You may also have noticed a temporary circulation desk located under the stairs. Soon the circulation staff will begin moving into the space to make sure there are no interruptions to service. We will also be moving patron holds out from behind the desk, so you can retrieve them yourself. All of these changes are happening to not only take advantage of new technologies, but to also find efficiencies and save money.

The changes are coming quickly, so check back often to find out what else KPL is doing to improve service.

All of these condiments are made with ingredients readily found at the supermarket.  And, while many ketchup recipes call for long, slow cooking of tomatoes, Julie showed us a shortcut involving canned tomato paste.

And what about taste? We sampled these creations and confirmed that homemade does indeed taste better. For instance, there’s no comparison between ranch dressing from a bottle and one you whisk up from scratch with sour cream, buttermilk and fresh herbs.

Download and print Julie’s recipes from the program PDF

Use the season’s cooler weather and longer nights to rediscover the kitchen. Homemade foods make special gifts or memorable accents to any family gathering. For some ideas, browse KPL’s vast collection of cookery books.

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Julie Stanley

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We had built in about six weeks of “overlap”, that is, time when we would have the checkout kiosk up and running  AND the current circ desk still in operation. We will shorten that time to one to two weeks and still be close to the target completion date of the end of December.

We have decided to take down the wooden partitions in the meantime and they are being taken down this morning. We had previously planned for the first floor desk staffing to end tomorrow, Oct 31, expecting the checkout units would be in place. We will hold to that timing and the first floor desk will be removed next week; we just have a delay on the checkout units. 

With the wooden partitions down but the kiosk not yet in place, there are some electrical plates on the floor where the kiosk will be that could become a trip hazard in the meantime. To avoid that happening, we’ll move some furniture there. This means you may see some furniture, plants, whatever, sitting there that looks a bit out of place. We’ll do our best to prevent a trip hazard and make it look at least OK! That seems better than bright orange cones for several weeks!

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Central Library Renovation

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But last Wednesday’s performance at Central Library – show number seventeen in KPL’s ongoing Live Music series – was a unique chapter in this versatile band’s history. With equipment stripped to the bare essentials – share n’ hi-hat, acoustic guitars, piano and all, Blue Moon gave the crowd of sixty or so a chance to hear some band favorites, unique covers and homegrown originals in a more intimate than usual setting. For many of us, this was also the first opportunity to witness the band with its new lead vocalist, Bryan Michael Fischer. What a treat! These guys have grown from an adequate cover band into a true performance powerhouse. WMUK’s Mark Sahlgren (Grass Roots) summed the show up in one word… “Wow!”

Highlights included some rippin’ cover tunes like “Pinetop’s Boogie Woogie” (Clarence Smith), “My Babe” (Willie Dixon), “Bring It On Home To Me” (Sam Cooke), and a blistering version of B.B. King’s “The Thrill Is Gone.” The show also featured several band originals, including public debut of the brand new, somewhat Santana-esque “Heart Has Turned to Stone” - a very cool tune. And of course, they dedicated “Miss Ann” to our library director!

“Thanks so much and please tell everyone at the library that we were honored to perform there and we had an awesome time!” – Bill LaValley, Blue Moon Blues Band

Check out Blue Moon CDs from the KPL catalog, and visit the band’s MySpace page for some recent pix and tasty song samples. Be sure to catch the band’s final performance (sniff...) on November 14 at Bell’s Eccentric Café.

And… there’s plenty more music coming at KPL, too… don’t miss a special performance by Stacey Earle & Mark Stuart on November 1st, and be sure to visit (and bookmark) KPL’s music page for highlights of past shows and more terrific upcoming performances.

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Blue Moon Blues Band

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The interview was set-up to resemble the popular television show Inside the Actor’s Studio, which provided David with a casual atmosphere to discuss Stitches. He answered a variety of questions about his life growing up in 1950’s Detroit with a family that could hardly be described as tightly knit.

The presentation also included some fabulous animated videos of the books, shots of sketches, and panel by panel storyboards. David was candid about both the physical and emotional wounds which took years to finally stitch together into a memoir that will touch many lives.

A second David Small visit is being planned for 2010, so please check the website often for more details.

David Small’s Presentation

Listen to David Small’s presentation (44:52)
Download David Small’s presentation as a podcast (MP3 audio file)

Watch David’s complete presentation in the series of videos below.

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David Small

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Over the coming two weeks, workers will pull wire for power and data lines, install the new checkout kiosk and the 3M Library Systems’ selfcheck equipment. Patrons may be able to use the new check out service by early November.

Want to try out this new service before then? Visit Oshtemo Branch Library or use the checkout kiosk in Central Library’s Children’s Room.

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Selfcheck kiosk

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The first step is to install new tiles to the spiral staircase. Currently the tile simply ends (think Shel Silverstein) but upon completion it will lead directly to the bottom step. This move paves the way for the Checkout Kiosk, which will allow patrons to check out their own materials.

If you have a question, do not hesitate to contact me.

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Central Library renovation

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Professor Code shared four different instruments with us:  the Swedish nyckelharpa (keyed fiddle), the Norwegian hardingfele (Harding fiddle), the Norwegian seljefløyta (willow flute) and the munnharpa (mouth harp). 

Bean Bag Balance Record!

He also broke our bean bag balance record, balancing 13 bean bags on his head while counting in Norwegian!

Join us for books, rhymes, crafts, parachute games, and a surprise special guest at the next Storytime with Mr. Steve & Friends on Monday, October 26 at 6:30 pm at the Central Library.

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Storytime with Mr. Steve & Friends

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Bruce Shultz, a long-time gardener and volunteer with Fair Food Matters, spoke at Oshtemo on Sept. 14 sharing tips for how to put the garden to bed. At this time of year, we should clean up debris from annual plants, but leave parts from perennials in place. Add amendments to the soil — compost, fertilizers, leaves, lime or the like — so these nutrients have time to settle in over the winter. Autumn is the time to plant cover crops or relocate bulbs and spring flowering perennials. Pruning, too, can be accomplished now.

But Shultz also encouraged us to think about gardening year-round, not as an activity between Memorial Day and Labor Day. “Why put the garden to bed at all?” he asked.

Extend the growing season with protection. Row covers, cold frames, tunnels, cloches and straw can give you an early start in spring and fend off autumn frosts. Another way to extend the growing season is to bring it indoors. Shultz starts his garden by planting seeds and letting them get a good start under grow lights. He’s out planting peas in March as soon as the soil is soft. When the weather turns cool, in comes the large potted rosemary shrub. And, they may be old-fashioned, but they definitely work: root cellars. They store produce at a cool but not freezing temperature.

To read more about gardening year round, check out these books by Eliot Coleman.

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Bruce Shultz, Fair Food Matters volunteer

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We are hoping that many people from the Powell community will stop in and tell us what the Sudan: land of blood says to them. What is its message? What does it symbolize?

The Powell Branch would like to thank Fred Zemlick for showing his work in our Barnabee Gallery and giving us this valued piece of art for our branch. Fred’s next showing will be at the Westminster Presbyterian Church in Portage. And in October he will be at the new Midtown Gallery on the Mall.

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Sudan: Land of Blood

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On July 22nd, Zadoorian visited KPL to provide the background to this hilarious and touching novel. It gave all who attended insight on how true love can survive sickness, roadside diners, and lack of air-conditioning in Texas.

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The Leisure Seeker

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The guest stars — five hens of various breeds — were charming and tolerant.
Co-sponsored by Fair Food Matters, the program featured Lori Evesque who shared her experiences in raising chickens from downy chicks to egg-laying adulthood.

Not all communities are chicken-friendly, said attorney Suzanne Klein who explained that statutes and ordinances vary according to where you live. Curious whether your community allows chickens in the yard? Pay a visit to KPL’s Law Library.

If you’d like to read more about raising chickens, here are two selections to check out:
Keeping Chickens: The Essential Guide to Enjoying and Getting the Best from Chickens by J.C. Jeremy Hobson and  How to Raise Chickens: Everything You Need to Know by Christine Heinrichs.

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Fair Food Matters

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Mark Duval, Two-Track Mind

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With more than a dozen participants registered, the program was highly successful. Here are a few follow-up notes from the program facilitator that shed light on the scope of the workshop...

“After a general discussion about why we, in particular, write and then, in general, why writers write, I introduced the participants to the concept of poetry’s ‘abiding image,’” said Ms. Wiley, “and they did a multi-stepped exercise resulting in them establishing an ‘abiding image’ for themselves. Using their responses to the exercise, I then introduced development strategies for poetry, fiction and creative nonfiction. I offered them the option of developing a poem at home and mailing it to me for feedback, if they’d like.”

A full-time instructor at Western Michigan University’s Haworth College of Business, Jo Wiley was the recipient of the 2009 Community Literary Award for Adult Poetry, an annual competition sponsored by the Kalamazoo Gazette, Kalamazoo Public Library and Portage District Library.

“With poetry,” she added, “we talked a lot about language and structure; fiction we reviewed the ‘seven basic plots,’ and then creative nonfiction we talked mostly about the differences between CNF and fiction and when and why writers chose one over the other. I ended the workshop with some information and discussion on ‘the writer's life’ and publishing.”

With a primary interest in creative nonfiction, the same group plans to meet later in the month to focus on essay writing.

Jo’s Recommendations:

• Discovering the Writer Within: 40 Days to More Imaginative Writing; Bruce Ballenger
• Reading Like a Writer; Francine Prose
• The Triggering Town: Lectures and Essays on Poetry and Writing; Richard Hugo
• The Seven Basic Plots: Why We Tell Stories; Christopher Booker

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Jo Wiley

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Joe Nolan

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Shout Sister Shout was formed in 2006 by the band Steppin' In It and the singer Rachael Davis, all of whom are well known in the folk scene and who have played double-bills on many occasions. It was their mutual love for old instruments, old radio and old-time jazz that led to Shout Sister Shout (named for a song by Sister Rosetta Sharpe).

This marked the one-year anniversary of concerts at KPL. We kicked off the series in 2008 with Steppin’ In It; Rachael (with Jesse Lee Mason) followed soon after in August, and we're glad to welcome all of them back. Take a look at recordings from previous concerts in our monthly series. You'll also find a great collection of photos from the KPL show on the official Shout Sister Shout website!  

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Rachael Davis with Shout Sister Shout

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LibX KPL Edition

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Home preserving yields delicious results, gives the cook more confidence in knowing where the food came from, and — if done in large quantities — can be more economical than store-bought.

Home preserving also can be the center of beloved family traditions. Co-presenter Heidi Butler spent her childhood learning how to can and freeze. Two things her family wouldn’t be without: home canned tomato soup and applesauce, the preparation of which continues to involve multiple generations. Labor Day is spent making tomato soup.

“We’ve been doing it forever,” Butler says. “It’s just something I know will happen.” Her young daughter now is involved and is learning how to select good fruit.

Summer’s harvests have just begun. Why not save some a bit of summer for next winter? Take a look at KPL’s book collection for recipes and instructions. And here are a couple websites: National Center for Home Food Preservation and MSU Extension.

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Preserving Food 101

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Not just any comic books, but a pulpy breed with a mean streak that turned the notion of comic book hero inside out. Not only were these books filled with violence, but the protagonist often was a perpetrator of it. Readers had voracious appetites for these stories, which crossed boundaries of gender and class. In those days, some 60 to 100 million comic books were sold each week. Reading comic books and trading them with friends was the most popular form of entertainment.

As this new breed of comics came to the forefront, kids seemed to change and parents took notice, Hajdu said. Then came “the clash” and the comics controversy was caught up in the larger Post-War “red scare.” The details of these times are captured in Hajdu’s book The Ten Cent Plague: The Great Comics Scare and How it Changed America.

Listed on many of 2008’s “best books” lists, The Ten Cent Plague is the third book for David Hajdu, music critic for The New Republic and a professor at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. Hajdu says he is drawn to untold stories.

The untold story in Hajdu’s first book Lush Life: A Biography of Billy Strayhorn, was about the composer and arranger of jazz who worked with Duke Ellington for some 30 years. You may think “Ellington” when you hear “Take the ‘A’ Train,” but you should also think “Billy Strayhorn.” Strayhorn was pure genius, but the glory went to Ellington. 

After compiling this history of jazz musicians in Harlem and Paris, Hajdu went on to explore another facet of American music: the folk scene of early 1960s Greenwich Village. Positively 4th Street: The Lives and Times of Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Mimi Baez Fariña and Richard Fariña dishes on these musicians and their contributions and examines how Dylan became Dylan.

Check out Hajdu’s books, all of which are in KPL’s collections, and read his music columns in The New Republic.

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The Ten Cent Plague: The Great Comics Scare and How it Changed America

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Millish's unique style of music gives the listener a sense of traveling in a place where the best sounds of music throughout the world all merges together. 

Check out out the video to see what I am talking about!

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Millish

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Kalamazoo Public Schools encourages its elementary students to read twenty (20) minutes EACH day of their summer vacation.  As librarians, we, as well as educators, can point to any number of studies that indicate the fact that a child who doesn't read much or at all over a long vacation actually "forgets" how to read and has to re-learn the skill in the fall.  So, Kalamazoo Public Library, in cooperation with the schools, has incorporated the "twenty (20) minutes a day" into its summer reading program for children entering grades 1-4 this fall.

Built around the theme, "Be Creative @Your Library", the Kalamazoo Public Library is offering reading games for people of all ages, beginning on June 11th.  Check the library's website (www.kpl.gov/kids) for more information, or give us a call at 553-7804.

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Kids Summer Reading Game

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Our Open House included fantastic food, music and the presentation of a plaque honoring Walden Baskerville.

We could not have been more pleased with our turnout or the delight this recognition brought. The branch saw many familiar faces there to honor Walden and to celebrate this anniversary year with the Alma Powell Library Branch.

The Alma Powell Library Branch would like to thank The Friends of the Library and The Dulcets Club for helping us to make this library’s triple anniversary celebration so extraordinary.

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Powell Branch Library

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Who Hit John?

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Johnston and Percy write these plays together. Often one will start and hand off to the other. Absolute trust in your partner is required, they said.

These short plays are snippets of couples caught in the act of life. Johnston and Percy begin with the everyday: waiting for a client to appear, arguing over marriage counseling, climbing a monument. When two people know each other well, multiple conversations are carried on in just one sentence and the dialog reflects that intimacy of communication. As the issues of here and now are bandied about, there’s always a subtext or two. Johnston and Percy layer all that witty situational banter with the deeper issues confronted in relationships — agreements, confessions, trespasses, questions.

We hosted the authors at KPL on May 6 for a reading and book signing. Give a listen as they read from “A Pet of Temperance.”

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Duets: Love Is Strange

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Yesterday, I learned from the campaign leaders that May 1, among other distinctions, is Global Love Day! In the spirit of international harmony, I’m happy to share this amazing video from the “Playing for Change: Song Around the World” project.

Enjoy!

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Roger Ridley, a Santa Monica street musician, "Playing for Change"

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• Tuesday evening: If You Give a Mouse a Cookie is a dance program by kids for kids based on the well known picture book.
• Wednesday morning: Family Storytime is a program for all ages at the Oshtemo Branch Library.
• Wednesday evening: Baby Storytime for Guys is every Wednesday night at 6:30 pm at the Central Branch Library Story Room.
• Thursday evening: Meet Author and Illustrator Amy Young at the Central Branch Library.
• Advancing school teams compete at Global Reading Challenge branch challenges at the Eastwood Branch Library Challenge on Tuesday, the Washington Square Branch Library Challenge on Wednesday, and the Alma Powell Branch Library Challenge on Thursday.
• Saturday morning: Celebrate children, families, cultures, and reading on Dia de Los Ninos/Dia de Los Libros at KPL’s Central Branch. 

Tune in to real live fun right here in your community. And if you’re not looking for alternatives to screen media, Kalamazoo Public Library has lots of movies and video games as well as internet access and even downloadable DVD quality programming from MyLibraryDV. These services and more are available just like always and they’re always free of charge.

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TV Turnoff Week

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When we were planning Reading Together activities, we wanted to be sure that there was a concert of music with a Southern accent. One cannot form a complete picture of Rick Bragg’s rural South without a soundtrack. After all, there is a reason they call it country music.

The South’s relative isolation allowed cultural traditions of its settlers to remain alive. What did immigrants bring with them? Maybe a fiddle or guitar — or maybe only words and melodies remembered and rehearsed and handed down. That’s a challenge in any case, but for instrumental music, even more so. How did the fiddler avoid mixing up one waltz with another? The guitar accompanist likely learned chord changes without ever knowing what guitar tablature looked like. (There was little formal training except perhaps at the hand of the Baptist preacher’s wife who also taught piano lessons and made sure every girl learned how accompany hymns.)

And that guitar might have been a cheaply made instrument bought from a Sears Roebuck catalog, or Montgomery Ward. On such instruments, the strings were so far from the fretboard that the new musician had to endure a painful ordeal until thick callouses were developed on the fingertips. Most people hadn’t played finely made expensive instruments and thus no one knew it could be better. Life was hard. Why wouldn’t there be a trial to achieve moments of pleasure?

Many of the songs from the South are about hardship. You can’t think about hardships without also thinking about faith and religion. In Chapter 9 of All Over But the Shoutin’, Rick Bragg recalls the influence of religion and retells some of his churchgoing experiences. He titles that chapter On the Wings of a Great Speckled Bird. That line is from what may be one of the greatest songs of country music, “The Great Speckled Bird.”

What a beautiful thought I am thinking,
Concerning a great speckled bird.
Remember her name is recorded,
On the pages of God’s Holy Word.

The words of this gospel song are attributed to Rev Guy Smith. Recorded in 1936 by Roy Acuff, the song is about remaining righteous amidst the trials of life. The phrase “great speckled bird” comes from a Bible passage, Jer 12:8-9. (For more about the meaning of the song, here’s an interesting discussion.)

I know people have ridiculed country music because of its bounty of songs about hardship, particularly drinking and infidelity. I guess there’s a reason for the stereotypes. Likker, relationships and religion were not insignificant themes.

And that’s why “The Great Speckled Bird” is so emblematic of country music. The irony is that its melody is shared by a song from the 1920s, “I Am Thinking Tonight of My Blue Eyes.” The same melody was later used in the 1952 country hit “The Wild Side of Life,” sung by Hank Thompson (about a wife that strays) and the loud retort from Kitty Wells: “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky-Tonk Angels.”

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Mark Sahlgren's Gibson guitars

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Baby Storytime for Guys

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Travels of a T-Shirt in the Global Economy

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In addition to the great music, Sahlgren shared with the audience a stage filled with Gibson guitars, including several specifically crafted during the Depression which ties directly to the Bragg books. After hearing the sweet sounds of Caron, Wilkin, and Sahlgren the audience was encouraged to sing along to the final song!

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Mark Sahlgren

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If you haven’t attended a discussion and would like to share your thoughts about the books, you can fill out a reply postcard. If you didn’t get one of these cards when you purchased or borrowed your book, stop by your library or bookstore and fill one out.

Here is a sampling of what some of our readers have written:

"It was interesting reading, told in a way that held your interest. Also telling of the possibilities one can achieve if one really wants to – a certain amount of good fortune does help."
—Anonymous reader

"Fascinating story. Great author. Anxious to read the rest of the trilogy."
—A member of the Y Read Book Group/Kalamazoo County Family YMCA

"Excellent. Easy to read. Draws you in to the family, setting, society."
—Anonymous reader

"I thoroughly enjoyed being a part of Rick’s remembering his childhood, learning of his father. Great writing, without degrading it by profanity, etc."
—Anonymous reader

"Delicious. I was so taken with it that I bought a copy for a friend who is in cancer treatment. He, too, is a newspaper “guy” and grew up in Maryland mountains, one of 9 children. The book also made me understand the feelings of people in the community in which I grew up in East Tennessee."
—A reader in Richland

"It was an excellent book. At first I thought it was another memoir written by another journalist writing about growing up in hard times. It was much more than that. I cried when he won the Pulitzer and how he and everyone else congratulated his mother. It was very moving. The book was very honest and made me look back at my own childhood."
—A reader in Schoolcraft

"Loved the descriptive humor of personalities in Southern vernacular. Appreciated the honest examination of character encased in wit."
—A reader in Kalamazoo

"So much feeling it was hard to put down. I’m the middle of three sons and have relatives in Georgia, so the pages came alive."
—A reader in Kalamazoo

"Excellent."
—Three readers from Kalamazoo

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Reading Together Book Discussion

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We practiced stomping in puddles while I read The Rain Stomper by Addie Boswell and found out what happened to Millie the cow who likes to hide and scare the mail carrier in Millie Waits for the Mail by Alexander Steffensmeier.

After some dancing, we pretended to hike up the Alps (with the help of a cable car halfway through) to a beautiful mountain meadow and lake where we all found alphorns to play. 

We finished the evening with some parachute games and then making kites since this weekend kicks off National Kite Month. 

Join us for the next Storytime with Mr. Steve & Friends on Thursday, May 14 at 6:30 pm.

Also, don't miss "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" performed by the Kalamazoo Junior Dance Company on Tuesday, April 21 at 6:30 pm.

See you soon.

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Alphorn players

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Sid shared humorous stories about Anansi the spider, the king of the jungle, a hippo, an elephant and other jungle creatures. The adults and kids of all ages enjoyed Sid’s performance.

Thanks Sid, for a great show!

Visit the KPL Flickr photostream for more photos of this and other library events.

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Sid (the Rock) Ellis

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On February 18th, Peter and his friends shared stories from their past. They talked about being children during a war that brought tragedies and opportunities.

And on February 25 Peter told the audience of how he fled Sudan. Peter talked about running for his life when he was barely old enough to walk, he talked about becoming a refugee in Ethiopia, and he told us about forgiveness and opportunities. Not many have experienced the true tragedies of war nor can we see the losses it brings as a time to grow in faith and mercy. These are the concepts Peter shared with us.

Check out our books and DVDs about the Lost Boys of Sudan.

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Lost Boys of Sudan

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Almost 500 attended the event, but even if you missed it you can check out the video below. Don't miss our next Art Hop event on June 5th.

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Jess Yoakum

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A National Book Award finalist and multiple award-winning, novel, short-story and nonfiction writer, Prose’s ability as a writer is without question. But to hear her read a newly completed short story, Prose admitted to finishing the story only a week earlier, about a jeweler in Nazi Germany and his weird and fascinating encounter with a cross-dressing, morphine addicted Hermann Göring, Nazi leader and commander of the Luftwaffe (German Air Force), in her own voice and with the intended pace was truly special.

The story was strange, satirical, haunting and contained such a well constructed plot twist that it nearly gave every one of the 100 people in the audience whiplash. What a treat it was to hear Francine Prose read and what an honor it was for the Kalamazoo Public Library to host her.

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Francine Prose at the Kalamazoo Public Library

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We hosted two Mississippi natives for the program. Miller Green, now living in Chicago, was arrested in a Jackson bus station. Eric Etheridge is an author whose book is Breach of Peace: Portraits of the 1961 Mississippi Freedom Riders.

Late in 1960, a U.S. Supreme Court ruling outlawed segregation in interstate bus terminals. On May 4, 1961, there were 13 people who made the first Freedom Ride to test the compliance of bus stations with the ruling. This, and subsequent rides, encountered increasingly violent resistance. Though there were Freedom Rides across the South, the campaign’s primary focus became Jackson, Mississippi. More than 300 Riders were arrested there, photographed, and convicted of breach of peace.

In 2004, journalist Eric Etheridge, a Mississippi native, ran across the mug shots of some 328 Freedom Riders arrested in Jackson. Etheridge decided to publish the photographs and, where possible, include new photos and stories of the Riders.

Green shared stories of his arrest on July 6, 1961 at the Trailways terminal in Jackson, and his harrowing experiences in jail. After his release, Green worked on voter registration and civil rights issues in Mississippi, and moved to Chicago where he has lived since 1963.

He also talked about his childhood friend, Bobby Joe, a white boy. Miller and Bobby Joe were the only children in their Yazoo City neighborhood, and played together constantly. “We were in each other’s houses, eating at each other’s tables, together all the time,” he said. One day, when the boys were around 6 years old, Bobby Joe’s mother received an anonymous letter criticizing the parents for allowing the boys to play together. At this point, both families agreed it would be too dangerous to let them continue playing.

From that point on, the boys would stand across from each other, on opposite sites of the street, and talk. Each boy would play alone, imagining the other was with him. “It left a scar,” Miller said, putting his hand on his chest.

See also: Authors@Google: Eric Etheridge, June 24, 2008 

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Breach of Peace: Portraits of the 1961 Mississippi Freedom Riders

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The kids danced like fairies in a forest, stomped around like giants, and looked for cozy places to hibernate, pretending they were bears just like I used to do in my living room along with my brothers and sisters.

Ms. Lisa also proved adept at balancing bean bags on her head, but fell one short of tying Ms. Waneta’s record of 12 set last month. 

In addition to the dancing, I read

• Don't Wake Up the Bear! by Marjorie Dennis Murray
• The Doghouse by Jan Thomas
• Ivan the Terrier by Peter Catalanotto

We sang songs and once again broke out the giant parachute. This time we pretended that we were looking for a bear as we circled with the parachute, crossing a river on stepping stones and hiking around mountains. Finally, imagining the parachute was a cave, all the kids scampered like bears under the chute.

For our craft time, everyone got to decorate a set of fairy wings to take home for more imaginative play until we meet again on Tuesday, March 24 at 6:30 pm at the Central Library.

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Storytime with Mr. Steve and Friends

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The 90+ minute show featured Mulvey's signature guitar playing, humorous storytelling and beautiful songs. The audience was also lucky to hear a sneak preview of his upcoming CD release which features spoken letters to his seventeen nieces and nephews!

As with past concerts at KPL, many folks entered as strangers but left as friends.

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Peter Mulvey

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The display also includes information about the “Battle of Honey Hill” that took place on November 30, 1864, in support of General William T. Sherman’s march to the sea in South Carolina.  My great-grandfather John Conner, his brother William Frank Conner, who was the sergeant of his troop, and their two brother-in-laws, Himebrick Tyler and Joseph Seaton fought bravely in this battle.

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African Americans in the Civil War

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Music & Make Believe is one of my favorite programs we do here at the library and I am so happy to be part of something that gives children a chance to experience top quality live music for free.  We schedule Music & Make Believe programs twice a year:  in the Fall around September or October and in the Winter around February or March.  These are programs you need to register for so keep your eyes open for the next set of programs.  It's really an opportunity you shouldn't miss.

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Berlioz the Bear

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These dishes don't usually come to mind when one thinks of New Orleans, but the aforementioned Ghanaian, Vietnamese and German specialties are certainly what you'll find in some Crescent City kitchens.

Just ask Elsa Hahne. This Swedish immigrant who made New Orleans her home in 2002 interviewed more than a hundred home cooks to find out what's really cooking. Some of the results were compiled into You Are Where You Eat: Stories and Recipes from the Neighborhoods of New Orleans.

Elsa visited KPL on January 28 to read from and sign her books. Hear what she had to say in this video interview.

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You Are Where You Eat: Stories and Recipes from the Neighborhoods of New Orleans

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Strangely, up until Ms. Waneta's record setting night, all of my visiting friends have faltered when I added the ninth bean bag to the pile on their heads. Ms. Waneta calmly balanced 12 bean bags, even taking a risk and asking me what the record was while she was already balancing 8 bean bags on her head. The vibrations from just the slightest movement of the mouth can topple a bid for a record, but Ms. Waneta had no problem.

All the families that gathered that night enjoyed readings of:

• Red Sled by Patricia Thomas
• Mrs. Brown Went to Town by Wong Herbert Yee
• Chickens to the Rescue by John Himmelman

We also played some games with our giant, colorful parachute and created some streamer hoops for dancing. After creating the streamer hoops, many of my friends enjoyed dancing to the Putumayo Kids presents Reggae Playground CD by Johnny Dread. 

Storytime with Mr. Steve & Friends is for kids of all ages and no registration is required. So join us on Wednesday, February 25 at 6:30 pm at the Central Library for our next program. You never know who will show up and what records will be broken. 

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Storytime with Mr. Steve & Friends

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The next show will featured critically acclaimed singer-songwriter, Peter Mulvey, on February 18th at 7:00 pm. Don't miss the artist Rolling Stone called "A voice lush and hushed that occasionally sinks into a whisper... surrealistic beauty."

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Dixieland Jazz

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View the complete inauguration and address here 

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Barack Obama

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On December 17^th we had a blast decoupaging sparkling gift boxes some to give away and some to keep.  It was amazing to see the personalities that came out on boxes full of eyes and lips and floral arrangements. What is decoupage? “Decoupage comes from the French word decouper, meaning to cut out.”

On December 23^rd we had lots of fun decorating holiday cookies. We made all kinds of gooey cookies. Some made chocolate on top of chocolate cookies. Some made vanilla crème with sprinkles. Now we are off to a new year with lots of plans for winter fun!

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Decoupage @ Powell

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Polar Express

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I met some members of the Aerial Angels in Bronson Park about four years ago as we were wrapping up our Ready to Read sponsored Party in the Park. They were starting to attach ropes and other things to the trees to practice their acrobatic skills which caught my attention.

As children's programming librarian, I was curious and I must have looked most curious to them, too, since I was still in costume as the character from the classic children's book, Caps for Sale, balancing a stack of 17 hats on my head. I think it took a few minutes before we took each other seriously. 

I found out the Aerial Angels are a group of female acrobats that perform all over the world and just happen to be based in Kalamazoo. I know they perform all over the world, because in the process of booking them the last three years, I have sent emails to Dubai, Singapore, Australia, and Alaska. They were performing in Barcelona just ten days before the show at KPL this year. Having a show during winter break at the libary works out great for everyone.

The Angels enjoy having a show close to home during the holidays, the library enjoys having the crowds arrive for the program and then stay to take advantage of the other great materials the library offers, and Kalamazoo Public Library patrons like to have something so unique and exciting to do during the break. After the first year they performed, the Angels also mentioned how great it was to perform in a space where people were at their eye level and even above them, instead of just being down below them.

We hope to have the Aerial Angels back again in the library next winter break, so if you have never made it to one of their shows at the library, don't miss this spectacular event next year.

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Aerial Angels

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In February we will be talking about The Known World by Edward Jones and then in March will be discussing A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole. All discussions are held at the Central Library at 7p.m.

Classics Revisited on January 15th will be reading Robinson Crusoe.

Come join us in sharing literature with others.

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Mountains beyond mountains

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We were pleased to see a national news story on this very topic….increase in usage, tighter budgets for libraries.

Libraries offer free relief from tough times (MSNBC)

Usage at KPL mirrors this national trend. So far, for our year which just began on July 1, our circulation of all materials across all our locations is up 10%. This reflects an increase of 6% for print materials, 23% for nonprint materials. Our reference questions are up 9%, patron assistance of all types up 22%. Our equipment use, primarily of public computers, is up a staggering 54%.

Most of our FREE computer classes are filled and attendance at our programs for adults, teens, children, and families has increased.

Come visit soon!  I’m confident we will have a book, an AV item, a program, a class, a computer that will help you in one way or another during these challenging economic times.

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MSNBC Report: Libraries offer free relief from tough times

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Check out these photos and see what you missed!

Check out these videos and photos from the show.

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Red Sea Pedestrians

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Prime Time is the Alma Powell branch Monday night Family Reading Program for children ages 6 to 10. The program ran for 6 weeks. After dinner educators Ruth Heinig and Robin Nott led a book discussion. We heard stories, kids told stories, Ruth and Robin provided puppet shows and we had weekly sing-a-longs. Babysitting was provided for children under six.

We are all looking forward to the spring session of Prime Time!

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Powell Branch Library

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A one-stop resource for more than 440,000 comprehensive narrative biographies of more than 340,000 people from around the world and throughout history and across all reference and journal disciplines. The intuitive interface makes accessing the comprehensive reference and journal content — easy and delivers viable results instantly.

To further enhance Biography Resource Center, the company has announced the launch of the Lives & Perspectives Collection. This optional new module offers more than 160,000 biographies drawn from a range of highly respected academic reference titles such as American Men & Women of Science, Governments of the World, Encyclopedia of African-American Culture & History and the Dartmouth Medal-winning Encyclopaedia Judaica.

Start exploring unique profiles of notable individuals in history, science, religion, government and more at your KPL online resources and Biography Topic Guide. 

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Biography Topic Guide

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Check out exclusive videos from the show.

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A Farewell to Fair-Weather

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It's the vision of Ready to Read that all children in Kalamazoo County arrive at kindergarten prepared for learning. Research shows that children who are read to regularly start school with an advantage. Ready to Read encourages families to enjoy books together and enables children to have their own books. This wild and crazy spelling bee raises serious money for the program.

Borgess ProMed Pediatrics won first place in the lighthearted spelling competition followed by the Kalamazoo Gazette and WMU. Best costumes, most creative cheer, and most enthusiastic team were also recognized.

Catch the event on cable access OR, better yet, come next year. And in the meantime, keep reading to all the children in your life.

Spelling Bee play dates on Kalamazoo Community Access Center channels:

• Friday November 21, 2008 - 7 pm channel 95
• Saturday November 22, 2008 - 2 pm channel 95
• Wednesday November 26, 2008 - 8 pm channel 95
• Thursday November 27, 2008 - 9 pm channel 95
• Thursday November 27, 2008 - 1 pm channel 95
• Friday November 28, 2008 - 1 pm channel 95

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Great Grown-Up Spelling Bee

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Engaging and informative, he shared numerous examples and answered the audience's many questions. Ron's can-do attitude and positive outlook for the economic future of Kalamazoo speaks volumes about his commitment to Kalamazoo. If you missed Ron's program, check out his book in the KPL catalog and take a look at the Southwest Michigan First Life Science Fund, a key factor in the economic development of early stage life science career opportunities in the Kalamazoo community!

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Community Capitalism

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Besides the school visits, Mr. Nelson spoke to an audience at Eastwood Branch Library and was the keynote speaker at the Mary Calletto Rife Children's Literature Seminar on Friday. Throughout all of his presentations, Kadir Nelson focused on the importance of education as the constant in achieving goals. Every days he uses not only his artistic skills, but also the research skills he learned in high school to create the beautiful (and accurate) paintings that illustrate his books.

If you missed Kadir Nelson's visit, take a look at his books in the library's collection.

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Kadir Nelson @ KPL

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On February 4th the “This Old Building” series will continue with another local landmark, the Kalamazoo State Hospital Water Tower, to be presented by Kalamazoo’s historic preservation coordinator, Sharon Ferraro.

Watch Dr. Carlson's complete presentation...

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Ladies Library Association

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The multigenerational crowd was treated to one of the best shows ever at KPL! Young and old danced, stomped, and sang along with one of the shining starts of the Kalamazoo folk scene.

If you missed the show check out some exclusive pix below, or watch the entire show.

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Corn Fed Girls

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KPL was especially pleased to host the all-conference reception at the Central Library. Just like gatherings at home, we worked hard to get the library looking great! Recarpeting of Central Library was finished, some chairs were reupholstered, displays of new materials were refreshed, and our Facilities Management staff did an extra thorough cleaning. All of this was in the works, but having a deadline to be ready for the reception gave us a "due date!"

Well, I thought the library did look great... a compliment to our staff, but more importantly, to our community. Over 400 MLA members from around the state attended. Our board president, Valerie Wright, and I, along with the MLA officials, greeted attendees. KPL staff were in departments to give tours and explain our services, and games from our Teen Services activities were set up in the auditorium.

It was a good party! Comments from our colleagues around the state were all complimentary.... many about our building, but also about the wide range of services we offer, many of which are a model for other libraries.

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MLA Reception @ KPL

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City of Kalamazoo Parks

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B.P.M.

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Visits from preschool centers like the YWCA and the Learning Village and Head Start classrooms don't show up on the library's kid's events calendar, so you may not realize how many young children experience the library in this way. Each month during the school year, 25 - 35 preschool groups (450 - 500 children) visit one of KPL's five libraries for a story time tailored to their age level. They listen to stories, sing, dance, do a craft and make friends with their local librarians. Field trips to the library are just one of many ways KPL connects children and books at an early age!

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Preschool Storytimes

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 Investment Topic Guide

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Check out the video clips from the concert!

The show on October 22nd is not to be missed. Another local act, The Corn Fed Girls will be performing beginning at 7:00 pm. Check out their newest release Cornstar from the library to prepare yourself for the show.

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Michael Beauchamp - My Northern Voices

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As an American citizen, you have the right to decide for yourself what to read, listen to or view. Since 1982, libraries, booksellers, and publishers have reminded us not to take this precious democratic freedom for granted during Banned Books Week, the last week of September each year, from September 27–October 4 in 2008. Learn more on MySpace and Facebook. The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan will Celebrate Free Speech with an event on September 30, 7:00 pm, at the First Baptist Church in Kalamazoo.

The ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom received a total of 420 challenges last year. A challenge is defined as a formal, written complaint, filed with a library or school requesting that materials be removed because of content or appropriateness.  According to Judith F. Krug, director of the Office for Intellectual Freedom, the number of challenges reflects only incidents reported, and for each reported, four or five remain unreported.

Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell’s award-winning And Tango Makes Three, about two male penguins parenting an egg from a mixed-sex penguin couple, again tops the list of most challenged books by parents and administrators, due to the issues of homosexuality. Off the list this year are two books by author Toni Morrison. The Bluest Eye and Beloved, both challenged for sexual content and offensive language.

A new video from the American Library Association:

Challenged Books

The 10 Most Challenged Books of 2007 reflect a range of themes, and consist of the following titles:

• And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson/Peter Parnell
• The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
• Olive’s Ocean by Kevin Henkes
• The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
• The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
• The Color Purple by Alice Walker
• TTYL by Lauren Myracle
• I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
• It’s Perfectly Normal by Robie Harris
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Challenged Authors

The most frequently challenged authors of 2007 include:

• Robert Cormier 
• Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson 
• Mark Twain 
• Toni Morrison 
• Philip Pullman 
• Kevin Henkes 
• Lois Lowry 
• Chris Crutcher 
• Lauren Myracle 
• Joann Sfar

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Banned Books

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Bruce Schultz, a board member of Fair Food Matters, was the featured speaker for "Sleep Tight, Sweet Garden" at Oshtemo on September 26. We learned how to extend the growing season, such as using row covers and cold frames. One of the most interesting techniques he shared was how to use microclimates to your advantage. Here's one way: Plant a sun-loving climber such as cucumber on a vertical trellis and use the shady area behind the trellis for sun-sensitive veggies such as lettuce and spinach.

Schultz, a board member of Fair Food Matters, is involved with the organization's Growing Matters Garden, an urban educational gardening program that provides hands-on opportunities for youth.

Summer may be over, but it’s not too soon to be thinking about next year’s harvest. Take a look at these resources from KPL.

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Bruce Schultz

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The Allure of Michigan's Past

Larry Massie

The audience was treated to a display of Henderson artifacts, a history of the Henderson family and the amazing home that they built, and a photo tour of the castle and its grounds.

Read more about the history of Henderson Castle and the Henderson-Ames Company. 

Visit the library's Flickr photostream to see more photos of this event.

Don’t miss the next “This Old Building” program on November 12 – The Ladies Library Association.

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Henderson Castle

Henderson Castle Program

We offer Live Homework Help online every day from 4:00 to 10:00 pm, from real tutors, real people! The service offers free tutoring in math, science, social studies, and English for students in grades 4 – 12. Students log in with their KPL library card number. Links are available in the Kids, Tweens and Teens sections of our website.

En Espanol is also available.

There are other Homework Helpers on our website too (see our Topic Guides), plus Homework Websites in the teen section.

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Live Homework Help

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It's been said that the dazzling diversity of fresh produce and food products in southwest Michigan is unsurpassed by any other region in the Midwest. That's an appetizing thought.

This month the partners of Eat Local, Kalamazoo are highlighting the delicious, economic, and social benefits of eating close to home with a whole month’s worth of activities. 

Kalamazoo Public Library is a partner in Eat Local, Kalamazoo and we’ll be hosting a few tasty programs ourselves:

The Eat Local Challenge Kick-Off & The Eat Local Experience
6:30 PM  Thursday, September 4, Central
Begin the month with taste-testing local food prepared by local chefs. Enjoy a conversation regarding the challenges, solutions and experiences of eating locally.

Edible Forest Gardens, Meet Dave Jacke
6:30 PM Thursday September 11, Central
Dave Jacke designs diverse, high-yield gardens mimicking natural ecosystems and forges mutually beneficial relationships. 

The Burgeoning Green Economy
6:30 PM Wednesday September 24, Central
Join Tim Young of Food for Thought and learn about the economic benefits of developing a business that helps sustain and preserve our natural world.

Sleep Tight, Sweet Garden
12:30 PM Friday September 26, Oshtemo
Experts from Fair Food Matters will offer advice on how to put your garden to bed for the winter.

These are just a few of the events scheduled for September. See the whole bountiful calendar by visiting Fair Food Matters.

Eat Local, Kalamazoo! is a coalition comprised of Fair Food Matters, Bronson Hospital, Kalamazoo College, Food Dance, People’s Food Co-Op, Southwest Michigan Community Harvest Fest, Kalamazoo Public Library and Water Street Coffee Joint.

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Eat Local Month

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Following the impromptu story time, Congressman Upton presented every child with a gift book. “Now, I want all parents to cover their ears” he instructed the adults in the room. When he proceeded to tell the children to ask their parents to share the book with them at home, they all eagerly agreed.

To conclude his visit, Congress Upton chatted with staff in the Pediatric Department and W.I.C. Program about their involvement in Ready to Read. Family Health Center pediatricians discuss early literacy development and distribute gift books to families at well-child exams between birth and five years of age. W.I.C. nutritionists also recommend early reading experiences to client families and present Ready to Read gift books to families. “Reading is so important” Congressman Upton said. “I’m a big supporter of this program.”

The Family Heath Center is just one of thirty-eight community sites that partner with the library to promote early childhood literacy through Ready to Read’s Rx Reading program component.

View more photos of Congressman Upton's visit on the KPL Flickr photostream.

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Congressman Upton helps Ready to Read

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Those are “conversion” stations and we are adding RFID tags to all our materials…. books and AV items. These tags have been called “the new barcode” and combine materials identification and security. We will soon get new security gates for the entrance / exit area and different “work pads” at the circulation desk which will allow a stack of materials to be checked out all at one time, rather than one-by-one.

Early in 2009, we plan to add a self checkout option for patrons who prefer the do-it-yourself route. We’ll then replace our current circulation desk and information desk with a combined one to provide better service to our patrons.

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RFID

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First we replaced the worn carpet on the two main staircases with tile. It will last a lifetime and be easier to maintain. Then we started replacing the carpet throughout the building. The second and third floors and adult areas on the first floor are completed. The lower level is in process and the final area on the first floor….the children’s room….will be done in September after the completion of summer reading, our high traffic time of year there. By late September / early October we will have new carpet throughout the central library.  Stop in; I’m confident you will like it as much as we do!

We’ll take a break from carpeting, then turn attention to our four branches later in the year.

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New Carpet

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It was only a few decades ago that summertime didn’t mean leisurely days by the lake. For many families, summer meant work -- a time to harvest and process fruit and vegetables for the winter to come. Commercially canned products were simply too expensive.

Judging by the crowd at our program on Aug. 19, there’s a renewed interest in food preserving. The enthusiasm could be due to the economic downtown, an increased concern for food safety or a desire to eat more locally grown foods.

At our program on Aug. 19, we heard about the basics of canning and freezing from Diana Fair of the St. Joseph County Extension office. Diana brought in a cart laden with canning tools, from funnels to pressure canners, and told us how to use them. One important thing I learned is that with water bath canning, acidity is your friend. Acidity prevents the formation of harmful bacteria. That's why it's critical to add a bit of lemon juice to each jar of tomatoes.

We also learned about Kalamazoo’s Community Kitchen project from Lucy Bland of Fair Food Matters. Right now there’s a mobile, licensed kitchen out at the Kalamazoo County Fairgrounds that can be rented to prepare foods for sale at festivals or other public events. It also can be used as an incubator for food-based businesses. Perhaps someone has a delicious idea for preserving zucchini?

Indeed, opening a jar of home-canned tomatoes in the middle of a January freeze is a special kind of pleasure. For recipe ideas and canning guidelines, check out KPL’s books on canning and preserving, most of which can be found under Dewey 641.4.

Don't miss Michael Beauchamp on September 17th.

See more of John Lacko's photos of Rachel's performance on KPL's Flickr photostream.

As promised, here are several video clips from her performance - enjoy!

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Rachel Davis @ KPL

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KPL director Ann Rohrbaugh provided the details that fans love:  how cookbooks have changed over the years and how she goes about selecting which one to acquire for the library. If cookbooks have increased in price, she said, it’s likely due to the addition of color photography. There are narrower subject categories than ever before – not just ethnic cuisine, but books devoted to such subjects as number of ingredients, kitchen appliances, weight loss, disease, celebrities and celebrity chefs.

Along with the ever-growing population of cookbooks are two emerging related genres. Food memoirs are biographical and categorized the 921s (My Life in France by Julia Child comes to mind). Food fiction, such as Like Water for Chocolate or Chili con Corpses, will be shelved by author's last name.

While KPL’s collection of cookery books is vast, it’s a mere drop compared to the some 24,000 cookbooks published each year. Ann uses book reviews and a dash of intuition to make selections which includes award winners and other highly praised titles. And if there's something we don't have, we'd love to hear your suggestion. For those times when you're in the mood to watch instead of read, KPL also offers cookery videos in DVD and VHS formats.

Last night's program was a tasty discussion that whetted our appetites. Some headed to a restaurant for dinner. I went home and baked a batch of scones. 

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Cookery category in KPL catalog

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Determine if a particular foundation is the right match for your nonprofit by inquiring about their funding emphases and their organizational mission and role within the philanthropic community. Our Meet the Grantmaker program on October 21st will give those who work for 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations the opportunity to learn about the Irving S. Gilmore Foundation from an insider’s perspective. Engage in a discussion about the philanthropic activities of this well known, local foundation, what sort of programs they fund and how to establish strong relationships with local funders. Call the nonprofit librarian at 553-7844 to register for this program or to obtain more information.

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Nonprofit Resources

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At last night's program, Julie Stanley held up a massive and misshapen tomato declaring that it tastes better than the uniform and pretty variety that’s been bred for looks and long shelf life. Julie Stanley knows her veggies. As owner and executive chef of Food Dance Café (now in its 15^th year), she’s been a proponent of farmers and local foods for decades. You won't catch her serving winter tomatoes. "Why would you want your food to taste bad?" she said.

Julie shared tips for spotting the good stuff at a farmers market, and caring for those precious goods when we get home. “Ask questions,” she urged. Farmers will readily talk about their produce. Beware of vivid yellow squash (tough skin) and oversized zucchini (bitter). Corn, she says, should be firm, cold and even slightly wet – clues that the farmer kept it chilled overnight. If the blueberries don’t have a frosty cast, they’ve been handled too much. And don’t even think about keeping those fragile raspberries for more than a day.

At his reading here yesterday, John Rybicki recited several poems from memory. And that got me to thinking about 8th grade when Mrs. Garrett made all of us learn and recite from memory her favorite poem, The House by the Side of the Road. Do students do that these days? Can you recite a poem from memory?

One opponent urged commissioners to think about the challenges and barriers facing some of the people who would be affected by the ordinance’s time restrictions. He commented that for people without permanent housing, there aren’t a lot of options in our town. At “the library,” for example, “their time is limited.” This comment prompted me to clarify a couple of the library’s policies.

As long as visitors are using the library—reading, studying, using library materials or facilities or engaging in library-related activities—and abide by the library’s rules of conduct, there is no time restriction. Two hours of computer use is provided for patrons with a valid library card during any 24-hour period. Individuals without permanent addresses will be issued a free, renewable one-month card if they present a letter from a social service agency stating that he/she is in contact with that agency and resides in Kalamazoo. The library has long-standing, cooperative relationships with agencies such as Ministry with Community, the Kalamazoo Gospel Mission, Housing Resources, Inc. etc. We do our best to provide a welcoming environment for all citizens.

Need to catch up a little? Here's an interesting video that was put together by a Kansas State University professor of cultural anthropology, attempting to sum up Web 2.0 in just under five minutes.

On Friday, July 11th, Jennifer Cornell, KPL's technology trainer, will delve into the world of sharing and organizing on the web with a special educational event called Web 2.0 Topics - Blogging. Don't miss this unique one-off session!