Adult Programs

The Adult Library is a comfortable space in the Library for reading, studying, or working. Within the Adult Library is our Periodical Area containing a beautiful fireplace to sit by while reading our newspapers and magazines.. We also offer a public Conference Room, History Wall, restrooms, and computer area. Before you enter the Adult Library you will walk past our New Arrivals area where all of the new items added to the Adult collection are kept. Enjoy the monthly art displays on our Viroqua Area Foundation Community Art Wall and inside our Marie Weltzin Art Display case.  For a complete schedule of upcoming adult programs please scroll down.

All library programs are of no-cost to our patrons. 

To view recorded programs, please visit our YouTube channel HERE, or go to McIntosh Memorial Library Viroqua, @mcintoshmemoriallibraryvir9220

 

To register for adult programs, click HERE

We are shifting to an online registration system for our programming. Please fill out the form above to register for the program you are interested in.  You will be notified within 7 business days with either a confirmation email, or a notification that you are on the waitlist.

Please contact [email protected] or 608-637-7151 ext. 7 with questions.

Adult Advisory Group (AAG)

Third Thursday of the month at 1:00pm in the Library

The McIntosh Memorial Library is starting an Adult Advisory Group, or AAG for short. The group will come together, share ideas, generate what volunteer opportunities are available, and help reflect what the communities needs are so that we as a library, are catering to all who need us. Please consider joining! If you are interested please email Maggie at [email protected] phone: 608-637-7151 ext. 7.

 

 Programs include:

Bring Your Own Book Club (B.Y.O.B.C.)

4th Thursday of the Month

5:30 pm at Magpie Gelato 113 S Main St, Viroqua, WI 54665

Registration Required.

Join us for something new, and a twist to the classic book club. B.Y.O.B.C. is a book club where readers are invited to share and discuss 1-3 books they have been reading. Bring your books of choice, and be ready to share your recommendations!

Each month, there is a suggested “theme” for those who’d like some guidance. But feel free to break free of the mold.

March: A strong female main character.

April: A book you chose because of the cover.

May: A book by a local author.

 

Book Read and Discussion: My Two Elaines by Martin Schreiber

With the ADRC of Vernon County

Friday, April 5th at 10:00am at the McIntosh Memorial Library.

The McIntosh Memorial Library, and the ADRC of Vernon County are hosting a Book read with a Book Discussion. Join us in reading the book My Two Elaines: Learning, Coping, and Surviving as an Alzheimer’s Caregiver” by author and former Wisconsin Governor Martin Schreiber. Books are available through the library starting March 1st.

To receive a book and be a part of the discussion please register online. Link at top of page.

Following the book discussion at the library, the author, former Wisconsin Governor Martin Schreiber, will be presenting at the Ridges and Rivers Book festival in Viroqua on Friday, April 26th at 2:30pm at Bethel Home. This event is free to the public. www.ridgesandriversbookfestival.com

 

Beekeeping

With Jim Krause

2-part class

Saturday’s, March 2nd and 9th from 9:00am to 12:00pm in the library lobby

Registration is required. To register click the link at the top of the page.

 

Election 411

With Lori Polhamus City of Viroqua Clerk/Treasurer

Thursday, March 14th at 10:00am at the McIntosh Memorial Library lobby

Come and learn about:

  • Learning how to register to vote
  • Interested in becoming a poll worker?
  • What is an absentee ballot & how do I get one?
  • What is on my ballot?
  • Proof of Residence vs Photo Id
  • What a typical Election Day looks like and what goes into setting up an election

 

Meet Your Neighbor

A monthly reoccurring program on the 3rd Friday of the month at 10:00am where local community member, leaders and organizations come and speak about topics involving the city of Viroqua and Vernon County

 “Learning to Live Without the Dams”.

Friday, March 15th at 10:00am in the Lobby

“Coon Creek Community Watershed Council president Nancy Wedwick and board member Tim Hundt will give a presentation on the federal plan to decommission the dams in the Coon Creek and West Fork Kickapoo and what they are doing to help to implement practices to help offset the loss of the dams. The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) that oversees the dams in our watersheds has concluded that all 14 dams in the Coon Creek and nine dams in the West Fork Kickapoo are well past the 50-year life span and pose too much risk to keep them. They have also concluded it would be too costly to replace those dams. The NRCS is in the final stages of a plan to remove or “notch” these dams and essentially remove their flood protection. The long-term implications of the loss of the dams along with increasing frequency and severity of weather events in our watersheds will have long-term implications for everyone who lives here. The Coon Creek Community Watershed Council has made it their mission to “Make Running Water Walk” by developing land management practices and working with partners to give farmers, landowners and anyone living here the tools to be a part of the solution”.

Description courtesy of Tim Hundt, Board Member of the Coon Creek Community Watershed Council.

 

Introduction to Seed Saving and Seed Swap

With Bjorn Bergman

Saturday, March 16th from 10-11am presentation and 11am-noon Seed Swap In the Library Lobby

Presentation Description: Are you interested in learning how to save seeds from your vegetable garden? Join local gardener and seed saving enthusiast Bjorn Bergman for an introduction to seed saving. Bjorn will talk about the history of seed saving, why saving seeds is important, cover basic seed saving for tomatoes, beans, and peas, share resources for digging into seed saving for other crops, and share some of his favorite seed stories. The last 15 minutes of the class will be reserved for questions from attendees.

Seed Swap: Following the presentation, the library will host a free seed swap. Anyone who has saved seeds from open pollinated vegetables, flowers, or grains is welcome to bring seeds to share with others. If you bring seeds, please label them with appropriate identifying information for other growers to know. No seeds? No problem! Everyone is welcome to join the seed swap and pick up seeds from local seed savers.

About the presenter: Bjorn Bergman is passionate about growing food and eating seasonally. Each growing season his family keeps a large garden at their home in Viroqua and they love spending time preserving the harvest by drying, canning, freezing, and fermenting. Since 2011, he has been interested in learning about and practicing seed saving. Bjorn loves sharing his passion for and knowledge about sustainable living with others.

Solar Eclipse: A Library Celebration

There are a bunch of programs happening for all ages. Join us!

Paint the Moon: Thursday, March 21st at 5:30pm In the Program Room Adult Ages Registration Required. This is an instructed, step-by-step class for those who paint at a beginner to intermediate level. Materials are provided and you will leave with a beautiful “moon-scape”! Adult Acrylic Art Class for more information, scroll down.

Solar Eclipse Astrology with Ryan Evans: Tuesday, March 26th at 5:30pm In the Lobby Best for Adults Evolutionary astrologist, Ryan Evans, will guide this class through the great rhythms of the cosmos to experience the astrological influences of solar eclipse magic! For more information, scroll down.

Star Lab Planetarium For Families!: Wednesday, March 27th 5:30-6:45pm Registration Required (Registration on The Youth Programming Page) Take a tour of the solar system in a large, mobile planetarium in the library’s lobby.

Solar Eclipse Watch Party! Monday, April 8th 12:30-1:30pm View the solar eclipse safely through a high-powered telescope a “solar scope”. Live stream of the total solar eclipse.

How Can we Find Other Life in the Universe? With Professor Thomas Beatty University of Wisconsin-Madison. Monday, April 1st at 5:30pm. In the Lobby . Are we alone in the universe? This question has been asked for over two thousand years, and we now possess the tools and techniques necessary to answer it.

 

The Call of the Frog

With Ben Johnston of Valley Stewardship Network

McIntosh Memorial Library’s Lobby on Tuesday, March 19th from 3:45-5:00pm.

 Johnston is a Wisconsin Frog and Toad Survey Volunteer. Participants can expect to hear and mimic 12 Wisconsin Frog calls and be informed about how to participate in the upcoming Wisconsin Frog and Toad Survey. All ages are welcome and its sure to be a great family program!

The Solar Eclipse And Astrology

With Ryan Evans

Tuesday, March 26th at 5:30pm in McIntosh Memorial Library’s Lobby.

Come and listen to Ryan Evans, a Certified Master Level Astrologer. He practices an integrative approach to Astrology combining imagery, past life analysis, and healthy encouragement of choice and free-will. He will speak about the deep and relatively esoteric astrological meaning of eclipses.

How Can We Find Other Life In The Universe?

With Professor Thomas Beatty University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Monday, April 1st at 5:30pm. In the Lobby .

Are we alone in the universe? This question has been asked for over two thousand years, and we now possess the tools and techniques necessary to answer it. Professor Beatty will discuss what we want to look for on other planets to see if there is life. Further information will be shared on research being conducted at UW using current and future telescopes.

Art Programs:

Needle Felting Eggs

With Kathleen Kroska

Thursday, March 21st at 1:00pm-2:30pm in the Program Room

Registration is required.
Registration is at the top of the page.

Paint the Moon

Acrylic Painting for beginner-intermediate level

Thursday, March 21st at 5:30pm in the Program Room

Registration is required.
Registration is at the top of the page.

Groups:

Chess Club 65

Wednesdays from 4:00pm-6:00pm January 3rd-May 15th 2024.

Whether you know how to play chess or want to learn we’re bringing a Chess Club 65 to the McIntosh Memorial Library! All ages and all levels of experience are welcome.

 

The Fellowship

Islands of Brilliance:

Small Group Classes for Those on Autism Spectrum

Wednesdays from 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. at the McIntosh Memorial Library.

This program will bring together neurodiverse teens and young adults in the Viroqua area.

Interested participants can connect with us at https://islandsofbrilliance.app.neoncrm.com/forms/connectwithus or call (262) 224-4230. To ensure individual attention, each community fellowship is limited to 10 participants.

The weekly, 60-minute sessions run February through September and will be led by a local educator and artist who have been hired and trained by IOB. Many of the Brilliant Fellows identify as neurodivergent and/or have close ties to the autism community.

The Fellowship is being held in-person on Wednesdays from 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. at the McIntosh Memorial Library. The classes couple a creative hands-on activity with a technology component that helps students express themselves and encourages them to develop positive interaction skills. In addition, attendees will establish connections with peers and mentors in their community, which can help address the isolation that neurodiverse teens and young adults often face.

Funding for the program came from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services through a grant using American Rescue Plan Act dollars.

 

 

Woodcarving Group

With John Sutton and Local Carvers

SATURDAY’s, 10:00AM-12:00PM

March 9th, 2024 April 13th, 2024

For ages 9+ Under 18, an adult must be present

Registration is Required. Please stop by the library or call 608-637-7151 ext. 6

Please bring your own tools if you have them

What to Expect: Workshops are subject to change

  • Workshop 6+:
    • Guest’s Show and tell
    • Patterns
    • Finishing
    • And more!

Past Conversations

Press the link above to watch previously recorded Conversations programs!

Many of our Past Programs are available on our YouTube page. Click Here for our YouTube page or search McIntosh Memorial Library Viroqua on the YouTube home page.

 

Creating Community Beyond Biases: Library Resources Book Lists