10 Cool Things You Can Do With an MPL Library Card
Photo by Brianna Schubert
You know about the books, movies and music you can rent from the Milwaukee Public Library, but what else can you do with that small card in your wallet?
1. Rent a Hiking Kit
If you’re interested in hiking some of the area’s many scenic trails, renting a Hiking Kit from the library will help you make the most of the experience, on the cheap. The kit includes a backpack filled with a compass, trekking poles, binoculars, a bird guide, a tree guide and a book of trails to explore in Wisconsin. Just pack a water bottle and you’ll be good to go!
2. Genealogy Research
For patrons researching their family tree, the Milwaukee Public Library offers resources and services to help you trace your genealogy and family history. The Frank P. Zeidler Humanities Room at the Central Library has lots of physical resources to get you started, but you can also investigate right at home. With your library card, you can access databases including the Ancestry Institutional Edition of ProQuest, HeritageQuest, and a database of obituaries and death notices. The library also offers specific resources for Jewish and African American communities to start their search.
3. Gale Courses
If you’re an adult interested in continuing education opportunities, Gale Courses may have what you’re looking for. With your library card, you can access nearly 400 six-week digital courses that cover a variety of topics including accounting and finance; design and composition; personal development; technology; writing and publishing; language; business and more. Over the six weeks students will be introduced to new concepts, have projects to practice skills and sometimes even participate in exercises with other students.
4. Plan a Day of Backyard Fun
Badminton, cornhole, bocce ball, frisbee golf and pickleball are a few of the backyard games you can borrow from the Milwaukee Public Library. Grab some friends and plan an entire day of backyard competition with rentals from the MPL. Most items cannot be requested online, so make sure to check which branch holds the games you want before picking up.
5. Book Club Kits
Take the planning out of your monthly book club with a pre-made Book Club Kit. The adult Book Club Kits (they also have teen and children’s kits) include titles in mystery, fiction, nonfiction, graphic novels, science fiction and fantasy. When you rent a kit, you pick up a cloth bag with ten copies of the same book to distribute to your friends. A curated discussion guide is included to take the extra legwork out of running a club. You can check out the selection online, rent through County Cat or pick up directly at the Central Library.
6. Book a Business Librarian
Aspiring small business owners and entrepreneurs can tap into the expertise of the library’s business librarians by booking a 45-minute info-packed guidance session. It starts with an intake conversation where the business librarians can discuss your ideas, goals, and how far along you are in business. From there, they will pull together resources including databases, materials and helpful sources, and walk you through all the information to support you in your current stage of entrepreneurship.
7. Arts & Crafts Classes
Creative crafters can look to the MPL for free artistic activities to do throughout the year. Hosted at several locations, visitors can participate in classes for traditional crafts like knitting and drawing, or even seasonal and holiday crafts. Some upcoming options include leaf stamping napkins, making winter snow votives and holiday card crafting.
8. Explore The City (For Free!)
Did you know that you could get into some of the city’s most beloved institutions for free as a public library member? The library offers free passes to the Milwaukee Art Museum, the Boerner Botanical Gardens, The Betty Brinn Museum, the County Zoo, Discovery World, the Domes and other museums and sites. Pass rentals range from 3-7 days, and can be applicable for up to six people. The majority of the passes cannot be requested through the app or online and have to be picked up at the participating library.
9. Request a Book Bundle
Have you finished a book you love, but had trouble finding other books with the same tone, voice or narrative structure? Or maybe you’ve exhausted your TBR list and are looking for fresh titles in your favorite genre? Milwaukee Public Library’s “Request a Book Bundle” allows you to explain all your favorite aspects of books you love to read, and the librarians will put together a bundle of up to five books or films based on your description.
10. Get Social
The library is quite the social hangout too! Going to the movies, doing a paint and sip night, competing in a cribbage competition, getting strong at a yoga class, partaking in book discussions, unwinding with a guided meditation and many more activities are available across the Milwaukee Public Library system. Check out events going on throughout Milwaukee, and even through the suburban branches to find an event for you.
