Madison Public Library plans centennial

Variety of activities, promotions taking place through April 26

Madison Public Library is offering a variety of opportunities to help celebrate its centennial in 2019.

While the official date of the centennial is April 26, the library has scheduled a number of events connected to the milestone during the next four months.

Plans call for the library to mark each decade of its history over 100 days, beginning Jan. 17, and ending with its 100th birthday. Every 10 days will represent a new decade.

“We are going to be really busy over the next four months with a whirlwind of activities,” Madison Public Library Director Dee Culbertson stated in a news release.

The library, located at 6111 Middle Ridge Road in Madison Township, will kick off its celebration with a “Roaring Twenties Speakeasy” because it began operations in 1919. Slated for 7 to 9 p.m. Jan. 18, the party will include appetizers, a costume contest, dancing, mocktails and music.

Although the “Roaring Twenties Speakeasy” is an event for guests age 18 and over, the centennial celebration is filled with other events that are family friendly, the library stated in its news release.

For example, the library is holding “Let’s Go to the Hop,” a 1950s-style sock hop during which families are invited to dance and play period games. The sock hop will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. Feb. 15.

Then on March 7, the library jumps ahead to the 1970s with a “Family Fondue and Disco Dance” set for 6 to 8 p.m. Guests will get the chance to dip food in melted cheese and boogie to music of the disco era.

Separately, there will be board- and video-game events, plus fun and interactive exhibits and activities in the library each week. All of the activities are listed on the library’s online calendar, where people also can register.

On April 26, the entire community is invited to attend the library’s official 100th birthday party from 6 to 8 p.m.

Other activities and promotions that will coincide with the Madison Public Library’s 100th anniversary celebration are:

• Special prizes for many in-library activities.

• A push to circulate 100,000 materials in 100 days.

• The Friends of Madison Public Library’s sale of special MPL polo shirts featuring a 100th birthday logo.

“It is such an exciting time to look back at how far we’ve come from the small Carnegie library in Madison Village and what our future holds,” Culbertson said. “We have big plans for increased outreach into our community through our bookmobile service that will start in 2019.”