The Atrium

A librarian at the Seymour library had heard about a game on the Internet that a guy played with friends. The game doesn't have a name but it basically plays like this; you sit down for five minutes and whoever can name the most US states wins. The librarian is no geopolitical wizard but he figured that he could beat a middle school student in such a game.

Reporter: Were you Nervous?
Michael B.: I thought that he was going to know a lot. Since he challenged me I thought that he would be prepared and know his states.

The librarian challenged home school student Michael B. when his family made their weekly visit to Storytime at Seymour. His words were not as strong as Ivan Drago in Rocky IV but the librarian made sure to let Michael B. know that next week Michael B. would be in trouble.

Reporter: What do you have in store for Michael B
Librarian: I'm going to wipe up the carpet with Michael B. He won't know the difference between the United States and Mars after I'm done schooling him on his states.

The day of the match came. It was a nice spring day. A perfect day for a Geopolitical Identification Battle. There was a charge in Alger Heights. Everyone knew (or should of known) that a battle of wills was to be waged that day.

After Storytime amongst a milling crowd of over 13 Mom's and 30 toddlers the two gladiators meet. There was no timekeeper so Michael B's sisters were drafted into the job. The librarian vehemently protested having the sisters keep time but the judges said that keeping time was a clerical issue that would not taint the outcome of the match.

Librarian: There were a lot of things that didn't go my way. If...

As the Geopolitical Identification Battle began it was clear that one of the challengers was in trouble. Alabama, Alaska, Arizona were all confidently penned by the home schooled Hercules in a flash of intellect and might. Arkansas, California, Colorado all penned in the blink of a hummingbirds wing by the soon to be champ Michael B. Meanwhile, the librarian had only a few states written down. Only Michigan, Florida, and Alabama; all states that he lived in. As he glanced at the speed of the young prodigy, the librarian knew he was in trouble and immediately started to sweat. The two timekeeping sisters twittered and laughed at the moisture weeping from the librarian's brow. Like a well oiled machine Michael B's hand moved across the page. West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming. Michael B was done with about a minute while the librarian looked at the spines of books for hints.

"Time!" said Anna B. as she threw her hands up in the air like the most professional of timekeepers. It was done. What Seymour Library had just been witness to was one of the most lopsided victories in the history of competition. Michael B. had totally destroyed the librarian. The end result was 30 to 50. Michael B. had all his states in alphabetical order in nice neat rows while the Librarian had his states scribbled haphazardly all over his crumpled and wet paper.

Librarian: I want a rematch he knew a song that helped him know all the states. Michael B. is smart but no way does he have all his states memorized in alphabetical order. Use of his song is bending if not breaking the rules. I want a rematch

After a brief conference the judges deemed that Michael B. was well within the rules and commended him on his obvious preparation.

Reporter: How did you prepare?
Michael B.: Well I know my states but I looked them over for about five minutes before the actual competition. Also through my Mother's teachings I was well prepared for the event.
Reporter: Now that you're the champion of the Geopolitical Identification Battle will you give him a rematch?
Michael B.: No.

Posted by Asante at 03:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

There were many happy and hoppin' frogs at Seymour storytime on April 12. After listening to some fun froggy stories and singing some fantastic froggy songs, Regan and Avery enjoyed creating their own frogs out of paper plates.

When storytime was over, many storytime "frogs" hopped around the library looking for some books to take home. Colleen, Regan's Mom, read him a book about police officers.

Posted by Martin at 04:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Grand Rapids Public Library is hosting its Second Annual Poetry Slam this Wednesday at 7PM at our main library. Last year's Poetry Slam Jam event featured some great talent and it was a big success. We're hoping for a repeat performance.

Also, on Thursday at 7PM, NEA Grant winner, poet, and GVSU professor Nicole Walker will be sharing her poetry with us. This program will be held at the Main Library. Please join us!

Also, check out these links for more information about poetry:
GRPL Poetry Collection

Poetry Awards
Bollingen Prize in Poetry
Pulitzer Prize in Poetry
Kingsley Tufts Poetry Prize

The next open Mic night is July 24 at 7PM at Yankee Clipper Branch!!!!!!!!

Posted by Martin at 05:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The newest exhibit is available for the public to view on the 4th floor of the Grand Rapids Public Library in the History and Special Collections Department (GRHSC). This exhibit, with its many photographs from the library's collection, will bring special memories to those who remember the dimestore block, the department store windows, and the parade of cars and buses up and down Monroe Avenue - Grand Rapids' Main Street.

Take a stroll, block by block, through the heart of the city. What started as a retail district now encompasses entertainment, restaurants, condos, government offices, and commercial establishments. From its rustic beginnings at Grab Corners to the glamor of DeVos Place, the changing face of Monroe Avenue mirrors the growth and vitality of our city. This exhibit was developed with a grant from the Ryerson Foundation Thomas R. and Debra C. Dilley Fund.

A special thanks to the talented Rebecca Near and GRHSC staff for their work on the exhibit. The exhibit will be available for public viewing throughout the year.

Posted by Martin at 08:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

National Poetry Month has been very festive this year at the GRPL. On Wednesday, April 18 the Hope College Hoopla was well attended by students, local poets, and other members of the community. Each poet read for about 15 to 20 minutes. They had distinctive voices. The beautiful cadences, interesting thoughts and words, and their unique ways of viewing places, people, and life were intriguing. Afterwards there was much mingling and disussion.

If you wish to listen to the poets, a podcast is available. For more poetry events and information, please look at our poetry wiki.

Participants who talked with the audience after their performance, and were available for book signings are, from left to right: Jackie Bartley, Heather Sellers, Jack Ridl, and Greg Rappleye.

Posted by Martin at 08:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Teens, would you like to have a say in what book is deemed the best of 2006? Now's your chance.

Every year librarians from around the state read frantically to come up with the best teen book of the previous year. Teens can also read and vote for their favorites in the Thumbs Up! Book Award. This year TEEN voting closes on May 25th. Established in 1986 by the Michigan Library Association, the Thumbs Up! Book Award recognizes excellence and uniqueness in teen literature.

I've been trying to read all the titles on the list even though I have my favorite, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (which I have talked about extensively on this blog!). A few of my other favorites include The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing by MT Anderson (also much talked about) and It's kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini. I've just started to read Copper Sun by Sharon Draper, grabbed me from the start. I never want to put it down, and I was reluctant to read this one!

Some library's have these books on display with a list of the top twenty. Ask a librarian, read what you can, and VOTE for YOUR favorite. Let us know if you agree with the top twenty.

Posted by Mary at 08:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Grand Rapids Public Library will host a program by author and legal scholar Paul Finkelman, editor of the Michigan Notable book, The History of Michigan Law. Mr. Finkelman will speak on The Strange and Surprising History of Civil Rights Law in Michigan.

Finkelman's talk will explore the surprising history of Michigan's early laws on race, its opposition to slavery, and its post-Civil War record on civil rights. While many Midwestern states actively discouraged black migration after the Civil War, Michigan became the great beacon of liberty for many African Americans. The program will be held on May 8th at 7:00 pm, in the Ryerson Auditorium on the third floor. The program is free and open to the public.

Other books which include Mr. Finkelman's work can be found here.

Posted by Martin at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A good number of patrons come to the library to create documents. For nearly 5 years we've offered the OpenOffice.org suite for this purpose. Unfortunately, unless it was a document that you could complete in a single sitting, you needed to save this document to floppy, CD, or USB device. Items that could be lost or damaged. What if you could leave these documents in a secure location, where you could then reach them at any time, from any Internet connected PC? Or better yet, provide others the ability to view or modify them.

Google Documents is a great tool for doing just this, along with Google's incredible searching options to location your information later. With announcements this week about new charting tools for their spreadsheet application, and a PowerPoint like presentation package coming this summer, it's becoming a very attractive option.

I'm typing this as a Google document from San Francisco, and will use it to create this post when I return. Check out Google Docs at http://docs.google.com

Posted by Bill at 10:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Well, it certainly didn't feel like spring when Miss Amy and her farm animals came to visit. They had to scale down their program by bringing in smaller animals and coming inside! But everyone had a great time learning about turkeys, ducks, goats, rabbits, and even a tortoise! Afterwards, we read some stories, recited Mother Goose, and got crafty. If you were able to attend, what was your favorite animal? I loved Moses, the tortoise.

Posted by Mary at 01:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

April is Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month, another important issue facing our society.

Grand Rapids is fortunate to have many organizations ready to help those whose lives have been affected by sexual assault. The local YWCA and the Kent County Domestic Violence Community Coordinated Response Team are two such organizations. The YWCA's confidential 24-hour crisis hotline is 616-776-RAPE (7273).

Stop by the main Grand Rapids Public Library's sexual assault display and pick up a free copy of the booklet, A Handbook for Survivors of Sexual Assault, along with other pamphets and materials on this topic. More information can be found through the Michigan Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, and the Men Can Stop Rape organizations.

Click here for more information on sexual assault awareness.

Posted by Jane at 08:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

On Saturday, April 14, Ottawa Hills Branch and other branch libraries held the first poetry races to celebrate National Poetry Month. Participants had to say three official tongue twisters -- which were available at race locations -- as fast as they could for a minute. The races were loads of laughter and lots of fun. But they're not over yet.

Are you a fast talker? Do you like funny things? Then put the two together and enter our next poetry race for kids. You have to try to say 3 tongue twisters, without any mistakes, as fast as you can in a minute. Think you can do
it? Why not try? It's going to be fun. Our next poetry races will be:

The photo features Branch librarian, Catherine Page, giving a lollipop to Gabe for being the smoothest, fastest talker in Ottawa Hills.

Posted by Martin at 08:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I happened across this really cool website a couple of days ago, which reminded me of yet another skill I would like to acquire: sewing. My interest in sewing is primarily geared toward refashioning clothes that I already have and that I find at thrift stores as well as using some of the beautiful fabrics I've purchased at estate sales throughout the years.

About every three months or so I think to myself that I should dig my clunky 70's era Singer out of the closet and actually learn how use it. Chances are, I'll continue to think about it, and not really learn anything new. For those of you out there with more follow through skills than I posess, here are some books that might be of interest:

Although it hasn't felt much like spring lately, some GRPL locations are going to help make seem like it is! Come join us in making a garden stepping stone. We'll provide the mix, the mold, and lots of decorations. You get to decorate it however you like and take it home to dry. When it's all set to come out of its mold, place it anywhere in your yard or garden at home!

Saturday, April 21: Seymour Branch @ 11:00am

Saturday, April 21: Yankee Clipper Branch @ 3:00 pm

Saturday, April 28: West Side Branch @ 11:00am

Saturday, May 26: Main Library @ 2:00pm

Please don't forget to register. And feel free to offer any suggestions on how to make our stones even better!

Posted by Mary at 01:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In celebration of National Library Week, April 15-22, 2007, Libraries Unlimited is providing free access to its Reader's Advisor Online (RAO). RAO is a powerful search tool based on the Genreflecting book series published 0by Libraries Unlimited.

More than a database, RAO is a sophisticated search tool which gives users multiple ways to browse and find related reading materials by genre, plot, character description, or theme. It includes recreational nonfiction as well as fiction. There are many special features, including the Genre Tree, the Read-Alike Finder, the Read-Alike Quick List, and you can create lists to print out.

Check out RAO here along with some other goodies. (Actually, the free access seems to be working as of now!)

Posted by Martin at 09:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I have been thinking about bees and butterflies a lot lately. In the news there have been disquieting articles about the mysterious ailment killing honey bees. If all those insect pollinators weren't around, what would happen to our food supply?

It might be a good idea for all of us to try and support our insect pollinators. There are a lot of books and websites to help. Who knew that there were so many different butterflies in Michigan? Fritillaries, Buckeyes, Admirals, Cloudywings, Checkerspots, Mourning Cloaks, American Snout...

GRPL has a section on beekeeping. Sometimes cities and townships have ordinances about keeping bees. Grand Rapids does. Also, there is a display of butterfly books at the Main Library as well as many items about butterflies and butterfly gardens available at various GRPL libraries.

After all, helping out our butterflies and bees might just be helping out ourselves at the same time!

Posted by Lisa at 08:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Have you read any of Dave Pelzer's books? A Child Called “It” and A Man Named Dave are two of his most popular titles. They're powerful and riveting true stories of a young life full of pain and abuse. Pelzer will be in Grand Rapids Saturday, April 14 at an event sponsored by the Child and Family Resource Council. Ticket information is available from the Council. If you have been moved by his life story, you'll want to attend this event.

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. Child abuse has far-reaching consequences for our community and society as a whole. If you're down at the Main Grand Rapids Public Library stop by and see the information display on the lower level of the library.

In addition to the various resources at the library, more information on the important topic of child abuse can be found through the Child Welfare Information Gateway, the Prevent Child Abuse America organization, and the Child and Family Resource Council website.

Posted by Jane at 09:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Do you think teen literature is all about whiny, angry, or angst ridden teens? Or do you think teen books are all fluff reading that have no value? Think again!

As discussed on an earlier blog, teen literature, publishing, and reading is booming! To help celebrate this fact, the American Library Association's Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) will promote its first Teen Literature Day on Thursday, April 19. You can help GRPL celebrate this event by checking out some great teen books.

Need some suggestions? Try a few classics like To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, or Watership Down by Richard Adams.

If you prefer newer titles try these: Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson or An Abundance of Katherines by John Green.

Is non-fiction your thing? Check out Jan Greenberg's Andy Warhol: Prince of Pop or Laban Carrick Hill's Harlem Stomp!: a cultural history of the Harlem Renaissance.

How about a graphic novel? Gene Luan Yang's American Born Chinese is the first graphic novel to win the Michael L. Printz Award , the ultimate award for a teen book! As always, if you need any other suggestions, don't be afraid to ask a librarian.

What are your favorite teen books? We'd like to know.

Posted by Mary at 04:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Thanks to funding provided by the Ryerson Library Foundation Western Michigan Genealogical Society Fund, we now have access to NewEnglandAncestors.org, a genealogy database.

New England Ancestors contains genealogical information from the New England Historic Genealogical Society, the country's oldest genealogical organization. The database contains cemetery records, court and probate records, census lists, and much more.

You can access this new feature from the database link on the main page. Select the "Genealogy" subject heading.

Remote access is not available.

Posted by Lori at 09:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Beginning:
As early as the mid-1940s, Grand Rapids Public Library Director Roger Kohlstedt had a vision for adding new branches to the Library system. By the 1950s, he was giving speeches around the City on the need for new branches. In 1955, in response to community input, the Board of Library Commissioners "agreed to appropriate funds for the construction of a branch at Hall and Giddings...."

According to Gordon Olson's A Free Library for Everyone, "Library Commissioners approved the architectural plans in January 1956, and 18 months later, on July 29, 1957, the Ottawa Hills Branch opened its doors.... With a staff of three full time librarians, 12,000 books on its shelves, and meeting room space for up to 50 people, the newly opened branch, built at a cost of $93,000, was an immediate success. Circulation hit 97,000 in the first 11 months."

The Staff:
The first staff members at Ottawa Hills were Sally Burg, Branch Manager, Barbara Boonstra, Children's Librarian, and Marjorie Wierenga, Clerk. Librarian Roger Patterson followed as Branch Manager and became renowned during his seventeen years of service, not just for his many skills, but also for his work with children at the branch and in the schools. Many friendly and familiar faces continued in Roger's footsteps as Branch Manager including Don Walsh, Don Ludden, June Newton, Kayne Ferrier, Angie(Lacey) Gleisner, Carmen Vera Rojas, and Carol Ann Nibbelink. Catherine Page is the current Branch Manager.

Changes Afoot:
In the early 1990s, the Library commissioned a consultant to develop a master plan for the future of the Library. That plan recommended that the Ottawa Hills Branch be closed. Following the passage of the millage in 1993, the Library Board discussed closing the Branch and opening a new building in a different location. The neighbors of Ottawa Hills organized and advocated that the branch remain in their neighborhood. Working with the members of the neighborhood and Neighborhood Association, the Library agreed to keep the branch in its original location. Due to the size of the building and the lot the building could not be expanded, but was renovated to improve items such as handicapped accessibility, and communications infrastructure for Internet terminals.

The Present:
The Ottawa Hills Branch continues to be an important part of the Ottawa Hills neighborhood and the City of Grand Rapids. The branch remains busy, with patrons checking out over 77,000 items annually from its collection of over 30,000 books and media items. The branch has Wi-Fi access and seven Internet terminals, which are especially popular with teens. Current programming for children includes Storytimes, and the Summer Reading program, in which hundreds of children and teens participate.

Posted by Martin at 08:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (9)