Grand Rapids Public Library

For his new book, Michigan’s Historic Railroad Stations, Detroit News art writer Michael H. Hodges photographed and profiled 31 depots across the state, from Detroit to Three Oaks to Iron Mountain. Hodges will be at the Main Library on Monday, May 13, 2013 at 7:00pm as part of the 2013 Michigan Notable Book Tour. In [...]

Don’t miss this showcase of everything Grand Rapids – from the Austin Automobile Co. to the Zalewski’s dog!

Winter is winding down (we hope) and with Spring on the horizon, what better time to start thinking about Summer vacations? Join us Saturday, March 16 for an afternoon of programs that will inspire you to visit and explore some of the great places in our state. Doc Fletcher will present his program, “Paddle Now. [...]

Recently a patron called asking if we could identify the location of where a picture was taken. She found a photo on our website that she said was strikingly similar to a photo of her grandparents’ wedding. The people in our photo were not in her photo but the trellis and decorations were all the [...]

The 2013 Michigan Notable Books list has been announced! “Annually the Michigan Notable Books (MNB) list features 20 books published in the previous calendar year that are about Michigan or the Great Lakes region, or are written by a Michigan author. Selections include nonfiction and fiction books that appeal to a variety of audiences and [...]

Uncover the mysteries of Michigan past in 6 different sessions on Saturday, January 19.

Sometimes objects are believed to resonate with the emotional record of the time that they were created. Actual letters can have a disturbing power to reach out from the past and move us. Art Johnson’s letter to his wife turned up at an estate sale, and our Local History Dept. solved the mystery of what [...]

Join us tomorrow night, November 15 at 7pm, for author Ross Richardson’s presentation on his book The Search for the Westmoreland. On December 7, 1854, the Propeller Westmoreland foundered in deep water near Sleeping Bear Dunes, killing 17 of her crew and passengers. Soon after the steamer’s sinking, rumors began circulating of $10,000 in gold [...]

Interested in Michigan’s haunted history? Author Helen Pattskyn has explored some of Michigan’s most haunted locations, from the Whitney in downtown Detroit to the Point Iroquis Lighthouse.  Join us Thursday, October 25 at 7:00 at the Main Library in the Ryerson Auditorium for Pattskyn’s discussion of her new book Ghosthunting Michigan.

  2012 is the year of the Girl! The Girl Scouts are celebrating their 100th anniversary and the Library has a great exhibit centered on Girl Scouts in West Michigan. The exhibit will be up through the month of October and includes uniforms, photographs, and other ephemera from both the past and the present. Whether [...]