Eerie-eyed dolls take over Mayville library

The Ted & Grace Bachhuber Memorial Library is embracing the Halloween spirit this year with its first Spooky Doll Face-Off, inviting locals to bring their most unnerving vintage dolls for a community display and contest.
From now through Oct. 31, dead-eyed dolls with cracked porcelain smiles and unsettling stares will line the library shelves. Some are relics from before the 1930s, while others arrived in Wisconsin by wagon in the early 1900s. A few even utter eerie phrases, and one was discovered abandoned in a dumpster, according to library staff.
Library leaders organized the chilling contest after drawing inspiration from a similar event at the Dodge County Historic Society, hoping to offer the community a unique, family-friendly way to celebrate the season.
“Our Programming and Children’s Librarian came across the Creepy Doll Contest hosted by the Dodge County Historical Society and loved the concept. We decided to put our own spin on it by keeping the dolls on display here at the library so more visitors could view them in person and vote throughout the month,” said Media & Marketing Librarian Joelle Young. “We’ve had an incredible turnout so far and are thrilled to see the community getting into the spirit of it.”
Guests are encouraged to visit the library, peruse the collection, and cast their vote for the creepiest doll in the lineup. The winner of the Spooky Doll Face-Off will be announced by the library on Nov. 1. The library plans to provide an update when the winner is crowned.