Kalamazoo Public Library

This is the official Facebook page for Kalamazoo Public Library.

Vision: Kalamazoo Public Library helps create a community where people aspire to learn, engage, and thrive.

Mission: Kalamazoo Public Library champions reading, ignites imagination, and ensures access to information and ideas.

Kalamazoo Public Library’s Marketing and Communications Office maintains this page with the assistance of KPL staff members throughout the library. Contact mac@ for more information.

Kalamazoo Public Library, selected National Library of the Year in 2002, includes five branches and a neighborhood bookmobile, all either built or renovated during a 1996-98 capital improvement program.

A resource for the region, KPL offers an extensive collection, excellent reference services, the Kalamazoo County Law Library, ONEplace@kpl—a nonprofit management support center, 100+ public computers, a computer training lab offering free public classes, and special services for patrons with low vision.

KPL’s Local History Room resources include an award-winning database of almost three million citations to local publications dating to the 19th century. KPL also created and maintains a Local Organization Directory of nearly 1,000 Kalamazoo County agencies, associations, religious organizations, services, groups, and clubs.

The library leads two countywide collaborations, Ready to Read, an early childhood literacy program, and Reading Together, a reading program that involves thousands of residents each year. KPL also contributes to a wide range of community initiatives, working with a variety of organizations—schools, higher education, civic, cultural and legal organizations, human services, foundations, nonprofits, and businesses.

Year-round events feature author visits, book discussions, concerts, films, art displays, writing workshops, topical presentations, plus storytimes, gaming, crafts, and other programs designed for kids, tweens, teens, and families.

The Friends of the Library sell gently used books, CDs and DVDs from a bookstore on the lower level of the Central Library.