January 6, 2022

Teen library patrons now have the opportunity to participate in a new challenge called 100 Books Before Graduation! This challenge encourages high school students to read a wide selection of books before they graduate and head on to further education. Progress is logged using the Beanstack app, which is free on the Apple App Store or in the Google Play Store. Rewards are earned for every 20, 50, 70, and 100 books that are read, and rewards include book bags, books, and a gift card upon completion of the program! Any book can count toward the total goal of 100 books! They can be fiction or non-fiction, poetry or prose, published this year or 200 years ago. They can be books that are read for fun and...

Books Education Libraries Reading Recommendations Teens

August 11, 2021

Do your children want to learn more about those who have made substantial contributions to history, and the world? We've put together a reading list of biographies for kids, arranging them by length - short, longer, and longest. We've also included links to two podcasts that also may interest them - Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls and The Past & the Curious. For additional recommendations, call the children's desk at the Marathon County Public Library's Wausau Headquarters at 715-261-7220. 

Books Children Early Literacy Education History Learning Reading Recommendations Tweens

July 22, 2021

The Marathon County Public Library (MCPL) recently purchased over 60 new items for its collection, thanks to a $1,000 grant from the East Asia in Wisconsin Library Program.  The program was created in fall 2020 by the Center for East Asian Studies (CEAS) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, in collaboration with the Wisconsin Library Association, the Cooperative Children’s Book Center, and the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. The goal of the program is to provide public libraries with the funds to purchase East-Asia-related materials to their collections, or to plan programs and events related to East Asia.  MCPL was one of 38 public libraries around the state to be awarded a...

Adults Authors Books Children Education Learning Libraries Library Branches Wausau Headquarters

April 8, 2021

Each year, the month of April is recognized as the National Poetry Month. To celebrate this, we at MCPL wanted to create a program that would inspire young patrons and students to learn more about poetry, and maybe even write a few poems themselves! The idea of a Poet-Tree came about from one of the children’s Library Specialists. She was inspired to create a program for tween and teen patrons to submit poems to display on a tree within the library. What could be more fun than hanging a leaf shaped poem you wrote on a 3D tree? With that thought in mind the mixed media Poet-tree was created! The poems currently being featured on our first-ever Poet-Tree were written by students from within the Wausau...

Children Education National Poetry Month Poetry Tweens Writing

January 6, 2021

The Marathon County Public Library staff is back with more fun for the family and this time, it's all about winter! We've put together a series of stories, crafts and fun facts into one video for you to watch from the convenience and safety of home! We also have instructions for the melted snowman craft you'll see in the video, some ideas for healthy snowman snacks and a sheet for the "Five Little Snowflakes" fingerplay that you'll want to print so you can follow along in the video!

Books Children Early Literacy Education Learning Story Times

November 12, 2020

Many of the leaves have fallen from the trees, but it's still autumn according to the calendar! To celebrate, and to give parents and families some fun things to do and see at home, we've put together a special "Fall Fun for the Family" video with stories and fun facts about animals that can be watched anytime! (Or, like our other virtual stories, multiple times if you really like it!) Before you watch the video, you'll want to download the "Animal Play-Along" sheet included below, and either print it or have it ready to view on your screen, so young ones (and adults) can follow along with Miss Lisa (we'll also tell you in the video when it's time for that part of the fun!) Also available to download...

Books Children Early Literacy Education Learning Story Times

October 22, 2020

Recently, BadgerLink added and updated some of their online resources that are available to library users across the state, including at MCPL. If you aren’t familiar with BadgerLink, it’s the free service for libraries offered by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction that provides a variety of resources for school, home and work.  Updated resources include: Literary Reference Center Plus (upgraded from Literary Reference Center) - this resource offers a collection of literary criticism and reference works MAS Complete (upgraded from MAS Ultra-School Edition) - this resource is designed specifically for high schoolers and features a collection of popular magazines,...

Adults Education Online Resources Technology

September 30, 2020

In recent weeks, the Marathon County Health Department has reported a record number of positive COVID-19 cases. With the number of positive cases continuing to rise locally, and out of an abundance of caution, the Marathon County Public Library has decided to postpone the opening of its Student Learning Lab until further notice. The lab was originally set to open October 5. Students in need of high-speed Internet access can still make an appointment to use a computer at any of the nine MCPL locations across the county. For more information on making a computer appointment, click here. Do you have a child that needs a quiet place to study? Or do you have an unpredictable internet connection...

Community COVID-19 Education Learning Libraries On-Site Services Technology Teens Tweens Wausau Headquarters

August 21, 2020

If you’re one of the many families that have considered – or who have already committed to – homeschooling your child this fall, you may be wondering what you can use to facilitate your teaching. Or, maybe you’ve homeschooled your children for years but are looking for some new supplemental materials to take your lessons to the next level. Either way, the Marathon County Public Library (MCPL) is here to help. As we get closer and closer to starting a school year unlike any other before, many parents have been filled with questions and concerns over their kids’ education. If your children will be homeschooled this year, or learning completely virtually, MCPL has a slew of newly-purchased materials that will...

Adults Books Catalogs and Collections Education Learning

August 18, 2020

A lot of events in the news recently, including that regarding institutional racism and the protests held by the Black Lives Matter movement and other groups, can bring up a lot of questions. It did for me, even as an adult. Why is this happening? What happened in the past, and how did we get here? Those questions got me thinking about other social issues we’re currently facing right now, including immigration and transphobia. Why is life hard for so many immigrants, when we’re an entire nation of them? What’s the difference between gender and sexuality? As you start to examine history, you start to see that it’s a story created and controlled by the winners of wars and other conflicts. This got me...

Books Community E-books Education Reading Recommendations Teens

August 15, 2020

Found in a bright orange case, you may have checked out Playaways or Playaway Views in the past, which are similar to audiobooks. Or maybe a Playaway Book Pack, that allows children to listen to a book while following the worlds on the page. Now, MCPL is offering a fun new technology from Playaway: Playaway Launchpads! Similar to a tablet, Launchpads contain pre-loaded apps on a variety of subjects, including math, animals, puzzles and logic, learning foreign languages and more. These apps contain a mixture of learning-based games and activities, helping your child learn important concepts while having fun at the same time. Each Launchpad is geared for different age ranges and grade levels, which helps make...

Children Early Literacy Education Language Learning Learning Technology

July 6, 2020

Even though its summer, now is a great time to prepare for the ACT, PSAT or the SAT! The Grandview Heights Public Library in Ohio will be offering a fast paced ACT prep course on July 11 form 12-4:30 (CDT). Taking a test preparation course is a great way to prepare for these tests. Even though this course will focus on the ACT, this prep course will help prepare you for both the PSAT and the SAT.  Follow the link below to register for the course, and GOOD LUCK!   ACT CRASH COURSE Date: Sat, July 11, 2020  Time: 12p-4:30p ONLINE, Central time  For: High school students. Cost: FREE Length: 4 hours of online instruction (plus 30-minute break midway through the...

Computer Classes Education Learning Online Resources Teens

May 11, 2020

Schools, libraries and other educational institutions have been closed for months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but some Marathon County Public Library (MCPL) staff members found a way to get much-needed books into the hands of area students during the closure. Over the past several weeks, Stephanie M., a library assistant at MCPL’s Wausau Headquarters, has arranged for children’s books to be donated to local school districts, as well as to the United Way of Marathon County. The donated books were removed from the library’s collection and would normally have been donated to the Friends of the Marathon County Public Library to be sold at one of the group’s quarterly book sales. But since those sales won’t be...

Books Children Community COVID-19 Early Literacy Education Library Staff

April 4, 2020

Hundreds of free, instructor-led courses on a variety of subjects are available to patrons of the Marathon County Public Library! New classes start April 15! If, as you read this, you are one of the many folks currently at home due to precautions over the COVID-19 pandemic, you're probably looking for options for keeping yourself occupied and keeping your brain active. Through the Wisconsin Valley Library Service consortium, MCPL patrons have access to hundreds of online courses with Gale Courses. These are instructor-led, six-week classes on subjects ranging from business and finance to computer programming and law to writing and photography. In 2019, I gave the screenwriting course a try because, why...

Education Learning Online Resources Technology

January 23, 2018

If you happen to receive a postcard in the mail like the one pictured here, you're one of the more than 20,000 Marathon County residents who will receive a new address as part of Marathon County's new Uniform Addressing System. This means that later this year (between April and November 2018), residents, business owners and landowners in 41 different Marathon County municipalities will receive a new six-digit uniform address, with a goal of helping emergency services provide the right service to the right place at the right time.  Some residents may feel overwhelmed by the fact they will be receiving a new address, but Marathon County is committed to helping people through this change....

Community Education Technology Uniform Addressing

February 21, 2017

So, let’s say you’re a teen and you need a place to work on a poster or on a group project. Someplace where you can chat while you work or can take a break to do something else when you just can’t look at your homework one more second. The Marathon County Public Library knows that teens need a place all their own to hang out and be, well, teens! Enter Teen Time. With our Wausau Headquarters’ current second floor remodel, our TeenZone was relocated and lost a bit of space, but don’t let that stop you from coming to the library!  Twice monthly, we’ll offer teens a place to do whatever they need to do – work on homework and projects, socialize, learn new hobbies and skills, and more. Every two weeks we...

Teens Education Events

October 20, 2016

It’s mid-October and the school year is well underway, with teachers handing out homework to reinforce the skills they teach their students in the classroom. Reading homework is just as important as homework in any other class and is a skill used time and time again throughout a person’s life. Most adults have likely been reading so long that it’s hard to remember what it was like to struggle through a sentence. Carolyn Wilhelm at the website Cult of Pedagogy has some great tips for parents when it comes to reading homework. Reading homework often requires a parent to listen to a child as he or she reads aloud. For older children, reading homework may consist of reading for a number of set minutes each day...

Reading Recommendations Education Learning Children

December 11, 2013

Need help finding resources for your National History Day project?  The Marathon County Public Library Reference Desk staff at MCPL Wausau are always ready to help you with your research. Contact the MCPL Wausau Reference Desk at 715-261-7230 to make an appointment with one of our reference desk staff for personalized help and recommended resources for your topic. Appointments are recommended, but not necessary. If you can't make it to the library, you may email ref@mcpl.us, chat with us online or take a look at some of our recommended online resources. How to access MCPL’s Online Resources for your research: Go to the Marathon County Public Library Website: www.mcpl.us Find “...

Teens Education National History Day