=> from the SCHOOLCRAFT COMMUNITY LIBRARY NEWSLETTER ... April 27, 2009

CHILDREN'S BOOK WEEK—May 11-16 ... The Schoolcraft Community Library will be celebrating Children's Book Week May 11th-16th. Come see special displays of children's books and participate in a special activity—a library scavenger hunt. Each child that completes our "In Library" Scavenger Hunt will get their name in the drawing for a fun basket of goodies. So come on in during Children's Book Week and join the fun!!

FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY MEETING — Friday, May 8th ... The Schoolcraft Friends of the Library will hold their monthly meeting at the Schoolcraft Community Library on Friday, May 8th at 10 A.M. Please join us as we discuss upcoming events to support the library. Many thanks to all those who are supporting us during our membership drive as well. The monies from this drive are used to support summer reading programming. Thanks as well to Deb Erdos for her beautiful drawing of the library which was displayed on the Friends of the Library Membership Drive cards. Come and see a large rendition of this drawing at the library. Thanks, Deb!

BROWN BAG STORYHOUR ... The Schoolcraft Community Library will host the final Brown Bag Storyhour of the school year for students in Young Fives and Kindergarten on Wednesday, May 13, 2009 from 11:10 to 11:50 A.M. . The theme of this storyhour is "Friendship" and will involve a special activity for all who attend. Have your child bring a brown bag lunch, drink (NO purple or red drinks please) and good listening ears. We have greatly enjoyed this storytime and hope to see all of you back to visit us at the library this summer.

NEW DVD — FILING AN ONLINE CLAIM FOR UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS ... The Schoolcraft Community Library has a new resource to help patrons with the filing of their unemployment claims. It is a 25 minute tutorial DVD from the Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth (DELEG) to help walk patrons thru the arduous process of filing for unemployment. The DVD is housed at the circulation desk and all you need to do is ask for it. It can be used in house at any of our internet computers. The library also has an additional DVD about Filing a Claim and Finding a Job. This is a 17 minute DVD which also is housed at the circulation desk. So, be sure to ask to use either or both of these resources if you are needing to file for unemployment or are searching for a new job. VIDEOS FOR SALE AT THE LIBRARY!!! ... The library is going through a big reduction of their video collection. We have both children and adult videos for sale for 50 cents each. So come on in and take a look and find some treasures for your own home collection.

=> NEW ADULT BOOKS ... April 27, 2009
* The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
* Tea Time for the Traditionally Built by Alexander McCall Smith
* The Power of Small: why little things make all the difference by Linda Kaplan Thaler and Robin Koval
* First Family by David Baldacci
* 2009 The New York Times Almanac
* Loitering with Intent by Stuart Woods
* Mr. and Miss Anonymous by Fern Michaels
* The Leisure Seeker by Michael Zadoorian
* The Crooked Letter by Sean Williams
* Rogue Forces by Dale Brown
* Deadlock by Iris Johansen
* The Stormcaller by Tom Lloyd
* The 8th Confession by James Patterson
* Executive's Portfolio of Model Speeches for All Occasions by Dianna Booher.

=> NEW ADULT BOOKS ... April 20, 2009
* A love to last forever by Tracie Peterson
* A Pearl in the Storm: how I found my heart in the middle of the ocean by Tori Murden McClure
* The Twilight Herald by Tom Lloyd
* Danger in the Shadows by Dee Henderson
* The Great American Staycation: how to make a vacation at home fun for the whole family by Matt Wixon
* The Autism & ADHD Diet: a step-by-step guide to hope and healing by living Gluten free and Casein free (GFCF) and other interventions by Barrie Silberberg

=> NEW ADULT AUDIOS ... April 20, 2009
* Son of a Wanted Man by Louis L'Amour

=> from the SCHOOLCRAFT COMMUNITY LIBRARY NEWSLETTER ... April 13, 2009

AMERICAN GIRL TEA---"KIT" — Thursday, April 23rd — 3:15-4:30 P.M. ... The Schoolcraft Community Library will host an American Girl Tea for girls of all ages on Thursday, April 23rd, 2009. Although we will have many of the American Girl dolls on display, Kit will be the doll that is featured. Girls can bring their dolls along as well (it does NOT have to be an American Girl doll) and enjoy activities, refreshments, a craft and door prizes. Since the stories of Kit take place during the Great Depression, we thought it would be nice to follow that theme and sponsor the South County Services Food Bank. So, we are asking that each girl bring a canned good to contribute to the Schoolcraft branch of the food bank. This branch sponsors 12 families and any help we can give them will be most appreciated. Pre-registration is required so call the library today at 679-5959 to reserve a spot for your child. Moms and grandmas are welcome to come along. 1934 — Kit Kittredge ... Kit faces the hard times of the early years of the Great Depression in Cincinnati, Ohio. Her family struggles to adjust to the realities of the economy after Kit's father loses his job. Kit's full name is Margaret Mildred Kittredge.

=> NEW ADULT BOOKS ... April 13, 2009
* Square Foot Gardening: a new way to garden in less space with less work by Mel Bartholomew
* A Love to Last Forever by Tracie Peterson
* Tales of a Female Nomad: living at large in the world by Rita Golden Gelman
* Just Take My Heart by Mary Higgins Clark
* A Pearl in the Storm: how I found my heart in the middle of the ocean by Tori Murden McClure
* Always Looking Up: the adventures of an incurable optimist by Michael J. Fox
* Love in Bloom by Sheila Roberts
* Cursed: a Regan Reilly mystery by Carol Higgins Clark
* Boneman's Daughters by Ted Dekker
* The Perfect Poison by Amanda Quick
* Fatally Flaky by Diane Mott Davidson
* Pursuit by Karen Robards
* Look Again by Lisa Scottoline
* In Praise of Stay-at-Home Moms by Dr. Laura Schlessinger
* Dreams from My Father: a story of race and inheritance by Barack Obama
* Palace Circle by Rebecca Dean
* First Comes Marriage by Mary Balogh
* Devil's Web by Mary Balogh
* Simply Perfect by Mary Balogh

=> from the SCHOOLCRAFT COMMUNITY LIBRARY NEWSLETTER ... April 6, 2009

NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK - April 13th-18th ... In honor of National Library Week the Schoolcraft Community Library will feature the following special events or offerings: Monday, April 13th thru Saturday, April 18th FINE FREE WEEK ... this is your chance to return any of those books you currently have out that are overdue. Return them anytime this week and your will be exempt from paying a fine. This does not apply to fines that you have already incurred. DRAWINGS FOR BOOKS AND BOOKBAG ... Children and adults may enter their names in a drawing, which will take place the Monday following National Library Week. Tuesday, April 14th PATRON APPRECIATION DAY 1:30 TO 7:00 P.M. ... Come receive a pen and enjoy some delicious snacks at the library as our way of expressing our appreciation for our patronage. Wednesday, April 15th PRESCHOOL STORYHOUR 10 A.M. ---Storytime for children ages 3-5 years of age. Pre-registration required. 679-5959. BROWN BAG STORYHOUR 11:10 - 11:50 A.M. ... Lunchtime story hour for children in Young Fives and Kindergarten. Friday & Saturday, April 17th-18th FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY BOOK/BAKE SALE ... Friday at 8 A.M. to 5 P.M. and Saturday 9 A.M. to 3 P.M. Bag sale begins at noon on Saturday. (Bags will be provided by library for the bag sale.)

First sponsored in 1958, National Library Week is a national observance sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) and libraries across the country each April. It is a time to celebrate the contributions of our nation's libraries and librarians and to promote library use and support. All types of libraries - school, public, academic and special - participate. — National Library Week Fact Sheet

PRESCHOOL STORYHOUR — MARCH 25th thru April 29th, 2009 — "Food Frenzy!" ... The Schoolcraft Community Library will be hosting its spring story hour for children ages 3-5 years old. The theme is "FOOD" and there will be stories, fingerplays, songs, activities and of course a snack all revolving around food. This should prove to be a fun-filled time for all involved, so come join us for our "Food Frenzy"!! Pre-registration is required and space is limited, so call the library today at 679-5959 to reserve a spot for your child.

FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY BOOK/BAKE SALE Friday, April 17th and Saturday, April 18th ... The Schoolcraft Friends of the Library will be hosting their annual Book/Bake Sale on April 17th from 8 A.M. to 5 P.M. and Saturday, April 18th from 9 A.M. to 3 P.M. There will be hardcover and paperback books, audios and videos. There will also be baked goods for sale. All proceeds go toward sponsoring the Schoolcraft Community Library's summer reading program. A special bag sale will begin at noon on Saturday. (The bags used for this sale are provided by the library.) So, come on in and stock up on some good reading material as well as help support your community's summer reading program. Call 679-5959 for more details.

SUPPORT OUR SUMMER READING SPONSOR!!! $79 for 2009 General Admission Season Tickets ... Learn more! SUPPORT KALAMAZOO KINGS - A LOCAL LIBRARY SUPPORTER!! ... The Schoolcraft Community Library and the Kalamazoo Kings are teaming up to offer a season ticket special for anyone who mentions this information at the time of purchase or takes a flyer. Download flyer now! The special is more than a 70% savings and is good for all 48 home games. At the time of purchase you have the choice of tickets or a pass. And the good news for the Schoolcraft Community Library is that for every purchase made the library will receive $10. The cost of the 2009 season pass is only $79 and is available at the Kalamazoo Kings office, Scott's Cards and Jewelry or any Max 10 location. So, act now and purchase your season pass to some great hometown baseball and help your local library at the same time.

NON-RESIDENT CARDS AT THE SCHOOLCRAFT COMMUNITY LIBRARY ... Did you know that there are some folks who actually don't have a library? Yes, unfortunately it is true there are some who live in what library personnel call "no man's land". In our case, it is those folks who live in Texas Township so I thought I might take this opportunity to give them hope. So Texas Township families, although you do not actually pay library taxes in your property tax bill, which is why you do not technically have a library, you can still become the member of the Schoolcraft Community Library and enjoy library privileges for a mere $35 per year. If you think about this for a minute it is truly a bargain. If you were to purchase an adult hardcover book, they are typically $24 to $26, and paperbacks run $14.99, so it doesn't take long to spend that $35 and only come away with a few books. But if you join the library you can borrow many, many books in a year as well as magazines, audios, videos, DVD's etc. for only $35 a year. So, in this time of economic crunching, we offer a chance for you to spend your dollars wisely by joining the Schoolcraft Community Library where service is a priority to all those we serve.

BROWN BAG STORYHOURS for 2009 ... The Schoolcraft Community Library will continue hosting Brown Bag Storyhours for 2009 for those students in Young Fives and Kindergarten. So mark your calendars for the following dates and come join us for a rollicking good time of readin' and eatin' at the library. The dates are as follows: February 11th, March 11th, April 15th and May 13th. Remember to pack a brown bag lunch, a drink (NO purple or red drinks please) and a smile and good listening ears and come to the library for BROWN BAG LUNCH!!!!

Tax Forms and Publications from the IRS including Forms 1040, 1040EZ, W-4, W-9, and 1040 Tax Tables. freefile e-file electronic irs more tools from the IRS

TAX MATERIALS AT THE SCHOOLCRAFT COMMUNITY LIBRARY ...It is tax season again and both Federal and Michigan tax forms are now available at the Schoolcraft Community Library. This includes the MI-1040, Homestead Property Tax Credit, Home Heating Credit, and the Michigan reproducibles. The Federal reproducibles should be here by the first week in February. Remember staff members will be happy to assist you in locating a tax form, but it is very helpful for you to have the number of the form available that you need. Also, library staff members are not able or allowed to give tax advice as they are not accountants or tax experts. Also, a reminder that all tax forms that have to copied on our copy machine are 15 cents apiece. Many thanks for your cooperation.

Where's my refund?   ... Whether you opted for direct deposit or asked to be mailed a check, you can track your refund online through federal and State of Michigan government sites.

MICHIGAN E-LIBRARY ... Did you know that ALL Michigan residents have free access to a multi-million dollar website known as MeL? MeL is the Michigan eLibrary—a 24/7 online library whose databases allow you instant access to full-text articles from tens of thousands of magazines and newspapers. There are also databases for kids and adults on specialized topics such as car repair, practice tests (ACT, SAT etc.) and art images. MeLCat is a special interlibrary loan system that allows you to order books, audios, movies, music and other materials from libraries all over Michigan and have them delivered to your home library. MeL Michigana contains photographs, diaries oral histories, local records and historical Michigan data. MeL Gateways include specialized resources such as those on genealogy, health, business and areas for kids and teens. MORE-Michigan Online Resources of Educators allows teachers and parents to find lesson plans and curriculum aids searchable by subject and aligned with state standards. This amazing resource is funded by the Federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) via the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) through the Library of Michigan. It saves our state's libraries, schools, colleges and universities over $72 million a year. Check it out by going to mel.org and spend some time finding out just how much valuable information is right there at your fingertips. For more information you can call the library at 679-5959.

LOCAL AUTHOR PUBLISHES HIS FIRST MYSTERY!! ... A local Schoolcraft resident, Mel Starr, has published his first medieval murder mystery, The Unquiet Bones. The book is on display and available for checkout at the Schoolcraft Community Library. RELATED RESOURCES ... Author's site - MelStarr.net : Read Chapter One LITERACY CORNER AT THE LIBRARY ... The Schoolcraft Community Library has developed a Literacy Corner just for its littlest patrons!!! Of course, we will continue to add new things as we go, but bring those little ones in and play with them at the magnetic board with letters and numbers, sort dinosaurs by kind or color, make words with the Word Whammer or play with them at the big felt board using a variety of felt shapes creating patterns, counting, sorting etc. We also have board books, puzzles and other activities to keep your little one's mind active and learning. So come on in and ask us about our Literacy Corner.

=> ongoing ...

SAVE AT THE SCHOOLCRAFT COMMUNITY LIBRARY!!! ... Are you looking for ways to reduce your budget and save the environment at the same time? Why not try checking out the variety of magazines offered at the library? The library offers over 30 periodicals, which include magazines, newsletters and a couple local newspapers. Magazines can be checked out for 2 weeks and you can save money, catch up on the latest news and gossip around the world, find a new recipe or learn something about the changing world of health, computers or finance. Why not give it a try? INTERNET POLICY AT THE SCHOOLCRAFT COMMUNITY LIBRARY ... In effect as of March 26th, 2008, the Internet Use policy now states that a current library card or a piece of Government issued identification (ie., Driver's license, voter's registration card, a student ID., etc.) must be presented to use the internet. Also, if you are under 18 years of age, a parent's signature will be required to access the Internet. Wireless Internet access is also available at the library and though ID is not required to access this service, the library does require a patron signature after reading the Wireless Internet Policy and to abide by those same guidelines as those using library computers. If you have any questions, please feel free to call the library at 679-5959. RECYCLE THOSE INK CARTRIDGES AT THE SCHOOLCRAFT COMMUNITY LIBRARY ... The library has joined forces with Cartridge World, a locally owned business, to provide a place for our patrons to recycle those ink cartridges or laser cartridges. There is a box available at the Schoolcraft Community Library, just as you enter the building, and all you have to do is drop your cartridge in the box and we take care of the rest. So, do your part in cleaning up the environment and drop your cartridges with us.

WI-FI at the Schoolcraft Community Library!!!! --- Wireless internet service has come to the Schoolcraft Community Library. So whether you are traveling through town, needing to quick check your email or an important website for a research paper for school, you can bring your laptop to the library and hook up.

HARDING'S eScrip COMMUNITY CARD FOR THE SCHOOLCRAFT COMMUNITY LIBRARY -- The Schoolcraft Community Library has partnered with Harding's Market in the Harding's eScrip Community Card to help raise funds for the Schoolcraft Community Library and you can help! It is easy and is a great way to help the library. Here's how you can help. Just go to a Harding's Market and ask for the Harding's eScrip Community Card. Then you can activate your card by one of two easy methods. You can call 1-800-931-6258 and register your name with our library or if you prefer you can register online at www.escrip.com/hardings.jsp and follow the instructions there. Then each time you make a purchase at any Harding's Market you give them your Harding's eScrip Community Card to scan and presto you have helped the library with up to 4% of your purchases. No having to remember to keep receipts and then bring them to the library anymore! Just a quick phone call and a swipe of a card and you have given your help to the Schoolcraft Community Library. So, join today and start those savings coming in to the library. Many thanks to all who have helped in the past with their Harding's receipts and many thanks in advance to all who will help us in the future. Call the library at 679-5959 if you have any questions.

Friends of the Library
The "Friends of the Library" believe in the importance of the library and encourage the use of the facility. The purpose of "Friends" is to enhance library services by providing invaluable voluntary assistance and supplemental income through charitable donations and fundraisers.

The "Friends" meet on a regular basis at the library. If you believe in the importance of the library, consider joining us.

QSAC: Quality Service Audit Checklist -SCHOOLCRAFT LIBRARY ATTAINS "ESSENTIAL LEVEL" OF QUALITY SERVICES FROM LIBRARY OF MICHIGAN - The Schoolcraft Community Library is proud to announce that it is one of 10 Class II libraries in Michigan who have qualified for the Essential Level requirements from the Quality Services audit checklist known as QSAC. There are seven categories of achievement which include human resources, governance/administration, services, collections development, technology, facilities and equipment and public relations/marketing. By focusing on these key areas the Schoolcraft Library has demonstrated a strong commitment to customer service. There are 78 class libraries in the State of Michigan and so the Schoolcraft Community Library is proud to have been one of the first 10 to have achieved this goal.

NOTE: LASER JET CARTRIDGE RECYCLING PROGRAM ... The Schoolcraft Community Library regrets to inform its patrons that the Laser Jet Recycling Program has once again been discontinued. You can still recycle your ink jet cartridges and any old cell phones as well in the bags provided at the library, but laser jet cartridges will no longer be accepted. You may be able to dispose of them through Office Max or there is a recycling center near the Kalamazoo County Fairgrounds. Many thanks for your support of this program while it lasted.

previously ...

=> NEW ADULT BOOKS ... March 30, 2009
* Execution Dock by Anne Perry
* Long Lost by Harlan Coben
* The Lost Quilter by Jennifer Chiaverini
* Still Life by Joy Fielding
* Malice by Lisa Jackson
* Childhood Unbound; saving our kids' best selves—confident parenting in a world of change by Ron Taffel
* Unplug your Kids: a parent's guide to raising happy, active land well-adjusted children in the Digital Age by David Dutwin
* National Geographic Illustrated Green Guide: the complete reference for consuming wisely by editors of the Greed Guide magazine