Kent County Public Library Newsfeed

Wondering what titles are currently popular with your fellow library patrons? Following are a few of the most popular titles, based on the length of the waiting list. We'd be happy to help you place a hold on any of these titles and contact you when a copy becomes available.

Unbroken: a World War II story of survival, resilience, and redemption by Laura Hillenbrand

On a May afternoon in 1943, an Army Air Forces bomber crashed into the Pacific Ocean and disappeared, leaving only a spray of debris and a slick of oil, gasoline, and blood. Then, on the ocean surface, a face appeared--Lt. Louis Zamperini. Captured by the Japanese and driven to the limits of endurance, Zamperini would answer desperation with ingenuity; suffering with hope, resolve, and humor.

Tick Tock by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge

NYC's number one detective, Michael Bennett, has a huge problem-- someone is recreating the crimes of infamous killers from New York's history. Bennett enlists the help of a former colleague, FBI Agent Emily Parker.

Secrets to the Grave by Tami Hoag

Four-year-old Marissa Fordham, brutally slashed and mutilated, witnessed the murder of her mother. To protect their fragile witness, the police call in Anne Leone, child advocate. But when one loose thread begins to unravel the shroud of lies behind the case, a truth more terrible than anyone could have imagined is revealed--a truth that will put Anne and Haley directly in the sights of a killer.

The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson

Two reporters responsible for a sex-trafficking exposé are murdered, and the fingerprints on the murder weapon belong to Lisbeth Salander, prompting the magazine's publisher, Mikael Blomkvist, to launch his own investigation to vindicate Salander.

Posted by Karen at 02:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Of course you know about the library. You check out books, join us for programs, and access incredible resources through our website. But do you know about the organization that helps make all this possible?

The Friends of the Kent County Public Library is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that has been supporting KCPL since before the library even existed!

We're delighted to be able to return the support by spreading the word about the great things they accomplish.

Keep reading to learn more about "The Friends," the great things they do and how you can become a Friend.
The Friends of the Kent County Public Library is an organization devoted to

• donating time, energy, and more to the library you love
• raising money for library needs not covered by the library budget
• providing enriching cultural programs
• raising awareness about the library and all it provides
• helping the community by encouraging literacy initiatives

How do these goals translate into action?

In the last 10 years alone, The Friends have donated over $100,000 to KCPL. This funding has covered many small expenses, as well as helping with several substantial initiatives, such as improving the physical spaces of all three branches. The Friends provided matching funds to remodel the "Yellow Building" meeting space in Chestertown, paid the architect fees for the Chestertown branch capital improvement project, and funded refurbishment and remodeling projects at the North County and Rock Hall branches. In 2006, The Friends gave $15,000 to make it possible for the doors of the North County Branch to open on schedule.

Over the years, The Friends have regularly supported the growth of KCPL's collection by providing funding for books, DVDs, audiobooks, and other materials. They have purchased new furniture and shelving for all three branches, provided a state of the art audio-visual system for the Main Branch meeting room, supported the Summer Reading Program, and joined KCPL as a founding supporter of the Chestertown Book Festival.

In addition to financial contributions, members have volunteered thousands of hours to sort, organize, setup and run the ever-popular book sales. Volunteers also provide support to library staff by cleaning, mending and re-shelving library materials to make them available to patrons as quickly as possible.

In these and many other ways, The Friends contribute generously to making KCPL the incredible resource it is. The library is thankful for their quiet dedication and ongoing generosity.

Do you want to be a part of making things happen at KCPL? Become a Friend!

In addition to supporting KCPL, when you join the Friends of Kent County Public Library you'll receive the following benefits:

• entry to the invitation-only preview night of Friends' book sales (the next preview night will be Thursday, May 12, 2011)
• an invitation to the annual meeting, featuring a speaker from the literary world
• entry to the Friends' annual cocktail party (become a member now and join us for the 2011 cocktail party on Saturday, March 26th)
• rewarding volunteer opportunities
• contributions made to the Friends are tax-deductible

Ready to Join?

To become a Friend, pick up a membership envelope at any branch of KCPL or download and return the membership form from the Friends of Kent County Library blog.

Tax-deductible annual membership dues begin at $10 for individuals and $20 for families.

Posted by Karen at 12:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Need to take a test, find a school, or search for scholarships?

The Testing & Education Reference Center is the place to do it! All you need is your library card for free access to:

• over a hundred practice exams -- including academic exams (GED, GRE, SAT and many others), career exams (ASVAB, Civil Service, NCLEX, and more), and others (U.S. Citizenship)
• extensive library of e-books to help you study for exams
• searchable database of undergraduate, graduate, and distance learning learning programs
• searchable database of thousands of scholarships
• professional resume builder

Interested in giving the Testing & Education Reference Center a try?

Here's what you need to do:

1. Visit the A - Z Info page on KCPL's website.
2. Select "Testing & Education Reference Center" from the alphabetical list of options.
3. If prompted, enter your library card number. (Your location will determine whether you need to do this or not.)
4. When you select an exam to take, you will be prompted to create a free account so that you can track your progress.

Good luck! And please let us know what you think of the Testing & Education Reference Center.

Posted by Karen at 11:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)