Fresh Coast Bookshelf: Book Announcement #1!

Posted on by Lena Burdick

The Fresh Coast
Bookshelf 2026

coming soon from the Library of the Great Lakes

All of our local Great Lakes region public libraries will have the chance to apply for a “Bookshelf in a Box” – a curated selection of 12 books across age range and genre that celebrate the Great Lakes, plus a full-color display kit to help promote their new bookshelf!

The selection list includes fantastic, fresh titles from children’s literature, adult fiction, nonfiction and poetry – and…

The first four titles to be revealed are:

The cover of Sisters In The Wind by Angeline Boulley. The cover features a red background with artwork of a woman whose face is obscured by a bird.
The cover of Women Writing on the Great Lakes featuring a photograph of rolling storm clouds over water.
Cover of the book Skating Wild on an Inland Sea. The cover features an illustration of a frozen lake with a small figure skater. The skate marks in the ice form the script of the title.
The cover of Plants of the Great Lakes Region by Philippa Joly. The cover includes pictures of children interacting with nature.
Find these titles in our Digital Bookshelf

Sisters in the Wind
by Angeline Boulley

Skating Wild on an Inland Sea
by Jean Pendziwol (author) and Todd Stewart (illustrator)

Fresh Water, Women Writing on the Great Lakes
by Alison Swan

A Kid’s Guide to Plants of the Great Lakes Region
by Phillipa Joly

Save the Date: Application period opens January 28th!

Program open to all public libraries within the 8 U.S. States and 2 Canadian Provinces in the Great Lakes region (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, Ontario and Quebec).

Come back on December 15th when we’ll reveal the next four titles!

Post Image: October Saugatuck by John Shultz

The Fresh Coast Bookshelf 2026

Posted on by Lena Burdick

Coming this January!

The Fresh Coast Bookshelf 2026

brought to you by Library of the Great Lakes
–

The Fresh Coast Bookshelf program is a curated selection of books across age range and genre that celebrate the Great Lakes

Starting in January, applications will be accepted from public libraries for a chance to be awarded a Fresh Coast Bookshelf at no cost, which will also include a ready-made full-color display kit with poster, bookmarks, stickers and more to help highlight and feature these fantastic Great Lakes books!

Program open to all public libraries within the 8 U.S. States and 2 Canadian Provinces in the Great Lakes region (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, Ontario and Quebec)

Awardees will get 12 curated titles to build their very own Fresh Coast Bookshelf!

Check back on Nov. 17th, when we’ll reveal the first four titles on the shelf…

Post Image: October Saugatuck by John Shultz

Coming Soon!

Posted on by Lena Burdick

The Fresh Coast Bookshelf 2026, brought to you by Library of the Great Lakes

October Saugatuck by John Schultz

The Fresh Coast Bookshelf is a brand new application program bringing libraries in the region a curated selection of 12 books across age range and genre that celebrate the Great Lakes. It will include a ready-made “display in a box” to help highlight and feature these fantastic Great Lakes books.

Applications will be accepted starting in January for a chance to be awarded a program kit at no cost to the selected libraries.

Check back next month to find out more!

Get Caught Up In The Gales of November!

Posted on by Lena Burdick

The Library of the Great Lakes is excited to recommend The Gales of November, John U. Bacon’s new book about the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald.

View in our Digital Library
Order Here
The cover for the book "The Gales of November" by John U. Bacon. Includes a color illustration of the ship the Edmund Fitzgerald in heavy waves.

For three decades following World War II, the Great Lakes overtook Europe as the epicenter of global economic strength. The region was the beating heart of the world economy, possessing all the power and prestige Silicon Valley does today. And no ship represented the apex of the American Century better than the 729-foot-long Edmund Fitzgerald―the biggest, best, and most profitable ship on the Lakes […] When she sank, she took all 29 men onboard down with her, leaving the tragedy shrouded in mystery for a half century.

Read Lori Tucker Sullivan’s review of The Gales of November

50 Years On, Remembering the Edmund Fitzgerald

50 Years On, Remembering the Edmund Fitzgerald

'The Gales of November' was a labor of love for Bacon, who, like many in the Midwest, grew up hearing stories of the tragedy. It's a weighty tome, coming in at over 400 pages, and full of interesting facts and heart-rending remembrances… nextavenue.org

Author John U. Bacon is going on tour!

This Fall, Bacon will be touring the country, including several stops in the Great Lakes. For information on tour dates and ordering The Gales of November, visit his website.

A picture of author John U. Bacon on a stormy beach.
September is National Library Card Signup Month!

September is National Library Card Signup Month!

Posted on by Lena Burdick

Celebrate Library Card Signup Month!

This September, we invite you to celebrate Library Card Sign-Up Month and discover how a single card can open the door to endless opportunities.

While Library of the Great Lakes doesn’t offer cards or membership, we encourage you to stop in to your local library to check out their resources and events this month! Find your local library here: United States | Canada

With a library card, you can do more than check out books. From free classes and job resources to homework help, streaming media, and cultural events, today’s libraries connect communities to information, inspiration, and each other.

This year’s theme, “One Card, Endless Possibilities,” is a reminder that libraries are for everyone—no matter your age, background, or goals. Whether you’re diving into a new hobby, searching for your next great read, brushing up on tech skills, or helping your child succeed in school, it all starts with a library card.

Dive into The Accidental Reef by Lynne Heasley!

Posted on by Lena Burdick

The Library of the Great Lakes wants to highlight this engaging, educational, and beautifully-illustrated book The Accidental Reef by Lynne Heasley. Spend some time learning about the nature that surrounds us and what we stand to lose if it is not protected.

View In Our Digital Library

2022 NAUTILUS SILVER WINNER FOR LYRIC PROSE

A book cover featuring whimsical art of a large fish jumping out of water.

Lynne Heasley illuminates an underwater world that, despite a ferocious industrial history, remains wondrous and worthy of care […] this powerful book takes readers on journeys through the Great Lakes, alongside fish and fishers, scuba divers and scientists, toxic pollutants and threatened communities, oil pipelines and invasive species, Indigenous peoples and federal agencies. […] Suffused with curiosity, empathy, and wit, The Accidental Reef will not fail to astonish and inspire.

Living Here – issue iii, June 2024

Living Here – issue iii, June 2024

Posted on by Lena Burdick

All of us who have the privilege of spending time on the Great Lakes have our own special places, places we share with family and friends, perhaps, or ones we go to only by ourselves. We usually try to keep them private, even if we have absolutely no claim to them. I have a few, most of them hard to get to, maybe impossible for most people. But here’s one anyone in a car could find if they might want to. I should probably keep it secret, but since there is really nothing very dramatic about it, nor is there much to do once you get there, I figure that if I ever ran into anyone there, they would be someone I would probably enjoy talking to.

Living Here – issue ii, April 2024

Living Here – issue ii, April 2024

Posted on by Lena Burdick

All of us who have the privilege of spending time on the Great Lakes have our own special places, places we share with family and friends, perhaps, or ones we go to only by ourselves. We usually try to keep them private, even if we have absolutely no claim to them. I have a few, most of them hard to get to, maybe impossible for most people. But here’s one anyone in a car could find if they might want to. I should probably keep it secret, but since there is really nothing very dramatic about it, nor is there much to do once you get there, I figure that if I ever ran into anyone there, they would be someone I would probably enjoy talking to.