In January 2018, Kelloggsville High School's new, two-story, 6,000 square-foot media center became the newest Kent District Library (KDL) branch. During the school day, only students access it. (Of the 800 students that signed up for new library cards, 394 used them before the end of January.) Three days a week, after school, and alternate Saturdays, the Kelloggsville KDL branch opens to the public. During the summer, the library will be open during staggered hours, six days a week.
“Kelloggsville High School students now have this amazing library full of KDL’s collections right in their school. This enables them to connect to all the resources available at KDL. They can have any book in the KDL collection put on hold and sent to their library,” says Lindsey Dorfman, director of branch services and operations for KDL. “It also gives them access to the Michigan Electronic Library and opens up a world of resources, for example, all the databases that KDL subscribes to.”
The new branch also benefits Wyoming’s Kelloggsville neighborhood, where many residents don’t have transportation to the Wyoming or Kentwood libraries. “This branch gives them easy access to everything KDL has to offer—resources and activities—and it provides a safe space to go hang out and connect,” Dorfman says.
The library’s grand opening took place January 17, 2018 during the district’s monthly “Rocket Family Night.” According to Dorfman, 30 community members who did not have library cards signed up for one during the event.
“We had a wonderful turnout with parents, students, and community members,” she says. “Everybody had a really good time exploring the space and learning about all the resources.”
Local librarian led the way
Jim Ward, a Forest Hills Public Schools librarian for nearly 40 years, was instrumental in bringing the KDL branch to the school. When he was a kid in the 60s, the Kentwood Library was located in the Kelloggsville Public Schools neighborhood, just east of Division Avenue near 44th Street.
“My mom used to take me to that library. It was the first one I ever went into,” he says. “Now, most suburban libraries are in more affluent areas. When I presented the idea to KDL’s executive director, Lance Werner, I said this gives you the chance to serve an urban community.”
Ward remained in the district. He and his wife, Jane Ward, sent their three daughters through Kelloggsville schools. After the girls graduated, the Wards continued their involvement there. Jane Ward serves as a trustee on the Kelloggsville school board. In 2014, the district asked Jim to consult on the school’s new media center.
“When we were looking at designing the facility, we went to Thornapple Kellogg High School. They had a (Barry County) public library in their school. I said, ‘Let’s try to do this,’” Ward says. “Kelloggsville, like much of Wyoming, is becoming more and more urbanized. For kids to go to the public library three miles to Wyoming or five miles to Kentwood, there is not a direct bus route. This allows them to have access to all of the services, which is major.”
“It’s more than books”
For students who can’t afford computers, that access plays a huge role in their success at school. They not only use the library’s eight terminals, each loaded with word processing and other software, they can also check out iPads.
“It’s more than books. Having access to books online and information through the library’s connections pushes the door wide open,” Ward says. “If students can check out a device that gets them more access, then boom!”
KDL and Kelloggsville Public Schools are sharing the cost of employing Courtnei Moyses, the branch’s youth and school librarian. A third partner in the project, the Steelcase Foundation, awarded a $250,000 grant that will help fund the project over the next three years.
“One of our main goals at KDL is to make library use easy and more convenient for everybody,” Dorfman concludes. “We thought this was a fabulous opportunity to do that.”
KDL Kelloggsville Branch
Kelloggsville High School, 4787 Division Ave. SW, Wyoming, MI 49548. Bus Route 1.
School year hours:
- Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday: 3 p.m. – 8 p.m.
- First and third Saturdays: 9:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
June 18 - August 17, 2018 hours:
- Monday, Wednesday, and Friday: 9:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
- Tuesday and Thursday: 12 – 8 p.m.
- First and third Saturdays: 9:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Written by Estelle Slootmaker, Development News Editor
Photos courtesy Kent District Library