Playaways are the newest format for audio books.  There’s no need for a separate player — all you have to do is press “play” to start listening immediately.  They’re extremely portable, weigh about 2 oz. and fit in a pocket.  All you have to supply are earbuds and a AAA battery.  Kent District Library currently has about 100 children’s titles available in the playaway format.  To get a list of titles,  just do a keyword search in our catalog and type “playaway and juvenile” in the search box.  Samples of titles include all-time favorites such as “Bridge to Terabithia,” “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” “Peter Pan,” and “The Golden Compass.”

Do you want to know about all the cool events and programs happening here at the Kent District Library?  Well, now there’s a new way to do just that. Using the new RSS feed functionality in the KDL event calendar, you can now receive directs updates of KDL events through an RSS reader as they are added to the event calendar. Along with this new functionality, one of the most useful features is the ability to subscribe to a filtered RSS feed, meaning if a filtered search is conducted in the calendar (for example, Teen events at the Cascade Twp. branch) and the RSS option is selected on the results page, your RSS reader will only display those events. You can also set up an RSS feed to notify you when events containing certain keywords are added (for example “Wii” or “Poetry”).

KDL’s events RSS feed — it’s never been easier to stay on top of all the latest KDL happenings! 

The Twilight Saga: The Official Guide by Stephenie Meyer is coming at the end of this year.

Fans of the #1 New York Times bestselling Twilight Saga will treasure this definitive official guide!

This must-have hardcover edition — the only official guide — is the definitive encyclopedic reference to the Twilight Saga and provides readers with everything they need to further explore the unforgettable world Stephenie Meyer created in Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn. With exclusive new material, character profiles, genealogical charts, maps, extensive cross-references, and much more, this comprehensive handbook is essential for every Twilight Saga fan.

So the media is finally catching on to what you’ve known all along — the library is the place to be!  And this is certainly true today as we continue to see big increases in circulation, program attendance, and branch visits throughout the Kent District Library system.

Most importantly we’d like to thank you, our library users, for supporting the Kent District Library and helping to solidify our role as a vital community resource.  We couldn’t exist without you. 

On Monday, September 8, representatives from the Kent District Library donated nearly 200 pre-teen and teen books to the Renucci Hospitality House of Spectrum Health. The Renucci Hospitality House is a place for families and pre/post-admission patients to stay when they need a “home away from home” near the hospital. Along with 37 guest rooms, the facility offers common rooms, a large kitchen and dining area, play rooms, a library and more. The donated books will be made available for guests to read during their stay or to take home when they leave. Some of the books will also be donated to the DeVos Children’s Hospital. 

The Renucci Hospitality House relies on contributions of time and talent to provide its services, and there are many volunteer opportunities available. Or check out the facility’s wish list of items that will help ensure the comfort and convenience of the families who stay there.

Reaping day.  A day that almost everyone in Katniss’s district dreads.  Not simply a day off from the hard labor of the mines, but a day when two tributes, one boy & one girl between the ages of 12 & 18, are selected to be sent to the Capital to participate in a televised battle against the tributes from the 11 other districts, where there can be only one survivor.  Katniss is a survivor.  She has kept food on the table for both her mother & little sister ever since her father died in the mines.  But Katniss can not stand by while her little sister is selected, so she steps forward as a volunteer.  

I absolutely loved this book!  There are a number of wonderful characters, including Katniss, who make it seem like they are real people and the actions in the book could really happen in the future.  I could hardly put the book down because I wanted to find out how Katniss deals with the games and her developing relationship with the other tributes, especially Peeta, who is the other tribute from her own district. The only bad thing about this book is that it is part of a trilogy and I have to wait until the next book comes out to found out what happens next!

Suzanne Collins is the author of the Gregor the Overlander series as well as The Hunger Games.

The KDL Alliance of Friends is once again selling their page-a-day Book Lover’s Calendars to raise money in support of the Kent District Library. You can get your 2009 calendar at any KDL branch for only five dollars.

Stop by your local KDL branch and pick up your 2009 calendar today!

September is Library Card Sign-up Month — a time when libraries across the country remind parents that a library card is the most important school supply of all. Here at KDL, we want to get as many people as possible signed up for a KDL card so they can take advantage of all the fantastic services and resources the library has to offer.

The observance was launched in 1987 to meet the challenge of then Secretary of Education William J. Bennett who said:  ”Let’s have a national campaign . . . every child should obtain a library card — and use it.” Since then, thousands of public and school libraries join each fall in a national effort to ensure every child does just that.

Libraries play an important role in the education and development of children. Studies show that children who are read to in the home and who use the library perform better in school and are more likely to continue to use the library as a source of lifetime learning.

 So, if you haven’t already, be sure to sign-up (or encourage someone else to) for a Kent District Library card today!

¡Celebre la cosecha con juegos, cuentos, música, artes y más por una tarde divertida para toda la familia! También, aprenda más de los programas y servicios que son disponibles (completamente GRATIS) en su biblioteca. Disfrute de música mariachi (en directo!), bocados, y visitas de las mascotas de los West Michigan Whitecaps y los Grand Rapids Griffins – Crash y Griff! Dirigida para trabajadores agrícolas y sus familias de todas edades.

El domingo, el 21 de septiembre de la 1:00 a las 5:00 de la tarde a la sucursal de Alpine

Celebrate the harvest with games, stories, music, crafts and more at an afternoon of fun for the whole family! Also, learn a bit more about the great programs and services available (completely FREE) at your library. Enjoy live mariachi music, snacks, and visits with Crash and Griff, the mascots for the West Michigan Whitecaps and the Grand Rapids Griffins! For families of all ages.

Sunday, September 21 from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. at the Alpine Township Branch

The Friends of the Sand Lake/Nelson Township Library are sponsoring their Annual Perennial Plant Sale & Auction this Saturday, September 6 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Come by the library and select from over 1,000 perennials and other plants. At 2:00 p.m. the remaining plants will be auctioned off. Mulch will be available for $1.50 per bag, and there will also be a used book sale.

Support your local library while you stock up on your favorite plants!