Central Library

Milwaukee Public Library Extends Sunday Hours in July

Large Milwaukee Buildings Will Be Required To Conduct Energy Benchmarks

Simply tracking the data expected to trigger process that cuts energy use by 2.4% per year.

22nd Annual “Braille Games” Set for Thursday, May 16 at the Milwaukee Public Museum

Unique interactive braille activity sponsored by Wisconsin Talking Book and Braille Library (WTBBL), Audio & Braille Literacy Enhancement (ABLE), Vision Forward Association, the Milwaukee Public Museum, and local school districts.

Milwaukee Public Library Announces New Entrepreneur-in-Residence

The Entrepreneur-in-Residence Program Will Support Aspiring Business Owners Through Workshops, Mentoring and Library Resources

Off-Board Fare Collection Begins on Connect 1

Transit system adds final piece to its east-west bus rapid transit route.

Connect 1 Fare Collection Begins in April

Transit system finally receives fare validators for the east-west bus rapid transit route.

Americans and the Holocaust traveling exhibition coming to the Milwaukee Public Library with programming co-sponsored by the Holocaust Education Resource Center

Budget Amendment Would Boost Libraries, Streets, Voting and Lead Abatement

Proposal from Alderwoman Dimitirjevic and Council President Pérez aims to boost services across city.

City Seeks 20% Cut in Energy Costs for 106 Buildings

And 45% emissions reduction. Seeking contractor, federal funding to meet climate goals.

Multiple Harvest Events To Check Out This Weekend

Plus: Jazz in Riverwest and comedy all across the city.

Marine Historical Society Launches ‘Little Boat I’ in Lake Michigan

Local group keeps maritime history alive, including by launching model boats.

Wisconsin Libraries See New Efforts To Ban Books

National movement has found its way to multiple Wisconsin library systems.

Rise & Grind Plans 2 New Locations

King Drive coffee shop will soon open at Milwaukee Public Library and Mitchell Street Arts Collective.

Milwaukee Public Library Connects Residents With Jobs

Construction Underway On Greenest Library in Milwaukee

New Martin Luther King Library will be a community hub, and provide housing for 93 households.

Milwaukee Public Library Launches Online Merchandise Store

Promoting Digital Inclusion During National Library Week

Library Poised To Cut Services At 5 Branches In 2023

Council debates what libraries and if service could be restored.

Lake Park Bridge Overhaul Nears Completion

Bridge to reopen next month after six-year closure

Mayor Johnson Moves to Concordia Neighborhood

A new house for new mayor, who buys historic mansion on Near West Side.

Milwaukee Public Library to Restore Full Service

City Plans 27 Early Voting Sites

Council set to approve list, including Fiserv Forum and Gee's Clippers, but not all may be used.

The Bookseller Reopens At Central Library

Plus, The Rep celebrates Piano Men, monster trucks at Fiserv Forum, free zoo admission and more.

Public Museum Must Give Full Accounting

The public needs to know how move to a smaller facility will impact museum's collections, taxidermy and history.

The Brewery District Hosts Equinox Music Festival

Plus, a paranormal conference, Third Space Brewing Fifth Anniversary, Doors Open Milwaukee, the return of Skylight Theatre and more.

12 Takeaways From City’s 2022 Budget

What's in the 600 page, $1.75 billion budget document? An inside look at your city government.

25 Summer Resources For Kids

For recreation, classes, safety, health and healing

A New Leader for City’s Library System

Who is Joan Johnson and how will she be changing the libraries?

27 Years As a City Librarian

Retiring Milwaukee Public Library director Paula Kiely reflects on how system has changed.

MPL Pivoting Service to Contactless Pickup Throughout System

COVID-19 data prompts shift in operations to ensure community safety

MPL receives $100K from Impact100 to expand Hotspot program

Safe. Secure. Counted! Make Sure Your Vote Counts in the 414 this Election Day

City of Milwaukee’s Election Commission provides information on Election Day voting

Safe. Secure. Counted! Make Sure Your Vote Counts in the 414 this Election Day

City of Milwaukee’s Election Commission provides information on Election Day voting

Leaders to discuss final voting push before Tuesday’s Fall General Election

Make sure your absentee ballot is counted!

To date, 157,687 absentee ballots have been issued (including early voting) with 124,614 returned.

MPL to Suspend Branch Library Services on Election Day

Public Museum, Betty Brinn to Share New Facility

Not a merger but housing natural history and children's museums in one brand new facility.

How To Understand These Historic Protests

These resources will put the nationwide protests in a proper context.

Milwaukee to Read and Celebrate In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez

Milwaukee Public Library to Kick Off "MKE Big Read" Saturday, April 8.

Spring Literary Luncheon Features Elizabeth Strout

Friends of the Milwaukee Public Library Welcome Their First Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author

Portraits of 28 Zip Codes

ZIP MKE photography show has hundreds of portraits, people in every zip code.

Bublr Bike Rides Will Be Free on Election Day to Get Voters to Polls

Bublr Bikes Giving Free 30-Minute Rides to Encourage Voting on Tuesday Nov. 8

Inside Jury Duty in Milwaukee

A day in the life of a Milwaukee County juror.

Enter If You Dare: Milwaukee Public Library Gets Haunted

Library Loud Days continues with free Haunted Central events and interactive workshops

Library Charged $1.5 Million for Journal Archive

Library turned down NewsBank offer; Journal Sentinel promises archive, but when?

New Book Dials In on Public Broadcasting History

Peek behind the microphones of Wisconsin Public Radio in a new Wisconsin Historical Society Press book about the century-rich history of public broadcasting.

Bublr Bikes offers FREE Rides on Election Day

Eight of Bublr Bikes 28 stations are located within two blocks of a polling location.

Behold The ECO Mayor

Barrett touts green efforts, changes name of environmental sustainability office to ECO.

Critics Demand Federal Probe of Police Department

Huge turnout at listening session, many call for civil rights investigation of MPD's "patterns and practices."

Rock Out for Halloween

Great concerts -- and one book reading -- happening this Saturday.

Couple’s harsh, harrowing experiences on street prompt two books

City of Milwaukee, Bublr Bikes, and UWM Installing 17 New Bike Sharing Stations

New installations in October to more than double existing number of stations

50 Years of Helping the Blind

Audio & Braille Literacy Enhancement's recent work included making museum exhibit accessible to the visually impaired.

The Little Foundation That Books Built

The Milwaukee Public Library Foundation raises dollars to support the city library system.

Locations of Next 35 Bike Stations Announced

New Bublr stations will blanket East Side with other locations in 12 neighborhoods. Here is complete list.

50 Years of Maurice Sendak

Milwaukee Public Library exhibition celebrates the life and work of the children's book writer and illustrator.

Arena proposal to be addressed during Tuesday town hall meeting

Alderman Robert J. Bauman will host meeting; Mayor Barrett to deliver presentation on proposal for new downtown arena

Milwaukee Public Library Seeks Community Input

Developers to Present Proposed Plans for Mill Road Library at Public Meeting

Huge Turnout for East Library Opening

It was a truly an East Side event, and a crowd with tons of notables celebrated history in the making.

Milwaukee Public Library

Giant Eagle sculptures outside of the central branch evince an intriguing history.

Catholic Financial Life Building

The Modernist downtown property has a history of transition, and one heck of a view.

The Milwaukee County Transit System to Host Public Meetings

Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) has scheduled two public meetings to describe the new proposed routes stemming from a grant awarded by the Federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) Program.

Council members to seek honorary street name for Nelson Mandela

Joint news release from Alderman Davis, Alderman Wade and Alderman Stamper

East Library Closed Saturday, July 19TH

East Library Temporary Location Will Be Closed For Electrical Maintenance Tomorrow

Milwaukee Host Watch and Clock Collectors – June 17-21

NAWCC is expecting 1,500 attendees from across the country at its 2014 National Convention from June 17-21 at the Wisconsin Center.

Milwaukee Public Library’s Board of Trustees Approves Entering Negotiations with Grohmann Museum to Loan ‘The Bookworm’

Museum will give $1 million to the library for rights to display the painting

Lottery drawing for new cab permits will take place Monday at Centennial Hall

Lottery for 1,706 applicants to be held Monday morning.

Milwaukee Public Library to Host Artist Presentations Tuesday, February 4th

Four Project Finalists Will Present Public Art Concepts for New Library

All Milwaukee Public Library Locations Will Be Open Tomorrow

The Library Board of Trustees Meeting is Cancelled

Erin Perkins

My favorite event is the Harley Davidson weekend. I love to hear live music and engines rumbling all over.

Obama Official Lauds City’s Sustainability Programs

Energy Department official visits to praise Milwaukee's green efforts, which now save $500,000 annually. Our photos capture the event.

Immigration summit TONIGHT will feature key experts, timely discussions

The prospect of meaningful immigration reform and how it could affect Milwaukee will be one of several key issues discussed TONIGHT during an immigration summit hosted by Alderman Joe Davis, Sr. and Alderman José G. Pérez..

Immigration summit next week will feature key experts, timely discussions

The prospect of meaningful immigration reform and how it could affect Milwaukee will be one of several key issues discussed next week during an immigration summit hosted by Alderman Joe Davis, Sr. and Alderman José G. Pérez.

Counting the Homeless

A program of volunteers searching for all homeless people in Milwaukee finds "a whole other culture."

Wisconsin natives inducted to MPL Writers Wall of Fame

Milwaukee Public Library’s Wisconsin Writers Wall of Fame to induct two state natives: children’s author/illustrator Kevin Henkes and author/filmmaker Richard Schickel.

Committee Approves Plan to Allow Plants

In some cities residents have been allowed to plant a variety of plants and flowers in the area between the curb and the sidewalk in an effort to beautify the neighborhood.  This practice has generally been illegal within the City of Milwaukee but this may soon changes as file number 081117 intends to implement a planting policy that would allow planting within this strip of land.  The file originally intended to allow this new policy within the 13th District but Alderman Robert Bauman recommended the 4th district to be included as well.  After some discussion the file was amended to allow this planting practice throughout the City of Milwaukee.  It was approved and will now go before the full Common Council. After being held at the January 28th, 2009 meeting of the Public Works Committee, the file which would allow the City of Milwaukee to apply for a 2009 Stormwater Best Management Practices Partnership grant from the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District that will be used in part for the construction of a green roof on the central library was brought back before the committee.  It appears the confusion over the value of moving forward with this file was cleared up as it was quickly approved this time with no discussion and will now go before the full Common Council.

Green Initiatives Stalled by City Committee

In the name of cost savings two green efforts were stalled during today’s meeting of the Public Works Committee. The first item to run into issues with the committee was the Central Library’s resolution that would of allowed them to apply for a $250,000 Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District Stormwater Best Management Practices Partnership grant.  This grant was to be used in conjunction with $950,000 of city funds in the construction of a green roof on the Central Library.  The existing roof is in disrepair and will be in need of replacement in the near future.  Although it was presented that this green roof could potentially double the lifetime of the roof, concerns were raised over the cost of construction.  Additionally it was estimated that the green roof was would save $3,500 in energy costs per year.   Lost on the conversation regarding the increased cost was that this grant has an education component that goes above and beyond the building of a new roof.  Alderman Bob Donovan expressed his thoughts on the costs when he said “everybody likes green, well we’ve gotta have the green money”.  This file was held at the call of the chair which opens up the possibility that the City of Milwaukee could miss the deadline to request the grant. The second resolution of importance that was held up proposed having the State of Wisconsin paint bike lanes on to West Forest Home Avenue between South 68th Street and South 45th Street after completing a road construction project.  In reference to problems experienced with recently painted lane markings Alderman Robert Bauman complained that “what we’re painting doesn’t last even in months”.  Alderman Joe Dudzik argued that if the City of Milwaukee can’t keep the roads painted properly for drivers, then the City of Milwaukee can’t add the additional burden of new markings to maintain.  This file was also held to the call of the chair.

City Image Logo to be Unveiled Soon

The nonprofit Spirit of Milwaukee is undertaking an image rebranding for the community.

Race For Governor is On!

Well, it is official

City Hall Redo

Minority hiring goal set.

Art Jones Pension better than $100K per year

Two other Mayoral candidates eligible soon