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February 16, 2026

Campus life

UW Library Friends should be thanked not booted off campus

Wisconsin State Journal

Readers most likely have encountered the Friends of the UW-Madison Libraries by attending their semi-annual book sales that bring in some $60,000 a year. The friends group has used the proceeds in various ways, including supporting speakers and making grants to visiting scholars using special and often unique material in the UW’s and State Historical Society’s libraries and archives.

State news

UW Experts in the News

Ask The Weather Guys: Why don’t trees freeze and burst in winter like cold pipes?

Wisconsin State Journal

Trees are cold hardy because of many factors. In preparation for winter, many trees reduce the amount of water in their tissue. They usually enter a dormant state to survive cold winters. Some trees, such as maple trees, produce more sugar. When this sugar dissolves in the water, it lowers the freezing point of the fluid. Unlike plumbing pipes, tree tissue is somewhat flexible; as water in the channels freezes and expands, the tree’s tissue can stretch somewhat.