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Big Books of Fall

Fall into a good book this autumn! New titles for all ages can be found here, including works from favorites such as John Grisham, James Patterson, Stephen King and Nicholas Sparks. Find your fall escape now!

New Services for Memory Care

The Kirkwood Public Library is expanding their services to individuals with Alzheimers, dementia and other cognitive disorders and their caregivers. In the past year, we introduced Reading2Connect, a selection of books designed to cater to the reading needs of people who have difficulty reading traditional formatted material. Read more about that collection here. 

On Sep 30, 2022 at 10:30 in the morning, the library will be hosting the Alzheimers Association as they present “Understanding Alzheimer's & Dementia.” In this program, participants will learn about the impact of Alzheimer’s, the difference between Alzheimer’s and dementia, Alzheimer’s disease stages and risk factors, current research, treatments available to address some symptoms, and Alzheimer’s Association resources. Follow this link to register.

In the fall, we plan to offer Memory Cafes. These are sessions for individuals and their caregivers to be in a comfortable environment, share a brief program and enjoy opportunities to connect and socialize with others.

In addition, the library will share about other organizations whose purpose is to support these individuals and their families. One such organization is The Caregiver Club. They are a new organization with the focus on caregivers and providing them support.

If you are an individual or a family member who is living with Alzheimers or other forms of dementia, we would love to hear from you. Please follow this link to provide input on how we can best serve you. There are only 3 questions and it will take less than a minute to fill out, but your input will be valuable in determining our priorities for programming going forward.

Featured Book Club Kit to Go

This month’s featured Book Club Kit is The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict.

The remarkable, little-known story of Belle da Costa Greene, J. P. Morgan's personal librarian—who became one of the most powerful women in New York despite the dangerous secret she kept in order to make her dreams come true. In her twenties, Belle da Costa Greene is hired by J. Pierpont Morgan to curate a collection of rare manuscripts, books, and artwork for his newly built Morgan Library. Belle becomes a fixture on the New York society scene and one of the most powerful people in the art and book world, known for her impeccable taste and shrewd negotiating for critical works as she helps build a world-class collection. But Belle has a secret, one she must protect at all costs. She was born not Belle da Costa Greene but Belle Marion Greener. She is the daughter of Richard Greener, the first Black graduate of Harvard and well-known advocate for equality. Belle's complexion isn't dark because of her alleged Portuguese heritage that lets her pass as white — her complexion is dark because she is African American. The Personal Librarian tells the story of an extraordinary woman, famous for her intellect, style, and wit, and shares the lengths she must go — for the protection of her family and her legacy — to preserve her carefully crafted white identity in the racist world in which she lives.

The The Personal Librarian Book Club Kit is one of the newest additions to KPL’s collection and sure to be in high demand!