Step Back in History: KPL at 150
MARK YOUR CALENDAR! Oct 7 | 5–7 pm | Central | All Ages: Join us at the Central library during the October Art Hop for this immersive experience in observance of the 150th anniversary of Kalamazoo Public Library. Walk through a life-size exhibit of historic photos from the early library buildings, interact with KPL staff members in period costumes, enjoy musical entertainment by The Mall City Harmonizers (barbershop) and, thanks to the sponsorship of Connecting Chords Music Festival, Sweetbriar Sisters (ukulele trio), participate in hands-on activities, receive a commemorative souvenir of the occasion, and of course, enjoy some birthday cake!
Geek Fest
Oct 15 | 11 am–3 pm | Kalamazoo County Expo Center | All Ages: This comic-con will be free to the general public, and feature attractions for all ages such as gaming, Legos, robotics, art, comics, cosplay contests, and so much more! Featuring our special guest: YA murder mystery author Gretchen McNeil will be available from 12-2 PM for a Meet & Greet and book signing.
150th Anniversary – Coloring and Donuts Celebration Staff Contact Person: Jill Lansky
Oct 8 | 10 am–2 pm | All Locations | Family: Stop by any KPL location and celebrate the 150th anniversary of our library with coloring and donuts. Enjoy coloring local artists’ designs in a commemorative coloring book to keep. Donuts and juice provided.
Haunted House at KPL featuring Dustin Pari of Ghost Hunters
Oct 17 | 5–7 pm | Central | All Ages: Let Dustin Pari be your guide through all things spooky and scary! An all age appropriate Haunted House will be available in the Van Deusen room at Central, so don your costume and prepare to trick-or-treat and be thoroughly ‘terrified’! Two tours will be available for the Haunted House: 5 PM and 6 PM. Following each tour, there will be refreshments and a Q&A session with your tour guide. For all ages, no registration necessary.
Photoshop for Beginners
Oct 6 | 6 pm | Central/Idea Lab | Adult: Come to the Idea Lab and learn the basics of Photoshop from an expert in this one-on-one session.
Cult Movie Matinees
Oct 8 | 1–3 pm | Oshtemo | All Ages: Join us for a chill afternoon of nostalgia and laughter watching Goonies. We will have snacks!
News
2022 Election: Kalamazoo Public Library District Trustee Candidates
The role of a public library board is to set policy and delegate responsibility for implementing those policies to the…
October Encore Magazine: After 150 years, the Kalamazoo Public Library isn't going just by the book
Kalamazoo Public Library is the featured story for the October issue of Encore Magazine! Kalamazoo Public Library is celebrating 150…
More than book learning: The Kalamazoo Public Library has had answers for 150 years
Second Wave Media | AL JONES | FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2022 Editor’s note: This story is part of Southwest Michigan Second Wave’s On…
Barbara Ehrenreich (1941–2022)
Barbara Ehrenreich, an author and essayist who picked apart the myths of the American Dream with books that included a…
Search the Catalog
Bookmobile Service
Kalamazoo’s branch libraries served many of the neighborhoods and communities that were beyond the Central Business District. Yet, by the…
Flora B. Roberts
When Flora B. Roberts began her twenty-four year career as chief librarian of the Kalamazoo Public Library in February 1918,…
The KPL Story
A 1998 mini-documentary about the library’s renovation project, featuring architect David Milling, artist Michael Hayden, and others. Includes two television…
KPL in the News
Since the library came into being in October 1872, its services and programs have generated a fair amount of headlines…
Alma Powell Branch History
In May of 1968 an anonymous gift of $10,000 was received by the Kalamazoo Board of Education for the purpose…
KPL Video Introduction
A 1998 made-for-video documentary about Kalamazoo Public Library.
David Milling and Michael Hayden
Kalamazoo Public Library Marketing and Communications Manager Marti Fritz interviewed architect David Milling and artist Michael Hayden during the 1998…
Kalamazoo Public Library Children’s Room
The Kalamazoo Public Library was one of the first public libraries in the nation to recognize the need for a…
Celebration of the Life & Legacy of Alma Harrod Powell
In 1978, 11 years after the passing of Alma H. Powell, staff and friends of the Alma Powell Branch designated…
KPL Local History Librarian Ryan Gage invites everyone to Step Back in History!
Join us October 7 at Central Library during Art Hop for an immersive experience in observance of KPL’s 150th anniversary.…
Databases
Newspapers.com
Newspapers.com is the largest online newspaper archive consisting of 493 million+ pages of historical newspapers from 11,800+ newspapers from around…
Heritage Quest Online
HeritageQuest® Online is a comprehensive treasury of American genealogical sources—rich in unique primary sources, local and family histories, convenient research…
Worldbook Online
World Book Online helps information seekers of all ages find the content they need at the correct reading level. World…
Small Business Reference Center
Small Business Reference Center offers exclusive full text for many top consumer small business reference books, as well as tools…
Morningstar Investment Research Center
A one-stop tool for collecting financial information, getting reliable portfolio analysis, learning about investment options, and reading up on the…
Kalamazoo Gazette Collection
Search Kalamazoo and Michigan history with The Kalamazoo Gazette Collection. Coverage from 1837 through current. Explore current and archived issues…
Ancestry Library
Ancestry allows family researchers to search through a database comprised of an array of public records. Provided via ProQuest, includes…
