News @ KPL
Library news, events and more.
Author and illustrator Kadir Nelson was in Kalamazoo last week for a couple of days. While here, he visited with students at Woods Lake Elementary and at the Kalamazoo County Juvenile Home. He talked with the kids about the importance of doing something that you love, saying that everyone has to have a job but that you should make sure that you find a job where you can do what you love every day. He also showed the kids at Woods Lake how drawing is made up of shapes . . . he even created a unique portrait of their principal, Mr. Hawkins! At the Juvenile Home, Nelson talked with students about the idea that "beauty denies negativity" and how he has chosen positive ways to deal with the anger that he has had in his life.
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.
Years before the establishment of the Kalamazoo Public Library, another organization loaned books to residents for a membership fee of just $1.00, and contrary to its name, it loaned to men as well as women. For this and many other reasons the Ladies Library Association in Kalamazoo holds an important place in the history of our community and of women’s clubs in general. On November 12th KPL hosted a program highlighting the group’s history and its amazing landmark building as part of the “This Old Building” series. Dr. Sharon Carlson, director of the archives at Western Michigan University, engaged a fascinated audience with little known facts about the Ladies Library and a slide show which included many wonderful historic photos.
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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http://www.kpl.gov/local-history/houses-buildings/333-s-park.aspx
The Michigan Library Association annual conference was held in Kalamazoo at the Radisson Hotel in late October, the first time since the early 1980's. We were pleased to have our colleagues in town for a wide range of programs, author appearances, vendor exhibits, and general networking with each other.
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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http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalamazoopubliclibrary/sets/72157608473901474/
Patrons were treated to a history of Kalamazoo city parks at a program on October 15 presented by John Urschel, City of Kalamazoo records and information manager. Urschel used the resources of the city archives to write the book City of Kalamazoo Parks, and shared some of his vast knowledge on the topic with a fascinated audience. Little known park facts were revealed, including a surprising connection between Bronson Park and the Library. According to city records, 100 trout that lived in the park’s fountain in 1902 “wintered” in KPL’s basement. For more information on Kalamazoo parks check out City of Kalamazoo Parks, our website, and the local history collection.
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City of Kalamazoo Parks
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http://www.catalog.kpl.gov/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/0/0/5?searchdata1=city+of+kalamazoo+parks+AND+urschel{AU}&library=BRANCHES&language=ANY&format=ANY&item_type=ANY&location=ANY&match_on=KEYWORD&item_1cat=ANY&item_2cat=ANY&sort_by=-PBYR
Last month I attended the grand opening of the spectacular, newly renovated YWCA in downtown Kalamazoo. While touring the building, I heard from the director of the YWCA's Children's Center that the preschool group loves walking to the public library for story time visits every month. Sometimes they even walk to the Kalamazoo Transportation Center and ride a bus to a neighborhood branch library. The children ride free!
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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http://www.kpl.gov/kids/calendar.aspx
Lately I've been hearing financial advisor, Dave Ramsey, say “hang on and ride the roller coaster”. KPL can help you ride that financial roller coaster with a few of our online resources. Morningstar, is an investment source where you can check for the latest information on stocks and mutual funds. TheStreet.com (formerly Weiss Ratings) evaluates quarterly the financial strength of more than 13,000 institutions, including life, health, and annuity insurers, property and casualty insurers, banks, and savings and loans, plus tracking the risk-adjusted performance of over 20,000 mutual funds and more than 6,000 stocks. KPL’s Investment Topic Guide also has some great book selections and websites to aid you in making informed financial decisions.
These and more online resources are just a click away with your library card.
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Investment Topic Guide
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http://www.kpl.gov/guides/investment
The fourth concert in our year-long concert series on September 17th featured Kalamazoo's own singer-songwriter Michael Beauchamp. Along with bassist Ian Gorman and mandolin player Brandon Foote, Michael played many of the songs from his 2008 CD My Northern Voices. The standout tune for me was Gamble/Drink All My Money which Michael himself described as a "local favorite." Beauchamp has a great voice which changes with the music and mood of the song he is performing to create a most excellent sound.
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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http://www.catalog.kpl.gov/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/0/0/5?searchdata1=Beauchamp+Michael&library=BRANCHES&language=ANY&format=ANY&item_type=CD&location=ANY&match_on=KEYWORD&item_1cat=ANY&item_2cat=ANY&sort_by=-PBYR
Harry Potter, Huckleberry Finn, The Catcher in the Rye, and To Kill a Mockingbird - these are just a few of the thousands of books that have been banned in the U.S.A.
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.
Challenged Books
The 10 Most Challenged Books of 2007 reflect a range of themes, and consist of the following titles:
Challenged Authors
The most frequently challenged authors of 2007 include:
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Banned Books
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http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/oif/bannedbooksweek/bbwlinks/topten2000to2005.cfm