Sharon Whitehill will share the Navajo Creation Story at 2:00 PM on Sunday, September 12 at the East Grand Rapids branch. Included in her presentation will be a painting depicting the creation story of Emergence and some sand painting illustrations. The Friends of the East Grand Rapids Library are pleased to present this free program for the family.

For 32 years, Sharon Whitehill was a professor at Grand Valley State University, teaching literature courses, world mythology and writing courses. She is now retired and enjoys teaching courses for adults in Michigan and Florida.

We are pleased to announce that Kristin Meyer has been hired as the new Branch Manager of the Englehardt branch in Lowell. She will be responsible for day-to-day operations, programs and services, supervision of support staff, selection and maintenance of the collection, and implementation of policy and procedural changes.

Kristin received her Master’s degree in Library and Information Science from Wayne State University.  She has worked for KDL for the past eight years, most recently as a youth librarian at the Wyoming Branch.  She is passionate about programming and library outreach and has presented on these topics at a variety of professional conferences. 

“I am looking forward to becoming a part of the vibrant Lowell community, working in a library branch with such a rich history, and becoming a member of the KDL management team, ” Kristin said.

Kristin will be taking over for Jane Aronson, who retired in July.

Please join us in congratulating Kristin on her new position!

The Pink Arrow Pride community event is taking place in Lowell, and the Englehardt branch of KDL is getting involved. The goal of Pink Arrow Pride is to raise awareness of and funds for cancer treatment. The staff at the Englehardt branch have put together a book display featuring breast cancer resources and stories. Staff will be wearing pink to show their support of the cause, and encourage you to do the same. Wear a Pink Arrow Pride shirt to the library on September 9, 10 or 11, and enter to win a gift certificate to the Flat River Grill or a copy of the children’s book Pinkalicious by Victoria and Elizabeth Kann.

Kent District Library offers many resources for people of all ages  who would like to learn more about cancer and its treatment including:

Health and Wellness Resource Center
Everything You Need to Know About Cancer in Language You Can Actually Understand by Matthew D. Galsky
Great Katie Kate Tackles Questions About Cancer by M. Maitland DeLand
Living Well Beyond Breast Cancer by Marisa C. Weiss
Children with Cancer: A Reference Guide for Parents by Jeanne Munn Bracken

Learn more about the 2010 Pink Arrow Pride event, which will include a 5K run/walk, a  Kid’s Fun Run, a shirt sale, a parade, and several sporting events. In its first two years, Pink Arrow Pride raised $210,608.

I confess, I am not a big reader of graphic novels.  So when my friend and I were trying to figure out what movie to see, I had never even heard of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.  And I did not know it was based on a series of graphic novels by Bryan O’Malley.  That being said, I really enjoyed the movie!  It was a great experience and a very well done adaptation.  So then I had to read the books as well.  There are actually 6 books, all of which are included in the movie.  I was pleased that the movie was very true to the books.

If you have read the books or seen the movie, leave a comment below to let others know what you thought of them!

The Kent District Library will be closed Monday, September 6, for Labor Day. We will resume normal operating hours on Tuesday, September 7. For additional 2010 holiday closing information, please view our holiday closings page.

We appreciate your patronage and wish you a Happy Labor Day!

Each month KDL staff join Shelley Irwin on the WGVU Morning Show to talk about what’s going on at the library. Listen to Janice Fonger, KDL’s Development Coordinator, talk about the upcoming A Novel Experience event featuring bestselling author David Baldacci. Enjoy!

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Download WGVU9-2-10.mp3

I am always on the lookout for new and interesting Genealogy websites, so I was pleased to find out about this website called GenDisasters.  Even if you are not interested in Genealogy, this site might be worth visiting.  The site is searchable so you can look for ancestors by name.  They also have links on the left side by type of disaster and by state.  I was looking for ”about the site” information but didn’t find it.  But it looks like transcribed articles which are submitted by volunteers.  This means that there are a lot of disasters not covered but it will be an interesting site to check in with periodically!

The Friends of the Walker Library are looking for new volunteers. The group hosts book sales, manages book donations, and takes care of the book sale room called “Buy the Book” inside the library. The group raises funds to sponsor programs and events and purchase items for the library that promote early literacy and foster a love of reading.

Their next meeting is scheduled for Monday, September 27 at 11 am and will be held at the Walker Library.

If you are interested in joining this group, please contact:

Branch Manager Chris Lohman
Phone: 647-3979
Email: clohman@kdl.org

At KDL, we are committed to providing the popular materials that you want to read, listen to, or view.  Look what’s new this month:

• Maybe This Time by Jennifer Crusie
• Spider Bones by Kathy Reichs
• Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
• Date Night (DVD)
• The Last Song (DVD)
• The Back-Up Plan (DVD)

Check one out today. Enjoy!

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. We at KDL 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 of Library Card Sign-Up Month 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.

If you haven’t already, be sure to sign up for a Kent District Library card today!