Grand Rapids Public Library

A couple of websites that are fairly new to the scene offer sound, sight and video, making past events interesting to more than just history buffs. The Oyez (say “oh yay”) Project is a multimedia archive devoted to the Supreme Court of the United States and its work. You can listen(!) to the cases being [...]

For the first time ever, the Grand Rapids Public Library is presenting a Cinco de Mayo program on May 5, 2013 in the Ryerson Auditorium at the Main branch. This family-friendly event will feature Mexican folkloric dancing by Grupo Tarasco – A Dance Company of the Cook Arts Center, a bilingual presentation on the history [...]

Today (April 16) is National Library Workers Day! What is National Library Workers Day? NLWD is a day for library staff, users, administrators and Friends groups to recognize the valuable contributions made by all library workers. If you would like to nominate a library star, (and aren’t we all stars?), click here.

We have paper forms at all our locations and links to downloadable forms.

There’s a brand new art museum on MSU’s campus in East Lansing called the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum, and it’s well worth a visit. Designed by world class architect Zaha Hadid, this small gem of a museum is probably unlike any space you’ve ever entered. It’s all angles, inside and out, and even [...]

While checking the Weather Channel I noticed that we’re being threatened by a winter storm named “Draco.” I immediately wondered how a storm got such an unusual name. Is it for Draco Malfoy, whose white hair is like snow? I had to look it up. I found that this is the first time winter storms [...]

Building on the past two years of Day of the Dead programs at GRPL, the 2012 event qualified as a big success. From Thursday, November 1, through Sunday, November 4, over 1,000 visitors entered the auditorium to view over 20 altars. On Thursday, almost 150 middle school students from Rockford and Forest Hills Spanish Immersion [...]

Grand Rapids (and the surrounding area) now has its own hiking guide. Just published, Falcon Guide Best Easy Day Hikes Grand Rapids, Michigan describes 20 hikes mostly within an hour’s drive from Grand Rapids. You can find where to access the local leg of the North Country Trail, look for birds and other wildlife at [...]

Have you heard of the Ig Nobel Prizes? These are handed out yearly for “Research that makes people LAUGH and then THINK.” This year’s winners include one in the category of LITERATURE and it goes to the US Government General Accountability Office, for issuing a report about reports about reports that recommends the preparation of [...]

Just in time for Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 through October 15), festivities kick off at noon today at the Calder Plaza. Fiesta Mexicana, hosted by the Mexican Heritage Association, is a three day cultural extravaganza highlighting the music, art and food of Mexico and Latin America. Come down to enjoy live performances, food booths, [...]