Now @ MPL...

Milwaukee Public Library has been working with Uihlein Wilson Architects to renovate the Central Library Drive-Through. There have been no significant changes to the Drive-Through since it was originally completed in 1956.

The project will include improvements to the interior layout and functionality which include: an automated materials handling system, improvements to glazing and lighting to increase energy efficiency and reduce energy costs, and a new canopy (among other things). Construction is expected to begin early this month and reopening will occur in the fall.

The state of Wisconsin's ACCESS (Access to Eligibility Support Services for Health & Nutrition) web site provides a quick and easy way for Wisconsinites to find out whether they might be able to get help through the state's health and nutrition programs. Taking a fifteen minute survey will help determine whether a state resident is eligible for food assistance, prescription drug assistance, low or no-cost health care and tax assistance.

Access to ACCESS is available via the Milwaukee Public Library website's Health & Medicine reference links.

Join the Friends of the Milwaukee Public Library in welcoming author Elizabeth Wright to Centennial Hall on Thursday, July 15, at 7:00 p.m. Wright, the granddaughter of Frank Lloyd Wright, will speak about her book Dear Bob, Dear Betty --the love story of her parents which developed by correspondence during the Great Depression.

In 1932, Llewellyn Wright (Bob), Frank Lloyd Wright's youngest child, whose adolescence was marked by the public scandals surrounding his father's private life, is struggling to begin a private law practice in Chicago. Elizabeth Kehler (Betty), daughter of a Chicago artist, is working as an intake counselor at the Milwaukee Vocational School. Their fervent correspondence over a 10-month courtship is witty, sassy and poignant, as they grapple with their passionate feelings and try to create a financially stable marriage.

For more information, please call (414) 286-8720, or email Friends@mpl.org.

As the summer heat slogs on and the population of Milwaukee moves outside, those pesky critters known as mosquitoes appear to make our lives miserable. These insects from the Culicidae family are not only annoying, but are also disease vectors. Fortunately, you can learn more about mosquitoes and how to control them through the Badgerlink databases with a valid library card! Simply plug in your search terms in the "Search Databases" box at the top of the screen. Not only will results appear in the center of the screen, but you can limit your search to different databases by clicking on the links on the left hand side of the screen. You can find scientific articles about mosquitoes, or look for hints on how to control them. There are even links to databases to help your children learn about mosquitoes. Of course, if you would rather avoid mosquitoes all together and hang out in the comfort of air conditioning with a good book, check out Andrew Spielman's Mosquito: a natural history of our most persistent and deadly foe.

Milwaukee Public Library has just purchased the online version of the well-known directory, Foundations in Wisconsin. Published annually by Marquette University's Raynor Library, it is the only directory of its kind which covers every active grant making foundation in the state of Wisconsin.

The foundation profiles include contact information, total assets, grants paid, and areas of interest. The online version cannot be used remotely. Results may be printed or saved.

The online database Foundations in Wisconsin is linked on our webpage under the categories of "Grant Resources" and "Library Databases."

The Treasures Within Are Out for the Richard E. and Lucile Krug Rare Books Room Educational Series Open House!

Drop by the Central Library and meet the Rare Books Team at a special open house. Learn more about some of the treasures and one-of-a-kind books in our Rare Books Room. Some of the works on display will include the Autograph Book, Hypnerotomachia Poliphili (1499), the John James Audubon prints, and more! The program is free and open to the public - all ages are welcome.

Saturday, July 17 - 2:00-4:00 p.m.
Central Library Rare Books Room - 2nd floor

Calling all families!

Join us at any MPL location on Monday, July 19 for a Family Fun Night. This FREE event will feature bubble making, crafts, fire trucks, refreshments and more at all 13 MPL locations! Times vary at each location, so be sure to check the Summer Calendar of Events before heading over to your favorite branch.

Families play an important part in raising and supporting a Super Reader, and when school is out, parents can step up to help teach their children about the importance of reading.

MPL can make it easy and fun for kids to read by providing FREE materials, classes, programs, learning stations, and entertainment to support your family!

Also, various local Cousins Subs locations will be donating 10% of their sales between 4:00-8:00 p.m. on the 19th to the Milwaukee Public Library Foundation in support of the Super Reader Program!

Did you know that every three seconds, someone in our community needs blood? Or that the BloodCenter of Wisconsin is the only supplier of blood for local community hospitals, as well as 60% of the state? By donating blood, you can help save lives.

Remember that you will need to have a photo ID with you when you donate.

The Milwaukee Public Library and the Milwaukee Public Museum shared a building for around 70 years. That building is the current Central Library building at 814 W Wisconsin Ave.

At one time, a lion cub named Simba even lived in the building.

Check out this link to see photos of the library while the museum still had residence. You can also find out more about the lion who lived in the library and see a video of him as a cub.

If you have an iPod Touch or an iPhone, you are in luck!

Access to MPL's online catalog CountyCat is now available through the CountyCat app. The app is available for free from the App Store or iTunes, simply search for CountyCat.

The app allows you to search the catalog for availability, place holds, and check the hours and locations of all Milwaukee County public libraries.

Author and journalist Ernest Hemingway was born on July 21, 1899 in Oak Park, Illinois. After high school, Hemingway left for the Italian front to become an ambulance driver during World War I; his experiences there became the basis for his novel A Farewell to Arms. During his lifetime, he published seven novels, six short story collections, and two non-fiction works; further works were brought out after his death. Hemingway's understated writing style had a huge influence on 20th century fiction, which, coupled with his adventurous lifestyle and rugged appearance, made him a true American icon. Much has been written about him; many consider Ernest Hemingway; A Life Story to be one of the best of the biographies.

Book clubs will be held on Monday evenings in August to accommodate MPL's summer hours. Check out what our neighborhood libraries will be reading and discussing!

English author and illustrator Beatrix Potter was born on July 28, 1866. As a child, she and her brother collected bugs, toadstools, dead birds and snakeskins, which they spent many hours observing and drawing. Although best known for her charming and intentionally small volumes of animal stories ("little books for little hands") like The Tale of Peter Rabbit, she was also a successful farmer, sheep breeder and conservationist. She married at the age of 47, and as Mrs. William Heelis found herself happy and contented, spending her remaining 30 years, not resenting older age, but finding it "rather pleasing to be so much wiser than quantities of young idiots". To learn more about this interesting lady, take a look at The Tale of Beatrix Potter or one of the other biographies available at the Milwaukee Public Library. Prefer popcorn with your Potter? Check out the slightly fictionalized film Miss Potter.

On Saturday, July 31 at 5:00 p.m., Central Library drive-up services will close for renovation. The drive-up is located on N. 8th St. between Wisconsin Ave. and Wells St. on the east side of the library. The renovation is expected to be complete in the fall of 2010.

During the renovation, please return items to drop boxes located farther south on N. 8th, just north of Wisconsin Ave. For all other library services, please enter Central Library or use a neighborhood library if more convenient.

Highlights of the renovation include adding an automated library materials handling system for returns, improving lighting and insulation to increase energy efficiency, adding digital signage, improving the exterior driveway, and improving ADA accessibility to Centennial Hall.