Here is a great article about the Wayne State University Press and University of Michigan Press. In recent years they have both taken up the tasks of publishing books by Michigan authors and about topics having to do with Michigan. Search for Michigan History in our catalog to see some of the books about Michigan History that are in the Canton Public Library's collection.

If you enjoy Halloween, are very theatrical, or just interested in the way people dressed way back when, check out Costume History at the Costume Discounters website. Each link takes you to different sites that highlight period dress from Ancient Egyptians up to the 1950s and some even include links for patterns for recreating the specific type of dress highlighted. Happy dressing!

Did you miss the Perseid meteor shower due to the overcast evening? Or, perhaps, you decided sleep was more important? Or did you just forget? If you missed it, you may want to read this man's account of the meteor shower from a kayak on Lake Michigan. You might also want to check out theskyscrapers.org and mark your calendar for future meteor events. Be sure to have Falling Stars: A Guide to Meteors and Meteorites by Mike D. Reynolds by your side.

The Newseum "educates the public about the value of a free press in a free society." Located in Washington, D.C., the Newseum is open to the public and offers a unique interactive map that shows you the front pages of 800 daily newspapers from around the world, with direct links to the online versions of those newspapers. Keep up with events across the globe, use it for your personal interests, or for research.

From a slightly longer shortlist of contenders, the British Crime Writers’ Association (CWA) and its corporate partners, Specsavers, Cactus TV, and ITV3, have now announced the four finalists in each category for the 2010 Gold, Steel, and John Creasey Dagger Awards. Winners will be announced on Friday, October 8. A special awards ceremony that night at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel will be filmed, and then televised on ITV3 the following week.  (Photo: Tom Harper, CWA Chairperson)

Selecting the perfect destination for a quick getaway or even a long weekend has never been easier. Find a unique blend of hotels, restaurants, attractions and events all concentrated within one area of many flavors — the city of Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Experience the allure and inspiration of a town that will remind you of life’s potential. Relax, re-energize and unwind. Indulge your palette with world cuisines, and engage your senses with a broad array of arts, culture and world-class entertainment.

This just out from Janet' Randolph's Dying for Chocolate blog:

August 4 is National Chocolate Chip Day. Obviously I've blogged many different Chocolate Chip Recipes from cookies to ice cream to truffles to pound cake to cheesecake to pancakes… and a lot more. I usually throw some chocolate chips in most of my recipes. It's almost always appropriate because you can never have enough chocolate!

Ze Frank recently sought reading recommendations from friends reading his blog. If Ze sounds like a familiar name to you, you may remember How to Dance Properly, the show, youngmenowme, or chillout. He's a fascinating guy. What follows is the first five pages of his crowd-sourced reading list in our catalog:

The time traveler's wife : a novel by Audrey Niffenegger

Naked lunch : the restored text by William S. Burroughs ; edited by James Grauerholz and Barry Miles

Black swan green : a novel by David Mitchell

Facebook has created a new Safety Page which has already become popular with many fans. This page has advice, articles, videos and much more to keep Facebook users protected. For more information, check out this article from School Library Journal or go straight to the Safety Page.
[Photo courtesy of Andrew Feinberg on Flickr]

For all those kids who are thinking about a future in Science or Engineering, this is the website for you. The National Defense Education Program presents Lab TV. The site features dozens of webisodes that demonstrate research that is being done everyday to improve our world. So start challenging yourself to ask new questions and investigate some amazing research.

At today's Google Business Center program, we went over many mostly-free products offered by Google that provide value to your business. All of them are listed at google.com/options and google.com/services (if only I remembered that a few hours ago!). Below is a brief listing of products highlighted today and what they do:

• AdWords — Run search-based ads for your business and increase traffic to your products
• AdSense — Get paid to place ads for other businesses on your website
• Google Places — Claim you business's listing in Google search and maps
• Google Analytics — Detailed website statistics with minimal effort
• Google Merchant Center — Make your products appear in Google's shopping results
• Google Apps — Affordable, custom online productivity tools for your business
• Gmail — Free email with great productivity features
• Google Docs — Documents, Spreadsheets, Presentations, and more from any browser, collaborative, available anywhere, and free. Awesome

Attention all parents and kids that love books! This website, Book Worm for kids, is a great way to learn more about great books that are out there for you. The website lists new books, award winning books, and recommended books by age, from babies through teens. Readers can see a picture of the book, as well as a summary. Books are also categorized by Themes, Genre and Subject for children with specific interests. A great source for teachers and librarians as well.

You hear it all the time, "Internet identity theft on the rise." If you have been searching for a resource on identity theft protection and more, look no further. OnGuard Online is a website from the Federal Government in collaboration with businesses in the technology industry, which provides tips to help you be on guard against internet fraud, secure your computer, and protect your personal information. OnGuard Online's Net Cetera provides information on how to keep children safe and secure online. These websites provide information and tutorials on spyware, online shopping, and much more. A Spanish version of this site is also available.

Check out this awesome website: Jefferson Lab.
It has all a lot of great information for students and teachers. Those elusive and puzzling particles (atoms, molecules, quarks, electrons, etc. ) will never seem quite so daunting. Explanations are clear and come with super graphics helping you to 'finally get the picture' about what matter is all about. You can also enjoy some fun games an puzzles dealing with the nature of science reality. Practice tests are there for the brave of heart. Teachers and parents will also be thrilled with what is available on science site. Don't delay...check it all out today!

Canton community leaders, including local business professionals, health care professionals, school representatives, judges and attorneys, have united to form Team Canton with the purpose of bringing local resources together in order to help those in need. Team Canton's Community Assistance Resource Guide contains local information on "food pantries, clothing banks, financial assistance, job placement assistance, and education and training programs" and more. You may also want to check out this relevant blog posting on recession resources.

Kids, do you want to be a scientist, game designer, sportscaster, or chef when you grow up? How about an engineer, meteorologist, or inventor? If you have ever thought about any of these careers, check out Math Apprentice to see why math is the basis for so many careers. Play any of these cool games, and let math help you become anything you want to be!

Kids, do want to stay informed and up-to-date on the latest news that matters to you? Do you wish there was a great website full of articles written with you in mind? Look no further. Head on over to DOGO News and take a look around. DOGO is filled with news stories covering current events, sports, science, and more — and it's all geared toward kids. The coolest part is that many of DOGO's articles are actually written by kids just like you! Check it out!

As we'll discuss at the Google Business Center program tomorrow, local listings and reviews are a great way to increase website traffic and foster healthy customer relationships.

When you list (or claim, or check in) your business on these sites, you have some control over what information appears. Having a listing is the first step toward engaging people and in turn having them engage their social circles.

Here are some examples of a familiar local venue's listings on various sites:

• YellowPages
• Google Maps (Places)
• Yahoo! Local
• Yelp (Local review site)
• Insiderpages
• Judy's Book
• Bing Local
• Foursquare
• Citysearch

Hey Kids, have you noticed that the back design on pennies has changed recently? Are you collecting State Quarters? Have you ever heard about Fort Knox, the secret compound where our nation's gold is stored? You can learn about all of these and more at the H.I.P. Pocket Change Web Site, from the U.S. Mint. You'll find out that those coins jingling in your pockets aren't just pocket change.

Do you keep up with the fun stuff on the web? If not, here's a quick overview of this week:

• Slashfilm posted AMC coupons for $1 popcorn and pop (this Sunday only!)
• The Prime Minister of Thailand faces an interesting texting scandal
• Ken Segall comments on Apple's arrogance in Antennagate [via Daring Fireball]
• Todd Levin's fascinating take on Conan's Tonight Show in GQ [via Kottke]
• Cheap Healthy Good suggests some no-cook meal ideas
• Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos gave Princeton's commencement speech. Takeaway: "it's harder to be kind than clever." [via Kottke]
• Fast Company gives a vision of what commercial airliners might look like in 40 years. Spoiler alert: a lot like airliners now
• Kevin Spacey does spot-on impersonations on Inside the Actors Studio
• 37signals blog Signal vs. Noise posts a pic of a cool tape dispenser
• Lifehacker links to Workoutz, a site with free exercise videos
• I assure you, you can ensure proper word usage using this article from wikiHow
• Got 8000 bones and an idea for an experiment?
• Get the freshest ingredients — Eat the Seasons tells you what's in season locally [via Lifehacker]
• Not a superhero? There may still be hope for you yet
• 12 Super Cheap, Super Nutritious Foods You Should Be Eating. Now that's a headline!
• How to Argue Like a Reasonable Adult — a Basic Instructions comic of truth
• Are you an Arrested Development fan? Try this quiz
• Writing tips for anyone [via Kottke]

Seen anything cool on the web this week? Post it in the comments for everyone to enjoy!