Registration begins today for the All Together Now summer library challenge for all ages.  
Visit www.hedbergpubliclibrary.org to create a Beanstack account, register for the summer library challenge and begin earning badges by reading and completing activities.  If you created a Beanstack account last summer, you will use the same username and password.  
Once you are registered, stop at the library's Summer Desk or at HPL Express at Uptown Janesville to pick up your lanyard and first button or sticker.

Second Harvest knows that the application process can be scary and intimidating at times.  Let us help ease that feeling by assisting you with FoodShare applications.  We can also assist with applications for healthcare and other resource renewals, setting up an ACCESS account, or with questions about your case.

The PATH Program is a homeless itervention and outreach program serving individuals living with a pervasive mental health diagnosis who are homeless or at rish of homelessness.  During office hours, staff is available to meet with individuals to discuss their situation and barriers they are trying to overcome.  Individuals are assessed for program eligibility, and enrolled candidates will be connected to a client advocate for case management services.  Information on shelters and resources in the community are shared that may provide a safer living environment.  Referrals include those made to mental health services,AODA treatment, health care, employment services, crisis centers, and housing services.

Big Brothers Big Sisters will answer questions regarding enrolling your child in the program to have amentor as well as any adults seeking volunteer opportunities.  Staff can also assist with the application process and any pre-match training that needs to be completed before a "Big" or "Little" is matched.

in partnership with MainStreet Thrive 
The start time for this program has changed from 6:00 to 5:00 p.m. Bring your business cards and network with other local small business professionals!

Registration is required. Register at: https://tinyurl.com/mr24xstr

Meet adoptable pets at the library! The Humane Society of Southern Wisconsin makes their monthly visits on the second Wednesday of each month.petsgohome.org

in partnership with YWCA Immigration Outreach Program and Faith Literacy 
Drop in to practice conversational English with volunteers in a relaxed and fun environment. Bringing the kids? We'll have self-directed activities available. Childcare not included. 
No registration necessary.

Join us for a beginner-friendly gentle Vinyasa Yoga class. Bring your own yoga mat or towel and any props you may prefer (blocks or strap) and water. 
Registration is required. Register online, at the library, or call 608-758-6600. Participate at your own risk and let the instructor know of any injuries or modifications before the program.

in partnership with YWCA Immigration Outreach Program and Faith Literacy 
Drop in to practice conversational English with volunteers in a relaxed and fun environment. Bringing the kids? We'll have self-directed activities available. Childcare not included. 
No registration necessary.

Listen to live music by local musicians. No registration necessary.

Visit with the members of the Rock River Valley Woodcarvers and learn the skills of their craft. No registration necessary.

Join former State Champion and Life Master Peter Webster and other enthusiasts for tournament style chess. Come to play, learn the basics, or watch others. Chess sets will be provided, but feel free to bring your own. Instructors will be available. 
No registration necessary.

The Madison/Rockford VA Homeless Program offers assistance finding affordable housing for Veterans.   The Homeless Program has access to Section 8 vouchers specifically for Veterans (called HUD VASH Vouchers) who earn less than 50% of the area median income.  We also make referrals to several other programs, including Grant & Per Diem (GPD) programs in Rockford, Madison and Janesville.  We work closely with community agencies such as the Community Action Coalition and VORP, both of which can help provide application fees and security deposit assistance to Veterans with low incomes.  Meetings at Hedberg with Veterans generally consist of giving Vets as much housing info about their area as possible, while setting up a future appointment with staff to complete a full assessment to see which services they may qualify for. 

Listen to live music by local musicians. No registration necessary.

in partnership with YWCA Immigration Outreach Program and Faith Literacy 
Drop in to practice conversational English with volunteers in a relaxed and fun environment. Bringing the kids? We'll have self-directed activities available. Childcare not included. 
No registration necessary.

Title: My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist's Personal Journey by Jill Bolte Taylor
LOCATION: Dean St. Mary's Hospital Healing Garden (behind hospital)RAIN LOCATION: Hedberg Fireplace Room

Title: My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist's Personal Journey by Jill Bolte Taylor
RAIN LOCATION: Hedberg WoodruffLOCATION: Dean St. Mary's Hospital Healing Garden (behind hospital)

in partnership with YWCA Immigration Outreach Program and Faith Literacy 
Drop in to practice conversational English with volunteers in a relaxed and fun environment. Bringing the kids? We'll have self-directed activities available. Childcare not included. 
No registration necessary.

Listen to live music by local musicians. No registration necessary.

Presented by Christine DeSmet and Peggy Joque WilliamsRegistration is suggested. Space is limited. Walk-ins welcome if seats are available.

Are you a discerning reader or reviewer? Are you a writer ready to sharpen what's on the page of your manuscript? Many of today's books and stories are dialogue-driven. Of course what's on the screen is, too. What creates dazzling and dynamic dialogue versus lazy and lame? Effective writers use dialogue techniques to bring excitement and plot to the page. And what if the page or screen they face is empty? A writer need only grab a dialogue technique to re-boot the creativity. Two experienced, award-winning writers and professional writing coaches share proven techniques in this session. 
Christine DeSmet is a writing coach and developmental editor, an award-winning writer, and former long-time Distinguished Faculty Associate with UW-Madison Continuing Studies. She writes the Fudge Shop Mystery Series set in Door County, Wis. including the new release Holly Jolly Fudge Folly. She also authored the Mischief in Moonstone Series (novellas) set near Superior. She and Peggy Williams have optioned screenplays including an award-winning screenplay to New Line Cinema . Christine's new projects include a new mystery series and children's picture books. Her memberships: Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators, and Writers Guild of America. 

Peggy Joque Williams is a freelance writer and book editor who has co-written and published two mystery novels (On the Road to Death's Door, a Wisconsin Library Association award winner, and its sequel, On the Road to Where the Bells Toll). Peggy has also taught creative writing classes and workshops for Madison College and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her memberships include Sisters in Crime, Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators, and the Indexing Society of America.

Presented by R.B. Simon and Lisa Marie Brodsky
Registration is suggested. Space is limited. Walk-ins welcome if seats are available.
This workshop will focus on the premise that drawing from your own life makes for potent storytelling. When writing their unflinching truths, poets are often assumed to be "confessional poets", yet we believe that drawing on specific, personal observations and experiences lends itself to crafting more universally human and powerful poetry. In our session, we'll discuss how to turn one's own subjective truths into a specific, yet relatable narrative by becoming conscientiously vulnerable. We'll discuss what details to share, how to craft the "world of the poem", and how to practice self-care when diving deep into sensitive topics.
R.B. Simon is a queer, black author of two poetry collections, a chapbook, The Good Truth, (Finishing Line Press ©2021) and Not Just the Fire (Cornerstone Press ©2023). She has been published in multiple national and international journals, was shortlisted for the 2022 Julia Darling Memorial Prize in Poetry, and won 3rd Place in the WI Fellowship of Poets 2022 Chapbook contest.
Lisa Marie Brodsky is the author of the poetry collections We Nod Our Dark Heads and Motherlung (winner of the 2014 Outstanding Poetry Award by the WI Library Association). Lisa Marie is the creator of multiple initiatives which support writers seeking to integrate challenging lived experiences with creative arts and is currently training to become a Poetry Therapy Practitioner. Lisa Marie has been publishing in journals and performing poetry around the South-central WI area for over 20 years. 

Presented by Gayle Rosengren
Registration is suggested. Space is limited. Walk-ins welcome if seats are available.
Good for you! Writing for children is especially satisfying, but it's also highly competitive and comes with its own unique standards and guidelines--from subject matter to vocabulary, from characters to dialog, and more. I will condense the fundamentals into this one hour class so you will leave with a head start down the road to writing a strong middle grade novel. 
Gayle Rosengren has a BA in Creative Writing and is a longtime member of The Society of Children's Writers and Illustrators. She has published three middle grade novels - one a Junior Library Guild selection, and one the winner of the Tofte Wright Award for Best Children's Novel from the Wisconsin Council of Writers.

Presented by Ann AngelRegistration is suggested. Space is limited. Walk-ins welcome if seats are available.
How do we use the details of a scene to enrich a story or deepen a character? Can they help us truly see that character's world? And can details help us see subtle shifts of growth and action? A teaching writer once told me that every detail of setting becomes a prop for the primary character. Details as props are important elements in each and every scene. They help readers know where your character focuses, what your character's likes and dislikes or fears and safe spaces are, and what your character is thinking about action, desire, and need. When these details are filtered through your primary character's emotional sensibilities, they enrich our understanding of characters and provide more depth of experience. They shape and mold the tone of the story. They can be used to show a character's change in perspective and understanding as well as the character's emotional growth. This workshop will help you move a character, either in first person or close third person (also called third person personal), through a scene in a way that enriches your writing and develops your character in clear but unexpected ways.

Ann Angel is teaching writer who has offered workshops throughout the country and taught graduate level writing classes, including journalism, creative nonfiction, and novel writing at Mount Mary University for over 35 years. She is the author of Janis Joplin, Rise Up Singing (Abrams, 2010, Things I'll Never Say, Stories About our Secret Selves (Candlewick, 2015) Such a Pretty Face. Short Stories About Beauty (Abrams, 2007) Adopted Like Me (Jessica Kingsley Publishers) 

Presented by Nick ChiarkasRegistration is suggested. Space is limited. Walk-ins welcome if seats are available.
Never do your self-editing all at once. As you begin the rewriting process, you also start the editing process. This is the art and the heart of it; this is when you begin to build castles and rewrites you can share with your writing group or your initial reader. A poorly edited manuscript is certain death for any legitimate agent or publisher. And it is one of the things within control along the journey to publication. Learning how to edit your manuscript will not only reduce costs but will improve your skill as a writer. Please do it. Take Away: Learning how to edit your manuscript will not only reduce cost but will improve your skill as a writer.
Nick Chiarkas grew up in the Al Smith housing projects in the Two Bridges neighborhood on Manhattan's Lower East Side. When he was in the fourth grade, the principal of PS-1 told his mother, "Nick was unlikely ever to complete high school, so you must steer him toward a simple and secure vocation." Instead, Nick became a writer, with a few stops along the way: a U.S. Army Paratrooper (101st Airborne Division); a New York City Police Officer; the Deputy Chief Counsel for the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations; the Deputy Chief Counsel and Research Director for the President's Commission on Organized Crime; and the Director of the Wisconsin State Public Defender Agency. On the way, he picked up a Doctorate from Columbia University; a Law Degree from Temple University; and was a Pickett Fellow at Harvard. Nick is the author of Nunzio's Way and Weepers. 

Presented by Maggie SmithRegistration is suggested. Space is limited. Walk-ins welcome if seats are available.
The reality is that most of the marketing for your book, both in terms of time and money, will fall to you. In this class, we'll review a six-month time table for a comprehensive marketing plan, tips for garnering reviews, why you might consider hiring a publicist, low to no-cost promotions, the social media quagmire, the holy trinity of appearances (book clubs, podcasts, and book events), swag (what's worth it, what's not), and the question that underlies it all: what's your marketing goal and how will you get there?

Maggie released her debut novel, Truth and Other Lies, last year and is host of a well-established podcast, Hear Us Roar. She is also managing editor of the Write City Magazine for the Chicago Writer's Association. The backbone of her presentation is the detailed marketing plan she to publicize her book. This included working with a paid publicist, entering (and winning) 12 different national writing competitions, podcast appearances, guest blogs, and a concentrated social media push.  

Stroll through the library to visit with 24 local authors. Grab an Author Passport to be entered into our Book Fest prize drawing.