Although the title has been known for a while, the cover art was recently released for The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling!  The book is scheduled to be released September 27, 2012 and holds can be placed through your favorite KDL branch!

This book is a big change from her previous writing, but there are many adult Harry Potter fans who want to see how her writing translates to an adult mystery.  The description does imply some political intrigue and the title “The Casual Vacancy” can be defined as:  “In politics, a casual vacancy is a situation in which a seat in a deliberative assembly is vacated during that assembly’s term.”

The question is:  Does the cover make you more or less likely to read the book?

Most of us think bats are creepy. They have funny squished-in faces, live in spooky dark caves and we can’t help feeling as though they just might want to suck our blood.

But in reality, bats do a lot of good. A bat eats about 2,000 to 6,000 insects each night, including pests like flies and mosquitoes. Bats that drink nectar are also effective pollinators of crops including mangos and bananas. 

Come learn the truth about bats at the library! Explore their nocturnal habits in a Bats of the World live animal presentation by the Organization for Bat Conservation. Check out a few fun books about bats and you just might be inspired to build your very own bat house or visit one of Michigan’s live bat colonies yourself.

All Kent District Library branches will be closed Wednesday, July 4 for Independence Day. For additional 2012 holiday closing information, please view our holiday closings page.

We appreciate your patronage and wish you a Happy 4th of July!

Almost 60 children received free bike helmets recently at the “Lids at the Library” program presented by the Grand Rapids Griffins and Safe Kids Greater Grand Rapids. There were a lot of excited kids at the event, which took place at the Plainfield Township branch:

“Lids at the Library” represents the start of the ninth summer of the Griffin’s award-winning “Put a Lid On It!“ helmet safety program, which is presented by Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital.

*Video courtesy of the Grand Rapids Griffins. See more photos of the event on their Flickr page!

If you’ve tried our Mango Languages database, we want to hear from you!

Share your Mango story by July 31 using this form and you will get to choose a prize from our Mango treasure chest containing T-shirts, water bottles, tote bags and more!

The two people who share the best story (based on the humble opinions of some KDL staff members) will each win a SONY eReader! Grand prize winners will be announced the first week in August.

If you’ve never used Mango, now would be a great time to try it. With more languages offered than ever before, you’re sure to find something that puts the parlez in your vous!

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

The Fallen Angel by Daniel Silva
Backfire by Catherine Coulter
Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness
Friends with Kids (DVD)
Journey 2 – The Mysterious Island (DVD)
Sherlock Holmes – A Game of Shadows (DVD)

Make sure to check out our lists of future releases. All of these items have been ordered and are available for holds — just click on the title you want, then place your hold in the online catalog. Lists are updated monthly.

Place a hold on one (or several) today. Enjoy!

Whether you’re a computer novice or looking to update your skills, KDL’s free computer classes can help you learn something new! Registration opens today for our August classes:

• Digital Photos: Creating Digital Photo Slideshows
• Digital Photos: Online Photo Editing Fun
• Digital Photos: Online Photo Sharing, Saving and Ordering
• Internet: Email Basics
• Internet: Facebook Basics
• Job Seekers: Job & Career Accelerator
• Microsoft Word I, II & III
• Microsoft Excel I & II
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Speak to a Geek (no registration required)

For class descriptions and schedule, please see our brochure or search our events calendar.

Unless otherwise noted, registration is required and will begin the month before the scheduled classes on the first Monday of each month for KDL patrons and the second Monday for non-KDL patrons (if space is still available):

• August classes: Registration begins Monday, July 2 for KDL cardholders (Monday, July 9 for all others)

To register, please call 616-784-2007.

Have fun!