Willard Library is thrilled to announce the 20th season of Battle Creek Reads, continuing its cherished tradition of uniting the community through the shared joy of reading. Since its inception in 2005, the program has brought residents together around impactful stories, starting with its inaugural selection, Pay it Forward by Catherine Ryan Hyde, inspired by Nancy Pearl’s “One Book, One Community” initiative. Accessibility and engagement have always been cornerstones of Battle Creek Reads. Willard Library provides free copies of each year’s selected title to as many community members as possible, culminating in a highly anticipated author event. Memorable past highlights include Jeanette Walls’ 2008 presentation on The Glass Castle, which attracted nearly 1,000 attendees to the Lakeview Middle School Auditorium, and notable selections like The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein (2011), The Day the World Came to Town by Jim DeFede (2013), and The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray (2023). Even during the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, the program adapted with virtual author events in 2020 and 2021. Library Director Matt Willis, who was part of the original planning team alongside former Library Director Rick Hulsey, community advocate Bill Schroer, Father Chris Yaw, and Michael McCullough, reflects on the program’s enduring impact. “These events create a unique opportunity for book lovers to connect,” said Willis. “It’s wonderful to see people gather to hear an author, ask questions, and share their passion for reading.” The book selection process has evolved over the years. Initially guided by steering committees including community members, Willard Library’s staff now chooses titles based on community engagement potential, patron feedback, and insights from programs like Book Club in a Bag. “Battle Creek is a fantastic place for book lovers,” added Willis. “Our community values reading and comes together to celebrate it in a way that’s truly unique.” For its 20th season, Battle Creek Reads proudly presents Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt. A New York Times bestseller and a Read With Jenna Today Show Book Club pick, the book has sold over a million copies and spent more than a year on the New York Times Hardcover bestseller list. The novel’s heartwarming and deeply human story has also made it a favorite among Willard Library patrons. Remarkably Bright Creatures tells the story of Tova, a widow working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, and her […]

Battle Creek is proud of its history, and no wonder. Founded in the 1830s as a market and mill center for prairie farmers, the city in a few decades would emerge is as “the best-known city of its size in the country.” Many individuals fueled the city’s rise to prominence. It was the birthplace of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, today the fifth largest Christian communion in the world. The Smithsonian named its founder, Ellen G. White, among the “100 Most Significant Americans of All Time.” Battle Creek also was home to the renowned abolitionist and women’s rights advocate Sojourner Truth and Underground Railroad stationmaster Erastus Hussey.  The city was a hub for health reform movements, with the establishment of the Battle Creek Sanitarium by John Harvey Kellogg, which attracted notable figures and promoted healthy eating practices. And, of course, the city is widely known “Cereal City,” thanks to the genius of people like C.W. Post and W.K. Kellogg. Although we’re surrounded by history in Battle Creek, it’s easy to lose sight of the humanity of those who made history — individuals with dreams, struggles, and triumphs like us. Our aim with Things Worth Remembering is to bring those people into sharper focus.  In observance of Black History Month, we celebrate the contributions of baseball legend John W. Patterson and aviation pioneer Sidney Adams Jr., among others. We invite you to browse the exhibition, where you also will find prints of articles and photographs of some of those subjects to take home.

It’s tempting when we reflect on those people whose accomplishments we considerhistoric to imagine ourselves at their side, on “the right side of history.” Alas, historytakes no side. Nor does history judge its actors. People do that, and they usually on contemporaryvalues rather than context so crucial to understanding history. As a result, historicalaccounts are exaggerated in the retelling, but we lose sight of the complexity of theirorigins. Generally, people don’t plan to make history — they’re just doing the best they can in acomplicated and sometimes hostile world. C.W. Post, for example, was a struggling inventor and land speculator before he arrivedat Battle Creek in 1891 as a patient at the Sanitarium. His physician, Dr. John HarveyKellogg, didn’t expect him to live, but in January of 1895 Post launched the companythat created the cereal industry and turned Battle Creek into a manufacturingpowerhouse. As far as we know, Erastus Hussey had no affiliation with the abolitionist movementwhen in 1838 he settled in Battle Creek, where he was stationmaster for theUnderground Railroad. He and his wife, Sarah, aided and sheltered more than 1,000people escaping slavery, some of them who made their own contributions to BattleCreek’s history. Both are featured in this month’s Things Worth Remembering exhibit at Willard Library.The exhibit also marks the January 1943 anniversary of the Percy Jones GeneralHospital — today’s Hart-Dole-Inouye Federal Center — receiving its first patients duringWorld War II. Stop in and take a look — and return often! We regularly update the exhibit with newartifacts and photographs, and we’re always open to your contributions.