The Paul VornHagen duo will perform at the Canton Public Library on Thursday, September 9 at 7:00PM in the library Community Room. Stop by for special selections from the American Jazz Songbook… it will have you tapping your toes and swaying to the music!

David Tennies is a Civil War historian and reenactor. Unlike many reenactors, Mr. Tennies portrays a civilian role, as Michigan Senator Jacob M. Howard.

Meet Mr. Tennies and ask him your questions as part of our Living Library program. To learn more, drop by our Meet & Greet on Saturday, September 25, from 1:00-3:00PM.

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.

This legal holiday is celebrated in the United States on the first Monday of every September. The first Labor Day celebration dates back to a parade in New York on Tuesday, September 5, 1882. More than half the states were celebrating Labor Day by 1893, but it wasn't made a national holiday until June 28, 1894, when President Grover Cleveland signed it into law.

Assault on Iwo Jima [videodisc]

Bataan rescue [videodisc] by a Green Umbrella film for American experience ; written and produced by David Axelrod ; directed by Peter Jones

The Battle of the Bulge [videodisc]: the deadliest battle of World War II by produced by Thomas Lennon ; written by Thomas Lennon & Mark Zwonitzer

Band of brothers. Part 1 & 2 [videodisc] by HBO in association with Dreamworks and Playtone

Battleground [videodisc] by Loew's Incorporated

The big red one [videodisc] by Lorimar presents a Samuel Fuller film

The bridge on the River Kwai [videodisc] by Colubmia Pictures

Veteran journalist Daniel Schorr passed away today at the age of 93. Born in the Bronx in 1916, Schorr began a 20-year career as a foreign correspondent in Western Europe in 1946, and later joined CBS News in 1953 as one of Murrow's Boys — the legendary news team put together by Edward R. Murrow.

We are currently digitizing materials related to our history as an institution. We are hard at work scanning photos and news clippings into our new digital collection. Eventually, the collection will be expanded to include materials relating to the history of the whole Canton community. Stay tuned for updates on this exciting project!

Here's a sneak peek of what's to come:

Do you remember when the library looked like this?

George H.W. Bush visits the library during his 1992 campaign.

University of Michigan Museum of Art has some beautiful Kimonos on display as part of their special exhibits. The exhibition runs through July 25th, 2010. Head out and enjoy the display.

Baa baa Black Sheep by Gregory "Pappy" Boyington

Band of brothers: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne : from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's nest by Stephen E. Ambrose

Bataan : a survivor's story by Gene Boyt with David L. Burch ; foreword by Gregory J.W. Urwin

Colditz : the full story by P.R. Reid

The "shot heard round the world" fired at Lexington, Massachusetts on April 19, 1775 began the War for American Independence. On July 4, 1776 the Continental Congress unanimously declared the independence of the Thirteen Colonies from Great Britain, and embarked on the war that ended eight and a half years later on September 3, 1783 with the Treaty of Paris.

Books: Reference

American Eras: The Revolutionary Era, 1754-1783 edited by Robert J. Allison (1998)

Founding the Republic: A Documentary History edited John J. Patrick (1995)

Who Knew?
Michigan has an officially recognized state book titled "The Legend of Sleeping Bear" by Kathy-Jo Wargin and Gijsbert van Krankenhuyzen. Read the book and earn a drawing slip for Summer Reading which qualifies for a non-fiction read about Michigan. Good Luck!

Major League Baseball and the Detroit Tigers are teaming up to celebrate the country's Polish heritage at Comerica Park on Friday, May 28. The festivities will begin at 5:30PM prior to the Tigers' game with the Oakland Athletics which will begin at 7:05. This marks the 40th consecutive year that Polish-American Baseball Night has been observed in Detroit. The celebration will include Polka dancing and the singing of the Polish national anthem, as well as a special ceremony honoring volunteers and Polish fraternal organizations.

Michigan Week is celebrated this year from the 16th through the 22nd of this month. This annual tribute began in 1954 as a way to promote state pride among citizens, and to celebrate the state's rich heritage. The Library can help you learn more about Michigan's history, its tremendous natural resources, and its beautiful sights to visit and enjoy.

Interested in your community or state's history? The Canton Historical Society is having a general meeting tonight, with featured speaker Jennifer Huff. The topic is the school district busing plan that was to affect metro Detroit in the early 1970s, and while you're at the museum you can check out the quilting exhibit. For more information, visit the Historical Society's events page on their website. Before the meeting, stop by the library to find more information about race relations in Detroit or other metropolitan busing proposals. You can also check out materials on Canton's history.

Age Strong! Live Long! is the focus of the Administration on Aging's Older Americans Month 2010. National Aging Services Network of state, tribal, Area Agencies on Aging such as The Senior Alliance, and community services providers such as Canton Seniors Center offer a wide variety of activities in May and throughout the year. Via AOA:

This year’s Older Americans Month theme — Age Strong! Live Long! — recognizes the diversity and vitality of today’s older Americans who span three generations. They have lived through wars and hard times, as well as periods of unprecedented prosperity.

Michigan Electronic Library (MeL) has a new addition to the growing collections on the Michigana database. Michigana: Sources in U.S. History Online features primary documents regarding many topics including Native Americans, railroads, and frontier life. It's another great source for Michigan and U.S. history!

April 21 is the 100 year anniversary of the death of Mark Twain (November 24, 1832 - April 21, 1910). A keen observer of human nature, Twain's stories portray America as it became a nation. An American humorist, lecturer, essayist, and author, several of Twain's books have been adapted for the screen including The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Life on the Mississippi, and a present-day version of The Prince and the Pauper.

Children of Dust a memoir written by Ali Eteraz reveals Islamic fundamentalism and madrassa life in rural Pakistan, the culture shock of moving to the U.S., and a journey of reconciliation to the modern Middle East. Author Ali Eteraz will speak on Wednesday, April 21st, 2010 at 12:00pm in the University of Michigan's Hatcher Graduate Library, Gallery - Room 100 (use Diag entrance).

Memorial Day was originally known as Decoration Day because it was a time set aside to honor the nation's Civil War dead by decorating their graves. It was first widely observed on May 30, 1868, to commemorate the sacrifices of Civil War soldiers. Here is a list of award winning military history by year with links to other related book awards.

For a shorter list, see the bookmark entitled "Books About WWII" listed under our nonfiction bookmarks or to view films with war settings, see "Feature Films about WWII" listed under our "Movies" bookmarks.