 |
 |
 |
||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
Teens! Don't forget about the summer reading program. You still have time to sign up. Just read at least 4 books to have your name entered to win some cool prizes like an MP3 player, a gaming chair, a lava lamp and more! And, after you've spent some time this summer reading, join us for our "So long to summer" Party. There'll be food, fun, and prize drawings will be announced.
Hundreds of kids from around the city came to hear about adventures in reading with Ed Venture. During the magic filled program, Ed Venture had to continuously empty his water jug (which kept getting filled from the magic rain forest), helped kids to spell, used volunteers to help demonstrate how to use punctuation, and more! Rooms were filled with laughter and awe watching and listening to Ed Venture. Remember, there is still time to sign up for the summer reading program, and there are two weeks left of special programs like this.
Yankee Clipper, West Leonard, and Seymour branches are having their parking lots resurfaced today. If you need to return books, please select a different location, as you won't be allowed to enter these parking lots.
The parking lots will reopen on Saturday morning.
The Grand Rapids Public Library has received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to host The Big Read from September 2008 through June 2009. The Big Read, an NEA initiative designed to restore reading to the center of American culture, gives communities the opportunity to come together to read, discuss, and celebrate one of 23 selections from American and world literature.
The Big Read in Grand Rapids will focus on The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett. This classic work of noir fiction features the detective Sam Spade who has been hired to search for a missing woman and the statue for which the book is titled. The book was also made into a movie.
Event-specific activities will take place in May 2009.
GRPL is one of 208 libraries and other organizations to receive a grant to host The Big Read, which has supported more than 500 public library partnerships. The latest Big Read grantees represent 46 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Stay tuned to the blog for updates on The Big Read!
Last week beloved book character Corduroy and the Grandville Avenue Academy for the Arts helped us celebrate Children's Book Week!. After hearing the story, Ms. Kim from the academy came in to demonstrate how author/illustrator Don Freeman created one of the most recognized books, Corduroy.
Using a type of film-like scratchboard, kids were able to scratch out their own look alike Corduroy and make him into a puppet to take home. At the end of each program, Corduroy himself came to greet, hug, and high-five any kids who were anxious to meet him. Some kids even came to more than one program just to see the lovable bear!
If you've noticed some changes lately in your driving skills, or those of your parents or grandparents, consider attending an Older, Wiser Driver Program. We have partnered with AAA (American Automobile Association) of Michigan to offer this free, one and a half hour program at two GRPL locations:
Main Library
Wednesday, May 28 at 7:00 p.m.
616-988-5400 (for more information)
OR
Yankee Clipper Branch
Thursday, May 29 at 10:30 a.m.
616-988-5415 (for more information)
Fred Doelker from AAA will provide information on changing driving habits to reflect changing abilities. He will focus on the effects of physical fitness on driving, how age affects vision, and tips on keeping your mind sharp and alert while driving.
Check out the following web sites for information on safe driving as we age, as well as how to approach those difficult family conversations when you're concerned about the safety of older drivers.
AAA provides Senior Mobility, which includes access to more information and online brochures. AARP offers a helpful list of Resources on Safe Driving.
So please, if you have concerns about your driving or the driving skills and abilities of family and friends, set aside time to attend this program. It's free and will only take a few hours of your time!
In celebration and support of small businesses in Grand Rapids, we are pleased to announce the opening of the Small Business Resource Center at the Grand Rapids Public Library!
The Small Business Resource Center is located on the Lower Level of our Main Library and provides the timely and reliable business information you need to start, manage and grow your business. You will find designated workspace and Internet access, specialized business databases, fax and copier access, plus librarians to help guide you through the stages of small business research.
Use the Center to write your business plan, target new customers, find sources of financing and much more! Check out the webpage, take a look at the brochure, and don't forget the many books of we have available on the topic.
For more information, email our business librarian at businesslibrarian@grpl.org
Don't forget to come down to the Main library and catch Earthwork Music Collective featuring Seth Bernard and Daisy May from 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm in the Ryerson Auditorium, Level 3.
The concert is free and open to the public. The first 100 people in the door will be given an energy efficient compact fluorescent bulb. Check out their myspace pages: Daisy May, Seth Bernard.
Don't forget:
April 19, Through April 26, 2008
Information Desk on Level 1
Drop off your old cell phone at the Main Library and in return, get an energy efficient compact fluorescent light bulb (while supplies last). Your old cell phone will be donated to Secure the Call Foundation and converted into a 911 emergency only phone.
For more information or to obtain a receipt for tax purposes, please visit: http://www.donatemycellphone.org
It's almost time to celebrate Earth Week here at GRPL! To celebrate, I thought I'd pass along an interesting link I came across in this month's issue of Readymade (website). It's called How Can I Recycle This? The items in question can range from the expected, like yogurt containers and kitty litter containers to the odd, like plaster casts of feet. The site is fun and inspiring to look through. It's definitely being added to my bloglines. Of course, this isn't a free ticket to buy all the junk you want. Conscious consumption is still key.
Also check out our wiki page on Environment and Sustainability. There are some really terrific links under Community Resources as well as Web Resources.
Don't forget to come down to the main library to check out tomorrow's events:
Saturday, April 19
1:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Level 3
A showcase of West Michigan Co-op members will be on hand to sell their goods. Shop for local meats, cheese, vegetables, fruits, soap, syrup and more! While you are here, stop by the auditorium to watch films about the impact of large factory farms on small, family-owned farms and the environments.
1:15 pm As We Sow
2:00 pm Through Farmers' Eyes: Impacts of Industrial Agriculture
2:35 pm The True Cost of Food
3:00 pm The Future of Food
Mark your calendars!
Saturday, April 19
1:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Level 3
A showcase of West Michigan Co-op members will be on hand to sell their goods. Shop for local meats, cheese, vegetables, fruits, soap, syrup and more! While you are here, stop by the auditorium to watch films about the impact of large factory farms on small, family-owned farms and the environment.
1:15 pm As We Sow
2:00 pm Through Farmers' Eyes: Impacts of Industrial Agriculture
2:35 pm The True Cost of Food
3:00 pm The Future of Food
Monday, April 21
7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Ryerson Auditorium, Level 3
Peter Annin, author of The Great Lakes Water Wars will talk about the stories behind the battle for our lakes. The first 100 people in the door will be given an energy efficient compact florescent bulb! The lecture will be followed by a book signing.
Tuesday, April 22
11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Youth Services, Level 2
Find ways to save the planet and celebrate Earth Day with some fun activities, stories and environmentally friendly crafts. For ages 6 and up.
Tuesday, April 22
11:00 am - 12:00 pm
East side of building
Grand Rapids Public Library staff and Calvin College biology students will begin work on our Rain Garden. The Rain Garden will collect run off from the Library's roof, sidewalks, and surrounding areas, diverting it into a natural filtration system that will clean the pollutants out of it, rather than letting it go directly into the sewer, which flows directly into the Grand River and out to our Great Lakes.
Thursday, April 24
7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Ryerson Auditorium, Level 3
The Earthwork Music Collective believes in the intrinsic and historical power of music to raise both community and self-awareness and serves to facilitate and encourage original music in Michigan and beyond. This concert is free and open to the public. The first 100 people in the door will be given an energy efficient compact fluorescent bulb. Check out their myspace pages: Daisy May, Seth Bernard.
April 19, Through April 26, 2008
Information Desk on Level 1
Drop off your old cell phone at the Main Library and in return, get an energy efficient compact fluorescent light bulb (while supplies last). Your old cell phone will be donated to Secure the Call Foundation and converted into a 911 emergency only phone.
For more information or to obtain a receipt for tax purposes, please visit:http://www.donatemycellphone.org
Bill Vits, the principal percussionist from the Grand Rapids symphony, entertained a crowd of all ages at the Main Library with his Spring Sound Bits program. He brought a variety of instruments and had the crowd dancing and drumming right along with him!
Girls from around the city came to different GRPL locations to pick out a free prom dress! Those coming to the Main library were able to watch Ellie have her make-up and hair done, while getting tips on how to do get ready themselves. One lucky winner won a gift basket provided by Clinique.
Many thanks to Younkers Department Stores, Goodwill, Hotel Venus Salon, and Clinique! We hope to make this an annual event, so hang on to those dresses. Maybe you can exchange it next year!
A new photo essay on the Historical Commission website answers some questions about more than one million people of color who migrated from the rural south to the urban north seeking jobs and better lives. Many African Americans settled in the Grand Rapids community and one of those stories is featured in an online photo essay.
Thelma Estelle Garnett: Memphis to Chicago to Grand Rapids, the subject of a current photo essay, was born in Memphis, Tennessee and migrated to the north where she eventually settled in Grand Rapids. Her story is interesting and the photos of her are great, but you may want to check out this photo essay specifically for the list of other resources. Among them you will find a list of Grand Rapids Press articles with local stories and links to some excellent websites dedicated to the Great Migration in general.
The photo essay can be found at www.historygrandrapids.org. Click on either “photos essays” then “neighbors”, and look for Thelma's name.
Are you one of those people who loves to look at old photos? Maybe you own some great old photos yourself that you've often wondered if anyone would be interested in seeing? Do you have a report on some aspect of local history due tomorrow? Would you swear that the original D.A. Blodgett Home for Children was torn down years ago and can't figure out how it got back in the same location?
Then you're going to love the Grand Rapids Historical Commission's website. The website went live one year ago with the purpose of serving as a community virtual archive. What's a virtual archive? It's an online archive that contains digital copies of some of GRPL's most prized collections.
If you've ever fantasized about being allowed into the closed stacks of the Grand Rapids Public Library's local history collection, or having a sneak peak at some of Grand Rapids best private collections, this site allows you to do exactly that. You can freely browse and explore some of our, and some of Grand Rapids private citizens', hidden jewels in the way of old photographs and documents.
You can even get a close look with the cool magnifier that you activate with your cursor. Try it. Click on “Photo Essays,” then “Livelihoods,” then select the essay on the earliest Chinese citizens in Grand Rapids. If you click on the fifth photo down you'll see an interesting view of the corner of Pearl and Monroe streets from the 1920s. If you use the magnifying tool, you'll see a few more things come into view including a sign for one of Grand Rapids' centennial businesses just over another for a famous soft drink we still love today, you'll recognize both.
You can also add your own material to this archive, sharing it for all to admire and learn from,without having to give it up. Claim your own place in Grand Rapids' history. Contact information is on the website.
On Saturday, January 21st, Grand Rapids Public Library participated in the Public Museum of Grand Rapids', Ethnic Heritage Festival, which kicked off their newest permanent exhibit, “Newcomers: The People of the This Place.” The exhibit, seven years in the making, tells the story of the many ethnic communities who made their home in Grand Rapids. Over 3,000 people took advantage of the free admission to the museum and enjoyed the scheduled events of the day including ethnic music and dance, storytelling, and even a beer tasting. At noon, an announcement was made for the 2008 “One Book, One County” selection, A Free Life by Ha Jin. Local Ethnic societies and community organizations had promotional tables throughout the Van Andel building.
The GRPL table promoted the the library's immigration project with one section of Rebecca's Near's photo exhibit, now on display at all the GRPL branches. We also gave out flyers for the February African American events in February at GRPL and the History Detectives event on February 9th. Items highlighting ethnic resources in the Grand Rapids History & Special Collections department included notebooks with copies of some of our Native American and African American photographs and handouts referencing various ethnic resources. Ruth Van Stee, Chris Byron and Rebecca Near, employees on hand that day at the museum, enjoyed talking with visitors.
The event was a huge success and the museum plans on making it an annual affair. We were happy to be part of the day's success and represent GRPL.
Latvian immigrants at Union Station, 1949
(GRPL Coll. 125-H004570)
As the Public Museum prepares to open a new permanent exhibit on January 19th called, Newcomers: The People of This Place, the Library is also celebrating the enormous impact that immigration has had in shaping the city that we know today. Historic photographs, newspaper clippings, and first-person accounts, as well as books and resources are on display at each library branch. Each display offers a unique selection of images, so be sure to visit them all!
How did your family happen to settle in Grand Rapids? We want to know! In an effort to document the changing face of Grand Rapids, the Library is inviting the public to share their immigration story in 500 words or less. Just go to www.grpl.org/grip to submit your story online, or stop by any library location to pick up a paper form.
January is both National Glaucoma Awareness Month and National Eye Care Month.
Millions of people are at risk for vision loss from glaucoma, a leading cause of blindness in the United States. Take this eye-q test to see how much you know about glaucoma.
The Grand Rapids Public Library will be hosting Free Glaucoma Screenings provided by the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired. No appointments are necessary. For more information, contact Rosemary Ramos of the Association at 616-458-1187 or 800-466-8084, ext. 14, or call the Main Library at 616-988-5400.
Glaucoma screenings will be held:
Tuesday, January 8, from 10:30 AM to 2:30 PM at the Main Library
Thursday, January 17, from 10:30 AM to 2:30 PM at the Yankee Clipper Branch
Tuesday, January 22, from 10:30 AM to 2:30 PM at the Main Library
Search our catalog for information on glaucoma and eye care, and check the following web sites:
Do you want to know what book everyone in Kent County will be reading and discussing this winter?
Find out on January 19, at noon, at the Public Museum's Ethnic Heritage Festival. The festival runs from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and includes music, dance, crafts and food representing the various ethnic groups that call West Michigan home.
Join all the fun of One Book, One County! Look for more information soon.
On October 20th the library hosted its 3rd annual Celebration of the Book, featuring free lectures & workshops with authors, poets, librarians, scholars and storytellers. More than 2,000 excited patrons attended the event, which promotes literacy and the culture and history of books.
The guest list included more than 35 authors who shared their talents and insights with attendees. Presenters included Michigan authors Jacqueline Carey, Rodney Torreson and Tracy Gallup. A panel of Michigan Notable Authors included Liesel Litzenburger, Anne-Marie Oomen, and Steve Lehto. There were also genre panel presentations by librarians and authors on romance, science fiction/fantasy, and mystery books. The grand finale was a talk given by keynote speaker Eric Jerome Dickey, a New York Times bestselling author.
If you missed the event, podcasts of some of the presentations are available on our site here. We expect next year's Celebration of the Book to be even more grand, so don't miss it!
This month teens competed in Wii Tennis Tournaments at all GRPL branches. On Thursday, October 18, the Double Deuces just beat the All Stars and Team Shrug. These tournaments are a way to present content to patrons in the same way that the library adds value by presenting picture books at story time. The tournament format helps promote and build community connections, social competence, and peaceful conflict resolution.
The Wii Tennis Tournaments have been great fun -- better than it looks on the Wii TV commercial. Teens are bobbing and weaving. Don't get in their way or you'll get hit!
Caption: Bryce tries his hand at the Wii Tennis Tournament at the Main Library October 24 against Seymour Branch Manager, Asante Cain.
Kevin VanderWilp and his children Sophia (age 2) and Pyper (age 5) enjoyed the "Snazzy Snacks for Kids" program during The Celebration of the Book on Saturday, October 20 at the Main Library.
Kids got to create three different snacks - one sweet, one savory and a dipping snack. Representatives from the Better Life Institute presented some fun recipes from kids' cookbooks found in the Library's collections.
With the support of the Ryerson Foundation, the GRHSC Department has added two services to help the visually impaired do research.
The first service is the Merlin LCD equipment, located in the microfilm reader area near the microfiche readers. This equipment enables individuals with low vision to read and view photos and materials that may be too small for them to see. There is a variety of magnification settings, and also 5 different color settings to help those who may have problems seeing certain colors.
The second service is ZoomText software, which is available on computer K-302. This allows magnification of word processing, email, and the Internet pages.
Thanks again to the Ryerson Library Foundation.
On October 13th, the Main Library hosted Salsa Saturday! Instructors from the Arthur Murray Dance Studio demonstrated basic salsa and merengue steps to a room full of eager participants. After the lessons, everyone was invited to try their new moves to the live sounds of Orquesta Sensacional!
All seemed to enjoy both. Some students were there to earn extra credit for Spanish class, some simply wanted to learn some Latin dance moves, and others came to show the skills they already have. Based on comments overheard among the crowd, we all had a great time.
A chess team is forming at Madison Square Branch Library on Tuesdays and Thursdays. If you are interested in joining come to the branch on Thursdays at 4:00 p.m.
We've been having so much fun!!!
During the month of February the Grand Rapids Public Library will hold a series of events exploring African American history and culture. The events will include an art exhibit by local artist Jon McDonald; programs for children and teens; a film festival; and the second annual Taste of Soul Sunday—a sampling of African American art, music, literature, history and food. This year, the events will focus on the musical contributions made by African Americans. The events are funded in part by a grant from the Ryerson Library Foundation and are free and open to the public.
Taste of Soul Sunday is an annual event that features food samples from local restaurants, lectures by local authors and artists, music and children’s activities. Taste of Soul Sunday will be held on February 18 from 1-4 pm at the Main Library. Local musicians Carolyn Quinn (gospel), Dave Humphrey (spirituals), Sweet Willie Singleton (blues and jazz), and Kevin Murphy (R&B) will explore the history of African American’s contribution to music. Dr. Steve Buckridge and Dr. Freddie Lee Johnson will present African American history lectures. Artist Jon McDonald will discuss his artwork inspired by the Blues. Gad Holland will present the history of Idlewild, Michigan and how this community became a hot spot for well-known African American musicians in the 1920s and 30s. There will be African dance lessons with Alethia Smith and children’s arts and crafts projects. Area restaurants Jamaican Dave’s, LoLo’s and Wing Heaven will provide food samples.
During Taste of Soul Sunday local African American families are asked to bring in their oldest and most important family photographs, documents, and artifacts related to Grand Rapids to be scanned and added to the Library’s local history collection and to be included on the Grand Rapids Historical Commission’s website. The first 50 people to bring in their photos will receive a complementary CD of the scanned photos!
Continue reading "Celebrate African American History & Culture at GRPL" »