Blogs, News & Reviews

News, KPL Staff Reviews, Recent Events and more

RSS Staff Picks: Books »

Staff-recommended reading from the KPL catalog.

Explaining HitlerHitler: product of Germany, Evil, or Really Really Bad?

This book is not a biography of Hitler; it’s a biography of the biographers of Hitler, it’s a story about the Hitler scholars, an all-you-can-eat buffet of the full gamut of explanations for the murder of 6 to 17 million people (depending on how you count). And by “explanation” we usually mean “whose fault”? Who’s to blame? Germany? Hitler’s one testicle? Judaism? Christianity? God? The Jewish doctor who treated Hitler’s mother with cancer? Nobody? Everybody? The Nazi Party? Abstract Historical Forces? Hitler’s incestuous past, secret Jewish blood, failed artistic striving, political ideology, psychosis? Or do we simply blame Hitler himself? ...

 

An unforgettable summer Posted by Kristen, May 20, 2013 10:59:03 AM

 

Sloth: Deadly Sin or Natural Virtue? Posted by Teresa, May 15, 2013 08:30:18 AM

 

RSS Staff Picks: Movies »

Staff-recommended viewing from the KPL catalog.

The Central Park FiveNew Ken Burns Documentary

The new documentary from filmmaker Ken Burns (The Central Park Five) is an outrage-inducing expose of the insidious injustice carried out upon five New York City teenagers in 1989. The story begins with the brutal attack of a jogger in Central Park. From there, the police department and prosecutors seek out those that they could label as the perpetrators, not the actual rapist. The evidence would suggest that investigators were neither interested in justice nor the truth about who was responsible for the vicious crime. The city explodes in racist condemnation of the teen suspects with much of the media and political class trying the case in the court of public opinion and tabloid. This is a must-watch film that should be shown in every classroom across this country....

 

Man with the Iron Fists Posted by Gary, Apr 25, 2013 01:06:14 PM, 1 Comment

 

EOW Posted by Gary, Apr 22, 2013 02:49:05 PM

 

RSS Staff Picks: Music »

Staff-recommended listening from the KPL catalog.

Random Access MemoriesFunky Robot Summer Jams free with your KPL card!

The robots from Daft Punk are back after an eight year break with a new record released today and all of the new tracks are available NOW, for KPL patrons to download for free through our Freegal service. Random Access Memories is unmistakably a Daft Punk record, with the familiar vocoder and synth aesthetic, but breaks new territory with some live instrumentation thrown into the mix. The robots have collaborated with a bevy of their human musical heroes on the record and the results are often sublime, especially on THE summer jam of 2013 imo 'Get Lucky' featuring Pharrell Williams and Nile Rodgers. If this track doesn’t entice you to check out Freegal and all of the great free music available with your KPL card, and get you dancing at the same time, nothing will. ...

 

Happy Birthday iTunes Store! Posted by Kevin, May 7/, 2013 12:04:29 PM

 

Guards Posted by Ryan, May 2/, 2013 03:56:50 PM

 

RSS From the Director »

Library news and happenings.

Children’s Book WeekChildren’s Book Week

Last week, May 13-19, was Children’s Book Week. This designation was established in 1919 and is the longest-running literacy initiative in the country....

 

All Things Local History Posted by Ann, May 13, 2013 08:11:12 AM

 

Like our Friends Posted by Ann, May 6/, 2013 09:07:15 AM

 

RSS @ Your Library »

Recent library events, news and more.

Kids and Music

The National Association for the Education of Young Children has some fine online materials about playing with music at home with children. Kids love music and you will love the ideas for incorporating music into your play with children. I appreciate the great music for children that's on the NAEYC site, as well. ...

 

Earth Day @ KPL Posted by Angela, Apr 18, 2013 11:27:32 AM

 

Ghost Hunt! Posted by Bill, Mar 29, 2013 04:53:49 PM, 1 Comment

 

RSS Friends Bookstore Specials and News »

Bookstore News May 22 - 25

 Come on down and see us this week. We put out lots of new stuff on Monday and Tuesday. If you’re here at noon on Wednesday you’ll get first pick of all the new books shelved this week. But we put out new books almost every day so any day is a good day to shop at the Friends Bookstore. ...

 

Friends Bookstore News May 15 - 18 Posted by Carol, May 14, 2013 04:31:56 PM

 

Bookstore News May 8 - 11 Posted by Carol, May 7/, 2013 03:56:22 PM

 

RSS Local History and Genealogy News »

The secrets of happy familiesA Win-Win for Genealogists

For those of us who have caught the genealogy bug, there’s no need for further inducement to trace and record our family history. We know the thrill and challenge of genealogical research is addicting all by itself. However, if you need evidence to help justify your obsession with census data and tombstone transcriptions to those yet to be infected, I have just the thing. A new book by Bruce Feiler, The Secrets of Happy Families, reports that it is highly beneficial for children to know about their family history. Feiler shares some amazing conclusions drawn from a study conducted by Robyn Fivush and Marshall Duke, professors of psychology at Emory University. Feiler summarizes, “The more children knew about their family’s history, the stronger their sense of control over their lives, the higher their self-esteem, and the more successfully they believed their families functioned.”...

 

Apocalypse Then Posted by Patrick, Dec 31, 2012 02:47:15 PM, 1 Comment

 

Browse Our Collection - Online Posted by Beth, Dec 11, 2012 10:17:11 AM, 5 Comments

 

RSS Geek the Library! »

News, Stories, Photos, Videos. What do you Geek?

Pam Geeks Classic Movies

There are few things that I am really passionate about but one of them is Classic Movies. I love the classics! It doesn't matter what genre: WWII films, screwball comedies, film noir, Alfred Hitchcock suspense...if it was made between 1930 and 1950 I geek it. ...

 

Meghan Geeks Giant Robots Posted by Geek, May 20, 2013 08:17:47 AM

 

Pam Geeks Serendipity Posted by Geek, Mar 14, 2013 09:16:20 AM

 

RSS ONEplace »

Opportunities for Nonprofit Excellence

Once upon a time...

When I hear the phrase, “once upon a time,” I immediately relax, settle into my chair, and focus my attention on what’s coming next. I’m about to hear a story. ...

 

Stepping Out Posted by Thom, May 6/, 2013 10:09:43 AM

 

Achieving Buy In Posted by Thom, Apr 22, 2013 09:09:32 AM

 

RSS Reading Together 2013 »

Amy WaldmanA message from Amy Waldman...

Dear Kalamazoo,...

 

Some Reflections on Art as an Expression of Grief Posted by Steering, Mar 29, 2013 09:45:29 AM

 

Public Art and Controversy Posted by Steering, Mar 27, 2013 03:09:33 PM

 

RSS Technology News »

News, comments, resources, and more.

Computing : from the abacus to the iPad Computing and connecting in the 21st century Computing and connecting in the 21st centuryGoogle Glass

What is Google Glass? Google announced a little over a year ago that they were working on a wearable computing device. This device is a pair of glasses that has a small light-weight camera, GPS, wireless capabilities, and some type of transparent LCD or AMOLED display to put information right in front of your eyeballs. What can they do? This pair of specs can record video, take pictures, send messages, connect to your smartphone, communicate with the cloud, translate languages, show your friends exactly what you are currently seeing, give directions, check for heavy traffic, or if a subway is down, give the closest restaurant locations, and look up searches on the web. These glasses have a HUD (Heads up Display), it shows everything from the current time to messages sent or received. You will be able to scroll and click by tilting your head, according to testers, this is quite easy to master. ...

 

Your Car Could be Driving You in the Near Future Posted by Brandon, Jan 31, 2013 02:16:07 PM, 1 Comment

 

RSS Teens »

International Games Day @ Your Library!

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Teens' Top Ten Award Winners! Posted by Stewart, Oct 30, 2012 01:29:08 PM

 

Read-a-Thon THIS Saturday Posted by Jill, Oct 15, 2012 09:53:53 AM