Grand Rapids Public Library

Join us for the book launch of this collection of Grand Rapids poetry.

This weekend I just started reading the book Plan of Chicago: Daniel Burnham and the Remaking of the American City for the Reading the Great Lakes book discussion group. This book goes into wonderful detail about the urban plan for the city of Chicago that Daniel Burnham had written in 1906. If Daniel Burnham sounds [...]

Last weeks Digital Public Library of America, or DPLA, seminar helped to clarify some issues regarding this national project and what the future implications are for our library. The initial vision of the DPLA was to create a national digital library that will keep items free and accessible for everyone. This is especially important with the [...]

Have you ever wondered where your family might have been? Who might be lurking in your family tree? If so take a look at our new Genealogy Guides! They are available to anyone coming to the Local History Department and are available on the Genealogy page of the Library. Each one is a printable pdf [...]

Last month we received a donation of 3 stereocards from a man in Rochester, New York. He had bought each of the cards for .50 cents. The 3 cards were of the 1876 Centennial Celebrations here in Downtown Grand Rapids. I have added one of the cards to this post for you to look at. [...]

It is time for GR Reads once again! Cue the creepy music. Shudder at the unnatural chill in the air. This summer GR Reads is back and we are looking for revenge! Or, maybe just a good read. 10 books have been chosen and 32 events have been planned. But this time we will be [...]

Join 4 of your favorite Library staff at the downtown Schuler Books and Music as they share their favorite National Book Award winners and finalists! The National Book Awards are the nation’s preeminent literary prize and are given to recognize achievements in four genres: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry and Young People’s Literature. As a sneak preview [...]

Today’s contribution came from our very own administration files. This brochure was made by GRPL as a resource for all of the Cub Scout leaders in 1953. “Doorway to Adventure” was the theme for the month of October. On the back were illustrations showing the various “Methods of Basic Training”

Earlier this week we received a wonderful piece of Grand Rapids Public Library History. A man in Colorado came upon a bookmark from 1943 created by the Library and  Greater Grand Rapids Safety Council. On each side there are facts about safety. One side on pedestrian safety and the other side on fatalities during accidents [...]

Hey Foodies! Step back into Michigan’s past … Enjoy the nostalgia of old kitchen utensils worn thin through decades of use … Learn the secrets of measuring ingredients by the egg shell, hickory nut, pinch and dash. Priscilla and Larry Massie, a husband and wife team of historians from the Allegan Forest who specialize in [...]