Planning a voyage, but have no idea which line best fits your personality? Turn to the cruise 101 story.They take a hard look at 15 cruise lines strengths,weaknesses and price points. Cruises

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.

This week is National Library Week, an annual celebration of the contributions of libraries and library workers to the fabric of community life. This year's theme is "Worlds Connect @ Your Library," and if you've been to CPL lately, you know that this is true! Use of the library has increased 13% compared to 2008, which saw increases of 11% over 2007. While the recession is hitting the library, too, we remain committed to excellent service, outstanding collections of books, music, movies, and games, nearly 150 computers, free wi-fi, wireless printing, and free programming for all ages from storytimes to craft programs to musical events to computer classes.

We are proud to offer the Canton community all of these services, and want to hear from you to help us plan for our future--what should we keep doing? What should we stop doing? What should we start doing? Come on in and visit us this week, get a Canton Public Library card, and discover your public library!

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.

In his new book, Why GM Matters : Inside the Race to Transform an American Icon, William Holstein makes the argument that GM is essential to our nation's well-being.  He goes deep inside GM to show what's really happening at the country's most iconic corporation.  Holstein explains how GM has already radically retooled its entire operation, from manufacturing and cost structure to design.

The Friends of the Canton, Plymouth, Northville and Novi Libraries present the 23rd annual Book & Author Luncheon featuring guest author and speaker Paula Tutman, WDIV reporter.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Fox Hills Country Club in Plymouth Twp.
Lunch included.  Seating at 11:30 with lunch at 12 noon.
Tutman is the author of Deadline, a thriller loosely based on her true life experience as a police reporter.
Tickets available at library reception desk for $25 from April 1 to May 4.

Secondhand Prose Used Book Shop April Specials. . .
All gardening, craft and hobby books are buy two, get one free.
This is a great opportunity to stock up on the books that make you dream of leisure days in the garden or fashioning that new doodad for your dining table centerpiece.
Come see the great bargains on great books in Secondhand Prose

National Poetry Month is a celebration of poetry first introduced in 1996 by the "Academy of American Poets", as a way to increase awareness and appreciation of poetry in the United States. It is celebrated every April in the United States and (since 1999) in Canada as well. Since 2000 Great Britian has celebrated a National Poetry Month each October. (Wikipedia)

CANTON, MI—Do you know how the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 affects you? Want to know which tax credits you qualify for and how to get them?

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.

Three Cups of Tea has been on the New York Times paperback nonfiction bestseller list for 108 weeks running (currently in the #1 slot) for good reason: Greg Mortenson, who is carrying out his mission to build schools — and peace — in remote regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan, is living proof of how one person can truly make a difference in the world. Now, Mortenson’s story is accessible to young children through the newly published picture book Listen to the Wind: The Story of Dr. Greg and Three Cups of Tea. A Young Readers’ version of Three Cups of Tea has also just been published. My 8-yr-old son and I saw Mortenson in late January when he spoke to a packed auditorium (800+ people) at Ann Arbor’s Huron High School.

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 

14% more items were checked out last month than in February 2008!  156,522 items were checked out last month, and nearly 12% more items were checked out this January than last January.  The library really is much busier.  Our staff recently implemented changes to check items in and get them back on the shelf more efficiently, and it's a good thing we did with numbers like these!

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.

If you are looking for news images as far back as the Great Depression or as recent as a few hours ago, you won’t be disappointed when you search in our AP Images database. Browse photos in categories of U.S. domestic news, international news, sports, financial news, and entertainment. You can further search by time periods and topical interests. There are also charts, tables, and logos. A perfect photo source for all your projects!

The Canton Public Library is seeing stars after being identified as one of America’s star libraries by Library Journal’s Index of Public Library Service. One of only two libraries in the state to receive this rating, the Canton Public Library was awarded a three star rating. Read the full press release by clicking on the attachment.

Finding My Voice, by author and NPR host Diane Rehm, is the Everyone's Reading selection for 2009. Fans of her award-winning radio show are sure to enjoy her memoir, but others will also find it inspiring as she recounts numerous and often painful obstacles she's overcome in her personal and professional life.

Recovery.gov is a website that lets you, the taxpayer, figure out where the money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is going. The money is being distributed by Federal agencies, and soon you'll be able to see where it's going -- to which states, to which congressional districts, even to which Federal contractors.

Secondhand Prose Used Book Shop specials for February are Romance and Mystery books.  You can buy two and get one free of either paperbacks or hardbacks.  The bag sale days for February are the 20th, 21st and 23rd.  $5.00 per bag full.

Airing this Saturday February 7th on TNT, don't miss the TV movie "Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story" starring Cuba Gooding Jr.  Dr. Carson's  incredible life story is that of a young and poor black boy who overcame poverty and racism to become a world-renown pediatric neurosurgeon.