Reposting my review from Google Maps…read more.. The Waunakee Library ought to be the model for all public libraries in the country. I don't live in Waunakee but spend a good amount of time here helping care for my grandparents. I've been coming to Waunakee library pretty much everyday this past week to do work and I'm in love with this place. The facilities, the warm and welcoming staff, the events programmed, the availability of study/meeting rooms-- I've never been to such fantastic library. The fact that there is also gender neutral bathrooms is also incredibly comforting for a trans person like me. Also, shout out to the folks who designed the layout of the sections. I don't think most folks realize that you can rent movies and TV shows from the library so having that section near the entrance is smart. It's all so thought out. And I discovered that the libraries also have a free streaming service you can access at home too (which has been a game changer for my grandparents). Hands down my favorite part of Waunakee!

This library is small, but quite charming. There are two levels and the children's section is my…read morefavorite. There is a really good selection of books and they do a nice display to make it easy for children to spy a book they like based on the cover. My five year old chooses based on familiar characters, princesses and pink sparkles. Mom usually throws something else new or classic in there to mix it up. There are also really cute toy stations of a barn with animals, a train track table and some Legos. There is comfortable seating spattered throughout the room that invites you to sit and read. Upstairs is more adult friendly with a good selection of fiction/non fiction/magazines/audiobooks/computers to use/a section of "popular" books. Books are organized well by genre and in alphabetical order by author. There is also a hidden gem of books that are free...a fun way to add some new books to your collection. I have met most of the staff in my visits and they have all been kind multitaskers and they hand out a lot of information. The library calendar is full of events including a book club and toddler time. This library though an older building and small(ish) had a really decent selection in books and if what you want isn't there they would assist you in finding it at another location. It is well worth a visit.

We actually came here as out-of-towners during a snow storm... we had a bit of time to kill and my…read moreson needed to move! We had to check out of our hotel and in an effort to find a place to go for a little sensory/movement, I stumbled upon this place! So glad we did. I'll speak only to the kid's section, but the rest of it was definitely clean and spacious. The kid section is in the corner... so not disruptive. They can roam freely in the open space and you only have to corral them into the corner! There is a train set table, coloring books, colors, manipulatives, puzzles, and all kids of fun pretend-play toys. And of course...books! The parking isn't so super and the entrance to the driveway nearly too my bumper with it! But overall, this place was the perfect getaway for us and a much-needed opportunity for my son to stretch his legs before our 2.5 hour drive back to Chicago.

This is a wonderful library for families…read more The children's section is spacious and set off to the side with a great variety of books. My kids are able to find a big stack of books that they are excited to check out each time we visit - and we visit at least weekly. The books are organized well and there is room to sit down and read. The kids programming is wonderful. The librarian remembers kids names and greets them as they come in. My kids love Ms. Rebecca. She makes the sessions engaging and fun. We have done science classes, art classes, and general story times - they have all been well done. I don't do a lot of browsing for books here but I often find one at the "too good to miss" shelves on the way to the kids section or I just put books on hold to grab on our way in. It is a wonderful neighborhood library.

Unfriendly children's librarians. They DO NOT like children here. My kids are well behaved and I am…read morevery kind, to a fault. We don't bother anyone, cause ruckus, or do anything destructive or make noise, yet every time we go, the different ladies that work the desk in the children's section always have something to say and scold us about and it ruins our day. It makes us feel more and more unwelcome. I am a taxpayer and believe we should be able to use this public library without absolutely witches coming at us and acting like we are invading their personal homes. It's not just us either. They are always annoyed by kids that visit here and scolding them, with rude attitudes, for every little thing. They also always sound annoyed with their responses when kids ask them questions or for help with something. Tired of this treatment and them with nasty attitudes and making us feel like crap. Librarians at Middleton and Verona libraries have been much friendlier and welcoming to children in the children's sections. If you have kids, avoid this library.

First time at this library and it is so much bigger/nicer than the Alisha Ashman library that we…read morevisited last week. Came here for a meeting and there are conference rooms available on the 2nd floor. Will definitely stop by when in area next.

I pretty much grew up here. I'd go in every few days and grab the pile of 15 books I'd put on hold…read more The librarians were really friendly. When I came back fifteen years later, I wondered if they were just being friendly because I was just a little kid. Nope. People are stil friendly. But, this branch sure seems a lot smaller, now.

I'm a huge fan of the public library system, and while Meadowridge isn't one of the newest or…read morelargest branches, it has most of the resources I'm looking for. The staff are friendly and helpful, I can get books from all over the system delivered directly to the branch (with an email notification to pick them up when they arrive,) and they partner with the neighborhood center next door for a lot of interesting educational community programs for all ages and interests. This branch is also where I now go to vote for every election, and the recent expansion to allow absentee voting and early voting at library branches is super-useful for my sometimes-crazy schedule! My biggest complaints about the branch are that they're closed on Sundays (as are many of the Madison branches,) and this branch seems to be quite a bit noisier than others I'm used to. (Maybe I'm just getting old and crotchety!)

The Woodman Astronomical Library is run by the UW Madison Department of Astronomy and boasts an…read moreincredible collection of astronomy journals, books, and observatory publications. The Woodman also is home to the Olin J. Eggen archives. (Eggen was one of the most influential astronomers of his time.) Even if you're not an astronomy student, the Woodman Library is one of the most (if not the most) quiet places on campus to study. A scattered number of small tables isolated by the stacks reduce sound to the classic "hear a pin drop" level. The windows looking out from the sixth floor of Sterling Hall offer some great views of campus, so there is the risk of that pleasant distraction. Current plans call for the Woodman Astronomical Library to be merged with UW Madison's Math and Physics Libraries in late 2020, so take advantage of this great space while you can!

super gorgeous and nice place to study. Definetly not the most quiet though, not always but…read moresometimes the librarians can be very loud which makes it hard to study if you don't want to use headphones.

The WHS is a beautiful and easy-to-navigate library where you can find old Wisconsin newspapers on…read moremicrofilm that aren't available on the web. The staff is friendly, the materials are very accessible and the equipment is easy to use. The building itself is gorgeous, with vaulted, stained glass ceilings and long, old fashioned wooden desks each with small green lamps. Here's how our visit played out... Growing up as a kid, it was always fun to hear my parents' stories from their childhood in La Crosse, WI. My dad has a couple that he really enjoys recounting: one story is about an epic high school football matchup between his school and my mom's (my dad's team won, which may explain his fondness for the story), and a second story is about a lone gunman who robbed a hotel where my dad worked, my dad subsequently chased into a parking lot, and he got shot at in the chase. You can tell that both of these items of family folklore may be tweeked with a bit of exagerration. My siblings and I always wondered, are my dad's memories completely accurate, or are they big fish stories? Yesterday I convinced my parents to join me on a trip to the Historical Society, where they have a vast collection of past Wisconsin newspapers on microfilm. Tucked away in a back room, you can look up La Crosse Tribune newspapers from the 1960s, organized by month in an old school card catalog or on a new school online database. The library has tons of microfilm machines that are available for open use. You retrieve the microfilm yourself from a shelving system, and you're free to start scanning it on a manual-roller or automatic-digital machine. We quickly found newspaper evidence confirming both of my dad's stories, and his reputation for veracity remains intact. He was very pleased with our findings (I think he may have started doubting his own memory). He also got swept up by all the big headlines on the newspapers' coverpages (Vietnam, Nixon, controversies over interstate construction). The library staff was very friendly and willing to help us along during our search process. The entire visit only took us about an hour, and that's pretty quick, demonstrating how organized they've got things. We tracked down exactly what we needed in a short time amidst an enormous volume of materials and with only a vagueidea of when it all had happened. We were able to make digital, emailed copies of the newspapers for free, and we made some paper printouts of the important pages for 25 cents/page. The Wisconsin Historical Society Library is an excellent resource for the state and a great place to check on family folklore. And here's an idea: You could make a scrapbook gift for a parent, comprised of newspaper clippings that confirm their favorite stories or show big events from their childhood.

One of my favorite libraries, it's got some unique collections, also a great place to get some work…read moredone. As a public library, anyone can have access with a proper I.D. Very helpful research librarians, even the library assistants are friendly and knowledgeable. The music library and references sections are my favorites.

Memorial Library is considered to be the graduate library, but there are usually tons of undergrads…read morestudying there. There are many study rooms to be used with large tables and white boards, which is nice. There are also cubicle desks in the stacks that are great for studying. The music library can be found downstairs and theres a computer lab where you can use the computers or check out a laptop (with your student ID and a second official id) . Overall this place is great for studying, as there are so many different places to study at.

This is a fabulous library! It's not only a beautiful building with a striking exterior and…read moreinterior, it has a grand collection for a library its size. Upstairs are meeting rooms available to the community. Can't find what you need? The Fargo Library is affiliated with several other libraries. Just ask! According to "A History of Agriculture in Wisconsin (Volume 2)" by Joseph Schafer, in an affidavit written by Mrs. Carrie Fargo Bicknell, Lorenzo Dow Fargo moved to Lake Mills from his home in Connecticut to buy a farm. Toward the end of his life, he began to reforest much of his land, stressing the importance of trees to future generations. His generous gift of $5,000.00 in 1899 planted the seeds for a library in Lake Mills. (Mrs. Carrie Fargo Bicknell was a daughter of L.D. Fargo.) The building was designed by George Ferry, a noted architect in Wisconsin and a prolific designer of libraries around the state. It was dedicated in August 1902. A fire in January, 1980 caused a great deal of damage to the structure, the children's collection, and the records collection. Great effort was made to clean up and the library reopened, on a limited basis, in April 1980. In April 1981, the fully functional library reopened. "A History of Agriculture in Wisconsin (Volume 2)" by Joseph Schafer was published by the State Historical Society of Wisconsin in 1922.