UW-Madison Libraries

10/14/2026

We're going greener!

The UW–Madison Libraries are in the early stages of the Sustainable Library Certification Program, deepening our commitment to environmental stewardship in our operations, spaces, and engagement. The process, which is expected to be complete in spring 2028, will contribute to ongoing sustainability efforts on campus, including the Office of Sustainability's Sustainability Tracking Assessment and Rating System (STARS) assessment program.

Get more details about the process: https://www.library.wisc.edu/news/2026/10/14/uw-madison-libraries-deepen-environmental-commitments-with-sustainable-library-certification-program/

10/08/2026

Tonight! Join Kohler Art Library for Jen Bervin's talk, "*You can almost feel the date," where she'll discuss works like her artist book "The Dickinson Composites." The book, shown here, includes samples of large-scale quilts Bervin meticulously embroidered with red crosses and dashes, capturing the enigmatic marking system poet Emily Dickinson used in her manuscripts.

Bervin's talk is the ninth annual Bernstein Book Arts Lecture series, which nvites master book artists to share insights into their creative practice and engage with students in the UW Book Arts program.

10/02/2026

Fill the Hill is back!

Original Fill the Hill prankster Stu Baker and a flamingo friend from his 1979 stunt are in flight today to discover what’s new at UW–Madison Libraries. Check out some of the stops on their journey, including the newly renovated first floor of Steenbock Memorial Library, a sit-down with this year's Go Big Read selection, and a riveting game of Wingspan at College Library.

A lot may have changed at UW–Madison Libraries since 1979, but our commitment to helping scholars transform big questions into bigger possibilities is unwavering.

If you'd like to show us your support, visit our giving link: https://uwflamingos.com/campaign/libraries/?utm_source=campus-tactics&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=link&utm_campaign=fth26&campaign=CA1034273

10/01/2026

Fill the Hill, UW's flamboyant fun-raiser, kicks off at 5 p.m. today. And the UW–Madison Libraries have reunited TWO icons from UW history to help us celebrate.

This year, original Fill the Hill prankster Stu Baker is joining forces with one of the flamingoes from the 1979 Bascom Hill stunt that started it all. As a longtime supporter of campus libraries, Stu knows the important role the Libraries play in safeguarding history. That includes protecting his feathered friend, who's been nesting at the UW Archives for the last 50 years.

You, too, can show your support of Libraries' remarkable services. Visit our Fill the Hill giving page: https://uwflamingos.com/campaign/libraries/?utm_source=campus-tactics&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=link&utm_campaign=fth26&campaign=CA1034273

09/30/2026

When the Department of Special Collections reopened in August 2026, it also opened the doors to new discoveries for scholars on the UW–Madison campus and beyond.

UW’s rarest books have returned to Memorial Library’s ninth floor, and so have students and researchers hoping to get up close and personal with centuries-old texts, manuscripts, periodicals, maps, posters, and more. Many of these treasures contain information you can’t find anywhere else.

Check out scenes from a fall 2026 class held in Special Collections, and read the story about the department’s return: https://news.wisc.edu/the-return-of-uws-rarest-books/

Photos by Taylor Wolfram/UW–Madison

09/29/2026

What do conspiracy theories and NCAA women's basketball have in common?

They're both part of the Digital Scholarship Hub's slate of fall events!

Our September–November programming homes in on the theme of Artificial Realities. More and more in the 21st century, reality is experienced as a profoundly artificial experience, lived through online environments, digital media, technological devices, and complex algorithms that shape our desires and our experiences. With the rise of artificial intelligence, these realities have become more robust, diverse, and controversial.

Artificial realities can be terrifying, accelerating alienation and instability, but they can also be inspirational, producing new art and culture. This semester, we will explore the wonderful and bizarre, the sublime and the frightening nature of our artificial realities.

Visit the Digital Scholarship Hub page on the Libraries website to find out what's in store: https://www.library.wisc.edu/digital-scholarship-hub/events

09/28/2026

Fill the Hill is just days away!

That's your chance to join a beloved UW–Madison tradition AND show us your support. Between 5 p.m. Oct. 1 and 2, every gift to UW–Madison Libraries adds a flamingo to the flock on Bascom Hill.

This year, Libraries is taking the celebrations even further: We're bringing back one of the most iconic figures from UW history. Can you guess who? (Hint: Peep the photo.)

We'll make the big reveal right here on October 1. Until then, bookmark the Libraries' giving page: https://uwflamingos.com/campaign/libraries/?utm_source=campus-tactics&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=link&utm_campaign=fth26&campaign=CA1034273

09/21/2026

It’s the 21st night of September — the perfect time to read the On Wisconsin story about the Allee Willis Archive and forthcoming Allee Willis Creativity Commons.

The UW’s Allee Willis Creativity Commons will channel a famous alumna’s artistic vision.

09/14/2026

Discoveries abound in the UW Archives — especially if you put in the work.

Over the last nine months, the UW Archives team joined forces with Hesburgh Libraries to unearth treasures from Badgers and Fighting Irish history for a once-in-a-lifetime exhibit at the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame. Nearly 7,000 fans passed through the Hall of Fame to explore the selection of rare and rarely seen materials.

Read about how the team navigated the Archives' nearly 40,000 linear feet of total collections (equivalent to more than 100 football fields) to produce the unique exhibit: https://www.library.wisc.edu/news/2026/09/14/going-long-on-badger-history/

09/08/2026

We can still feel the excitement from Convocation last week, when new Badgers and transfer students got their copies of this year's Go Big Read, Custodians of Wonder. Want your own copy? Visit the Participate page on the Go Big Read website to find out how you can join in the conversation: https://gobigread.wisc.edu/participate/.

Photo credits: Althea Dotzour