HOLIDAY CLOSING @ THE SCHOOLCRAFT COMMUNITY LIBRARY ... the Schoolcraft Community Library will be closed for the Thanksgiving holiday on the following dates: Wednesday, Nov. 25th—close at 5 P.M., Thursday, Nov. 26th and Friday, Nov. 27th. The library will reopen on Saturday, Nov. 28th at 10 A.M. 

=> from the SCHOOLCRAFT COMMUNITY LIBRARY NEWSLETTER ... November 23, 2009 BATTLE OF THE BOOKS — SHIRT ORDERS DUE — December 4th, 2009 ... Shirt orders for Battle of the Books should be turned in at the Schoolcraft Community Library by 5 P.M. Friday, December 4th . Checks should be made out to Midwest Printing and Promotion and would prefer one check per team please. NO CASH WILL BE ACCEPTED. If you have any questions please call the library at 679-5959. NOTES: Coaches Meeting - Agenda [word document] TOT TIME @ Schoolcraft Community Library---- Wednesday, November 25th from 9:30-10:30 A.M. ... TOT Time is a special program for those children 18—36 months and their parents to come and enjoy a time of singing, fingerplays, stories and free play. The first 20 minutes are spent on the floor with children and parents doing songs with movement, fingerplays, a book or two and then the remainder of the time is spent in free play for the children where the parents also have a chance to interact and share with one another. It's a great place to meet new friends and play at the library!! Space is very limited so call today and reserve a spot. 679-5959. Pre-registration is required. DROP-IN CHRISTMAS PRESCHOOL STORYHOUR ... The Schoolcraft Community Library will host its annual Drop-In Preschool Storyhour for children ages 3-5 years. There will be stories, fingerplays, songs, activities, crafts and a snack all centered around the Christmas season. Pre-registration is not necessary, so join us when you can. The dates are Wednesdays December 2nd, 9th and 16th. The time is 10-10:45 A.M. Hope to see you there. Any questions call 679-5959. NEW ADULT PROGRAM!!!   BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP - Wednesday, December 9th ... Mark your calendars! The Schoolcraft Community Library is starting a new program for adults! A new book discussion group will begin Wednesday, December 9th with the popular book and Great Michigan Reads book as well Stealing Buddha's Dinner by Bich Minh Nguyen. The author, formerly of Grand Rapids shares a story that will resonate with anyone who has ever felt like an outsider. "Beginning with her family's harrowing migration out of Saigon in 1975, this book follows Bich Nguyen as she comes of age in the pre-PC-era Midwest. Filled with a rapacious hunger for American identity, Nguyen's desire to belong transmutes into a passion for American food. This book is a unique vision of the immigrant experience and a lyrical ode to how identity is often shaped by the things we long for." The book discussion group is offered at two convenient times on December 9th --- 2 P.M. and 7 P.M. and will be facilitated by Pam Ballett and Susan Harper-Grieger. Additional copies of the books are available for checkout at the Schoolcraft Community Library so call today and reserve a copy and plan to join us on December 9th for a rousing discussion of Stealing Buddha's Dinner. Call the library at 679-5959 for any questions you may have. ONLINE RESOURCES"   ... Reader's Guide * Teacher's Guide STAFF BOOKPICK: November 23, 2009 : Wishin' and Hopin': a Christmas story by Wally Lamb ... LBJ and LadyBird Johnson are in the White Housee, Meet the Beetles is on everyone's turntable, and Felix Funicello (distant cousin to Annette!) is doing his best to navigate fifth grade. Back in his beloved fictional town of Three Rivers, Connecticut, with a new cast of endearing characters, Wally Lamb takes his readers straight into the halls of St. Aloysius Gonzaga Parochial School—where Mother Filomina's word is law and goody-two-shoes Rosalie Twerski is sure to be minding everyone's business. But grammar and arithmetic move to the back burner this holiday season with the sudden arrivals of substitute teacher Madame Frechette, and feisty Russian student Zhenya Kabokova. From the funicello family's bus-station lunch counter to the elementary school playground, Wishin' and Hopin' is a vivid slice of 1960's life, a wise and witty holiday tale that celebrates where we've been—and how far we've come. STAFF BOOKPICK: November 16, 2009 : The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein ... Meet Enzo, the unforgettable canine narrator of this bittersweet and transformative story of family, love, loyalty, and hope. Enzo is a philosopher with a nearly human soul, and he's gained a wealth of knowledge from hours spent in front of the TV. Evaluating his life on the eve of his death, Enzo considers the sacrifices his master, Denny Swift, has made in his pursuit of becoming a professional race car driver and the dog's own efforts to preserve the Swift family. A heart-wrenching, but deeply funny and ultimately uplifting story, this book is a captivating look at the wonders and absurdities of human life. . . . as only a dog can tell it. => NEW ADULT BOOKS ... November 23, 2009 * Crazy about Cupcakes by Krystina Castella * Homemade Holidays: 100 festive crafts, recipes, gifts and parties edited by Deanna F. Cook and experts at FamilyFun magazine * What to eat during cancer treatment: 100 great-tasting, family-friendly recipes to help you cope by Jeanne Besser => NEW ADULT BOOKS ... November 16, 2009 * I Alex Cross by James Patterson * Under the Dome by Stephen King * Ice by Linda Howard * Wishin' and Hopin' by Wally Lamb * Facebook for Dummies by Leah Pearlman * Complete National Parks of the United States by Mel White * The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein * Rebecca's Reward by Lauraine Snelling => NEW ADULT BOOKS ... November 09, 2009 * A Quilter's Holiday by Jennifer Chiaverini * Holiday Grind by Cleo Coyle * An Assembly Such as This: a novel of Fitzwilliam Darcy, gentleman by Pamela Aidan * Angels at Christmas by Debbie Macomber * Ford County by John Grisham * Rainwater by Sandra Brown * Knit Season by Kate Jacobs * Over A Thousand Hills I Walk with You by Hanna Jansen * Kindred in Death by J.D. Robb * The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver * No Less than Victory by Jeff Shaara * Complete National Parks of the United States by National Geographic. STAFF BOOKPICK: November 09, 2009 : Holiday Grind: a coffeehouse mystery by Cleo Coyle ... Clare's grown very fond of Alfred Glockner, the part-time comic and genuinely jolly charity Santa who's been using her coffeehouse as a place to warm his mittens. When he finds him gunned down in a nearby alley, a few subtle clues convince her that Alfred's death was something more than the tragic result of a random mugging. Clare discovers that this Santa had a list he was checking twice and the people on it were not nice. Between baking Christmas goodies and fending off attentions of a persistent professional elf, Clare sets out to solve St. Nick's murder.

=> NEW ADULT BOOKS ... November 02, 2009 * True Compass by Edward M. Kennedy * The Gathering Storm by Robert Jordan * Last Night in Twisted River by John Irving * Angel Time by Anne Rice * Under the Overpass by Mike Yankoski * Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls * Lakeshore Christmas by Susan Wiggs * The Gift of an Ordinary Day; a mother's memoir by Katrina Kenison * Pursuit of Honor by Vince Flynn * True Blue by David Baldacci * Plum Pudding Murder by Joanna Fluke * The Time of my Life by Patrick Swayze and Lisa Niemi * Crazy about Cupcakes by Krystina Castella * Fodor's France 2010 * Fodor's England 2010 * Fodor's Caribbean Ports of Call 2010

STAFF BOOKPICK: November 02, 2009 : A Gift of An Ordinary Day; a mother's memoir by Katrina Kenison ... This is an intimate memoir of a family in transition—boys becoming teenagers, careers ending and new ones opening up, an attempt to find a deeper sense of place, and a slower pace in life. From the decision to leave all she knows in a Boston suburb and move to a rural New Hampshire town to grappling with the high-stakes game of college admissions for her older son and holding her breath (and tongue) as her younger son seeks his way through the trials of early adolescence, Kenison illuminates many mother's fears and desires by so poignantly describing her own. And what she is surprised to find that the time she treasures most are the ordinary unremarkable moments of everyday life the very moments she took for granted or rushed right through without noticing at all. The relationships, hopes and dreams that Kenison shares will touch women's hearts and inspire them as they try to make peace with life's inevitable changes.

=> from the SCHOOLCRAFT COMMUNITY LIBRARY NEWSLETTER ... September 14, 2009 1897-1920 Michigan Death Certificates Available on the Web through Seeking Michigan ----- Library Project Digitized nearly 1 million records!!! For those genealogists out there note that the Michigan death records collection at Seeking Michigan covering the years 1897 to 1920 is now largely complete. There are now more than 960,000 death certificates available for free at this site, meaning that the project is now 99% complete. These records-never before available electronically—are indexed for easy searching by name, death date, location and age and hold tremendous research opportunities for genealogists, historians and students. This digital project is based on the Library of Michigan's collection of microfilmed Michigan death records from1897-1920. Of the 302 rolls of film only 1 roll has not yet been added to the site. Seeking Michigan is a project of the Library of Michigan and the Archives of Michigan and this information rich site includes: * More than 100,000 pages of Civil War documents * Approximately 10,000 photographs * A variety of Michigan sheet musicNearly 1 million death records * A broad section about Michigan's past 44 governors * Works Progress Administration date (circa 1936-1942) about land and buildings throughout rural Michigan * Oral histories with notable Michigan residents Seeking Michigan was made possible with generous funding from the Talbert and Leota Abrams Foundation, a non-profit that primarily focuses on funding library and educational science programs. The National Historic Publications and Records Commission provided additional funding. So, start your genealogy search today by visiting seekingmichigan.org.

=> from the SCHOOLCRAFT COMMUNITY LIBRARY NEWSLETTER ... September 7, 2009 "THINKFINITY" A NEW RESOURCE ON MEL.ORG ... There is a new resource available at mel.org (Michigan Electronic Library) that should prove very useful for students and teachers and home school families alike. Thinkfinity can be found at http://more.mel.org or just go to mel.org and click on the link MORE (Michigan Online Resources for Educators). Thinkfinity.org is the Verizon Foundation's free, comprehensive web site containing more than 55,000 educational resources, including standards-based, grade-specific, K-12 lesson plans, student interactive tools and reference materials. Content is provided through a partnership between Verizon Foundation and 11 of the nation's leading educational organizations: American Assoc. for Advancement of Science, The International Reading Assoc., the John F. Kennedy center for the Performing Arts, National Center for Family Literacy, Council for Economic Education, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Council of Teachers of English, National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, National Geographic Society, ProLiteracy and the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. Thinkfinity.org also offers a free, robust professional development program for teachers and trainers. For more information on this professional development, contact Karen Hairston at hairstonk@michigan.gov.

=> from the SCHOOLCRAFT COMMUNITY LIBRARY NEWSLETTER ... August 31, 2009 HEALTH SERVICES IN MICHIGAN ... Did you know that you can go out on medlineplus.gov/MI to get information on a variety of health issues and concerns. Anything from Drug Abuse Treatment Centers to Financial Assistance is available. Check it out today! quick links ... * Health services by COUNTY, CITY or ZIP CODE * Health services by PROVIDER or FACILITY * Alphabetic list of all programs and services for Kalamazoo County * Medline Plus - health information from the National Library of Medicine ... Drugs & Supplements * Encyclopedia * Dictionary * News * Directories * Interactive Tutorials * Clinical Trials * Senior Health * Videos of Surgical Procedures

PRESS RELEASE: Michigan Library Association Opposes Plan to Divide Library of Michigan Assets and Slash Funding ... Read more.

=> from the SCHOOLCRAFT COMMUNITY LIBRARY NEWSLETTER ... August 3, 2009 SOCIAL SECURITY - RETIRE ONLINE ... You may now apply for Social Security online. This is part of a new and important initiative taking place at Social Security called Retire Online. It features a new online retirement application that can be completed in as little as 15 minutes. The application is online at www.socialsecurity.gov, and it can be easily completed from our library computers. A brochure on the subject can be viewed at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10522.pdf. => from the SCHOOLCRAFT COMMUNITY LIBRARY NEWSLETTER ... May 18, 2009 COLLEGE BOUND STUDENTS - CHECK OUT THIS NEW RESOURCE ... The U.S. Department of Education is launching a new resource for those college bound students and their families called www.college.gov. It is designed by students for students and features first-person accounts of students who overcame challenges to going to college such as peer pressure, lack of family support and financial barriers. It provides relevant, comprehensive information about why to go, how to go and how to pay for college or other postsecondary education programs. Young people who may not have considered higher education a viable option will be informed and inspired to create their own roadmap to college. Check it out!!!

=> from the SCHOOLCRAFT COMMUNITY LIBRARY NEWSLETTER ... May 05, 2009 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.

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.

=> 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.

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 ... October 19, 2009
* England 2009 with the best of Wales by Fodor's
* Soul of the Fire by Terry Goodkind, Stone of Tears by Terry Goodkind
* Wizard's First Rule by Terry Goodkind
* The Pillars of Creation by Terry Goodkind
* Naked Empire by Terry Goodkind
* Temple of the Winds by Terry Goodkind
* Faith of the Fallen by Terry Goodkind

=> NEW ADULT BOOKS ... October 12, 2009
* The Perfect Christmas by Debbie Macomber
* Ghost King by R.A. Salvatore
* Evidence by Jonathan Kellerman
* The Christmas Secret by Donna VanLiere
* And Another Thing; Douglas Adams's Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Eoin Colfer
* House of Reckoning by John Saul
* Dragons by Michael Connelly
* The Monster Box by Ruth Rendell
* Breaking the Rules by Barbara Taylor Bradford

=> NEW ADULT BOOKS ... October 5, 2009
* Say You're One of Them by Uwem Akpan
* The Murder of King Tut by James Petterson and Martin Dugard
* Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay
* Razor Sharp by Fern Michaels
* Rough Country by John Sandford
* Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom
* Sullivan's Island by Dorothea Genton Frank
* Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger
* Black Friday by Alex Kava

=> NEW CDs for ADULTS ... October 5, 2009
* The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks
* Rough Country by John Sandford