Library Love in Oz

Oscar Grady Library in Saukville opened in 1972, but was moved to its current location in the 1925 school house in 1987.

February is National Library Lover's Month, so what better time to shine a light on Ozaukee's wonderful libraries?  Offering classes, events, speakers, services, and more to all members of the community, the libraries of Ozaukee County have become so much more than just places to check out books (though they still do that, too!).  February is a great month to take a tour of your local library and see all that they have to offer, and to get a library card if you have yet to do so.  The really great thing about Ozaukee's libraries is that they're all connected through the Monarch Library System, which means your card will work at any of the libraries in Oz!

Oscar Grady Library in Saukville       
Located at 151 S. Main Street in Saukville, Oscar Grady is a charming little library housed in an old school house, and is known for their Digital Media Conversion Lab, where patrons can turn old photo negatives, film, and video into digital files.  The library also houses the Jim & John Peterson Photo Collection, which contains many images of Saukville's past.

WJ Niederkorn Library in Port Washington  
Located at 316 Grand Avenue, the WJNL's claim to fame is their amazing Seed Library, where patrons can check out seeds for their gardens in the same way they'd check out books!  Recently, the library upped their game by adding a Library of Things, which has items such as life jackets, sleds, sand toys, party supplies, and even a portable record player!

Frank L. Weyenberg Library in Mequon
Located at 11345 N. Cedarburg Rd., the FLW Library has a lovely park adjacent, as well as the outdoor pool across the parking lot, so it's a great place for families with young children.  The library, itself, has many offerings for children, including Children's Discovery Kits, which contain items such as musical instruments, coding toys, hobby items, or learning toys that can be checked out just like books.

Cedarburg Public Library  
The CPL moved into its newly built home on W63 N589 Hanover Ave. in 2014, so it is the most modern library in the system, and it has some unexpected resources, such as a 3D Printer Maker Lab, another Library of Things, their own Radio Station, and the recently added StoryCorps DIY, which aims to collect stories of Cedarburg from residents.  They have an Open Evening coming up on Tuesday, February 13th, when the community is invited to stop in and learn more about the program. 

USS Liberty Memorial Public Library in Grafton
The Grafton Library was named by Benjamin and Theodore Grob, who were the primary donors when the current building at 1620 11th Ave. was built in the late 1980s.  The brothers named it after the USS Liberty, a United States technical Navy ship that was attacked by the Israeli Navy on June 8, 1967, in international waters off the Sinai Peninsula. The dedication ceremony in June 1989 was attended by sixty survivors of the USS Liberty.  The library has a Telescope that can be checked out, as well as a Makerspace Room, which provides state-of-the-art technology for community members to explore. Learn how to publish a book, make a podcast, create digital art, preserve your family history, and much more.

For the communities that don't have a library, there's also the BookMobile!  This bus turned into a library has been serving Ozaukee and Sheboygan counties since 1979 and makes regular stops in Fredonia and Belgium, among other places.

No matter where you live in Oz, you're not really far away from any of the options in our amazing library system.  Libraries offer a place to get warm in the winter, cool in the summer, and are one of the few places people can go where they're not expected to purchase anything.  Best of all, libraries are places where you can find community.  Check out one or all of the libraries in Oz this month and become a library lover yourself!