KPL serves Kalamazoo Teens

KPL's nationally recognized Teen Services department has been planning programs and building collections for thousands of teens over the past decade. The staff is outstanding. Check out this article about Stewart Fritz, librarian.

The Kalamazoo Gazette highlights KPL's vast array of services.

Julie Mack of the Kalamazoo Gazette recently wrote a great article about the excellent support the citizens of Kalamazoo give KPL and the nationally recognized services they provide. The Citizens for KPL agree that there could be no better way to "kick off" the campaign to renew the millage.

Click to read the entire article.

"A cost saving resource for thousands of struggling families is right in thier own backyard."

Kalamazoo's WWMT News Channel 3 reports on how families can save money by using KPL. Click here to watch the story.

Patrons all over the country are using the Library Value Calculator

Barry Osborne, a research librarian at The Denver Post, recently wrote about the Library Value Calculator on the Denver Public Library's website (denver library.org/about) and how he saved over $700 in one year by using his public library. He goes on to write about the savings he gains each month, "The seven books amounted to a monthly return on investment of $27.66 for every one of my tax dollars that went toward the library's budget, a return that would make even Bernie Madoff envious.."

Take a moment to use our Library Value Calculator and discover what you save each month. You will find that your monthly return on investment is just as impressive considering you pay around $.50 a day on a home valued around $120,000.

We're on Facebook!

Join the Citizens for KPL Facebook group to share stories and learn about how you can get the millage passed on May 5th!

Free movies @ KPL!

Did you know that you can check out many of the newest DVDs the day they are released? According to a recent blog post from KPL director Ann Rohrbaugh, circulation of DVDs and CDs has increased almost 50% in the past year. Patrons are noticing because in a recent Letter to the Kalamazoo Gazette, Michael Reed commented "I've now come to the point where I rely on getting videos 95 percent of the time from the library." He went on to conclude that, "It's about time Americans gave up the fancy, expensive consumer goods and returned to the good old public library. Andrew Carnegie would be proud."

How much is your library worth to you?

To illustrate how much the Kalamazoo Public Library is worth to you we have added a program at the bottom of the home page to calculate how much you save each month by using the services they offer. Try it out for yourself and post the results on our blog.

Libraries are ready to help during the tough economic times

The president of the American Library Association, Jim Rettig recently contributed an opinion piece to The Huffington Post raising awareness of how libraries can assist individuals during the current economic crisis.

Rettig writes, "As one South Florida man discovered, canceling his home Internet access and taking advantage of the free Internet service offered at his local public library could save his family over $700 a year." KPL offers FREE Internet at all library locations!

Check out the entire story - http://www.ala.org/ala/newspresscenter/mediapresscenter/presskits/librariesintougheconomictimes/rettighuffingtonpost.cfm.

Libraries are offering things for FREE when times are tough

A recent article in the Washington Post reports that libraries in the area are doing brisk business in these dreary economic times.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/01/AR2009020102331.html?nav=hcmodule

Libraries Making Headlines

Ann Rohrbaugh, director at KPL, recently posted on her own blog this interesting piece about libraries in the National News - http://www.kpl.gov/director/blog/?id=15956.