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October 2023Welcome, Fall! Dark nights and rainy afternoons have us ready to spend more time inside, and we’ve got a wide variety of fantastic events for you to choose from this month. Whether you’re a fan of baking, gardening, crafting, reading, history, or music, we’ve got you covered! |
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October events |
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Author presentation: Enslaved, Indentured, FreeJoin local historian Mary Elise Antoine for a presentation about her latest book, Enslaved, Indentured, Free: Five Black Women on the Upper Mississippi, 1800-1850.
The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 made slavery illegal in the territory that would later become Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, and part of Minnesota. However, many Black individuals’ rights were denied by white enslavers who continued to hold them captive in the territory well into the nineteenth century. Enslaved, Indentured, Free shines a light on five extraordinary Black women—Marianne, Mariah, Patsey, Rachel, and Courtney—whose lives intersected in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, during these seminal years. Whether through perseverance, self-purchase, or freedom suits—including one suit that was used as precedent in Dred and Harriet Scott’s freedom suits years later—each of these women ultimately secured her freedom, thanks in part to the bonds they forged with one another. |
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🍪 (Cookie) Bar CrawlHave a tried-and-true potluck recipe for bars? Maybe you found a new recipe on Pinterest that you can’t wait to try out. Bring a 9x13 pan of bars plus the recipe and spend an afternoon socializing with other bakers and trying their desserts. Stop by the Library to pick up a disposable pan to use. Registration recommended. |
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🌵 Fall plant swapDid your flower garden produce extra bulbs or seeds that are looking for a new home? Do you have an accumulation of empty pots waiting to be given away? Drop off plants, seeds, bulbs, hand trowels, and any other plant gadgets that you no longer want at your house, and add some variety to your garden with new-to-you plants. |
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📄 Paper shreddingJust in time for Citywide Fall Clean-up, we’re partnering with Southwest Opportunities Center to host our fall shredding drop-off. Limit of 2 grocery bags or 1 bankers box of papers per person.
Southwest Opportunities Center (SOC), Lancaster WI, provides programming, employment, and services for adults with disabilities who live in Grant County and Southwest Wisconsin. SOC also provides production, assembly, and cleaning services to businesses in the area. |
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📚📚📚 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten PartyWhether you and your child are currently reading 1000 books, finished reading 1000 books, or want to find out how to sign up for 1000 Books Before Kindergarten, you’re invited to celebrate your early readers with us! |
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Why should you sign up for 1000 Books Before Kindergarten? With every book that you and your child read together, you’re launching your child’s learning – and learning begins long before kindergarten. The 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program is an easy way to give your child a great jump start. Plus, when you’ve reached 500 and 1,000 books you’ll get a special prize! |
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🍼 Community Baby ShowerWe’re partnering with the Platteville Elks Lodge to host a Community Baby Shower. Join us in the Children's Space at the library for free diapers, children's books, snacks, and more. All are welcome. Collection bins will also be at the library starting October 2 for anyone interested in donating items. |
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🍬 Sweet Treats on MainStop by the library for a delicious treat and some spooky fun during Platteville’s annual Sweet Treats on Main.
We know that all of the noise, activity, walking, and candy that’s part of Sweet Treats can be fun yet overwhelming for kids and parents alike, so we’ll also be hosting a Calming Room for your family to reset. |
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🎵 Sound of musicLocal musician Lou Oswald will be teaching grade school kids how to play the harmonica at our Harmonica Jamboree. The first 12 registered participants will get a free genuine Hohner Harmonica! |
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🧟 Let’s get crafty (for kids)Our perennially popular Frankentoys program is back. Bring out your inner evil scientist and reassemble some old toys into new monsters. |
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🧶Let’s get crafty (for adults)Unwind: We’ll make the tea, you bring the conversation and a project to work on. Drop in the first Wednesday of the month to enjoy the company of fellow crafters.
Make it Midweek Haunted Thrift Shop Art: This month we’re jumping on a TikTok trend and painting ghosts, bats, and monsters on vintage postcards to make haunted works of art. |
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✂️ Let’s get crafty (on your own)Planning your winter craft projects? Creativebug is available online with your library card and contains thousands of award-winning art and craft video classes taught by recognized design experts and artists. |
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🎈 Afterschool funFollowing fantastic events last spring, a new batch of local university students is planning a series of fun drop-in program for young children, grade school children, and teens in October and November. Check the Library calendar for program themes. |
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💥 Teen Anime ClubListen up, teen anime fans! Join us for fun, food, and fandom as we eat snacks and watch anime. |
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🧸 Fall storytimeFamily storytime is at the Library through the first week of November. Drop in with a stuffed animal friend and join us Monday mornings for stories, songs, and activities. |
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🕮 Let’s talk booksStop by the library to pick up a copy of one of this month’s book club titles: |
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🌳 Delve into the pastDig up some history in your own family tree. Trade tips, share stories, and learn about resources for doing your own research into the past at our monthly Genealogy Table. |
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📰 Platteville 100 years agoDid you know that you can search digitized local historical newspapers on the Library’s computers? Here’s a look at a few of our favorite headlines from the front page of The Platteville Journal on October 31, 1923: New Bowling Alley: Plans are being made and preparations started for a very fine bowling alley in this city. The new place will be in the basement of the Hoppe building and is now being made ready for occupancy. Receives Letter From Pres. Coolidge: Charlton Beck, formerly of Platteville and well known here, now of Detroit, Michigan, has the distinction of having received a letter from the President of the United States. Building and Loan Now Assured: The Building & Loan Association, which as been under way for some weeks, is now assured, sufficient stock having been subscribed to carry it through. October Snow Blankets City: Jack Frost, headliner in Father Time’s annual production “When Winter Comes,” did his stuff Monday night and all southern Wisconsin awoke Tuesday morning in a winter setting.
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📅 Happy Hispanic Heritage Month! ¡Feliz mes de la herencia hispana! Looking for ways to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month? Our two Outreach Coordinators, Mela and Maggie, have been working with our local Hispanic communities and have these suggestions for you: Every other week, a new story in Spanish is posted to our Library's Dial-A-Story number. Call 877-907-8081 to hear a variety of children's stories read by our children's librarians and volunteers. Every other month we get different books in Spanish through the Southwest Wisconsin Library System in addition to our permanent world language collection. We have toddler books, picture books, teen books, and adult fiction and non-fiction books. Looking for a great read to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month? Check out our Recommended Reading list.
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🏪 Small Business PassportWe’re gearing up for our fourth annual Small Business Passport to celebrate our amazing local small businesses! If your small business would like to participate in this year’s event (November 20 - December 20), fill out our online form to sign up.
What you’re responsible for: What we’ll do: Include your business name on our Small Business Passport, our physical posters, and our online posts Provide stickers for you to use on participant’s passports Encourage participants to visit your business to get their passports “stamped” Provide small prizes for all participants and a grand prize for winning participants
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⛔ ClosingsThe Library will be closed Friday, October 6 for staff in-service. The Library will be closed Friday, November 10 for Veterans Day (observed). The Library will be open on Saturday, November 11. |
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🔮 Looking aheadKeep an eye out for our November events, including: |
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