Good news for eBook fans — new titles from major publisher Hachette Book Group are now available from the library again! Hachette stopped selling eBooks to libraries in 2010, limiting the availability of popular authors such as James Patterson, David Baldacci, Sandra Brown and others to only titles released before this date. But they are now once again making their full collection available for libraries to purchase.

KDL has purchased over 200 new Hachette titles, including:

• Life after Life by Kate Atkinson
• The Hit by David Baldacci
• Death of Yesterday by M. C. Beaton
• Low Pressure by Sandra Brown
• Beautiful Creatures series by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
• The Fifth Assassin by Brad Meltzer
• 12th of Never by James Patterson & Maxine Paetro
• Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls by David Sedaris

Since lots of popular titles are now available for the first time, we’ve also increased the checkout limit to 15 items, so visit http://ebooks.kdl.org and start downloading!

Hey library lovers: we want to know how KDL has helped you or your family save money this year. Everyone who shares their story by May 22 by filling out this form will be entered for the chance to win a $25 gift card from Schuler Books & Music. Also, everyone who enters might find their stories shared on our website here.

You love-bomb us, we love-bomb you right back.

aaaaaaaand go!

P.S. – Comments left on this blog post will not be considered for the contest; please fill out the form by clicking here.

Do you like books that send shivers down your spine? Maybe you like your books with some odd twists. If so, the Dark and Twisted booklist should provide the thrills you’re looking for.

Some staff favorites from the list include Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs and Rick Yancey’s The Monstrumologist. One staff member even called The Monstrumoligist “the grossest book I’ve ever read.” Both are sure to keep you up at night.

Instead of doing a longer review of one movie, I thought I’d do a quick review of three new “old” releases of movies from long ago that have just made it to DVD. I’ll go from oldest to newest:

The Thief of Bagdad (1924), starring Douglas Fairbanks, is an epic silent film many people have probably not seen or even heard of, but that for its time was a major film in terms of its ambitious story, setting and effects, as well as its star. If you don’t mind silent films, and you want to sample the waters, this is a good film to start with (another might be Buster Keaton’s The General) — though be warned, it is two-and-a-half hours long. Set in long-ago Baghdad, it has all the elements of a great tale, complete with a hero’s test to win the hand of the princess. To round out your viewing pleasure, there is also the 1940 version.

Mammy (1930), an early talkie starring Al Jolson, appears to have been made to give the famous singer a vehicle to, well, sing.  Jolson stars as Al (another clue!), the star of a traveling minstrel show somewhere in America. Eventually, he is falsely accused of murder, but the real reason to watch the movie at all is to hear Jolson’s singing and see a minstrel show in early  Technicolor. (I note the latter as a historical artifact, not as something to really celebrate, though watching it with an historical mind would be a great way to start a discussion.)

Suez (1938), starring Tyrone Power and Loretta Young, is ostensibly about the building of that famous canal, but it’s as much about geopolitics as it is about construction, and in fact a good part of the movie is about Power’s character, Ferdinand de Lesseps, as he meets a pretty French tomboy in Egypt, survives the machinations of Napoleon III (and meets Victor Hugo in the process) and tries to convince Benjamin Disraeli to have England help finance the project. As with The Thief of Bagdad, the special effects here are, for their time, very impressive, and are one reason why the film is certainly worth a view.

On Saturday, May 4, a team of KDL staff, friends and family participated in the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk in downtown Grand Rapids.

The KDL team raised over $1,500 to help fight breast cancer!

Thanks to everyone who supported our team!

We provide FREE activities that promote early literacy while putting a smile on your face.

Subscribe to our Early Lit Bits eNewsletter. Read the most recent issue online or sign up to receive this monthly update highlighting early literacy tips and resources for parents and caregivers.

Find great early literacy activities and information on our Play-Grow-Read! website.  After all, books are for babies too!

Join one of our Babytime groups, which will delight and stimulate your baby with songs, a story and playtime. Get to know other families and help your baby develop listening and language skills.

Get out of the house and head to KDLville, early-literacy play spaces in each KDL branch.

Your Happy Pregnancy is a three-part series led by chiropractor Dr. Jessica Avery Karns. And pick up a library card for the little one while you’re there — it’s one of the best things you can do for your new baby.

Prepping Your Body to Make a Superbaby  

• Saturday, May 4, 10:30 AM – KWD
• Saturday, May 11, 2:00 PM- EGR

Congratulations, You’re Pregnant!  Let’s Make This a Great Experience!

• Saturday, May 18, 10:30 AM – KWD
  Saturday, May 25, 2:00 PM – EGR

The Bundle of Joy is Here: What to do for Baby and for Momma

• Saturday, June 1, 10:30 AM – KWD
• Saturday, June 1, 2:00 PM – EGR

Our popular Book Club in a Bag program has a new little sibling – Board Books to Go! Parents, teachers, daycare and childcare providers will enjoy this new way to share books with children. Board Books to Go allows patrons to check out a bag full of board books — 20 copies to be exact. The bag can be checked out for three weeks and the books can be used to share a choral reading experience with young children. Currently, the Board Books to Go program is being piloted at the East Grand Rapids branch. Program funding has been provided by Great Start to Quality Kent Resource Center and the Friends of the East Grand Rapids Library.

Five titles are currently available:

• Hop a Little, Jump a Little! by Annie Kubler
• Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
• Go, Dog. Go! by P.D. Eastman
• Silly Sally by Audrey Wood
• Blue Hat, Green Hat by Sandra Boynton

Stop in today to check out a Board Books to Go bag!

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 June classes:

• Computer Basics: Mousing and More
• Computer Basics: Where’s My Stuff?
• Digging into Your Past: Online Genealogy Research
  (Bring Your Own Laptop) (pre-registration not required)
• Gadgets: B.Y.O. eReader & Tablet Users Group
  (pre-registration not required)
• Internet: Email Basics
• Internet: Getting Started on Craigslist
• Internet: Internet Basics & More
• Internet: Wikipedia, the Encyclopedia for Everyone!
• Microsoft Excel Basics I, II & III
• Microsoft PowerPoint Basics
• Microsoft Word Basics I & II
• Senior Wireless Workshop (pre-registration not required)
• Speak to a Geek (pre-registration not required)

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

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

• June classes: Registration begins Monday, May 6 for KDL cardholders
  (Monday, May 13 for non-KDL cardholders)
• July classes: Registration begins Monday, June 3 for KDL cardholders
  (Monday, June 10 for non-KDL cardholders)
• August classes: Registration begins Monday, July 1 for KDL cardholders
  (Monday, July 8 for non-KDL cardholders)

To register, please call 616-784-2007.

Each month KDL staff join Shelley Irwin on the WGVU Morning Show to talk about what’s going on at the library. This month, listen to KDL Director Lance Werner talk about the library’s selection as a Finalist for the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce EPIC Award for Excellence in Business.

The EPIC Awards (Entrepreneurial, Progressive, Innovative and Collaborative) recognize those who support the community, demonstrate growth, are innovative and have worked with others as mentors and collaborators. Award recipients will be revealed on May 15.

Enjoy!

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Download WGVU5-2-13.mp3

(photo courtesy of Shelley Irwin)

Exciting news: KDL has been named a finalist for the Excellence in Business EPIC award from the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce. The EPIC Awards (Entrepreneurial, Progressive, Innovative and Collaborative) recognize those who support community, demonstrate growth, show innovation and have worked as mentors and collaborators. Award recipients will be announced on Wednesday, May 15.

We’re thrilled just to be nominated. Why? We’re committed to making every effort to operate like a well-run business and get the greatest return on investment for our taxpayers. That the Chamber recognizes our efforts is a huge vote of confidence.

We work every day to make our collection and programming valuable and relevant to your lives, have been and will continue to be dedicated to being a vital partner in the community, and – awards or not –will continue to play a significant role in lifting Kent County by making this a better place to live.

Lance Werner, KDL director