The University of Michigan's Museum of Natural History presents a series of three fun family workshops about science. This year, to tie in with their temporary exhibition at the Museum called Evolution and Health (February 2012-January 2013), they are focusing on showing families what doctors mean when they talk about health, and how factors in our daily lives may affect our health.

In commemoration of Black History Month we are celebrating some of Black America’s firsts in aviation and aerospace. Through the month of February, stop by and view our display case near the Receptionist Desk highlighting some of these pioneering aviators. From the first known Black pilot to the youngest African American (12 yrs) flyer. Their lives and stories are a celebration of the human spirit and an inspiration to all that against all odds and great adversity you can achieve your dream… you can touch the sky! To learn more about blacks in aviation visit some of these exciting resources:

According to an article from the Michigan Water Stewardship Program, as of Friday, June 27, wolves have officially been removed from the Federal Endangered Species List in the western Great Lakes region including Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota. The management authority over wolves in Michigan has been returned to the Department of Natural Resources.

Canton Seniors Book Discussion group will meet on Wednesday, March 28 from 2:00-3:00 PM in Canton Public Library's Group Study Room A. We are reading:

The immortal life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot — Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa. She was a poor Southern tobacco farmer who worked the same land as her slave ancestors, yet her cells-taken without her knowledge-became one of the most important tools in medicine. The first "immortal" human cells grown in culture, they are still alive today, though she has been dead for more than sixty years.

Khan Academy is a free, fun, educational and totally awesome organization. The goal of Khan Academy is to change "education for the better by providing a free world-class education to anyone anywhere." The site contains over 2,700 videos on math, physics, biology, chemistry, finance and art. Students, parents, coaches, and teachers can use Khan Academy in many ways. Teachers and homeschool parents can use this resource to coordinate classwork and monitor student work. Kids looking for homework help can find explanations and practice examples on the virtual scratch pad. Adults looking for continuing education opportunities will find help here as well.

The University of Michigan's Museum of Natural History presents a series of three fun family workshops about science. This year, to tie in with their temporary exhibition at the Museum called Evolution and Health (February 2012-January 2013), they are focusing on showing families what doctors mean when they talk about health, and how factors in our daily lives may affect our health.

We invite you to register for the first workshop in the series titled How YOU work: What are you made of and what do your vital signs mean?. The event takes place in the Community Room on Saturday, January 14, 2012, from 1:00-2:00 PM. You will explore what makes you who you are. You'll look at the building blocks that make our bodies (cells and DNA), figure out what the numbers doctors talk about really tell you, and see how it all works together. Workshops are designed for children ages 6-11, accompanied by an adult. Online registration begins December 31 at 9:00am.

Final day to vote for the New Seven Wonders of the World is Friday, November 11. The choice has been narrowed to 28 places around the world. Three of the nominations are in North America. The Grand Canyon-USA, The Bay of Fundy-Canada, and El Yunque-Puerto Rico. Vote now!

As the Canton Public Library continues to deal with a declining budget, patrons are reminded the "magazine express" program has been discontinued.

The physics world is abuzz with news that a group of European physicists has clocked a burst of subatomic particles known as neutrinos breaking the speed of light that was calculated by Albert Einstein in 1905, according to the New York Times. Was Albert Einstein wrong to think that the speed of light was the ultimate speed? Does this mean that time-travel will become a possibility?

Neutrino by Frank Close

Museum Adventure Program passes will be available until September 23, 2011 to check out. Museums will accept passes until September 30, 2011.

The 2012 program will run from Memorial Day until Labor Day.

Hey Kids! Did you hear about the rare earthquake that shook the East Coast of the United States yesterday? It was a magnitude 5.8 earthquake with the epicenter located near the town of Mineral, VA. Lots of buildings suffered damage, even the Washington Monument cracked during the shaking. People reported feeling tremors as far north as Maine, as far south as South Carolina and as far west as Illinois. As you read this, if you are wondering what magnitude, epicenter, or tremor mean, check out some of our great Earthquake books. These books will tell you why earthquakes happen, how to be safe if you are in an earthquake, and even tell stories of major earthquakes in history.

Parents, are you looking for materials to make sure your kids don't lose important skills over the summer? Check out our books of Summer Bridge Activities for preschool through sixth grade. You can also check out the Spectrum Series for test prep that covers math, language, social studies, and science. And don't forget about the Summer Smarts series that will help your kids review what they've already learned, and get them ready for what's to come in the fall. You can find all these books in the Parenting section in the Children's Department.

Looking for the latest groundbreaking books providing a new take on some of cosmology's most profound questions? If you want to tour some of the strange and wonderful universes that modern physics posits that just might-be out there, turn to our latest collection of titles.

Cycles of time: an extraordinary new view of the universe by Roger Penrose

The book of universes: exploring the limits of the cosmos by John D. Barrow

The grand design by Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow

It doesn't feel warm enough, but Ozone Action season started May 1. Consider carpooling and using transit for cleaner air and the fuel savings.

Thousands of Medicare beneficiaries will receive an invitation in May to be part of a special study looking at the impact of age-related changes on functional ability. The National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) will be seeking some 9,000 people aged 65 and older to participate in this long-term study, funded by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of the National Institutes of Health. NHATS will examine how the daily lives of older adults change as they age. Participants will be randomly chosen from across the country.

For the first time in 27 years, clinical diagnostic criteria for Alzheimer’s disease dementia have been revised, and research guidelines for earlier stages of the disease have been characterized to reflect a deeper understanding of the disorder. The National Institute on Aging/Alzheimer’s Association Diagnostic Guidelines for Alzheimer’s Disease outline some new approaches for clinicians and provide scientists with more advanced guidelines for moving forward with research on diagnosis and treatments.
(Photo credit: PHILIPPE HUGUEN/AFP/Getty Images/elibrary)

On Saturday, June 25^th from 1:00-5:00PM, CPL will host some of the most creative hobbyists and hackers in the Metro Detroit Area for our second CPL Hack Day. Our Community Room will be full of demonstrations and presentations of hacks ranging from robotics to web apps to modded IKEA furniture to scrapbooking.

If you or someone you know is a 'hacker' in a special field; if you have ingenious and/or unconventional workarounds and solutions, then consider doing a presentation or having a demo table at Hack Day. Time slots and planning discussion can be found at the Hack Day CantonWiki page. For any questions, please contact Brad Czerniak at czerniakb@cantonpl.org.

A friend's introduction to the live Eagle Cam at Norfolk Botanical Gardens is fascinating and quite an educational experience for all ages. This eagle couple has three chicks, or are they fledglings? Find the answer to this and the myriad questions you will have after viewing these majestic eagles. Check out this book on our nation's symbol Eagles and for adults, Eagles: Masters of the Sky.

Thursday, March 17, 4:00-7:00PM: Open House
This month at the Hatcher Graduate Library, the theme is “Mapping Science” in conjunction with the current Library Gallery exhibit Places & Spaces: Mapping Science, a traveling exhibit created by Dr. Katy Börner of Indiana University. The exhibit was created to demonstrate the power of maps to navigate and manage physical places but also abstract topic spaces. It introduces knowledge mapping techniques to the general public. It is meant to inspire cross-disciplinary discussion on how to best track and communicate human activity and scientific progress on a global scale. Allow time to view maps from the Map Library as well as the exhibit.

I now can identify certain birds by song thanks to this book. The Backyard Birdsong Guide: A Guide to Listening by Donald Kroodsma is a real treat — especially as Spring approaches. Look up a variety of birds located in Eastern and Central North America and you will find a photo of the bird, a brief description, information about their habitat, as well as information about their singing. But what is really nifty is that you can then punch in the number located next to the bird in the sound device located in the book and listen to the bird singing!