Kent District Library - Information. Ideas. Excitement!

Join KDL this holiday season in bringing cheer to a local child. Once again, KDL is participating in the US Marines’ Toys for Tots program, helping to provide toys to deserving children throughout the community.

Drop off your new, unwrapped toys now through December 14 at any one of these KDL branch locations: Cascade Township, East Grand Rapids, Grandville, Kentwood, Krause Memorial and Wyoming.

Thank you for your donation!

It’s time for another round of our popular KDL Wii Tournament series, and this time we decided to go back to everyone’s favorite tournament game, Super Smash Bros. Brawl.  If you like to brawl please join us on Saturday, Nov. 21 from 12:00-4:00pm  at the Plainfield Twp. Branch (2650 5 Mile Rd. NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49525).

In an effort to answer a few questions before they are asked, here are a few details of the game play:

• It will be single player, with most battles consisting of 4 players.
• The battles will be 3-minute timed battles.
• There will be a few prelim battles before the top 28 participants are placed in the tournament bracket.
• Wiimotes and nunchucks will be provided, but if you wish to use a classic remote or Gamecube controller you may bring one with you.
• Some but not all of the characters and levels have been unlocked on the systems, but if any are unlocked throughout the tournament game play they may be used.
• Items will be set to random throughout the event.
• There will of course be prizes for the winner and runner-up as well as refreshments for all.

Let’s Brawl!

It’s hockey season again! From now through April, use your Kent District Library card to get a great deal on Grand Rapids Griffins hockey tickets. At every Sunday and Wednesday home game, fans who present a local public library card — such as your KDL card — at the Van Andel Arena box office on game day will get a lower bowl ticket for just $10! That’s a savings of $7! Limit four tickets per card.

Sunday and Wednesday home games include:

Wednesday, November 11
Wednesday, December 9
Sunday, December 27
Sundays, January 3 and 17
Wednesday, January 6
Sunday, February 21
Wednesday, February 24
Wednesday, March 31
Wednesday, April 7

Tickets are subject to availability.

Katie L. will be making a special appearance at the game on Wednesday, February 24. Be sure to stop by the KDL information table to say hi!

Sign up for a Kent District Library card at your local KDL branch. And if you already have one, don’t forget to use it!

Do you download eBooks, eAudiobooks or video from KDL’s eLibrary? Are you on Facebook and Twitter?

Well now you can use these social networking sites to share your download activity with your friends!

When you use OverDrive on KDL’s eLibrary, you can let all your friends know what you’re reading, listening to or watching on Facebook and Twitter.

After selecting your item for download, simply look for the new “Share” section below the item listing, select the social networking site you’d like to use, and follow the directions.

When you’re done, your update should look something like this on Facebook:

Or like this on Twitter:

Teen vampire fans: join us on Friday, October 30 at 2:00 p.m. at our Cascade branch for plenty of vampire-related games and fun as we celebrate Halloween Twilight-style. Come dressed as your favorite Halloween or Twilight character and enter to win our costume contest.

Or come to our Kentwood branch on Friday, November 13 at 5:00 p.m. for our big Twilight Movie Release Party. It’s sure to bring out the vampire in you!

The Young Adult Library Services Association and KDL invite teens to Read for the Fun of It during Teen Read Week, October 18 to 24. This year’s theme is “Read Beyond Reality.” You can pick up your favorite mind-bending book at any KDL branch location.

Other exciting fall teen programs include:

Anime Club – Learn, share and expand your knowledge of anime and Japanese culture. Registration is required. Thursdays, September 3, October 1 and November 5 at 4:00 p.m. at the Gaines Twp. branch.

Teen Zone – Play games, complete crafts, discuss books and enjoy snacks. Thursdays, September 10 to November 19 at 3:00 p.m. at the Grandville branch.

Teen Book Discussion – Join other teens for a lively book discussion and snacks. Registration is required. Thursdays, September 10, October 1 and November 12 at 6:00 p.m. at the Tyrone Twp. branch.

Teen Twilight Parties – Celebrate the opening of the New Moon movie with vampire-related games, crafts and food along with a costume contest. Friday, October 30 at 2:00 p.m. at the Cascade Twp. branch (registration is required) and Friday, November 13 at 5:00 p.m. at the Kentwood branch.

And so much more!

If you have never read anything by Scott Westerfeld, now is a great time to start! Scott’s latest book, Leviathan, is the first in a planned trilogy. The second book named Behemoth is due to be released October 2010.

Leviathan is a Steampunk alternative history set right before the beginning of World War I. The British Empire and their allies are called Darwinists because of their success with genetic manipulations to create powerful new creatures like the Leviathan, a whale airship. The Germans & Austro-Hungarians are called Clankers because of their steam-driven iron machines like the Land Dreadnought. The book is filled with wonderful illustrations done by Keith Thompson.

The story follows Aleksandar Ferdinand, prince of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, who flees for his life after the death of his parents and Deryn Sharp, a young girl disguised as a boy in the British Air Service. Their paths cross unexpectedly and they must overcome the difference between their countries, while working together to save themselves and the Leviathan.

Now you can wirelessly download audiobooks, music and video to your Windows Mobile phone from KDL’s eLibrary and play the titles with the same superior navigation features as OverDrive’s desktop software.

The free OverDrive Media Console for Windows Mobile application works with dozens of Windows Mobile phones. You can find a list of compatible devices on the Windows Mobile website.

Download the OverDrive Media Console for Windows Mobile today!

This week (September 26 - October 3) is Banned Books Week, an annual event each fall where we celebrate the right to read.  It is a great time to pick up a good book, and just enjoy your right to read it. You can read more about the week at the following sites.

• Banned Books Week
• American Library Association’s list of frequently banned books
• BBW Facebook
• BBW MySpace

In the hopes of helping each other find good titles, I thought we could share some of our favorite banned books or authors with each other.  I will start us off. One of my favorite banned books of all time is Fahrenheit 451, which I am currently re-reading in graphic novel form.  A favorite author of mine, who regularly finds his books facing challenges across the country, is Chris Crutcher.

What are your favorites?

Banned Books Week: Celebrating the Freedom to Read
September 26–October 3 

KDL invites you to celebrate your freedom to read during Banned Books Week. This event is observed each year during the last week of September and celebrated nation-wide. Since 1982, Banned Books Week reminds Americans not to take this democratic freedom for granted.

Banned Books Week celebrates the freedom to read as well as the freedom to express one’s opinion even when that opinion might be considered unorthodox or unpopular. The current list of banned books is quite impressive, as is the conviction of those that choose to stand up for our freedom to read and never take that freedom for granted.

Be sure to check out these great Banned Books Week resources:

• Wikipedia’s list of books banned by governments
• American Library Association’s lists of frequently challenged books
• BBW Facebook page
• BBW MySpace page
• American Library Association’s BBW page