The CAR Allowance Rebate System (CARS), commonly referred to as Cash for Clunkers officially began on July 24th. Under this $1 billion government program consumers qualify for a cash credit towards the purchase of a more environmentally-friendly vehicle from a participating dealer when they trade in a less fuel-efficient car or truck. This program is also designed to help energize the economy; boost auto sales and put safer, cleaner and more fuel-efficient vehicles on the nation's roadways. Eligibility requirements and other details can be found at the official website for the program, CARS.gov.

If you, or someone you know, are having difficulty paying for prescriptions or Medicare Part B, trained MMAP Counselors are available to walk you through the application process step by step. By calling 1-800-803-7174, individuals will be routed to their local MMAP office. An additional service MMAP Counselors can offer is to explain the available Medicare Part D Prescription plans so that the consumer can make an educated decision on which plan will work best for them.

The U.S. National Park Service will waive entrance fees at more than 100 national parks during three special weekends this summer. Designed to promote tourism and help budget strapped families at the same time, these weekends are scheduled for June 20 & 21, July 18 & 19 and August 15 & 16. If you are thinking of packing up the car and heading out, be sure to stop by the library and& check out one of our many National Park Guidebooks.

For an overview of a specific country, try the CIA World Fact Book.  It will give you a brief history of the selected country, its main geographic features, types of natural hazards or disasters, political parties or factions, and domestic and international conflicts that are currently brewing.

If you are considering or looking for a federal government job, check out GovCentral.com.  Discover how to get a government job th

On May 7, 2009, the federal government issued the first economic recovery payments to people receiving Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits.  The payments are being issued on a staggered basis throughout the month of May.  If you have not received your payment by June 4, 2009, contact the Social Security offices at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) or visit your local Social Security office (34010 Plymouth Road, Livonia, MI 48150) to report your payment has not arrived.

Memorial Day was established in 1868 following the end of the American Civil War as General Orders No. 11, Grand Army of the Republic Headquarters:

II. It is the purpose of the Commander in Chief to inaugurate this observance with the hope that it will be kept up from year to year, while a survivor of the war remains to honor the memory of his departed comrades. He earnestly desires the public press to call attention to this Order, and lend its friendly aid in bringing it to the notice of comrades in all parts of the country in time for simultaneous compliance therewith.

Over the past two centuries, wars continue to be fought, and Hollywood has immortalized them on film:

Social networking is all the rage and President Obama is among those getting in on the act.  In addition to the Briefing Room Blog you can follow all the happenings at The White House on Twitter, Flickr and Facebook as well as several other sites.  It all adds up to a fun way to feel connected while keeping up on current events!

At $1.50 for the first page and $1 per additional page for outgoing domestic faxes (international faxes are $4.95 for the first page and $3.45 per page thereafter), Canton Public Library offers self-serve faxing at reasonable rates. But did you know that in many cases, you can scan and email your document(s) for free — avoiding fax charges altogether? Canton Public Library has flatbed (letter-size) scanners you can use at no cost. Once you have your scanned documents, simply send them to the recipient from your web-based email account from the same computer you used for scanning.

President Obama and members of the United States House of Representatives have reached an agreement on a bill that could offer as many as one million vehicle buyers a voucher for up to $4,500. Designed to help the struggling automotive industry, these vouchers could be applied to passengers cars, trucks and work vehicles. Under this plan, old passenger cars and trucks being traded in would have to get less than 18 m.p.g. Stay tuned as details are hammered out. In the meantime stop by the library to look at the Car & Driver 2009 Buyers Guide take a peek at all of the new and exciting vehicles available.

The Social Security office has launched a new online service.  Individuals preparing to retire can now complete the new online retirement application in as little as 15 minutes.  The application is available online at the Social Security's website.  It can easily be completed at any of our library computers.

Four years ago, a high school friend of mine called me and told me that  he had seen my name on the "missingmoney.com" website as having a check for less than $100.00 in the Michigan Department of the Treasury "Missing Money" account.  I went to the website, filled out the downloadable application and 3 weeks or so thereafter, I had a check in the mail for $75.00.

I thought, because of these difficult financial times, and because The Canton Public Library has a duty and a purpose to help the Community and our Patrons get through them, that I would share the website, which is  www.missingmoney.com.  This website is subscribed to by the Treasury Department of 26 states, and 2 Canadian Provinces.  It is not one of those "Send us some money, and we'll what happens" sites.

Have you ever noticed the current state of the world and wondered...WHY?  Visit Daryl Cagle's Professional Cartoonist Index for a different view of today's events.

The Canton Public Library and H&R Block have partnered to present a program on April 5 at 1 p.m. to help residents learn how the act affects them and how to prepare to claim these tax credits on their income tax form. Phyllis Wood, H&R Block Tax Specialist, will tell you how to plan for and document tax credits, what information you’ll need for your tax return and some of the differences between this year and last year’s allowances.

Filing for unemployment benefits just got a little easier with the release of Filing your claim for unemployment benefits & finding a job - a joint effort of the Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) and the Michigan Works! Agencies. This 17 minute DVD provides information on the claims-filing process for unemployment compensation and answers many of the typical questions asked by unemployed workers. Multiple copies are available at the Library.

Did you know you can check the status of your federal income tax refund online?  Simpy visit Where's My Refund and you can track your refund through this secure Web site.  Be sure to have a copy of tax returns handy so that you can enter all the relevant information!

Today President Obama created a new council whose mission will be "to provide a coordinated federal response to the challenges confronted by women and girls and to ensure that all Cabinet and Cabinet-level agencies consider how their policies and programs impact women and families." Its goals include improving women's economic security and healthcare, and preventing violence against women - both home and abroad. The full text of the executive order can be found here.

Each day seems to bring more bad news about Americans facing foreclosure and Michigan is among the hardest hit states.  Many neighborhoods are seeing the effects first hand and people faced with such 

Much has been said about what the new American Recovery and Reinvestment Act means to individuals.  The Internal Revenue Service outlines some of the tax-related provisions of the new program and answers common questions in a recent news release.

Check out our lobby bulletin board and display racks for information ranging from community events to financial aid forms and publications on state government. There are sections for seniors and health, too. All publications are free and change on a rotating basis.