2010 is almost upon us, and you know what that means? Time to be counted! The U.S. Census is taken every 10 years and helps determine the following:

• Locations for schools, roads, hospitals, child-care and senior citizen centers, and more.
• Locations for supermarkets, shopping centers, new housing and other facilities.
• How many seats each state will have in the U.S. House of Representatives as well as the boundaries of legislative districts.

National Cyber Security Alliance
Federal Trade Commission
Homeland Security

Remote access to the Morningstar.com database has been restored.  Remote patrons are those connecting from outside the Library or from the Library's wireless service.  The database had been unavailable remotely for the past 2-3 days.  Patrons who were unable to access Morningstar.com should be able to connect now.  If  you are still experiencing connection problems please contact the Library.

Thank you for your patience.

Whether it's Simone Weil or Simone de Beauvoir...    Whether it's John Mayer or John Tyler...   Whether it's Marilyn Monroe or Marilyn Manson...

Biographical information is at your fingertips for over 380,000 people--from throughout history, around the world, and across all disciplines and subject areas--in the Biography Resource Center. 

Whatever the depth of knowledge you need, it's here.  Brief summary biographies give you "just the facts, ma'am."   In-depth biographies provide overviews of the person's life and
 

Here are some great web sites to help you find good books for your children.

Kidsreads.com
Part of The Book Report Network, a group of websites that share book reviews, compelling features, in-depth author profiles and interviews, excerpts of the hottest new releases, literary games and contests, and more with readers every week.

About.com: Children's Books
Lots of ads, but still good. You can sign up for Elizabeth Kennedy's (a journalist and educator) email newsletter.

Reading is Fundamental

Did you know there's an auto mechanic 'on duty' 24/7 at the library?

Whether you're fixing up your first car, keeping the family chariot running smoothly, or renovating a classic, ELPL has the ChiltonLibrary.com auto repair database that can help get you rolling!

The Chilton Car Care manuals in print have a decades-long reputation for being the reliable and trusted resource for complete and detailed automotive information.  Now, the online Chilton database puts the same trustworthy information at your fingertips. 

To access ChiltonLibrary.com, click on the Research tab at the top of the page, then choose ChiltonLibrary.com from the alphabetical list of databases.  You will need to enter your library card number.

Summer's here and what better time to think about the health of you and your family?  The Health and Wellness Resource Center database is your one-stop source for quality information.

Find out how to deal with summer's sunburn, mosquito bites, and heat dehydration.  Look up a specific drug and the symptoms it treats.  Or search by symptom and find out what drugs treat those symptoms.  Find a medical term confusing?  Look it up in the dictionary section.  Then stay up to date on health and medical issues in "Topics in the News." 

The Health and Wellness Resource Center is available in the alphabetical list of databases under the Research tab at the top of the page.

For guidelines on evaluating any health information on the internet, check out MedlinePlus: Evaluating Health Information.

Are you ready?  The library is here to help!

First, we've got all sorts of books (many with accompanying CDs and DVDs) to get you started.  Just go to the Catalog tab at the top of this page and search the key words ACT study guides in the catalog.

Next, head over to the Research tab, click through to the alphabetical list of databases and choose Learn A Test.  With your library card number you'll gain access to a real treasure trove.  After registering (for first time users), click on College Preparation on the left panel, then choose ACT Preparation -- there, you'll find ACT practice tests and free online preparation courses.  In addition, if you go back to the Learn A Test front page and click on ebooks (under What Do I Do Now?), you'll find a complete library of free ebooks such as ACT Exam Success, and many more on building reading, math, and writing skills.

Finally, these web sites should help you out:

ACT - the official site
ACT Exam Practice Tests
Test Prep Review for the ACT

With all this help, you can't help but ace the ACT!  Good luck!
 

The final physical contact between humans and the Hubble telescope occurred last week.  Visit http://hubblesite.org to find out all about Hubble and its successor, the Webb Space Telescope.  You can also watch videos of Servicing Mission 4. 

Two of the library's latest acquisitions on the Hubble are:

• Hubble Imaging Space and Time
• The Universe in a Mirror: The Saga of the Hubble and the Visionaries Who Built It

 Seeking Michigan has won the 2009 Best Archives on the Web Award.    Seeking Michigan is about…Michigan of course!  The name derives from the state motto: "Si quaeris peninsulam amoenam circumspice," ”If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you.”   At Seeking Michigan, you can explore Michigan's past and present in three sections.  The "Seek" section lets you search the archives of the State of Michigan for photographs, maps, spoken histories, and documents such as death records.  The "Discover" section is a group of collections that feature unique aspects of Michigan’s history, such as the Civil War, music, oral history, lighthouses, and so much more.  The "Look" section features an eclectic collection of stories, photos and more to connect you to our great state and its wonderful history.  Seeking Michigan was created by the Library of Michigan and the State Archives of Michigan.

The following websites will keep you up-to-date with comprehensive information about the current public health concern surrounding influenza.

PandemicFlu.gov.  Provides one-stop access to all U.S. government swine, avian, and pandemic flu information.

Ingham County Health Department.

Michigan Department of Community Health - Influenza Page.  Includes reports on current influenza activity in the state.

The Library of Michigan has announced the Michigan Notable Books for 2009.

Every year, the Library of Michigan selects up to twenty of the most notable books, either written by a Michigan resident or about Michigan or the Great Lakes.  Each selected title speaks to our state's rich cultural, historical, and literary heritage and proves without a doubt that some of the greatest stories are found in the Great Lakes State.

The U.S. Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program has released the 2007 updated statistics for East Lansing.  Data profiles include official estimates of changes from the 2000 census for demographic. social, economic, and housing characteristics.
 
A number cruncher's delight!