Staff-recommended reading from the KPL catalog.
It’s amazing how many hot topics Paula Danziger brings up in It’s an Aardvark-eat-turtle World! This 132 paged easy-to-read teen book is full of social issues such as divorce, remarriage, step-sisterhood/step-parenting, interracial marriage and more. Rosie tells the story of how her mother married her best friend’s dad. Exciting, huh? Well, no! From then on Rosie’s and Phoebe’s life is never the same. The two best friends could no longer stand each other. What was cute before becomes a big pain. Rosie sees now when she finally has her “real family” that it’s not her “dream family”. She and Phoebe went from “best friends, best sisters and best roommates” to thinking family and friendship takes too much work. But they later decide that it’s all worth it....
Posted by Judi, Nov 3, 2009
Staff-recommended viewing from the KPL catalog.
The recent “balloon boy” hoax that had citizens across the country glued to news outlets late last week brings Billy Wilder’s 1951 film classic Ace in the Hole back to my mind, in a big way. Ignored in its time, the film predicted the modern-day “media circus” that persists around human interest stories - true or otherwise....
Posted by Karl, Oct 20, 2009
Staff-recommended listening from the KPL catalog.
The current season for “spooky” stuff brings to mind a time honored classic – Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells. Oldfield was an unknown English teenager in 1973 when the haunting opening sequence from his highly acclaimed debut gained worldwide attention as the backdrop for Friedkin’s film version of William Peter Blatty’s The Exorcist....
Posted by Keith, Oct 26, 2009, 1 Comment
Library news and happenings.
Listening to the school closings on the radio this morning leaves no doubt—the flu has hit Kalamazoo. Like other organizations that serve the public, KPL is trying to limit the spread of the H1N1 as well as seasonal flu....
Posted by Ann, Oct 22, 2009, 1 Comment
Recent library events, news and more.
Installation of the kiosk across from the circulation desk at central is behind schedule. There are several reasons, but a major one is a delay in approval of the shop drawings because of a reconsideration of the aluminum corner detail. Once that was settled, shop drawings were completed and approved, and the corner element ordered only to find it is out of stock; it’s typically available and in stock, we were told....
Posted by Ann, Oct 30, 2009
News, comments, resources, and more.
Don't be worried if you see less classes offered for the fall--we are simply in the mode of preparing for new and exciting things! In the next few months, we will be upgrading our staff computers to Microsoft Office 2007 which means the librarians and staff you rely on to help you with all your information needs at KPL need a little learning time! We look forward to eventually offering such software as Word and Excel in the 2007 version to patrons. The computer classes will change in the future to reflect this as well....
Posted by Jennifer, Sep 4, 2009
Today I woke up to the morning radio DJ announcing that there are only 52 shopping days left until Christmas. Time seems to go so fast! I think I hear this statement or say it myself almost every day. Today, as we do every Tuesday in the bookstore, we talked about what to spotlight this week. We all agreed it’s time to put out the Christmas and Hanukah books. So, if you are ready to plunge (or maybe just wade) into the holiday season, we have the books to help you do just that. Our Holiday Books cart includes fiction, both children and adult, and holiday crafts and cooking....
Posted by Carol, Nov 3, 2009
News, events and happenings from the Children's Room.
Do things like mutant animals, villainous scoundrels, a bird-drop artist, and magical inventions spark your reading appetite? Do you think your family is weird? Have you ever wanted to go to a boarding school and never come home?...
Posted by Ann, Oct 1, 2009
Kalamazoo is a great place to live if you are into genealogy or history. Not only do we have numerous places close by for doing research, but there are also many area organizations, societies and commissions devoted to preserving or researching history in various ways. Groups like the Kalamazoo Valley Genealogical Society and the Oshtemo Historical Society meet monthly and often offer informative and entertaining programs for the public. The Kalamazoo Valley Museum, Western Michigan University and, of course, the Library all offer events of interest to history buffs. So, wouldn’t it be great if there was one place to look for all the area meetings and programs related to history? Well, now there is! KPL’s Local History Community Events Calendar, which can be accessed from the Local History and Genealogy pages of the website, provides information on events happening locally and even some bigger events taking place a little farther away. Be sure to check it often because new items are added regularly and don’t forget to contact us with information on events you would like included in the calendar. With this new calendar you’ll never have to miss any of the great local history events our community has to offer....
Posted by Beth, Oct 17, 2009
Opportunities for Nonprofit Excellence
NOTE: Attending an Orientation session for the programs is mandatory. ONEplace is hosting an orientation session on Friday, October 30, from 10 to noon in the Van Deusen Room of Kalamazoo Public Library, Central. Additional Orientation sessions will be held between October 26 and November 5 across the state. See the websites below for additional information or contact ONEplace at 553-7910....
Posted by Bobbe, Oct 12, 2009
What a delight to receive this nice note from Rick Bragg. Honestly, he’s the one to be thanked....
Posted by Lisa, Apr 23, 2009
My first placement as a Ready to Read Volunteer was in a Head Start classroom at Eastside Community Center this spring. I loved the experience and plan on being back at Ms. Janet’s class in the fall. One thing I learned is 2 to 5 year olds never get tired of Ed Emberley’s “Go Away, Big Green Monster!”...
Posted by Andrea, Jul 22, 2009
Teen Read Week started yesterday, and we’re celebrating down in the Teen Area. You may have noticed our banner and a list of fun themes for each day, but even if you haven’t stopped by there’s still plenty to do. If you don’t do anything else this week, why not grab one of our science fiction and fantasy-themed books from our display and try out a genre you’ve never read before? If the sci-fi/fantasy thing doesn’t do it for you, why not vote for next year’s theme? Finally, what we’ve really been waiting for down here is the announcement of this year’s Teens’ Top 10 Awards! The full list of winners can be found at the ALA’s Teens’ Top 10 page(did any of your favorites win?) but here in the Teen Area we’re very excited that Wake by Lisa McMann is one of this year’s winners! You can see Lisa speak in person about her books and more on November 12, when she visits Kalamazoo as part of the Youth Literature Seminar. Congratulations to Lisa and to all of the Teens’ Top 10 winners!...
Posted by Stewart, Oct 19, 2009, 1 Comment