How can you see Disney’s new feature film, “Earth,” and get pop and popcorn for only $10?

By joining the Kent District Library at Celebration Cinema’s North, South and RiverTown locations on Saturday, April 25. Games, activities and more will start at 12:00 p.m., with the movie at 1:30 p.m. You’ll also have the chance to win some great prizes!

Bring the whole family and buy your tickets at the door on the day of the event. Event proceeds will benefit KDL’s Early Literacy initiatives.

“Earth” is a family-friendly 90-minute documentary film that follows the lives of three animal families — polar bears, humpback whales and elephants — as they move around the world. The film took an estimated 2,000 days to shoot in more than 200 locations around the globe.

Celebration Cinema North will also be accepting used electronics for recycling that day. Visit this site for details.

MeLCat, the service that allows KDL cardholders to request items from libraries around the state, will be unavailable Wednesday, April 15 due to server maintenance. Searching, placing requests, and renewing MeLCat items will not be possible during this time. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

The Grandville Branch is looking for talented local teen bands to perform at our Amped @ the Amphitheatre concert this summer.

(Held on Thursday, July 30, at 6:00 p.m.)

Teen bands interested in performing should complete a registration form by Friday, May, 15, 2009. Forms and complete guidelines are available at the Grandville Branch, or online. Email jbernstein@kdl.org or call Josh at 647-3895 for more info.

Mo Willems is an extraordinarily talented children’s author/illustrator. He is the creator of popular characters like Knuffle Bunny, Edwina the Dinosaur and Naked Mole Rat.

His Pigeon books are among my personal favorite read alouds because they allow for audience participation. Titles in this series include:

• Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus
• Don’t Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late
• The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog

If you are looking for a fun read aloud — one that can please a small crowd or large — definitely give the Pigeon a chance! You won’t be disappointed.

On Thursday, April 23 at 12:30 p.m., John Otterbacher, author of Sailing Grace, will visit the Cascade Township branch of KDL. Otterbacher will share stories of the experiences that formed the basis for his book.

In Sailing Grace, Otterbacher, a former Michigan State Representative and Senator from Grand Rapids, chronicles his battle with heart disease. In this gritty account of his experience with eight heart surgeries in eight months, Otterbacher shows how trauma can be a wakeup call. From the hospital to his sailboat Grace, Otterbacher has faced and surmounted profound adversity.

Sailing Grace was a 2008 Michigan Notable Book, and Otterbacher visited the Sand Lake/Nelson Township branch last year as part of the Michigan Notable Authors tour.

Be sure to register in advance for this program!

All Kent District Library branches will be closed Sunday, April 12, for Easter. We will resume normal operating hours on Monday, April 13. For additional 2009 holiday closing information, please view our holiday closings page.

We appreciate your patronage and wish you a Happy Easter!

The East Grand Rapids Branch of KDL is turning 50, and we’re celebrating with a two-part party on Saturday, April 25. The afternoon is for the whole family. From 2:00 to 4:00 p.m., enjoy crafts, face painting, cake and a Scrabble tournament. Carol Johnson will perform a concert at 3:00 p.m. Bring the whole family!

That evening, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., the Friends of the East Grand Rapids Library and the East Grand Rapids Community Foundation will sponsor a 50^th Anniversary Soirée. Adults are invited to a special evening to celebrate the library. Tickets are $30 or $50 for two. Enjoy music by Potato Moon, a silent auction, hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar. The party will feature a table display for each decade the library has been open. Please join us and celebrate your library! Call 647-3880 to purchase tickets.

Doc Fletcher, author of Weekend Canoeing in Michigan: The Rivers, the Towns, the Taverns, will visit the Cascade Township Branch of the Kent District Library on Sunday, April 19 from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m.

Doc Fletcher will be discussing the many rivers throughout the state of Michigan with photos of his canoe and kayak trips. His book features twenty rivers for canoers, from novice to veteran, and offers information on canoe liveries. He also includes bonus information on local towns and taverns.

So if you like to canoe or have thought about giving it a try, don’t miss Doc Fletcher’s visit!

We’re pleased to announce two new features that have been added to KDL’s online catalog:

Forget Your PIN? Your PIN (Personal Identification Number) is a unique four-digit code needed to access your online library account information. The PIN you are originally assigned is the last four digits of your telephone number; however, you can update your PIN at any time through your online account. If you cannot recall your PIN, you can now use the new Forget Your PIN? feature to choose a new one. Clicking this button will generate an email containing a secure link to an online form where you can select a new PIN of your choice.

Email Search Alerts: Do you have a favorite author and want to know when KDL has received any of their new titles? You can now set up Preferred Searches and receive emails whenever we’ve added items to the catalog that meet your search criteria. To do this:

1. Log in to your online library account.
2. Search the library catalog using the search box at the top of the account screen:

   

3. On the results screen, click the Save as Preferred Search button. (You will only see this button if you have already logged in to your account.) You can save up to 25 different searches.
4. Now go back to your account and click on the Preferred Searches button on the right side of the screen. Click in the Mark for Email column next to your search(es), then click Update List.
5. You will now receive a weekly email whenever a new item meeting your search criteria has been added to the catalog. (no materials — no email.) The message will contain a link to the catalog page so you can easily log in and place the item on hold.

Search alert emails are only generated when an item arrives at the library, not when it is ordered. So make sure to also check our monthly list of Future Book Releases and Future DVD Releases to see not-yet-released titles that have been ordered and are therefore available for holds.

Please note that the Forget Your PIN and the Email Search Alerts features are only available to those who have signed up for our email notification service. This is just one of the great benefits of this email service — you also receive notifications when your holds have arrived and reminders of approaching due dates. So sign up today to take advantage of all these great features!

National Library Week is April 12-18, and KDL invites you to celebrate the contributions of libraries, librarians and library workers in schools, campuses and communities nationwide. It’s a great time to discover how Worlds connect @ your library. Stop by any one of our 18 branch locations during that week and pick up a free Culture Pass — a coupon booklet featuring discounts to local arts and entertainment attractions (available while supplies last). 

If you have a library memory or story you’d like to share, we’d love to hear it!