Are you bilingual?

Do you enjoy working with kids and families?

Volunteer as a Storytime Ambassador for the Kent District Library!

As one of 34 public libraries in the nation selected as a recipient of ”The American Dream Starts @ your library” grant from the American Library Association and the Dollar General Literacy Foundation, the Kent District Library will be implementing bilingual Storytime programs at several KDL branches. The bilingual Storytimes will incorporate books, music, crafts and other activities to provide cultural experiences for families. 

When you become a Storytime Ambassador, you’ll receive free training and continued support from KDL staff. KDL has identified a need to expand services for speakers of Spanish, Vietnamese and Bosnian, but is interested in bilingual volunteers in any language.

If you are interested in learning more about becoming a Storytime Ambassador, please contact Denise Robinson at (616) 784-2016 x2221 or drobinson@kdl.org.

On Saturday, May 17, the Kent District Library and Barnes & Noble will host a Book Fair event at Barnes & Noble’s RiverTown Crossings location. The event will include a children’s story time, prizes and an appearance from Katie L., the Kent District Library mascot, from 11:00am to 3:00pm. KDL staff will also be on hand to distribute information and promote our upcoming Summer Reading Club program.

Throughout the entire day, mention Kent District Library at check-out and a portion of each sale will go to the KDL Annual Library Fund supporting future library initiatives! 

 We hope to see you there! 

No, Tigers players won’t be making personal appearances (Sorry!), but we have the next best thing! Some reading suggestions to help celebrate the Tigers’ recent wins (It’s only April after all):

Teen Fiction:

Heat by Mike Lupica
Shakespeare Bats Cleanup by Ron Koertge
Baseball Crazy: Ten Short Stories That Cover All the Bases.
Beanball by Gene Fehler
Hard Hit by Anne Turner

Nonfiction:

Baseball by Alan Smith
Power Basics of Baseball by Bill Polick
Surviving Little League for Players, Parents and Coaches by Leslie Edgerton

Specifically about the Tigers:

Out of Nowhere: The Detroit Tigers Magical 2006 Season by George Cantor
Tales from the Detroit Tigers Dugout by Jack Ebling
Tiger Essential: Everything You Need to Know to Be a Real Fan! By George Cantor

 Also, the American Library Association runs a yearly triva contest called Step Up to the Plate! Entries most be postmarked by September 1, 2008 and recieved by September 12, 2008. One national winner will win a trip to Cooperstown, NY to visit the Baseball Hall of Fame. Some resources you might find answers to the trivia questions in might be The best book of baseball facts & stats 2005, Total Baseball Trivia, The Baseball Encyclopedia: The Complete and Definitive Record of Major League Baseball, and Total Baseball: The Ultimate Baseball Encyclopedia.

 Who’s Your Tiger?

KDL would like to celebrate its recent 25% user-base growth by thanking you, our customers! On Friday, April 25th all of KDL’s 18 branch locations will celebrate with cake and refreshments available throughout the afternoon. Over the course of the past three years, the number of registered Kent District Library card holders has grown from 220,888 to 276,225, a 25% increase! This impressive increase is due to the tremendous support we receive from the people in the communities we serve. 

We realize that it’s this support that allows us to thrive and we wish to recognize that. This accomplishment is even more impressive when you consider that the population growth in Kent County during the same period was just over 1%.  We feel very fortunate to serve a community that believes in the value of the public library and look forward to doing our very best to meet the needs of the people we serve.

We sincerely thank you for your support and look forward to a bright future!

The LakeNet online catalog just got a makeover! The LakeNet catalog, which is currently shared by all libraries in the Lakeland Library Cooperative, including Kent District Library, has been updated to include a number of enhancements.  Among the new enhancements is an automatic “spell check” feature that will try to correct any title or author misspellings, an updated “print record” option for printing full item records, and the ability to store a list of previously checked-out material.  This, combined with many of the older features such as the ability to place item holds, add items to your cart, and view more detailed item information, make the LakeNet catalog easier than ever to use!

So, if you haven’t already, check out our LakeNet Catalog today!

Are you awed by Alanna from the Song of the Lioness Quartet?  Transfixed by Tris from the Circle of Magic Quartet?  Blown away by Beka Cooper?  Meet Tamora Pierce, creator of these and many other fabulous characters at the Cascade Township branch of Kent District Library.    Tamora will do an appearance and book signing on Wednesday, May 7th from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.  We’ll have a limited supply of her books available for sale, or you can bring your own copies! 

 One of the first classics I truly enjoyed was the epic “Gone with the Wind“, by Margaret Mitchell. I can still remember huddling down in the comfort of my bed as I read vividly through the years of Scarlett’s life, the turmoil of the war, and the tragic love affair that always needed one more day for Scarlett to truly love Rhett.

 Finally, a book has arrived to give the reader a taste of Southern charm like only Rhett Butler can offer. In Rhett Butler’s People, by Donald McCaig, Rhett first comes to us as a young southern man ready to defend his honor. In this story Rhett is shown to us in many ways as a champion for the less fortunate, and a passion for integrity that is overshadowed by appearances. Letting society believe that he was a scoundrel was easier for him to protect his heart from the southern tragedies that surrounded him from his country, his family, and most of all, the intriguing Scarlett. Written as an outsider to “Gone with the Wind”, the reader has another viewpoint with further information that enhances our vision of the classic tale. It is well worth the time to visit Rhett once more!

Another intriguing civil war story is “The Widow of the South” by Robert Hicks. This story takes place in Tennessee, and is based on the true character of Carrie McGovern. She takes it upon herself to insure that fallen soldiers are buried properly, as well as maintaining  the cemetary through the years. Though the book is fiction, with a love story and villians mixed in, the reader will enjoy the true story references.

And finally for those interested in further civil war stories, you may click here.

Do you have a favorite southern classic to share ?

How can you celebrate National Library Week? 

April 13 – 19th is National Library Week.  This week we celebrate the amazing programs and services provided to our community by KDL each and every day.   We also celebrate the legacy KDL will leave to our community for generations to come. 

How can you celebrate KDL during National Library Week? 

You can celebrate with a contribution to the KDL Fund.  The KDL Fund was created to support our Kent District Library today, tomorrow and forever.  Donations to the KDL Fund through the KDL Annual Fund and the KDL Endowment Fund help support programs and services that would not otherwise be possible. When you make a gift to the KDL Fund you help ensure that the library will fulfill its mission today and for generations to come.

Celebrate your Kent District Library with a donation today!

Maybe it’s because April 15 is right around the corner (just 5 days to go for all you tax filing procrastinators . . . ), but I’ve been thinking a lot about money lately. In just a few weeks my husband and I will receive that much-hyped “economic stimulus” check (find out here when you can expect yours), and we want to be smart about what we do with that extra $1200, especially with all the bad news the media keeps reporting about the economy.

So I’ve decided to go to the experts and have been reading some money management books. Dave Ramsey, a syndicated radio host, has written one called The Total Money Makeover that I enjoyed. His “baby steps” approach helps prioritize what to focus on, so you don’t get confused trying to do too many things at once (savings, pay off debt, pay down mortgage, retirement and college funds, etc.) with your money.

I’ve also enjoyed reading MP Dunleavy’s columns on MSN Money online. She gives down-to-earth advice sprinkled with humor (not something you can say about many financial writers). She recently released her first book, Money Can Buy Happiness, which is all about spending money wisely on things that enhance your life instead of buying more “stuff” (a personal enrichment class versus a pair of designer shoes, for example).

What about you? Who are your “financial gurus”? Do you have any recommendations of books that have helped you tackle your finances? Leave a comment and let us know!

National Library Week, a time to celebrate the contributions of libraries, librarians and library workers in schools, campuses and communities nationwide — and the perfect time to discover how you can join the circle of knowledge @ your library. First sponsored in 1958, National Library Week is a national observance sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) and libraries across the country each April.

Julie Andrews for our Libraries

Learn more and watch these National Library Week videos!

What does the library mean to you? Let us know in the comment section below!