Friends of the Grace A. Dow Memorial Library

04/26/2026

SUMMER OF STORIES IS BACK! 📚🍕

Enrollment opens May 1st—get ready to turn reading time into pizza time! 🎉
This summer, keep your kids’ reading, learning, and loving books… all while earning FREE pizza. 🙌

📱 Join through the BOOK IT! App (Summer program only available through App)
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 For parents with kids in pre-K – 6th grade
📅 Program runs June 1st – August 31st
⚠️ Don’t forget—everyone must enroll each year!

💛 Parents, you’re the real MVPs! As we count down to enrollment, we’d love to hear your summer reading memories.

👇 Join the conversation:
Were you a BOOK IT! kid?
What was your favorite summer read? 📚

04/26/2026

📣 Parking Lot Construction & Landscaping Update! The next phase of construction will begin on Thursday, May 7. This time, our long-awaited exterior projects will be completed. These projects include: new landscaping, a new parking lot, new sidewalks, and a drive-thru bookdrop.

During construction, the main entrance of the Library will be moved to our new exterior doors off the Orchard Room/MidLab spaces, facing St. Andrews. Parking will be available on the West end of the parking lot. We also recommend that patrons utilize the sidewalk running along St. Andrews to access the building during construction.

*Library hours will NOT be affected; the building will remain open during our regular hours.*

Note: Our outside book return may be unavailable periodically during concrete demolition and the pouring of new concrete. To compensate for this issue, our bookdrop bins outside the main entrance of City Hall (Located at 333 W. Ellsworth) will be reopened for patrons to drop off materials throughout the exterior construction projects.

We appreciate your patience as we make the Library's exterior safer and more appealing for our community! Learn more at https://www.gadml.org/parkinglot

04/23/2026

📢Celebrate with us by attending a program this week!

✳️Stop in tomorrow (April 23) and catch a film showing of "The Librarians" at 6:00pm. As a movement to ban books reaches the front doors of libraries across the country, librarians find themselves on the frontlines. (Not Rated, Approx. 1 hr, 32 min)

✳️Join us this Friday (April 24) for our Crochet & Knitting Club! Meet up with other community members who also love fiber arts from 10:30am to 12:00pm in the Library Lounge (located on the Youth Services level of the Library). For everyone from complete beginners to lifelong experts! This is a drop-in program.

✳️Meet "Michigan Chillers" and "American Chillers" author Johnathan Rand this Saturday (April 25) at 3:00pm in the Library Auditorium! Brought to you by Midland County Great Start Collaborative, Great Lakes Bay Unplug & Play, and the MiFamily Engagement Center. A book sale and book signing will take place after the presentation. Registration is not required.

04/23/2026

If you enjoyed out recent book sale, Midland has another one for folks who love books.

You can never have to many!

04/18/2026

🦖 **UPDATE: The 9:00am-10:00am time slots are now waitlist only, but the 10:30am & 11:00am time slots have lots of availability!**

Wake Up With The Dinos at Dow Gardens! (*GADML Library Card Required)

Bring your little dinosaur lover to a pancake breakfast with the dinosaurs on Saturday, June 6! Enjoy crafts and a Move and Groove program, explore Dow Gardens, and be sure to sign up for the 2026 Summer Reading Program: “Unearth a Story.” (Dressing up in your favorite dino gear is encouraged!)

🦕Registrants will also have free access to the "Dinosaurs Around the World" outdoor exhibition at Dow Gardens as part of this event!

*All attendees must register with a GADML card for a breakfast timeslot, which includes a 30-minute arrival window and runs from 9:00am to 11:30am. Please read the registration instructions and sign up for a time slot on our website at https://www.gadml.org/dinos.

04/18/2026

04/18/2026

Mark your calendars for Give Local Midland on Tuesday, May 5!

This year, the Library will allocate any Give Local donations we receive toward the construction of a new public outdoor patio space off of the Orchard Room/MidLab facing St. Andrews.

To learn more about Give Local and to donate on Tuesday, May 5, visit givelocalmidland.org.

04/18/2026

📣 Parking Lot Construction & Landscaping Starts Soon! The next phase of construction will begin on Monday, May 4. This time, our long-awaited exterior projects will be completed. These projects include: new landscaping, a new parking lot, and new sidewalks.

During construction, the main entrance of the Library will be moved to our new exterior doors off the Orchard Room/MidLab spaces, facing St. Andrews. Parking will be available on the West end of the parking lot. We also recommend that patrons utilize the sidewalk running along St. Andrews to access the building during construction.

*Library hours will NOT be affected; the building will remain open during our regular hours.*

Note: Our outside book return may be unavailable periodically during concrete demolition and the pouring of new concrete. To compensate for this issue, our bookdrop bins outside the main entrance of City Hall (Located at 333 W. Ellsworth) will be reopened for patrons to drop off materials throughout the exterior construction projects.

We appreciate your patience as we make the Library's exterior safer and more appealing for our community!

04/14/2026

Thanks to everyone we had our second best book sale on record!

04/13/2026

Thank you Friends volunteers and Grace A. Dow Memorial Library staff for another wonderful book sale!

It was great seeing so many faces this weekend. Look forward to seeing you all at the next sale!