Spirits of Earth: Ancient Native American Effigy Mounds of Wisconsin

On Thursday, April 22 at 6:30pm CST, Robert Birmingham, a retired UW-Waukesha professor and the author of several books on archaeological and historical topics, will be with us virtually to host Spirits of Earth: Ancient Native American Effigy Mounds in Wisconsin.

This presentation will explore what is known about the effigy mounds and the world of the effigy mound builders with examples drawn from the Columbia County region.

Native peoples have occupied what is now the state of Wisconsin for over 13,000 years, first arriving at the end of the glacial period. Populations grew through time and cultures became increasing more complex. After 500 B.C native peoples began the custom of burying the dead under earthen mounds. Between AD 700 and 1100 mound building exploded throughout southern Wisconsin and became much more elaborate- taking the form of sometimes vast landscapes of burial mounds made as effigies of animals, supernatural beings, and even human beings. Modern day Columbia and Dodge Counties are at the geographical heart of this remarkable cultural development that is unique in the world and called the Effigy Mound Cultural Complex.

This event is free and open to the public. All are welcome. You may view this event on a laptop, smart phone, tablet or computer.

To register, please click here. You will receive a conformation email shortly after registering. This conformation email will not include the event link, the event link will be sent to the email provided within 24 hours of the live event.

This event brought to you through The Virtual Project, a collaboration among Columbia County libraries to bring virtual programming to library patrons.

Upcoming May Events

The Virtual Project will be hosting two events in May.

On Thursday, May 6 at 6:00pm CST, Martha Bergland will be presenting The Birdman of Koshkonong. In 1834, Thure Kumlien settled on the shore of Lake Koshkonong. Kumlien, an accomplished ornithologist, botanist, and naturalist soon began sending bird specimens to museums and collectors in Europe and the eastern United States. Later, he prepared natural history exhibits for the newly established University of Wisconsin and became the first curator of the new Milwaukee Public Museum. For all of his achievements, Kumlien never gained widespread notoriety. As this carefully researched and lovingly rendered biography proves, Thure Kumlien deserves to be remembered as one of Wisconsin’s most influential naturalists. Registration is required for this event, you can register by clicking here.

Monday, May 17 at 6:30pm CST, you can Cook-Along with Huma Siddiqui from White Jasmine Spices as she walks us through the steps to create yummy Karahi Chicken. Cook along from home or just watch for great new ideas. Registration is required for this event, you can register by clicking here.

These events are free and open to the public. All are welcome. You may view these events on a laptop, smart phone, tablet or computer.

After you register, you will receive a conformation email shortly after registering. This conformation email will not include the event link, the event link will be sent to the email provided within 24 hours of the live event.

This event brought to you through The Virtual Project, a collaboration among Columbia County libraries to bring virtual programming to library patrons.

Sign-Up Guidelines for Virtual Programs

Currently, all of our programs for all age groups are taking place virtually. This may continue to be the case for some time.

As the world moves toward a more virtual reality, at least for the time being, we need to ensure that our patrons are accessing our virtual programs safely.

  1. All Columbus Public Library programs are free and open to the public. We never charge a fee of any kind for our events.
  2. The only way to sign up for a virtual event for our library is by signing up in a Google doc in a link directly from our website or the body of the event description on our Facebook page. It would never be in a comment to that event.

Scammers post fake links for a LIVE STREAM or LIVE LINK to events in the comments section of the post to make it seem as if it is part of the event. It is not. They want your credit card information. The Columbus Public Library would never ask for that information under any circumstances.

Columbus Public Library is Now on YouTube!

We are excited to announce that the Columbus Public Library now has its own YouTube channel! Find us on YouTube by searching for Columbus Public Library WI. Then follow us
by liking and subscribing to our page. You can also choose to get a notification when a new video is posted.

There will be weekly program videos posted for ages 5 and up, weekly Storytimes, and monthly adult crafting videos. We may also post fun videos about upcoming programs and library news. 

This is a great alterative for those who do not use other social media sites to still have access to our instructional videos and storytimes. Videos will still be shared on Facebook for those who prefer to watch through that site.

Click here to visit the Columbus Public Library's YouTube page.

* Storytime videos will only be availble for viewing for one week.

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