March
library events & classes www.portagelibrary.info
what’s inside
early literacy programs
this month’s newsletter PAGE 2 Early Literacy Programs PAGE 3 March 1-7 Library Programs PAGE 4 March 8-13 Library Programs PAGE 5 March 15-22 Library Programs PAGE 6 March 23-30 Library Programs PAGE 7 Go Bananas for Books! PAGE 8 Look What’s New!
library hours Monday – Thursday 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM Friday 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
MOTHER GOOSE STORYTIME
SATURDAY STORIES
TERRIFIC TWOS STORYTIME
It is The Portage District Library’s procedure to cancel youth programs if the Portage Public Schools are closed due to weather related conditions.
Wednesday, March 7, 14, 21, 28 9:30 AM and 10:30 AM INFANT/TODDLER This special time is designed for children from birth to 23 months. Delight and stimulate your baby’s senses with books, rhymes, and music. A developmentally appropriate playtime will follow. No registration required.
Thursday, March 8, 15, 22, 29 9:30 AM PRESCHOOL Interact with your 2 year old to nurture a love of books. We will learn letters, sounds, new words and self expression through books, fingerplays and creative movement. No registration required.
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
PRESCHOOL STORYTIME
Monday, March 5, 12, 19, 26 Thursday, March 6, 13, 20, 27 10:30 AM PRESCHOOL Preschool age 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
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portage district library 300 library lane portage, mi 49002 269.329.4544 www.portagelibrary.info
Saturday, March 17 10:00 AM PRESCHOOL Share your love of books and learning. Come on in and listen to books, stories, rhymes and creative movement with your children. No registration required.
programs & events 2012 Reading Together Event
U.S. Latino Literature and Culture by Dr. Patricia M. Montilla
4HURSDAY -ARCH ST s 0Age Group: ADULTS This lecture, presented by Dr. Patricia Montilla, will examine the origins and development of the main Hispanic population groups in the United States including Mexican American, Puerto Rican, Cuban American, and Dominican American. We will explore how Hispanic groups view themselves and are viewed within the United States society and to what degree these ethnic groups are self-absorbed or nationalistic. The presentation will close with a discussion of recurring themes in U.S. Latino literature. Dr. Montilla is an associate professor and director of graduate studies in the Spanish Department at Western Michigan University. No registration required.
PORTAGE COMPUTER USERS CLUB 4HURSDAY -ARCH ST s !Age Group: ADULTS Drop-in computer question and answer session. No registration required.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DR. SEUSS!
&RIDAY -ARCH ND s !Age Group: PRESCHOOL Today is Dr. Seuss’s Birthday! Eat a treat in his honor while watching some of our favorite Seuss movies. We will start the morning off showing Green Eggs and Ham. REGISTRATION REQUIRED.
SOLO GALLERY
March 2nd - April 27th
*ABETH 7HEELER s 7ATERCOLOR FIBER ART
march 1-7
CATS: AN ART EXHIBIT
March 2nd - May 18th The exhibit views felines through the eyes of painters, photographers, sculptors, a quilter and mixed media artists. This is the second of our series of exhibits focusing on animals as subjects of art.
NATURE PRINTS AND DRAWINGS
March 5th - May 18th Illustrators of Using Native Plants to Restore Community by Tom Small and Nancy Cutbirth Small exhibit their original artwork. Several of the artists will discuss their work along with a reading by Tom Small on Sunday, April 22nd, Earth Day, at 2:00 PM.
COMBAT VETERANS’ WRITING GROUP
4UESDAY -ARCH TH s 0Age Group: ADULTS This series of writing workshops for veterans focuses on short narratives about serving in the military during war-time. 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 first and third Tuesday nights through March 20th. For more information, please e-mail Margaret at mvonsteinen@chartermi.net. No registration required.
READ WITH SULLEY
Wednesday, March 7th Times available: 4:40, 5:00, 5:20, or 5:40 PM Age Group: ELEMENTARY (K-5TH GRADE) Practice your reading with a patient and attentive new friend. Your child can read out loud to Sulley, a registered therapy dog, who loves children and does not shy away from hugs. His handler is a Portage teacher
portage district library | march 2012 3
march 8-13
programs & events and they both promise your child a “paw-sitive” experience. Sign up for a 20 minute reading time TODAY! To register please call the Youth Information Desk @ 329-4542 Ext 603. REGISTRATION REQUIRED
PORTAGE COMPUTER USERS CLUB 4HURSDAY -ARCH TH s !Age Group: ADULTS Drop-in computer question and answer session. No registration required.
MIDDLE SCHOOL DROP-IN
4HURSDAY -ARCH TH s 0Age Group: MIDDLE SCHOOL Unwind after school! Bring your friends and join us for activities, crafts, fun, and snacks from 3:30-4:30 PM. No registration required.
field more technical, but in many ways shooting the sky is easier than ever! We’ll start with the basics like using a stationary photographic tripod and work our way up to imaging with sophisticated CCD cameras. Constellation patterns, the Milky Way, the night-tonight motion of the planets, bright comets, northern lights, and perhaps a meteor all await you. Please register by calling 329-4542 Ext. 600. REGISTRATION REQUIRED.
ART RECEPTION FOR CATS ART EXHIBIT
3UNDAY -ARCH TH s 0While meeting the artists and viewing a variety of art focusing on cats, tap your toes to the eclectic blends of blues, folk, and rock of the Hired Hands. Various cat rescue organizations will be represented as well as a variety of cats and kittens available for adoption.
SUNDAYS LIVE/ HIRED HANDS ABC ACTIVITY TIME
&RIDAY -ARCH TH s !Age Group: 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 making it fun! No registration required.
INTRODUCTION TO AMATEUR ASTRONOMY: THE ART OF ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY
3ATURDAY -ARCH TH s 0Age Group: ADULTS & TEENS Astrophotography is the art of photographing the night sky. In the past few years that art has undergone a revolution as digital cameras have overtaken their film counterparts. In some ways this has made the
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3UNDAY -ARCH TH s 0Come listen to the eclectic blends of blues, folk, and rock of the Hired Hands, a group of veteran musicians including Dale Hein, Bill Hughes, Bob Allison and Tim Cooper. This event is free.
HOW TO INVEST IN A COMPLEX AND AGENDA-DRIVEN WORLD 4UESDAY -ARCH TH s 0Age Group: ADULTS Instructor: Mark Robinson REGISTRATION REQUIRED
TEEN ADVISORY GROUP
4UESDAY -ARCH TH s 0Age Group: TEEN The Teen Advisory Group is open to 8th-12th graders. This group plans library events, selects books for the collection, and plans displays for the teen room. Join us! No registration required.
programs & events PORTAGE COMPUTER USERS CLUB 4HURSDAY -ARCH TH s !Age Group: ADULTS Drop-in computer question and answer session. No registration required.
EVENING STORYTIME & CHILDREN’S AUTHOR KATIE SEIFERT! Thursday, March 15th
6:00 PM- Meet the author and sign books 6:30 PM- Storytime and craft 7:00PM- Meet the author and sign books Age Group: PRESCHOOL Is your room a little (or a lot!) messy? Then you’ll love local children’s author Katie Seifert’s story, Ellie’s Room! She is coming to the library to read to you! Join us for the story and stay to do a craft following the reading. She will be signing her books before and after storytime, and she will also have her other stories available for sale and signing. Her other titles include Penelope, The Adventures of a Penny, and Hank the Hanger. REGISTRATION REQUIRED.
COMBAT VETERANS’ WRITING GROUP
4UESDAY -ARCH TH s 0Age Group: ADULTS This series of writing workshops for veterans focuses on short narratives about serving in the military during war time. 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 first and third Tuesday nights through March 20th. For more information, please e-mail Margaret at mvonsteinen@chartermi.net. No registration required.
march 15-22
The 2012 Reading Together selection
OPEN FOR DISCUSSION: A DROP-IN BOOK DISCUSSION
Into the Beautiful North by Luis Alberto Urrea Tuesday, March 20th 10:30 AM & repeated at 7:00 PM Nineteen year old Nayeli works at a taco shop in her Mexican village and dreams about her father, who journeyed to the US to find work. Recently, it has dawned on her that he isn’t the only man who has left town. They have all gone north. After watching Magnificent Seven, Nayeli decides to go north herself and recruit seven men to repopulate her hometown and protect it from the banditos who plan on taking over. Movie tie-in: Magnificent Seven. No registration required.
READ WITH SULLEY
Wednesday, March 21st Times available: 4:40, 5:00. 5:20 or 5:40 PM Age Group: ELEMENTARY (K-5TH GRADE) Practice your reading with a patient and attentive new friend. Your child can read out loud to Sulley, a registered therapy dog, who loves children and does not shy away from hugs. His handler is a Portage teacher and they both promise your child a “paw-sitive” experience. Sign up for a 20-minute reading time TODAY! To register please call the Youth Information Desk at 329-4542 Ext 603. REGISTRATION REQUIRED.
PORTAGE COMPUTER USERS CLUB
Thursday, March 22nd 10:00 AM Age Group: ADULTS Drop-in computer question and answer session. No registration is required.
portage district library | march 2012 5
march 23-30
programs & events ABC ACTIVITY TIME
&RIDAY -ARCH RD s !Age Group: 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 making it fun! No registration required.
D3! DANCE, DRAMA, and DRAW! Under the Sea Adventures
3ATURDAY -ARCH TH s !Age Group: PRESCHOOL-ELEMENTARY AGE An underwater adventure awaits you! Journey through a three part voyage: diving deep into drama games, creative dance, and drawing. Each part will be a half an hour of fun! All ages welcome. To register go to www.portagelibrary.info and click on the “events” calendar. REGISTRATION REQUIRED 2012 Reading Together Event
MEET THE CHEF(S): TASTE OF MEXICAN HOSPITALITY
Wednesday, March 28th 6:00 PM Age Group: ALL AGES Step into the culture of Mexico through food. Enjoy and evening with local cooks from the community in savoring traditional Mexican dishes. Come join us and feel free to bring the family any time between 6:00 PM and 8:00 PM. This program is free. Location: First Baptist Church, 315 W. Michigan Ave. No registration required.
PORTAGE COMPUTER USERS CLUB 4HURSDAY -ARCH TH s !Age Group: ADULTS Drop-in computer question and answer session. No registration required.
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LEGO BLOCK PARTY
Thursday, March 29th 5:30 PM Age Group: ALL AGES LEGOS are awesome! Not only are they great for strategic thinking, planning ahead, fine motor skills, imagination, architectural art, and problem solving; they are fun. Your children will love being social with other LEGO creators of all ability levels. No registration required.
LEGOS! LEGOS! LEGOS!
Friday, March 30th 10:00 AM Age Group: ALL AGES Come on in and express your creativity. LEGOS of various sizes will be provided for all ability levels. No registration required.
what’s coming in april! Five Keys of Achieving Fiscal Fitness April 5th Learn about how to use your financial statements
Read with Sulley April 18th Practice your reading with a patient and attentive new friend
Holiday CLOSING April 8th Easter Day
Teen Crafternoon April 19th Make jewelry and key chains out of washers
Business Research Essentials April 9th An introduction to business resources
Celebrate Earth Day April 22nd Celebrate Earth Day with Tom Small and the Wild Ones
Friends of the Library Book Sale April 14th Thousands of books for sale
/HW·V *HW 1RLV\ April 24th Get hands-on time with real instruments
CELEBRATE NATIONAL READING MONTH AND “GO BANANAS FOR BOOKS!�
Thursday, March 1st – March 22nd
Age Group: PRESCHOOL, ELEMENTARY (K-5TH GRADE) Join our 2nd Annual March Reading Program and celebrate National Reading Month with us! Preschool and elementary age children can read or be read to for 5 hours between March 1st and March 22nd. This can be accomplished in less than 15 minutes a day and sets a great precedent for daily reading time all year long. Our mission is to encourage readers of all ages to enjoy books together. Children/families that have completed the reading program are invited to the “Go Bananas for Books� after-hours library party! Who can participate? Preschool & Elementary Age children and their favorite adults! How do I participate? r 4UFQ Sign up at the Youth Information Desk and receive your reading log beginning on March 1st. r 4UFQ Start reading! r 4UFQ Use your log to keep track of the time you spend reading or being read to. Every time you finish an hour of reading, put a sticker on your reading log. r 4UFQ After you have completed 5 hours, come to the library and present your reading log at the Youth Information Desk by March 22nd to get your official ticket to the “Go Bananas for Books� after-hours library party. i(P #BOBOBT GPS #PPLTu "GUFS )PVST -JCSBSZ 1BSUZ *OGPSNBUJPO 'SJEBZ .BSDI SE QN QN (doors open at 6:30pm-PLEASE PRESENT TICKET AT DOOR) There will be snacks, fun games, and take home crafts. Children who have read 5 hours (and their immediate families) are invited to the late night. A parent or guardian must accompany children to this event.
READING IS SWEET .BSDI TU m .BSDI TU
Age Group: TEEN March is Reading Month, so celebrate with us! Read a book, write a short review (2 sentence minimum), and bring your review to the Portage District Library. You will receive a piece of candy for each review written, maximum 2 reviews per library visit. High school students: You may hand in your reviews to your School Media Centers and pick up your sweet prize there! All reviews will be posted on Portage District Library’s Teen Page. (http://www.portagelibrary.info/teens). For more information, call 329-4542 Ext. 603.
LOOK
what’s new!
An Upgrade to the Library Catalog • Fresh New Look & Design • Better Search Results • Upgrade & No Costs to the Library! • Easier Searches
Coming March 12, 2012
Go to www.portagelibrary.info YOU’RE GOING TO LOVE IT!