Lyrics on the Lawn - Blueback
2023-08-17 19:00 (America/Detroit)
THURSDAYS IN AUGUST AT 7 PM
Visit the library FIVE Thursday evenings in August for an outdoor concert on the lawn. Bring a lawn chair or blanket, and your family and friends to enjoy some great FREE entertainment.
Popcorn will be provided by the Friends of the Library, and bottled water will be available for $1/bottle.

Blueback • Blues/Americana
August 17 @ 7 PM
This performance is sponsored by the Friends of the Library!
Blueback quartet plays in the Kalamazoo area. They perform the full range of Americana music: blues, country, folk, jump, swing, and roots rock music. The mood of the evening is fun when Blueback performs; be sure to come check them out!

Up and Coming Performances:
Moxie Strings • Feel Good Melodies/Rock Influenced
August 24 @ 7 PM

Erin Zindle and the Ragbirds • Folk Rock
August 31 @ 7 PM

Friends of the Library Meeting
2023-08-21 13:00
The Friends of the Library will be meeting to discuss volunteer and library related business.
“The Friends” are always looking for new members. The Friends run a used bookstore and volunteer at library programs. Your donations of gently used books and DVDs help support the many wonderful programs offered at the library!

Library Board Meeting
2023-08-23 17:30
The Library Board of Trustees meets on a monthly basis to discuss library business and housekeeping. Meetings are open to the public and include a period of time for patrons to discuss comments and concerns.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE AUGUST BOARD MEETING HAS BEEN MOVED FROM WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16 TO WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 23.

These meetings are held once a month on Wednesdays at 5:30 PM. The board meetings are tentative and could be subject to change at any time. Keep an eye out for deviations in scheduled dates/times of these meetings.

Lyrics on the Lawn - Moxie Strings
2023-08-24 19:00
THURSDAYS IN AUGUST AT 7 PM

Visit the library FIVE Thursday evenings in August for an outdoor concert on the lawn. Bring a lawn chair or blanket, and your family and friends to enjoy some great FREE entertainment. Popcorn will be provided by the Friends of the Library, and bottled water will be available for $1/bottle.

The Moxie Strings • Feel Good Melodies/Rock Influenced
August 24 @ 7 PM
Joining us from Nashville, Moxie Strings is celebrating their newest album Live & Plugged In debuting at #1 on the Billboard Classical Crossover Charts. Hailed by The Grand Rapids Press as “top-notch, instrumental wizardry,” The Moxie Strings offer listeners the unique opportunity to experience some of the world’s best-known instruments through an electric, innovative lens.
Diana Ladio and Alison Lynn make up Moxie Strings. Alison performs on a newly-invented, electric cello, and Diana on a contemporary 5-string violin. Both use a variety of audio effects pedals. The Moxie Strings compose the majority of their pieces and arrange melodies from many countries, resulting in a genre-blurring blend of ear-catching, mainstream melodies and foot-stomping, rock-influenced rhythms.

The band’s polished, high-energy show continues to redefine strings’ role in contemporary music, and offers audience members a diverse, fun, musical experience. Moxie Strings have released 5 albums. You really don’t want to miss this amazing night of music.

Up and Coming Concert:
Erin Zindle and the Ragbirds • Folk Rock
August 31 @ 7 PM

Lyrics on the Lawn - Erin Zindle and the Ragbirds
2023-08-31 19:00
THURSDAYS IN AUGUST AT 7 PM

Visit the library FIVE Thursday evenings in August for an outdoor concert on the lawn. Bring a lawn chair or blanket, and your family and friends to enjoy some great FREE entertainment. Popcorn will be provided by the Friends of the Library, and bottled water will be available for $1/bottle.

Erin Zindle and the Ragbirds • Folk Rock
August 31 @ 7 PM
Singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Erin Zindle joins us from Ann Arbor, Michigan. Erin Zindle & The Ragbirds are a four-piece, female-led, folk-rock-world fusion. They describe their music as “infectious global groove”. The musical roots of this group are complex – with Gypsy, Middle-Eastern, Americana, rock, and Latin influences, all stirred with a Celtic fiddler’s bow.
In live performances, the band incorporates variations on traditional African drum pieces; each member trading their instrument for a hand drum. The songs carry a positive message and include both pop hooks and improvised solos. The Ragbirds make use of numerous traditional folk instruments, blending them with modern sounds to create an infectious world groove rooted in the traditions of many cultures and eras.
The group has released five full-length studio albums, two live records, and one single; all self-produced and independently released. Their latest album, The Threshold & The Hearth, was released March 25, 2016 via Rock Ridge Music. Don’t miss out on the groove as Erin Zindle and the Ragbirds put on the grand finale of Lyrics on the Lawn 2023!

LIBRARY CLOSED
2023-09-02 - 2023-09-04
The library will be closed for the holiday.
CLOSED:
Labor Day Weekend
Saturday, September 2 – Monday, September 4
Have a safe and happy holiday with your family and friends!

Teen Scene
2023-09-07 16:00
September 7 & November 2
(No meeting October 5)

1st Thursday at 4 PM
Hang out with us – play games, watch movies, and eat snacks. Featuring Nintendo Switch consoles and fun new tabletop games.

American Red Cross Blood Drive
2023-09-11 11:00 - 16:00
Monday, September 11 from 11 AM – 4:15 PM
Make your appointment at redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED-CROSS.

2nd Monday Book Club
2023-09-11 14:00
Meets on the 2nd Monday of each month at 2 PM
July 10
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
August 14
The Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline
September 11
The Boston Girl by Anita Diamante
October 9
The Maidens by Alex Michaelides
November 13
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
December 11
Choose A Holiday Book
January 8
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

Tiny Tots
2023-09-12 10:00, 2023-09-19 10:00, 2023-09-26 10:00
September 12 – November 14 (No meeting on October 3)
Tuesdays at 10 AM
Ages 0-24 Months
Sing, read, and play with your little ones and friends!

Construct & Create
2023-09-12 16:00, 2023-09-19 16:00, 2023-09-26 16:00
September 12 – November 14 (No meeting on October 3 & 31)
Tuesdays at 4 PM
For Kindergarten – 5th Grade
Join your friends after school to build great structures and create beautiful art projects. Each week there will be different building sets and art materials so you can use your imagination and get your creative juices flowing!

Music & Movement
2023-09-13 10:00, 2023-09-20 10:00
September 13 – November 15 (No meeting on October 4)
Wednesdays at 10 AM
Ages 0-5
Movin’ and Groovin’ fun with songs, stories, interactive play, and sensory activities.

Kids & Teens Who Code!
2023-09-13 16:00, 2023-09-20 16:00
Led by Liliana Gonzalez, Cinthia Williams, and Doriane Le Bourse, PhD, with Perrigo
September 13 – November 15 (No Meeting October 4)
Wednesdays at 4 PM
Learn to code with fun online tutorials and activities that will help build animations, games, apps, and other things that you dream up! Discover the impact that computer science can have on our community. Registration is encouraged, but not required.

Non Fiction Book Club
2023-09-13 18:00
2nd Wednesday at 6 PM
July 12
Trail of Tears by John Ehle
August 9
The Falcon Thief by Joshua Hammer
September 13
New Women in the Old West by Winifred Gallagher
October 11
The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery
November 8
First on the Moon by Armstrong, Collins, and Aldrin
December 13
The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu by Joshua Hammer
January 10
Rubicon by Tom Holland

Storytime
2023-09-14 10:00, 2023-09-21 10:00
September 14 – November 16 (No meeting on October 5)
Thursdays at 10 AM
Ages 0-5
Stories, songs, and a craft all focusing on a new theme each week.

Art Hub
2023-09-14 16:00
September 14, October 12, & November 9
2nd Thursday at 4 PM
Create beautiful and fun pieces of art at this art club! The crafts at these meetups are more advanced and picked for teens/tweens – drawing, painting, crafting and more!

Coffee and Conversations
2023-09-15 10:00
September 15, October 20, November 17
3rd Fridays of the Month at 10 AM
Join your community friends for some coffee, tea, and yummy treats while having lively discussions.

Get Crafty – Make & Take Crafts
2023-09-15 13:00
September 15, October 20, November 17
3rd Fridays of the Month at 1 PM
Create a fun craft for free! Each month you will be able to make a fun decoration that you can proudly take home to display.

Pre 1840 Reenactment
2023-09-16 10:00 - 12:00
Presented by Jerry and Patricia Midkiff with the Frontiersmen Camping Fellowship
Saturday, September 16 from 10 AM – NOON
Drop in and experience the history of the fur trade era from the 1770’s to 1840. In Michigan,
the voyagers traveled the Great Lakes. The Midkiff’s (aka Sassafras and Wildflower) will
have stories to share, be wearing clothing from the 1840’s, and will have hands-on items.
This living history event will be great for the whole family.

Creative Writing Club
2023-09-21 16:00
September 21, October 19, & November 16
3rd Thursday at 4 PM
Do you LOVE to write?
Join us as we write together and share short stories, original writing pieces, and ideas. All writing styles are welcome.

Creative Café: Watercolor
2023-09-22 13:00 - 15:00, 2023-09-23 09:00 - 11:00
Creative Café: Watercolor
Kris Spitzner of Redbriar Studio
Friday, September 22 from 1 – 3 PM and
Saturday, September 23 from 9 – 11 AM
(A Saturday afternoon class will open if classes fill)
Fall leaves are both fun and beautiful to paint! This introduction to watercolor class provides step-by-step instruction in basic drawing and beginning watercolor technique. Kris is a Botanical Artist and Natural Science Illustrator sharing her love of nature, art, and design through vivid, detailed watercolor depictions of the natural world. You can view her work at kristinaspitzner.com.
The cost is $20 and pre-registration is required (nonrefundable). Space is limited to 30 participants per class. The cost covers the instruction of class, your finished product, and yummy treats!

Creative Café: Watercolor
2023-09-22 16:00 - 18:00
Creative Café: Fall Leaf
Watercolor Kris Spitzner of Redbriar Studio
Friday, September 22 from 4 – 6 PM
This watercolor class provides step-by-step instruction in basic drawing and beginning watercolor technique. Kris is a Botanical Artist and Natural Science Illustrator. You can view her work at kristinaspitzner.com.
Cost is $20 – registration is required (non-refundable) and space is limited to 20 participants. Cost covers instruction, finished product, and yummy treats!
