www.portagelibrary.info

MARCH

library events & classes

early literacyprograms

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portage district library300 library lane portage, mi 49002269.329.4544www.portagelibrary.info

PAGE 2Early Literacy Programs

PAGE 3March 4-14 Library Programs

PAGE 4March 14-19 Library Programs

PAGE 5March 20-31 Library Programs

PAGE 6Literacy @ the Library

PAGE 7Literacy @ the Library

PAGE 8What’s Coming in April!

library hoursMonday – 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 boardBetty Lee OngleyLibrary Board Chair

Alisha SiebersLibrary Board Vice Chair

Michele BehrLibrary Board Trustee

Stephanie BrownLibrary Board Trustee

Annee DunnLibrary Board Trustee

Martha PachecoLibrary Board Trustee & Liaison to the Friends of PDL

Joe YantisLibrary Board Trustee

what’s insidethis month’s newsletter

MOTHER GOOSE STORYTIME Wednesday, March 6th, 13th, 20th, 27th9:30 AM & 10:30 AM Age Group: INFANT/TODDLEREnjoy 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 STORYTIMEThursday, March 7th, 14th, 21th, 28th10:00 AM Age Group: TWOSTwo 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 STORYTIMETuesday, March 5th, 12th, 19th, 26th10:00 AM Age Group: PRESCHOOLPreschool 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.

PRESCHOOL STORYTIMEMonday, March 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th10:00 AM Age Group: PRESCHOOLPreschool 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.

programs & events

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GEEK DISCUSSION GROUP: Space Opera Monday, March 4th6:00 PMAge Group: ADULTS & TEENSCome 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 infor-mal 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.  PORTAGE COMPUTER USERS CLUBThursday, March 7th10:00 AMAge Group: ADULTSDrop-in computer question and answer session.No registration required.

FUSE BEAD FUN (3RD-5TH GRADE)Thursday, March 7th 6:30 PM Age Group: TWEENS (3RD-5TH GRADE)Get creative with fuse beads! Ideas and patterns provided, but participants are encouraged to bring their imagination! REGISTRATION REQUIRED

ABC ACTIVITY TIMEFriday, March 8th10:00 AM Age Group: PRESCHOOLDrop 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 preschool-ers with their favorite adult. The focus is for parents to participate in the learning process with their child while having fun!No registration required.

COMBAT VETERANS’ WRITING GROUPTuesday, March 12th6:30 PMAge Group: ADULTSThis series of writing workshops for veterans focuses on short narratives about serving in the mili-tary during war times. No writing

experience is necessary. This se-ries 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.

EVENING FAMILY STORYTIME: STORIES TO KNOW AND GROWWednesday, March 13th 6:00 PM Age Group: TWO’S, PRESCHOOLEnjoy 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

PORTAGE COMPUTER USERS CLUBThursday, March 14th10:00 AMAge Group: ADULTSDrop-in computer ques-tion and answer session.No registration required.

Portraits: An Exhibit Celebrating Black History MonthThis exhibit that runs from February 5th - March 30th, includes portraits in pastel from Al Harris Jr. and paintings and pen and ink drawings from the collection of

Murphy Darden on loan from the Black Arts and Cultural Center.

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EASY SELF PUBLISHING ON A SHOESTRINGThursday, March 14th1:00 PMAge Group: ADULTSServices 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.

CUPCAKE CLUBThursday, March 14th7:00 PMAge Group: MIDDLE/HIGH SCHOOLCome for fun and cupcakes! Open to any middle school or high school-aged person who has read a book in the last month. Make cupcakes and then do a book-based activity while you wait. Then, of course, you eat the cupcakes! March: The theme is...Guess it! Can you guess the cupcake flavor, the book based on just a little info, and finally, pick out a book without knowing anything about it!REGISTRATION REQUIRED

INTERNATIONAL MYSTERY BOOK GROUP DISCUSSIONThursday, March 14th7:00 PMInspector Singh Investigates: A Most Peculiar Malaysian Murder by Samini Flint (Malaysia #1 in the series)Inspector Singh has been sent from his home in Singapore to Kuala Lumpur to solve a murder that has him stumped. Chel-sea Liew - the famous Singaporean model - is on death row for the murder of her ex-husband. She swears she didn’t do it, he thinks she didn’t do it, but no matter how hard he tries to get to the bottom of things, he still arrives back at the same place - that Chelsea’s husband was shot at point blank range, and that Chelsea had the best motivation to pull the trigger: he was taking her kids away from her. Now Inspector Singh must pull out all the stops to crack a crime that could potentially free a beautiful and innocent woman and reunite a mother with her children. There’s just one problem - the Malaysian police refuse to play ball. (excerpted from goodreads.com)No registration required.

KALAMAZOO MACINTOSH USER GROUP (KMUG) Saturday, March 16th9:00 AMAge Group: ADULTSThis 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.

LEAPING LEPRECHAUNS: D3 (DANCE, DRAMA, DRAWING)Saturday, March 16th 2:30 PM- 4:00 PM Age Group: PRESCHOOL, ELEMENTARY (K-5TH GRADE)Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with dancing, drama and art – all with an Irish flair. Your child will participate in 3 thirty minute sessions of interactive fun! Parents of preschoolers are encour-aged to stay with their child. Sign up today! REGISTRATION REQUIRED

SUNDAYS LIVESunday, March 17th2:00 PM -3:30 PMCome celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with Duo Zito-Kusic (Miles Kusik & Jackie Zito) on guitar and mandolin. No registration required.

2013 Reading Together ProgramOPEN FOR DISCUSSION: A DROP-IN BOOK DISCUSSIONTuesday, March 19th10:30 amAge Group: ADULTSJoin us to discuss the Reading Together selection, The Sub-mission, by Amy Waldman. Reimagining 9/11 and its aftermath, Amy Waldman’s provocative novel begins with a resonant scene: a jury gathers in Manhattan to choose a memorial for the victims of a devastating Islamic terrorist attack. After tense deliberations, they select the a sculpture from a list of anonymous artists. The winner turns out to be an American Muslim. The revelation triggers both fury and ambivalence throughout New York, making the designer, the staunchly independent Mohammed Khan, a symbol of beliefs that seem foreign to him. This discussion will feature guest presenter Sherry Ransford-Ramsdell. No registration required.

programs & eventsMarch 14-19

ADVOCATING FOR YOUR CHILDWednesday, March 20th6:30 PMAge Group: ADULTSWe will be discussing the importance of building relationships in order to better advocate for your child. Whether you are having trouble with school, the medical community, therapists or that woman at the grocery store who won’t stop staring, this work-shop will help you find a voice for you and your child. Learn how to talk to professionals, how to prepare for meetings, what records to have close at hand, and when it’s time to call in a professional Advocate. Presenter: Amy Helmuth, Parent to Parent of Southwest MichiganREGISTRATION REQUIRED

PORTAGE COMPUTER USERS CLUBThursday, March 21st10:00 AMAge Group: ADULTSDrop-in computer question and answer session.No registration required.

2013 Reading Together ProgramEXPLORING SIX CHARACTERS IN THE SUBMISSION: A BOOK DISCUSSIONThursday, March 21st6:30 PMAge Group: ADULTSSherry Ransford-Ramsdell will lead an interactive dis-cussion of the diverse characters in Amy Waldman’s novel, The Submission, and their roles in carrying the narrative, reflecting conflicting perspectives and drawing the reader into the issues and tensions that the novel presents. No registration required.

SATURDAY STORIESSaturday, March 23rd 10:00 AM Age Group: TWO’S, PRESCHOOLJoin us this Saturday. You and your child will actively listen to books, rhymes and participate in creative movement while building language and literacy skills. No registration required.

COMBAT VETERANS’ WRITING GROUPTuesday, March 26th 6:30 PMAge Group: ADULTSThis 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.

PORTAGE COMPUTER USERS CLUBThursday, March 28th10:00 AMAge Group: ADULTSDrop-in computer question and answer session.No registration required.

2013 Reading Together ProgramTRUTH IN FICTION: A DISCUSSION OF THE ROLE OF FICTION IN THE SUBMISSION

Wednesday, March 27th 6:30 PMEdwin Martini, Associate Dean in the College of Arts and Sciences at Western Michigan University, will explore the ways that fiction raised questions and exposed the complexities surrounding the human reaction to a historical event that could have occurred with just a slight twist of fate. No registration required.

LEGOSFriday, March 29th 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM TWO’S, PRESCHOOLIt’s LEGO time! Drop in anytime between 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM. You have two sizes to choose from depending on your ability level. Let your imagina-tion take over. Parents are invited to build with their children.No registration required.

HOLIDAY CLOSINGSunday, March 31st All DayThe Library is closed today. Items may still be returned through our outdoor return slots on the south side of the Library. You can check your item due dates, monitor your requests, and renew items through My Account in our online catalog.

programs & eventsMarch 20-31

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LITERACY @ THE LIBRARY

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BOOK GROUPSWe offer several venues for discussing the books that we love so much.

Open For Discussion: We have a large and dynamic book discussion group that meets monthly from September -November and January-May on the third Tuesday of these months at 10:30 a.m. Our informal discussions last one hour.

International Mystery Book Group: Come join us for the library’s new monthly drop-in International Mystery Book Discussion.

Book Discussion in a Bag: Come check out everything you need to start a book discussion group of your own.

Great Books Book Club: Staff facilitates readings from the Great Books Program. This season’s book is Seven Deadly Sins.

Reading Together: We partner every year with the Kalamazoo Public Library to prepare programs that help us reach a mutual goal of sharing one book with all residents in Kalamazoo County.

Geek Discussion Group: 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. 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.

The Portage District Library is committed to improving literacy in our community in a variety of ways. These programs and services will keep you on the path towards life-long learning! For more information, check out our website or give us a call.

READY READSThis wonderful collection of high interest, easier-to-read books will offer great reading choices for adults who are beginning readers or those who may have special needs or are learning English as their second language. This special collection will include fiction (celebrities, mys-teries, etc.) and general non-fiction topics like animals, photography, travel, vehicles and more. We were able to launch this collection thanks to a grant from Kalamazoo Community Foundation’s John E. Fetzer Institute Fund, and a donation from the Friends of the Portage District Library.

BE A SMART COOKIE…READ! PRESCHOOL & ELEMENTARY READING PROGRAM 2013Celebrate National “March is Reading Month” with us! Read 5 hours between March 1st and April 8th and get a ticket to our Family Library Late Night, Friday, April 19th from 6:00pm to 8:30pm. We’ll have a fun party in the library after the library has closed! There will be snacks, games, and a craft.

How do you participate? Just follow these easy steps:

: Sign up for the March Reading Program at the Youth Information Desk and receive your reading log.

: Start reading!: Use your log to keep track of the time you spend reading. : After you have finished all 5 hours, come to the library with your reading

log and get your ticket for the Library Late Night.Children who have read 5 hours March 1- April 8 (and their immediate families) are invited to the late night. A parent or guardian must accompany children to this event.

LITERACY @ THE LIBRARY

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SUMMER READINGPreschool, elementary-age children, teens and adults are invited during the summer months to join the 2013 Summer Reading Program. Young participants earn prizes for reading (or being read to) books of their choice. Simply keep track of the number of hours read and for every 5 hours, kids can earn a prize. The goal is to read 30 hours.

PRESCHOOL ROOMOur Preschool Room provides a place for children to build the foundations for reading. Talking, singing, reciting rhymes, and reading to young children are all important early literacy activities. In the Preschool Room, you will find:

Picture Books Board Books Music CD’s

Magnet Board Manipulatives/Dramatic Play

BE A SMART COOKIE…READ! PRESCHOOL & ELEMENTARY READING PROGRAM 2013Celebrate National “March is Reading Month” with us! Read 5 hours between March 1st and April 8th and get a ticket to our Family Library Late Night, Friday, April 19th from 6:00pm to 8:30pm. We’ll have a fun party in the library after the library has closed! There will be snacks, games, and a craft.

How do you participate? Just follow these easy steps:

: Sign up for the March Reading Program at the Youth Information Desk and receive your reading log.

: Start reading!: Use your log to keep track of the time you spend reading. : After you have finished all 5 hours, come to the library with your reading

log and get your ticket for the Library Late Night.Children who have read 5 hours March 1- April 8 (and their immediate families) are invited to the late night. A parent or guardian must accompany children to this event.

KID’S BOOK CENTRALNeed help finding a good read? Browse our booklists to find the perfect one for you. Go to our booklists. Don’t forget, there’s more than one way to enjoy a great book:

Library Resources for Beginner Readers

We have a large collection of books in our Easy Reader Section that target the beginner reader. We also offer several other tools for those learning to read.

PREP Kits – These folders contain a selection of leveled reading books. The kits were created in cooperation with a Portage Public School Emergent Reading Specialist and each level helps beginner readers progress another step.

Discovery Packs – These are themed kits containing books, puzzles, games, videos, and activities. There are 3 levels available: preschool, primary, and intermediate.

Hooked on Phonics Kits – The Hooked on Phonics sets contain books, games, flash cards and other materials that help children advance in their reading abilities. The library has kits for pre-readers (letter recognition) through level 5.

“Bob” Books – The Bob book series was developed several years ago and continues to be very popular with beginner readers.

Early Literacy Stations – There are 3 computer stations with educational games and activities on them that are appropriate for children in preschool through primary grades.

BOOKLISTSLook at the categories of books lists that we’ve put together to give you ideas about what to read next.

Teens History & Genealogy

Parents & Kids Book Discussion

Non-fiction Fiction

School Connect Best Sellers

FAVORITE AUTHORSThe library’s Favorite Authors program is meant to get you on reserve lists fast. Simply indicate your choice of up to 15 authors from our list. We will do the work of putting you on hold for titles by those authors. Sit back and wait for the email to arrive. This program only covers Fiction Hardback materials.

eBooks and eAudio BOOKSAs a Portage District Library resident card holder, (or with a paid non-resident membership) you can check out eBooks and eAudio books for your computer or eReader.

GEEK DISCUSSION GROUPApril 1st

Talk about Science Fiction or Fantasy Genre of the evening

CRITCHLOW ALLIGATOR SANCTUARY – SPRING BREAK

April 3rdLive Reptiles! Live Reptiles! Live Reptiles

MAGIC – MAGIC – SPRING BREAK FUN

April 4thJoin us for a Magic Show

FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY BOOK SALE

April 6thThousands of books for sale

TEEN CRAFT EVENTApril 11th

Craft Event TBA

CLASSIC FILMApril 13th

Laurel & Hardy’s Way Out West

GRAPHIC NOVEL FUNApril 18th

Come try trivia contests, drawing games, and other fun activities

GRIEF EDUCATION & SUPPORTApril 19th

Facilitated by a grief counselor for Heartland Hospice

SUNDAYS LIVEApril 21st

The Troubadours

BOOK PRESENTATIONApril 23rd

Loreen Niewenhuis: A 1000-Mile Great Lakes Walk

What’s Coming in April!