claudia Dale Goldin is an American economic historian and labor economist. She is the Henry Lee Professor of Economics at Harvard University. In October 2023, she was awarded the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences "for having advanced our understanding of women's labor market outcomes.”
October 17-October 30. Many time slots available.
*Registration required. Sign up opens September 14.
Part of our Big Read Programming Series. Open to everyone.
Do you have what it takes to be a CIA operative? Race against the clock to solve the puzzles within, complete your mission and escape! Teams of up to 6 players allowed. The game is geared for ages 12 and up, but younger folks are welcome with adults.
Saturday, October 19, 10am
Chris Sturdevant, Chairman, Midwest Chapter of the Cold War Museum in Washington, D.C.
Part of our Big Read Programming Series. Open to everyone.
As the Cold War gripped the world with fear of espionage and nuclear winter, everyday Wisconsinites found themselves embroiled in the struggle. For decades, the state’s nuclear missiles pointed to the skies, awaiting Soviet bombers. Joseph Stalin’s daughter sought refuge in the small town of Richland Center. With violence in Vietnam about to peak, a cargo ship from Kewaunee sparked a new international incident with North Korea. Manitowoc was ground zero for a Sputnik satellite crash, and four ordinary Madison youths landed on the FBI’s most wanted list after the Sterling Hall Bombing.
Local author and chairman of the Midwest Chapter of the Cold War Museum Chris Sturdevant shares the tales of the Badger State’s role in this titanic showdown between East and West. Chris is a children's librarian who resides in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. His interest in the Cold War began while growing up during the 1980s. Chris studied History and Physics at Carroll University. He is a U.S. Air Force veteran and chairman of the Midwest Chapter of the Cold War Museum in Washington, D.C. In addition, Chris has represented Team USA in master's level track championships on three continents. His travels have taken him to North Korea, Chernobyl and Afghanistan.
