September is Library Card Sign-up Month, a time when Kent County Public Library joins the American Library Association and libraries nationwide to encourage every member of the community to connect with their library and the wealth of resources it offers.

Register for a Library Card and Enter to Win a Kindle

In celebration of Library Card Sign-Up Month, Kent County Public Library is pleased to announce that anyone who registers for a KCPL library card during September will be eligible to enter a raffle drawing for a Kindle!

Signing Up for a KCPL Library Card is Easy

A KCPL library card is free for Maryland residents, including current Washington College students. Non-residents can get a card for a $10 annual fee.

To apply, you will need:

• Current valid photo ID
• Proof of current address or documentation of no fixed address
• If under 18, a parent or guardian must co-sign.

You can fill out an application in person at any KCPL location or visit kentcountylibrary.org to register online.

The Power of a Library Card

You probably know that a library card lets you borrow books and DVDs, but that’s just the start!

In addition to books and DVDs, KCPLhas hotspots, board games, STEM kits, music, and more available to borrow. You can also use your card to visit our Digital Library 24/7 from any device with internet access. The Digital Library includes:

• Ebooks and audiobooks
• Online classes
• Online homework help
• Digital magazines
• Genealogy and family history resources
• Chilton Library for vehicle maintenance and repair
• Mango award-winning language learning program
• Test prep for GED, SAT, ASVAB, and many other exams
• Research resources, including Consumer Reports

If you don’t have a KCPL library card, please visit us this month and register for a card. You’ll immediately have access to our many materials and will be able to enter the Kindle raffle drawing!

If you do have a KCPL library card, we ask you to join us in spreading the word about Library Card Sign-Up Month and encouraging your friends and neighbors to take advantage of everything that Kent County Public Library has to offer.

For more information about KCPL, visit kentcountylibrary.org or call 410-778-3636.

Kent County Public Library has set an ambitious goal for our community to collectively read for 250,000 minutes as part of the Tails & Tales summer reading program.

To reach this goal, we need your help!

We’ve expanded our summer reading program to truly be for all age groups – kids, teens, and adults – which means everyone can contribute to the count of minutes read.

To get started, all you have to do is visit kentcountylibrary.org and register for the Tails & Tales summer reading program.

If you pre-register by June 18th, you will be entered into a raffle for a Chromebook!

Summer reading officially begins June 19th and, as soon as it does, you can start logging your reading minutes. Each age group has a unique summer reading challenge with its own individual objectives and prizes. Time spent reading by anyone in any of the age groups will also contribute to the collective goal of 250,000 minutes read.

Report your minutes read and activities completed by August 18th and at our Summer Reading Finale on August 19th we’ll announce whether or not we’ve hit the goal!

KCPL will also be offering a wide variety of events for all ages – kids, teens, and adults – this summer and the excitement will kick off with a visit from Critter Connections for each KCPL branch!

Saturday, June 19th | 10am-1pm
Chestertown Branch

Monday, June 21st | 10:30am-11:30am
Rock Hall Civic Center

Tuesday, June 22nd | 10:30am-11:30am
North County Branch

All events will be held outside, rain or shine, except in cases of extreme weather. Please note that the Rock Hall program will be held at the Civic Center, not the Rock Hall Branch of KCPL.

All ages are invited to the kickoff events to enjoy a hands-on visit with a variety of animals, including reptiles, tortoises, mammals, and insects. You’ll also have the opportunity to register for the 2021 Tails & Tales summer reading program, grab a swag bag (including summer reading t-shirts) while supplies last, and get started on a reading adventure!

To pre-register for the summer reading program or to preview the many summer events at KCPL, visit kentcountylibrary.org or call 410-778-3636.

KCPL’s Summer Reading events are made possible in part by the 2021 Library Summer Readers Tell Tales grant from the PNC Foundation.

This week on March 1, 2021, The Foundation for the Kent County Public Library elected five new members to the Board of Directors. Sandy Durfee, Dawson Hunter, DeLia Lloyd, April Marshall, and Marjo Rasin will join eight other members in support of the Kent County Public Library (KCPL), one of the community’s most valued assets.

The Board of Directors also includes the following ‘Designated Directors’: representative of the Board of the Chestertown Library, Inc. Mackey Dutton, representative of the Board of the Friends of KCPL Wendy Costa, and representative of the KCPL Board of Trustees Dr. Alan Austen.

At the January, 2021, annual meeting the following new officers were elected to the Executive Committee: Chair Barb Macbeth, Vice Chair Barbara Heck, and Secretary Alice Ritchie. Treasurer Marianne Hickman will continue her tenure.

The Foundation for the Kent County Public Library is a 501 (c) 3 tax exempt organization established to enhance and support the services and opportunities offered to patrons of the Kent County Public Library. The Foundation undertakes fundraising activities to support services and programs not covered by tax dollars and other funding sources. The Foundation shares the vision of the Kent County Public Library to be the cornerstone of the community where children and adults can experience life-long learning, personal enrichment and connection with one another.

Loving the library is a year-round experience, but February is officially Love Your Library Month! This month Kent County Public Library has several new offerings to keep you smitten.

FINE FREE FOREVER

KCPL is going fine free! We haven’t been charging late fees since the pandemic began and we’re pleased to announce that this will continue.

CURBSIDE SATURDAYS

Starting on Saturday, February 13th, curbside hold pickups will be available from 10am-4pm at the Chestertown branch.

Curbside Saturdays will allow you to pick up holds and other requested materials (including kits for programs and print jobs) just like you can at weekday Library To Go appointments. The biggest difference between these two service models is that for Curbside Saturdaysno appointment is needed!

Instead of scheduling a pickup time in advance, on Saturdays you’ll be able to stop by the Chestertown Branch 10am-4pm, call to let us know you’re there, and we’ll bring your items out to your vehicle for contactless delivery.

BLIND DATE WITH A BOOK

Library staff would love to set you up – with a great book! If you’re not sure what you’d like to read next or you’re interested in exploring something outside your normal reading parameters, the library can help. All you have to do is tell us a little bit about what you like in a book and we’ll find you a match.

READING CHALLENGE

Complete the Black History Month Reading Challenge through Beanstack in KCPL’s Digital Library to win a free book!

NEW EXPERIENCES

If you haven’t seen our calendar recently, it is full of a variety of upcoming events and experiences. You can join us live on Facebook for weekly storytime, enjoy talks on a number of topics, register for creative experiences, and more. There’s far too much happening to list here, but you can find all the details on our website or by giving us a call.

WE’D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU

We’re curious to know why you love the library! Email us at referencedesk@kent.lib.md.us with “Love Your Library Month” in the subject line and tell us what you love most about the library. You can also join the conversation at facebook.com/kentcountylibrary

For more information on any of these offerings or to request a Blind Date with a Book, please visit kentcountylibrary.org or call 410-778-3636.

Do you love your local Library?  Of course you do, and considering everything the Kent County Public Library does for your community, it would be hard to say no to that question.  Your KCPL is more than just a place to borrow a new book or find a quiet place to read.  It is very involved in your community, offering summer reading programs, book groups, a place to hold meetings, as well as the ability to borrow movies, audiobooks, movies and more.  Aside from its  “real world” presence, your local library has a huge digital footprint, offering an online borrowing catalog covering the collections of eight libraries on the Eastern Shore and access to job search resources, community information, and research database materials.  Although the library is currently closed, the staff has working harder than ever to provide as much access as possible to you, the local patron.  Staff worked diligently this summer to keep the Summer Reading program up and running, organized To-Go craft programs, and coordinated with other County organizations to hold digital learning seminars.

Having been a member of the KCPL Board of Trustees for almost a year, I’m still amazed at the services and resources the Library provides.  I am proud to help advocate for the Library; I assist with budgets, policies, and planning for the Library’s future.  If you’d like to share your love for the Library and be a part of their mission to “…be the cornerstone of the community where children and adults can experience life-long learning, personal enrichment, and connection with one another”, please consider submitting an application to be a member of the Kent County Public Library Board of Trustees.  There is an opening for one new Trustee beginning January 1, 2021.

Application materials may be found on the KCPL website, under the Trustee information.  You may also call the library to arrange to receive a paper application.  Completed applications should be returned to trustees@kentlib.org by September 30.  Trustees must be residents of Kent County and are chosen on the basis of character, ability, and demonstrated interest in Library matters. Trustees are appointed by the County Commissioners for aterm of five years beginning on January 1.  Meetings are held monthly, at a regular time determined by the Board at its first meeting of the year.