Fond du Lac Public Library announces June programs

Grow, fold, and create during June at the Fond du Lac Public Library

Add something new to your life with the help of the Fond du Lac Public Library. During June, grow, fold, and create with the help of several programs for adults at the library.

Kick off the month with a Plant Swap on Saturday, June 1 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. in the McLane Room. Trade plants, tips, and stories with other gardeners. No registration required.

Other events planned this month include:

· Revel in campy and tacky art during Bad Art Night on Monday, June 3 at 6 p.m. in the McLane Room. This month, the theme is yarn hoops. All supplies will be provided; register now at calendar.fdlpl.org.

· Join library staff Monday, June 10 at 6 p.m. in the McLane Room to create Origami Butterflies during Evening Craft Class. All supplies will be provided. Register now at calendar.fdlpl.org.

· Prefer something easier? Join Super Simple Crafts on Tuesday, June 25 at 10 a.m. in the Idea Studio as we create colorful leaf prints with markers and leaves. Register starting June 11 at calendar.fdlpl.org.

Free, one-day state park passes available at Fond du Lac Public Library

This summer, let the Fond du Lac Public Library take you to a Wisconsin state park – on us.

For the second straight year, a limited number of free, one-day passes to any Wisconsin state park may be “checked out” from the Fond du Lac Public Library. They’re available as part of a partnership between public libraries, such as FDLPL, and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the Wisconsin Association of Public Libraries, and the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.

One pass will be available per family, and passes will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.

To get a state park pass, stop by the checkout desk at the Main Library or at the Allen J. Buechel Branch on Fond du Lac’s east side. Passes are dated, so library patrons will need to decide which date they plan to use the pass before they visit the library, must have an active FDLPL card, and must have a vehicle with Wisconsin license plates.

Passes may be used anytime through the end of the year when a state park is open with no blackout dates.

Learn more about this new program at dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/parks/outwigo.

Discover the creativity of Fond du Lac High School AP Art students during June exhibit at Langdon Gallery

Celebrate the work of Fond du Lac High School AP Art Students during June at the Langdon Divers Gallery.

From June 5 to 26, students’ artwork will be displayed in an exhibit at the gallery located inside the foyer of the Fond du Lac Public Library.

The exhibit will include selected works representing their recent creations for AP art. Students included in the exhibit are under the tutelage of instructors Nicole Hawkins, Peter Herr, and Roy Ramirez.

The Langdon Divers Community Gallery is open seven days a week, whenever the Fond du Lac Public Library is open at 32 Sheboygan St. The gallery may be found off the atrium at the south entrance to the Main Library.

For updates on Langdon Divers Community Gallery, follow the gallery on Facebook at www.facebook.com/langdondivers. Volunteer curator Mel Kolstad may be contacted at mel@kolstad.net.

Discover how you can ‘Read, Renew, Repeat’ during Summer Reading at the Fond du Lac Public Library

Exciting activities, amazing prizes, and great books: It’s time to jump into Summer Reading at the Fond du Lac Public Library.

Starting Saturday, June 1, the Fond du Lac Public Library invites users of all ages to “Read, Renew, Repeat,” the outdoorsy theme of Summer Reading @ FDLPL 2024.

All summer, the library will offer plenty to enjoy, including three Wonder Wednesday performances for youth during June.

Activities for all ages will be held throughout the program, often highlighting the wonders of gardening and of the outdoors.

Adults can drop in for the library’s first Plant Swap on Saturday, June 1. From 10 to 11:30 a.m., visit the McLane Room to trade plants, tips, and stories with other gardeners. Or, visit calendar.fdlpl.org to see any of our other regular programs, such as Bad Art Night (June 3), Evening Craft Class (June 10), History at Home (June 13), or Super Simple Crafts (June 25).

Kids, meanwhile, have tons of activities to join to keep them from getting bored, including Summer Reading Kick-off Week. From June 2-8, drop into the Children’s Room at the Main Library for great activities as well as a chance to sign up for Summer Reading.

Then, starting the following week, Wonder Wednesdays return with a series of great performances. Enjoy a visit from Animals From Around the World (June 12), the magic of What If? (June 19), and drumming by Oshkosh Taiko (June 26). All performances are held at noon and 2 p.m., with a limited supply of tickets available starting five days prior to each performance. These events will be available by ticket only.

During the first month of Summer Reading, youth also may enjoy a Family Planting Party (June 11 at 4:30 p.m.) and a Storywalk Storytime (June 21 at 6 p.m.).

Love the Percy Jackson book or TV series? Students entering grades 4 through 12 can register for the Percy Jackson Escape Room (limited space will be available on the day of the events). From June 27-29, students will be challenged to escape the underworld. Register individually or with a team starting June 13.

Teens also can drop into favorite events such as Anime Afternoon (June 4), Mischief and Magic (June 6), and Ready, Set, Roleplay! (June 20). Or, they may join our new monthly program, Play With Your Food (June 18), which features a new activity each month with a food theme. In June, they will learn how to cultivate plants from scraps.No registration needed for any of these teen events.

Meanwhile, through Aug. 11, kids, teens, and adults may read their favorite books to earn prizes. Returning in 2024 is an online logging option: users can hop on the Fond du Lac Public Library’s online portal, Beanstack, to record their minutes of reading. A link to Beanstack is available at fdlpl.org/summer2024. Participation is easy, and earns readers instant rewards along the way as well as a chance at a grand prize at the end of the summer. All reading counts, and reading aloud counts for both the reader and the listener. Instant prizes include the popular Faris Popcorn.

Learn more about Summer Reading at the Fond du Lac Public Library by visiting fdlpl.org/summer2024.

Get creative in June in the Idea Studio at the Fond du Lac Public Library

Bring your ideas to life during June in the Idea Studio at the Fond du Lac Public Library.

On Wednesday, June 19 at 6 p.m., join the Idea Studio’s second meetup to learn about the “Boomerang Bag” project that began in Australia in 2013. This program is about connecting communities, making reusable bags, diverting waste, starting conversations, fostering sustainable behavior, and having a bit of fun. To participate, register at calendar.fdlpl.org.

Then, join any of the three Let’s Make events scheduled for June:

· On Monday, June 17 at 6 p.m., earn a badge for use of the Idea Studio’s Janome sewing machine to make your own reusable tote bag to take home. For ages 13+. Register starting June 3 at calendar.fdlpl.org.

· Or, on Tuesday, June 18 at 5:30 p.m., get badged on the Idea Studio’s Glowforge Pro laser engraver/cutter to make a keychain to take home. For ages 13+. Register starting June 4 at calendar.fdlpl.org.

· Then, on Monday, June 24 at 6 p.m., earn a badge on the Sublimation Printer and Heat Press, then make a cup holder coaster for your car. For ages 13+. Register starting June 10 at calendar.fdlpl.org.

Need to learn the basics of the Idea Studio’s Inkscape program? Learn how to use this professional quality vector graphics software that can be used with a wide-range of equipment available in the Idea Studio. For ages 13+. Register starting June 4 at calendar.fdlpl.org.

The Idea Studio is open for walk-in visits Monday through Thursday from 3 to 8 p.m., Friday from 3 to 6 p.m., and Saturday from noon to 4 p.m.

Kids ride free to the Fond du Lac Public Library on Thursdays this summer

Every Thursday this summer, kids in Fond du Lac can ride for free to the Fond du Lac Public Library.

In a collaboration between Fond du Lac Transit and the Library, local youth can receive a free ride to and from the Main Library at 32 Sheboygan Street every Thursday. This program will run from June 6 to Aug. 29.

To receive a free ride on a Fond du Lac Transit bus, youth must show their library card when they enter the vehicle.

That means youth can visit the library all summer long, and enjoy free access to library materials such as books, music CDs, DVDs, and more. They also can drop in for fun activities in the Children’s Room during Summer Reading at the Fond du Lac Public Library, such as guessing games, and scavenger hunts. By participating in Summer Reading, they even can win prizes as they read their favorite books.

Uncover the history of the KKK in FDL County and Wisconsin during History at Home at the Fond du Lac Public Library

The activities of the Ku Klux Klan may have occurred closer to home than some might expect.

Dr. Michael Jacobs will uncover how the KKK was active in Wisconsin, and even Fond du Lac County, 100 years ago during his presentation for History at Home. He will speak Thursday, June 13 at 6 p.m. in the McLane Room at the Fond du Lac Public Library.

In the mid-1920s, the Ku Klux Klan recruited throughout Wisconsin, including a stronghold in Fond du Lac County. The Klan focused their attention not only on African Americans, but also Catholics, immigrants, Jews, and Prohibition violators.

Though their influence proved small in most of Wisconsin, their presence was still felt in local communities.

Jacobs will discuss the Ku Klux Klan in Wisconsin and pay special attention to Fond du Lac County, looking at how the organization recruited members and its place in our past and present. He is a professor of history at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. He earned his doctorate in U.S. history at Marquette University in 2001 by completing his dissertation on the Catholic response to the Ku Klux Klan in the Midwest from 1920-1928.

He researches and writes primarily on intolerance movements in the American Midwest. He continues to consult for the Wisconsin Historical Society and other historical entities on Klan-related artifacts,papers, and photographs.

Hear about what he learned either in person on June 13 or watch from home via the library’s Facebook page at facebook.com/FDLPL. No registration required to view the program.