From the Director
Library news and happenings.
I admit – I can’t resist scanning “best of” lists, especially books and movies. If I have a pen nearby, I find myself checking off those I have read or seen.
I just read my first “best of” list for 2009: “Best Books of 2009” in the Nov/Dec issue of Bookmarks magazine. I had two immediate thoughts: how can they publish this list yet – there might be even better books published yet this year AND how can it be that there so many books on this list that sound great and I’ve never even heard of them.
It seems a little early to ask you to share your favorite book of 2009, but begin thinking about it. My favorite nonfiction might be Looking for Lincoln: The Making of an American Icon or The Hemingses of Monticello. Then again there are still seven weeks left in the year and I might yet read one I like even more than either of these two.
I’ve read more fiction than nonfiction so it’s a little harder to pick a favorite. I might have to do my own “best of” list.
To quote Thomas Jefferson, “so many books, so little time.”
We have many good ones, come visit soon.
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“Best Books of 2009”
43-Nov-Dec-2009-160
http://www.bookmarksmagazine.com/43-nov-dec-2009
“National Bookstore Day” is Saturday, November 7. It is a day to celebrate bookselling and the vibrant culture of bookstores.
Kalamazoo is fortunate to have a bookstore, operated by the Friends of KPL, located on the lower level of the central library. The gently used books they sell are donations from the community and some discards from the library collections.
Proceeds from the store support many library programs and services. This past summer the Friends funded our summer reading games for all ages. They also support Reading Together, Prime Time Family Reading, and author visits.
Books are modestly priced – it’s a good place to build a home library. Even library users like to own some books! Watch their website for even better bargains during their sales.
Happy National Bookstore Day to our good Friends.
Come visit the library – and the bookstore!
(originally posted 11/5/2009)
Book
National Bookstore Day
national-bookstore-day-logo-160
http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6696364.html
Besides directing the library, I use the library; I consider myself a “power user” – one who uses many services and is here frequently, every day in my case!
I just read Telex from Cuba, this year’s freshman book for K College; I browsed Not So Big Remodeling, even though there is no home remodeling in my near future; I loved Leisure Seeker and regret I missed the author’s visit here a few weeks ago. I’m getting ready for a driving vacation and have checked out Admission and The Invisible Mountain. I think I’ll like both, given the reviews. I have How to Raise the Perfect Dog for my husband to read….hint, hint! Of course I have a few travel books for the backseat of the car.
Earlier this month, I attended a poetry reading by Lori Wilson. I don’t read poetry, but I enjoy hearing it. I heard local author Michelle Miller-Adams speak about her book on the Kalamazoo Promise and Bob Downes share his backpacking experiences around the world; I heard banned books read during Art Hop.
I could go on and on….suffice it to say, I’m proud of our staff and the materials and services we provide. I appreciate them as a library user too.
Come visit soon.
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The Leisure Seeker
9780061671784
Banned Books Week (BBW), which celebrates the freedom to read, will be observed September 26 – October 3. This annual event reminds us not to take this precious democratic freedom for granted.
Each year, some books are targets for attempted banning. Thanks to the efforts of librarians, teachers, and booksellers most are maintained in collections. BBW reminds us annually of the importance of our First Amendment rights and the power of literature, and draws attention to the danger that exists when restraints are imposed on the availability of information in a free society.
KPL and American Civil Liberties Union of MI, SW Branch, are sponsoring a BBW Art Contest, and at Art Hop on October 2, local celebrities will be reading from banned books.
Come visit soon; exercise and celebrate your freedom to read whatever you want to read!
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Banned Books Week poster (American Library Association)
bbw-mockingbird-160
http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/bannedbooksweek/ideasandresources/free_downloads/bbw_mockingbird_lg.JPG
September is noteworthy for libraries; it is National Literacy Month and Library Card Sign-Up Month.
KPL is pleased that the Kalamazoo City Commission will acknowledge these September designations with a proclamation to “encourage citizens of Kalamazoo to sign up for a library card, to read, and to use the wealth of resources available for free at KPL.”
This is an opportunity to remind us all that reading is one of the greatest tools a child can receive---reading opens the door to a world of imagination, enrichment, and economic development and that reading and writing is fundamental to leading a full and productive life.
Be sure the children in your life have and use their library card; use yours too! A card is free to residents of our library district.
Come visit soon.
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Use your library card!
first-card-32809-023-160
http://www.kpl.gov/account/card.aspx
Those of us who love to read, usually like to read book reviews. That’s how we build our list of books-to-read-sometime.
Many newspapers and magazines have cut back or eliminated book reviews. NPR and CNBC are moving in to fill the void a bit. NPR.org is adding weekly reviews and hiring six new reviewers. (Will they read all day? What a great job!)
CNBC has launched its own book blog, Bullish on Books. It will focus on business, management, and personal finance titles and coordinate with the authors who appear on the cable news channel.
Of course there are other book reviews sources to be found on the internet and still some in print. Our librarians try to keep up with new titles too and many new popular titles are in our Hot Picks section and in our Staff Picks blog. Or, next time you’re in one of our locations, pick up the latest issue of BookPage, a free monthly publication, compliments of KPL.
Come visit soon!
Books
Staff Picks: Books
books-007-1-160
http://www.kpl.gov/blog/
Not all books stand “the test of time.” Most readers can list several authors whose writing has moved or inspired them but whose work seems to be entirely forgotten.
Some of these authors were commercially successfully in their time, others never received the attention their writing deserved.
Not surprisingly in this electronic age, these authors are not as forgotten as they were previously. A fine website, neglectedbooks.com “lists 1000’s of books that have been neglected, overlooked, forgotten or stranded by changing tides in critical or popular taste.” And, again not surprisingly, there are links to purchase used copies of these books.
This website is in a blog format with frequent postings plus categories of forgotten books and authors and links to still more sites. You can browse this site and get lost in remembering some old favorites.
If you don’t want to purchase a copy of a forgotten title, check our holdings, we might have it.
Come visit soon!
Book
Neglected Books
neglected-books-page-160
http://www.neglectedbooks.com/
Research shows that students experience reading loss if they don’t read over the summer. KPL recently collaborated with others to encourage kids to continue reading during their long break from school.
KPL librarians created a custom version of our summer reading game for KPS summer school students. Teachers were able to coordinate the game into the daily curriculum for almost 900 students in grades 2-6.
Through a grant from the US Dept of Education, KPL worked with WMU on “Promising Beginnings,” targeted to children 2½ to 5 years old. Participating families visited three different KPL locations – Central, Eastwood, and Powell. Teachers and KPL librarians jointly offered a storytime once a week at each location. The program included reading, activities, snacks, and door prizes based on a weekly theme.
The Freedom Schools’ six-week, full-day summer school program served 96 K-12 students. KPL librarians partnered with them to develop age-appropriate activities for library visits at Eastwood and Washington Square. Students heard stories or talked with librarians about books, and registered for library cards.
These three examples illustrate our commitment to work with community partners to promote literacy, in keeping with our mission to champion reading, ignite imagination, and ensure access to information and ideas.
I’m proud of our staff and the work they do to promote literacy all year round but especially during the summer break. Keep those kids reading!
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Books for Kids!
boy-reading-148-160
http://www.kpl.gov/kids/books/
Most readers would guess that using a public library increases the amount of time one spends reading AND that it may well reduce the amount of time spent watching TV.
A recent study on reading, television and academic outcomes confirmed that guess. Researchers found that library use increases the amount of time one reads by an average of 26 minutes per day and that TV watching decreases about 58 minutes per day, with no significant change in other activities.
Even more significant was the finding that parents who use a library spend an additional 12 minutes per day on average reading with their young children.
Reading or watching TV... reading is the better choice! Read yourself and read with all the children in your life.
Come visit soon.
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Books and Reading
reading-128-160
http://www.kpl.gov/guides/books-reading/
Did you see the current issue of Newsweek magazine? The cover is “What to Read Now.” The article lists fifty books the editors have determined “open a window on the times we live in, whether they deal directly with the issues of today or simply help us see ourselves in new and surprisingly ways.” On their website, they list their “Top 100 Books of All Time,” a different spin than the fifty titles.
As I freely admit, I’m drawn to lists. My first instinct was to check off those books I’ve read. Between school and leisure reading, I’ve read quite a few, although not as many as I would have thought. I haven’t checked our holdings for these titles, but I’m assuming we have all or almost all of them.
#1 on the “Top 100 Books of All Time” is War and Peace by Tolstoy. OK, here comes the tough question: what is #1 on YOUR list? I’m still pondering that question...
Make your list, visit one of our locations, and start reading a “top” book!
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Newsweek: “What to Read Now. And Why”
newsweek-cover-07132009-160
http://www.newsweek.com/id/204300