So you didn’t think anything was free anymore?  Well, check out this list from PC Magazine on the Best Free Software of 2010.   They list a wide variety of sites by category, or view the slideshow to get a look at the list all at once.  I have already spotted an old favorite of mine for use at the library: zamzar.com.  This great website transfers file types so if your document is in WordPerfect, you can change the file type to make it compatible with the library computers.

Now excuse me while I go try out some of these great sites!  (And if something is missing from the official list, please share in the comments!)

The next round in the KDL Wii Tournament Series is taking place at the Cascade Branch on Saturday, April 10 from 12:30pm to 5:00pm.  The tournament, for teens in grades 6-12, is the always exciting Super Smash Bros. Brawl!  So plan to join us for this awesome tournament.

 Here are a few of the guidelines:

Find out more about our Early Childhood Essentials classes and Lego Family Block Parties.

It’s that time of year again — National Poetry Month is upon us!  Throughout the month of April KDL is hosting our seventh annual Word Wise teen poetry contest.

From April 1 to April 30 you are able to submit your poems online or at your local KDL branch.  Winners will be announced by mid May and each winner will receive a $50 gift card to Schuler Books and Music.  The winning poems will be published on the KDL website.  Take some time to check out our teen page for a complete list of rules and an online entry form.

If you are interested in reading poetry in honor of National Poetry Month, or looking for a little inspiration, check out a list of teen poetry books that are KDL staff favorites.  KDL is looking forward to another month of great poetry submissions!  Happy writing!

The Wyoming and Comstock Park branches are hosting a Questionnaire Assistance Center for the 2010 Census. Questionnaire Assistance Centers have been established to aid residents in filling out their 2010 Census forms.  A US Census Bureau employee will be at the branches to offer assistance during the following days and times:

WYOMING BRANCH    Through April 19

Wednesdays, 4:00 – 8:00 PM                

Fridays, 2:00 – 5:00 PM

Saturdays and Sundays, 1:00 – 5:00 PM    

COMSTOCK PARK BRANCH    Through April 17  

Tuesdays, 3:00 – 8:00 PM

Wednesdays, 3:00 – 5:00 PM

Thursdays, 4:00 – 8:00 PM

Saturdays, 1:00 – 5:00 PM     

Telephone Questionnaire Assistance is also available in several languages.

Several of our branches are acting as Be Counted sites. If you did not get a census form delivered to you, you can fill out and mail back a form picked up at one of these sites:

• Alpine Township Branch
• Comstock Park Branch
• Kentwood Branch
• Wyoming Branch

“Be Counted” forms will be cross-checked against the census forms processing database to ensure that each household is only counted once.

Does reading the internet give you a headache? Are you distracted by flashing ads and special offers? Do you want to get right to the good information and ignore all the bling? Then Readability: An ARC 90 Lab Experiment may be the widget for you! The product is self-described as: “Readability is a simple tool that makes reading on the Web more enjoyable by removing the clutter around what you are reading.”

Click this link for a simple video of the product in use, or go to this webpage: http://vimeo.com/3445774

To install the product, follow these simple directions:

• Visit the lab arc 90 webpage by clicking on this link, or go to this webpage: http://lab.arc90.com/experiments/readability
• Follow the two steps on the webpage:

1. Customize your reading view.
2. Add the widget (the site calls it a “bookmarklet” but they are basically the same thing — an app — computer code to accomplish a specific thing) to your Favorites.

Readability is devised to work on individual articles or pages — not homepages or main pages. Meaning if you connect to CNN to get your news, Readability will not work on the CNN homepage but if you click on a news story you want to read and the page is full of ads etc, click on Readability in your Favorites and it will clean up the page for your reading pleasure.

Newbery Medal winning author Sid Fleischman died March 17th, the day after turning 90.  Sid Fleischman has written numerous books for children including “The Whipping Boy” which received the Newbery medal in 1987.  His last book will be published in June, “Sir Charlie,” which is a biography of Charlie Chaplin.

Are you looking for a speaker for your event or organization? We can help! KDL staff members are available throughout the year to present on a variety of topics — free of charge! For a list of available topics, visit the Speakers Bureau page.

Please call 616-784-2007 to schedule a presentation or to find out more.

Find out more about KDL’s Let it Snow Reading Club for Adults, Meet the Poet: Linda Nemec Foster, and International Storytimes.

Linda Nemec Foster will be a guest at the East Grand Rapids Branch at 2:00 PM on Saturday, March 27. She will read her poetry and speak about her work as a poet and writer.

Linda Nemec Foster is the author of nine poetry collections, including the critically acclaimed Amber Necklace of Gdansk, a book that was inspired by her Eastern European heritage and her desire to search for herself in the mirror of her family’s history.