Mom Melissa Myckowiak and daughter Tara Zenker delighted with the new computers at the Cedar Springs Public Library.
By Donna Clark, Director, Cedar Springs Public Library
We are thinking SPRING at the Cedar Springs Public Library! The fact that the abundance of snow is fast disappearing really helps imagine flowers where dormant flowerbeds are reappearing. For Valentine’s Day this year, we were actually thinking pink and purple. Saturday, February 12, the Library hosted a PinkaPurplicious Party for ages 4-8, for a very appreciative audience of 26 little girls. Knowing our space at the Library would be inadequate, we partnered with the Springs Free Methodist Church at 135 N. Grant.
Presenters Abby Briggs (“Plum”) and her sister, Amber ____ (“Pinkie,” librarian from Monroe), delighted the girls with their costumes and provided great entertainment, which included reading the books, “Pinkalicious” and “Purplicious.” Amber, who actually performs children’s programs for her library’s branches, wrote original words for both of the books and set them to two popular tunes. The girls got up and jumped to the music with “Miss Pinkie.” The girls got their hair and nails painted pink and/or purple, made a pink and purple bracelet or necklace, and got to walk the “runway” with Pinkie as MC. Lastly, the girls got to frost a cupcake pink and/or purple and received a complimentary CD from Pinkie with the songs to take home. Funny, pink and purply, yummy party!
After the party I rushed to the library to let our IT person in to install 4 of the 6 new computers just received in memory of Lois Arthur, money received from Mike and Alice Holton, plus $407 donated by Meijer of Cedar Springs, with a $500 gift card to use in-store for supplies. Computer use is free and pretty fast with our T1 connection. If you have your own laptop, the library also offers free WiFi.
Speaking of connections, as of February 1, all (but Wayland Library) of the Lakeland Libraries of Western Michigan have access to the new digital Catalog Center (lakeland.lib.overdrive.com). You can now go to this website and download for FREE any of the listed eAudiobooks or eBooks to your computer and transfer the data to a portable device (except the Kindle, which is not allowed by Amazon).
The website has information on how to access the 1,060 books listed and what devices are compatible with the service. KDL patrons access this service through the KDL Website.
The Library has started processing new library cards for the first graders of Cedar Trails to launch our annual “First Grade Library Card Drive” for “March is Reading Month.” Every year the Library partners with Kent District Library and the Cedar Springs Public Schools to encourage parents to prepare their children to use area libraries via a library card! Last year 92 percent of our first graders got a library card! The grand reading celebration party this year will take place at the Kent Theatre for a showing of “Yogi Bear.” All students will get in free thanks to the generous donation of Don and June Mabie. Those who bring back their registration form and get a library card will also get a free drink and popcorn, compliments of Independent Bank of Cedar Springs.
We are blessed with such an array of community partners! We live beyond the boundaries of our 2016 sq. ft. building and beyond our small, rural library budget thanks to the generous giving and caring of so many of you out there. Stand by as we head into “March is Reading Month,” then “April is Poetry Month” and then our Summer Reading Program just around the corner in June.
