SCHOOLCRAFT COMMUNITY LIBRARY HOLIDAY CLOSING Scheduled hours for the Schoolcraft Community Library during the Christmas and New Year's Holiday Season is: Tuesday, Dec. 22nd thru Saturday, Dec. 26th ... CLOSED Monday, December 28th ... REOPEN @ 10:00 A.M. Tuesday, December 29th ... 1:00 P.M. - 7:30 P.M. Wednesday, December 30th ... 1:00 P.M.- 7:30 P.M. Thursday, December 31st ... CLOSED beginning @ 3:00 P.M. Friday, January 1st, 2009 ... CLOSED Saturday, January 2nd ... REOPEN @ 10:00 A.M. We wish each of our patrons a very Merry Holiday Season and Happy New Year!

=> from the SCHOOLCRAFT COMMUNITY LIBRARY NEWSLETTER ... December 07, 2009 BATTLE OF THE BOOKS — Team Names and Captains ... Team Names and Captains will be due to the Schoolcraft Community Library by January 8th, 2010!! AND 'Battle shirts and sweatshirts' will be arriving at the library on January 11th and can be picked up after 4 P.M. Any questions, call the library at 679-5959. NOTES: Coaches Meeting - Agenda [word document] 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 9th and 16th. The time is 10-10:45 A.M. Hope to see you there. Any questions call 679-5959. BROWN BAG STORYHOUR ... The December Brown Bag Storyhour will be held at the Schoolcraft Community Library on Wednesday, December 16th from 11:10-11:50 A.M. This storyhour is for students in Young Fives and Kindergarten. Our theme will, of course, be Christmas! So, mark your calendars, and bring a brown bag lunch, a drink, and a smile and we will see you there!! 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 => NEW ADULT BOOKS ... December 07, 2009 * U is for Undertow by Sue Grafton * Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton * The Disciple by Stephen Coonts * La's Orchestra Saves the World by Alexander McCall Smith * Divine Misdemeanors by Laurel K. Hamilton * Angel Time by Anne Rice * Fight Back and Win by Gloria Allred * Breathless by Dean Koontz * Kindred in Death by J.D. Robb * Under the Dome by Stephen King * A Corpse at St. Andrew's Chapel by Mel Starr

STAFF BOOKPICK: December 07, 2009 : A Corpse at St Andrew's Chapel: The Second Chronicle of Hugh de Singleton, Surgeon by Mel Starr [Schoolcraft local author] ... Alan, the beadle of the medieval manor of Bampton, had gone out at dusk to seek those who might violate curfew. When, the following morning, he had not returned home, his young wife Matilda sought out Master Hugh de Singleton, surgeon and bailiff of the manor. Two days later Alan's corpse was discovered in the hedge, at the side of the track to St. Andrew's Chapel. His throat had been torn out—his head half severed from his body—and his face, hands and forearms were lacerated with deep scratches. Master Hugh, meeting Hubert the coroner at the scene, listened carefully to the coroner's surmise that a wolf had caused the great wound. And yet.. . . .if so, why was there so little blood?

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 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

=> 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.