Attention adults! Since the weather is cold and dreary, it’s the perfect time to snuggle up with a good book! Take minute and sign up online for the 2026 Reading is Lit challenge. 📚

How does it work? Read one book from each of the eight lists curated by our Librarians to complete the challenge. Each book you finish earns you an entry into the grand prize drawing at the end of the year. Complete a book from all eight lists, and you’ll receive a free item from the Friends of Waukesha Public Library Book Sale, plus a commemorative vinyl sticker. Visit our Books and Reading page to see the lists.

Let the challenge begin!

New Library merchandise is available now! From comfy apparel to fashionable accessories, there’s something for every Library fan in our online store. A portion of each purchase goes to the Friends of Waukesha Public Library. So, shop online, support the Library, and wear your Library gear with pride!

We’re excited to announce that Waukesha Public Library is receiving at $10,000 gift from the Carnegie Corporation of New York! Carnegie Libraries hold a special place in American history and in the hearts of generations of Americans. Between 1886 and 1917, Andrew Carnegie funded the construction of 1,681 libraries nationwide. Today about 1,280 are still serving their communities. Opened in 1904, Waukesha Public Library is one 63 Carnegie Libraries in Wisconsin built through this historic program. Many thanks to the Carnegie Corporation for their generous gift and support of our Library.

You can explore Carnegie Libraries across America on this interactive map: carnegie-libraries.carnegie.org.

TAX FORMS

Waukesha Public Library will be a distribution point for basic state and federal tax forms. Tax forms usually arrive near the end of January. Library staff members are not able to help you fill out or file your taxes, but they are happy to help you print any forms you may need. Printing charges of $0.15/page may apply. 

Tax forms that will be available at Waukesha Public Library:

On September 2, the Library transitioned to an exciting new catalog! This catalog offers several impressive new features, including a mobile-friendly design and search results that display multiple formats of a title together in one place. We expect that learning to use it will be a breeze, but we’ve created an instructional brochure and a video guide that can help you get started. If you have questions, give us a call or swing by the Library. We’re happy to help, and we hope you enjoy this new catalog experience.

Step inside Waukesha Public Library from the comfort of home! Curious where storytime happens? Want to get a glimpse inside Studio 321? You can see it all on our 360-degree virtual tour. It’s the perfect way to get to know us better–whether you’re planning your first visit or just want to explore. Click HERE and start your virtual stroll through our state-of-the-art facility today.

Is it your lucky day? It might be! Waukesha Public Library has retired our Rental Collection and replaced it with a Lucky Day Collection. The Lucky Day Collection contains a variety of very popular Library materials with long waiting lists. If you find something you’d like, it’s your lucky day!

Here are the guidelines:

• Lucky Day items are FREE! ☘️
• Two Lucky Day items may be checked out per card.
• Lucky Day items check out for 7 days at a time.
• You cannot place holds on Lucky Day items, and we won’t hold them at the desk. You can only get them from the Lucky Day shelf.
• Because these items are very popular, you cannot renew Lucky Day items.
• Overdue fines are $1.00/day.
• Each item from the Lucky Day collection is labeled with a green clover sticker on the spine and a green sticker with the guidelines on the cover.

We hope it will be your lucky day sometime soon!

The Lucky Day Collection replaced the Rental Collection in the Library lobby.

The Library was recently awarded the “Partnering for a Purpose” award from Literacy Services of Wisconsin. This award goes to an organization that “enhances the opportunities afforded to our students by combining and maximizing resources.”

From the award ceremony program:

“The Waukesha Public Library has been connected to our mission for decades through the Greater Waukesha Literacy Council. As a library, they are a champion of community and learning. We have always appreciated their willingness to share their space and serve as a location for students and tutors to gather. In the last couple of years, we have enhanced our partnership to better align with our respective goals and integrate programming in a way that creates the best outcomes for adult students in Waukesha County.”

Thank you to Literacy Services of Wisconsin for this great honor.

The Library has added LOTE4Kids to our digital resource collection. LOTE4Kids was developed for libraries and schools to grow their World Language picture book collections and support kids learning a new language. Together, let’s give ALL children the opportunity to enjoy books and learn language through the magic of storytelling. Explore LOTE4Kids today!