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library events & classes www.portagelibrary.info
what’s inside
this month’s newsletter PAGE 2 Early Literacy Programs PAGE 3 April 1-10 Library Programs PAGE 4 April 11-16 Library Programs PAGE 5 April 17-20 Library Programs PAGE 6 April 21-30 Library Programs PAGE 8 What’s Coming in May!
library hours Monday – Thursday 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM Friday 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM Saturday 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM Sunday 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM
library board Betty Lee Ongley Library Board Chair Alisha Siebers Library Board Vice Chair Michele Behr Library Board Trustee Stephanie Brown Library Board Trustee
early literacy programs MOTHER GOOSE STORYTIME Thursday, April 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th 9:30 AM & 10:30 AM Age Group: INFANT/TODDLER Enjoy this rewarding time interacting with your child while listening to stories, doing fingerplays, and participating in creative movement. An interactive playtime follows. Developmentally appropriate for infants through 23 months. No registration required. TWOS STORYTIME Mondays, April 1st 8th 15th, 22nd 10:00 AM Age Group: TWOS Two year olds enjoy interactive stories, songs, and creative movement that encourage their emerging language skills. Families with children two years old and their younger siblings are welcome. No registration required PRESCHOOL STORYTIME Tuesdays, April 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd 10:00 AM Age Group: PRESCHOOL Three to five year old children will build language skills while listening to stories, learning rhymes, moving to music, and learning the mystery letter of the week. No registration required.
Annee Dunn Library Board Trustee Martha Pacheco Library Board Trustee & Liaison to the Friends of PDL Joe Yantis Library Board Trustee
portage district library
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300 library lane portage, mi 49002 269.329.4544 www.portagelibrary.info
PRESCHOOL STORYTIME Wednesday, April 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th 10:00 AM Age Group: PRESCHOOL Three to Five year old children will build language skills while listening to stories, learning rhymes, moving to music, and learning the mystery letter of the week. No registration required.
BIRDS: A MULTI-MEDIA EXHIBIT April 5th – June 7th
SOLO GALLERY: PETER OPPENHUIS, PHOTOGRAPHY April 5th – June 7th GEEK DISCUSSION GROUP: Sword and Sorcery
EVENING FAMILY STORYTIME: STORIES TO KNOW AND GROW
Monday, April 1st 6:00 PM Age Group: ADULTS & TEENS Come to the library at 6 PM on the first Monday of every month and talk about the science fiction or fantasy genre of that evening. Bring a book to use as an example, or just have a book, movie, or even game in mind to talk about. This year long series of informal discussions, moderated by library staff, will lead you to new reading experiences as you learn about hot subgenres. Share your own reading interests, and learn about other peoples. No registration required.
Monday, April 8th 6:00 PM Age Group: TWO’S, PRESCHOOL Enjoy an evening with stories, songs, rhymes and movement activities while building language and literacy skills. A theme related craft will follow. All children will receive a book to take home. Sponsored by a Target Early Literacy Grant. REGISTRATION REQUIRED
Wednesday, April 3rd 1:00 PM Age Group: ALL AGES Live Reptiles! Live Reptiles! Live Reptiles! The Critchlow Alligator Sanctuary will be teaching you about these amazing creatures in their own unique and fun way! No registration required.
PORTAGE COMPUTER USERS CLUB Thursday, April 4th 10:00 AM Age Group: ADULTS Drop-in computer question and answer session. No registration required.
MAGIC! MAGIC! - SPRING BREAK FUN Thursday, April 4th 6:30 PM Age Group: ALL AGES Abracadabra! Hocus Pocus! Alakazam! Bibbidi-Bobbidy-Boo! Come in out of the cold and join us for a family fun magic show! No registration required.
Tuesday, April 9th 6:30 PM Age Group: ADULTS This series of writing workshops for veterans focuses on short narratives about serving in the military during war times. No writing experience is necessary. This series is led by Margaret von Steinen, writer and communications officer for WMU’s Haenicke Institute for Global Education and runs the second and fourth Tuesday nights through April 23rd. For more information, please e-mail Margaret at mvonsteinen@chartermi.net. No registration required.
WHO’S YOUR FARMER? Wednesday, April 10th 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM Age Group: ADULTS Come join us to learn why eating closer to home and supporting local farmers and farmers’ markets is healthy for our economy, our community and you! Meet a panel of SW Michigan farmers and growers, and learn about places to shop for fresh, local produce, meats and dairy products. Chris Broadbent, Kalamazoo Farmers’ Market Manager, will moderate our panel. Co-sponsored by: The People’s Food Co-op and Michigan Farmers Market Association (MIFMA) REGISTRATION REQUIRED
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CRITCHLOW ALLIGATOR SANCTUARYSPRING BREAK
COMBAT VETERANS’ WRITING GROUP
programs & events April 1-10
programs & events April 11-16
PORTAGE COMPUTER USERS CLUB
ABC ACTIVITY TIME
Thursday, April 11th 10:00 AM Age Group: ADULTS Drop-in computer question and answer session. No registration required.
Friday, April 12th 10:00 AM Age Group: TWO’S, PRESCHOOL Drop in playtime including sensory activities, fine and gross motor skills, pocket charts, manipulatives and more. This is a time for your child to practice skills that will help them get ready to read! Open to preschoolers with their favorite adult. The focus is for parents to participate in the learning process with their child while having fun! No registration required.
READ WITH SULLEY AND GABBIE Thursday, April 11th 5:00 PM Age Group: ELEMENTARY (K-5TH GRADE) Your child will have a “paw-sitive” experience reading to Sulley and Gabbie - our library reading dogs! Simply, sign-up your child and have them bring a book of their choice to share with our K-9 friends during their scheduled time. Available dates are: April 11th, 17th, 24th, and 30th from 5:00-6:00. To register please call the Youth Information Desk @ 329-4542 ext. 603. Sign up for a 20-minute reading time TODAY! REGISTRATION REQUIRED
INTERNATIONAL MYSTERY BOOK GROUP DISCUSSION The Raphael Affair by Iain Pears (Art History Mysteries #1 in the series) Thursday, April 11th 7:00 PM Age Group: ADULTS Thrills and excitement enter this first novel when a British art dealer discovers a Raphael portrait. After an astounding auction, the painting finds its way to a national museum in Rome, where its acquisition solidifies the director’s reputation. Taddeo Bottando and his favorite assistant Flavia, both of the national art theft squad, become suspicious when a vagrant art student’s story of fraud and the jottings of a famous forger come to their attention. Clever research, museum politics, and foreign setting add to the story’s interest, especially for those who enjoy art and art history. (Booklist) No registration required.
TEEN CRAFT - POLYMER CLAY Thursday, April 11th 7:00 PM Age Group: ADULTS Participants will use polymer clay to make their own mini sculptures or charms. The program will begin with a few tips and tricks to working with clay followed by a slideshow of sample pieces for inspiration. Materials and a small range of tools provided. From animals to food to fantasy creatures, their imagination is the limit! REGISTRATION REQUIRED 4
CLASSIC FILM: Laurel & Hardy’s Way Out West Saturday, April 13th 2:00 PM Age Group: ADULTS Would you send Laurel & Hardy off to the wilds of the Old West to deliver an important inheritance document to a young lady they’ve never seen? Probably not. But that is the hinge upon which this whole wonderfully goofy movie swings. One of Laurel & Hardy’s best. We will also show “The Music Box”, Laurel & Hardy’s only Academy Award winning short in which they try to deliver a piano up a long flight of stairs, “Helpmates” another short and a cartoon in which Laurel and Hardy appear. Co-sponsored by: The Kalamazoo Classic Film Society No registration required.
OPEN FOR DISCUSSION: A DROP-IN BOOK DISCUSSION Rise to Greatness: Abraham Lincoln and America’s Most Perilous Year by David Drehle Tuesday, April 16th 10:30 AM Age Group: ADULTS The year 1863 is often described as the decisive of the Civil War, given the Union victories at Gettysburg and Vicksburg. Von Drehle, editor at large at Time, asserts that 1862 was the transformative year that led directly to the ultimate Union triumph. It commenced with Union fortunes appearing bleak. In the political realm, Lincoln was struggling to master the strong egos in his cabinet. As the year advanced, von Drehle illustrates Lincoln’s transformation into a great political and war leader. This is an excellently researched chronicle of the year that helped change the direction of the war. Excerpted from a review by Jay Freeman. (Booklist) No registration required.
Thursday, April 17th 5:00 PM Age Group: ELEMENTARY (K-5TH GRADE) Your child will have a “paw-sitive” experience reading to Sulley and Gabbie -our library reading dogs! Simply, sign-up your child and have them bring a book of their choice to share with our K-9 friends during their scheduled time. Available dates are: April 11th, 17th, 24th, and 30th from 5:006:00. To register please call the Youth Information Desk @ 329-4542 ext. 603. Sign up for a 20-minute reading time TODAY! REGISTRATION REQUIRED
RETIREMENT WITH PURPOSE: WHAT’S THE PLAN Wednesday, April 17th 6:30 PM Age Group: ADULTS This panel was developed for people planning for retirement, newly retired or lost in retirement. It is designed to help participants create a healthy and meaningful lifestyle which builds on strengths and passions. The panel consists of Rhonda Messinger, certified career, business, life and leadership coach; Heather Ratliff, The Wellness RN, a registered nurse and health coach; Lee Kirk, Director of Community Relations at the Kalamazoo Promise Federal Credit Union and Trudy Riker, Senior Center & Community Volunteer. Jill Hess, Deputy Director of Recreation Programs and Senior Citizens Services for the City of Portage, will moderate the panel. Co-sponsored by: The Portage Senior Center No registration required.
PORTAGE COMPUTER USERS CLUB Thursday, April 18th 10:00 AM Age Group: ADULTS Drop-in computer question and answer session. No registration required.
EASY SELF PUBLISHING ON A SHOESTRING Thursday, April 18th 2:00 PM Age Group: ADULTS Services like Amazon, Smashwords, and Lulu are making it very easy to publish your own works, fiction or non-fiction. You can do this as a business,
or for non-profit reasons such as making a family genealogy available. In this workshop, you will learn about the three main e-publishing platforms. Also touched on are: • Basics of formatting your work. • Common steps in uploading your work to be sold or downloaded for free. • Some places to outsource services for a fee, such as cover design and editing. • Print on Demand Services like Createspace. No registration required.
GRAPHIC NOVEL FUN (3RD-5TH GRADE) Thursday, April 18th 6:30 PM Age Group: TWEENS (3RD-5TH GRADE) Do you like Big Nate? Dear Dumb Diary? Wimpy Kid? Come try trivia contests, drawing games, and other fun activities perfect for anyone who likes their books with a drawing or two! No registration required.
KALAMAZOO MACINTOSH USER GROUP (KMUG) Saturday, April 20th 9:00 AM Age Group: ADULTS This drop in group meets the third Saturday of each month. Anyone may attend. The meetings begin with a presentation of a software program, computer or accessory by an experienced club member. The meeting continues with a “Help Session”. Experienced Mac users share their in-depth knowledge answering questions about any aspect of the Mac. Beginners on Mac computers are welcome. No registration required.
SPRING FEVER!D3 (DANCE, DRAMA, DRAWING) Saturday, April 20th 2:30 PM-4:00 PM Age Group: PRESCHOOL, ELEMENTARY (K-5TH GRADE) Explore the miracles of spring through the arts of dance, drama and drawing. Move like a butterfly, pretend to be a caterpillar and so much more! Your child will participate in 3 thirty minute sessions of interactive fun! Parents of preschoolers are encouraged to stay with their child. Sign up today! REGISTRATION REQUIRED
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READ WITH SULLEY AND GABBIE
programs & events April 17-20
programs & events April 21-30
SUNDAYS LIVE
STRESS MANAGEMENT FOR FAMILIES
Sunday, April 21st 2:00-3:30 PM Age Group: ALL AGES Come listen to lilting tunes to celebrate spring with The Troubadours, a recorder ensemble. No registration required.
Wednesday, April 24th 6:30 PM Age Group: Adults Are financial burdens, marital difficulties or children causing you stress? Is your child dealing with stress? Please join us for an informative program on identifying, coping, and reducing stress. Jeff Chicoski of Child and Family Psychological Services, P. C. will address common stressors for adults as well as stressors specific to children. No matter the cause, this presentation will give you tools to deal with stress and/or help your child. Presenter: Jeff Chicoski, LMSW Child & Family Psychological Services, P.C. Sponsored by the Friends of the Portage District Library REGISTRATION REQUIRED
COMBAT VETERANS’ WRITING GROUP Tuesday, April 23rd 6:30 PM Age Group: ADULTS This series of writing workshops for veterans focuses on short narratives about serving in the military during war times. No writing experience is necessary. This series is led by Margaret von Steinen, writer and communications officer for WMU’s Haenicke Institute for Global Education and runs the second and fourth Tuesday nights running through April 23rd. For more information, please e-mail Margaret at mvonsteinen@chartermi.net. No registration required.
LOREEN NIEWENHUIS: A 1000-MILE GREAT LAKES WALK Tuesday, April 23rd 7:00PM Age Group: ADULTS In 2009, scientist, adventurer and author Loreen Niewenhuis walked the perimeter of Lake Michigan and wrote the bestselling book, A 1000-Mile Walk on the Beach. In 2012, she took another long journey, covering 1000 miles of shoreline touching all five Great Lakes. In this presentation, she will discuss her newest book : A 1000-Mile Great Lakes Walk which explores the geology, hydrology, natural history and ecology of all five Great Lakes. Books will be for sale by Kazoo Books and a book signing will follow the presentation. No registration required.
READ WITH SULLEY AND GABBIE Thursday, April 24th 5:00 PM Age Group: ELEMENTARY (K-5TH GRADE) Your child will have a “paw-sitive” experience reading to Sulley and Gabbie - our library reading dogs! Simply, sign-up your child and have them bring a book of their choice to share with our K-9 friends during their scheduled time. Available dates are: April 11th, 17th, 24th, and 30th from 5:00-6:00. To register please call the Youth Information Desk @ 329-4542 ext. 603. Sign up for a 20-minute reading time TODAY! REGISTRATION REQUIRED
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PORTAGE COMPUTER USERS CLUB Thursday, April 25th 10:00 AM Age Group: ADULTS Drop-in computer question and answer session. No registration required.
TEEN ADVISORY GROUP Thursday, April 25th 6:30 PM Age Group: ADULTS See what’s happening in our Teen Advisory Group! We plan kid’s events, set up scavenger hunts, and do other things that benefit the library. All work with this group can be applied to your school-required volunteer hours. No registration required.
READ WITH SULLEY AND GABBIE Thursday, April 30th 5:00 PM Age Group: ELEMENTARY (K-5TH GRADE) Your child will have a “paw-sitive” experience reading to Sulley and Gabbie - our library reading dogs! Simply, sign-up your child and have them bring a book of their choice to share with our K-9 friends during their scheduled time. Available dates are: April 11th, 17th, 24th, and 30th from 5:00-6:00. To register please call the Youth Information Desk @ 329-4542 ext. 603. Sign up for a 20-minute reading time TODAY! REGISTRATION REQUIRED
What’s Coming in May!
WHAT SOME ARE READING May 2nd Booktalking Soiree
GEEK DISCUSSION GROUP May 6th Talk about Science Fiction or Fantasy Genre of the evening
SBTDC-Fiscal Fitness May 15th
HOLIDAY CLOSING May 26th All Day