Although Earth Day is officially celebrated once a year on April 22, the Library has a great collection of environmentally-themed documentaries that are available all year round. From wildlife to climate change, from recycling to alternate energy, we have it covered! Check out just some of the titles below:

Beyond pollution [videodisc] by directed by Barker White — Examines the economic impact and health effects that the disastrous BP oil spill will have on local communities both immediately and long term.

Climate of doubt [videodisc]: the politics of global warming by written by John Hockenberry, Catherine Upin ; directed by Catherine Upin — An examination of the shift in political attitudes towards global warming in the United States.

Collapse [videodisc] — The economic predictions of investigative journalist Michael Ruppert regarding the possible global financial meltdown and major social change that could result if oil dependence continues unabated.

Looking for fun science videos? If you've enjoyed Bill Nye and the Magic School Bus, you should  discover the Squibs series.  These DVDs created for upper elementary students teach science concepts such as weather, cells, chemistry and the laws of motion with fun animated characters and songs.  The series was developed by Ignite! Learning, which develops Digital Learning materials for schools.   And they have a very similar feel to the popular book series Basher Science. Check one out today!

The Canton Public Library is celebrating Earth Day from April 14-27 with a series of entertaining and educational programs. Topics include bat conservancy, organic eating, buying local food, and rain gardens. The week will wrap up with a fantastic performance by authentic Native American Dancers. The Library's collection if full of excellent books, dvds, and cds to help you celebrate with us:

America's neighborhood bats by Merlin D. Tuttle

The bat house builder's handbook by Merlin D. Tuttle, Mark Kiser, Selena Kiser

Bats by M. Brock Fenton

Wildlife heroes: 40 leading conservationists and the animals they are committed to saving by Julie Scardina and Jeff Flocken ; with photo editor Sterling Zumbrunn

Star seeker: a journey to outer space by Theresa Heine, Victor Tavares

Stars! Stars! Stars! by written and illustrated by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace

Full Moon and star by Lee Bennett Hopkins ; illustrated by Marcellus Hall

How to catch a star by Oliver Jeffers

Stars by Mary Lyn Ray and ; [illustrated by] Marla Frazee

The 2013 theme for National Women's History Month is "Women Inspiring Through Imagination: Celebrating Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics." In that spirt, check out some of the following titles acknowledging the tremendous contributions of women to science and technology throughout history:

Jocelyn Elders, M.D.: from sharecropper's daughter to surgeon general of the United States of America by Joycelyn Elders and David Chanoff — Jocelyn Elders, pediatrician, public health administrator & the first woman Surgeon General of the United States

This year at CPL, the University of Michigan's Museum of Natural History presents a series of three, fun Family Reading and Science workshops titled Just Like me: exploring culture, biology and the human experience. To tie in with their temporary exhibition at the museum called RACE: Are we so different? (February 2013-June 2013), they are focusing on and exploring how biology, anthropology, physics, geography and chemistry all play a part in race and culture.

According to the ALA website, the Carnegie Award "honors the most outstanding video productions for children released duing the previous year". The 2013 award goes to Anna, Emma and the Condor, about two girls who help their parents in their work to release California Condors back into the wild.

2nd-5th Graders: Join us Tuesday, February 19th at 7:00 PM in the Purple Room for science demonstrations and hands-on experiments using items you can find in your own kitchen or pantry! See the incredible bouncing egg, create a secret message or painting with invisible ink, and more.  Registration begins January 25 and is limited to the first 25 kids, so sign up today!

The Huron River Watershed Council (HRWC) seeks volunteers for its annual Winter Stonefly Search on Saturday, January 26. Interested individuals are invited to come on their own or bring a small team of friends and family for a unique wintertime activity in the Huron River. Children are welcome to attend with an adult. First time volunteers need to fill out a basic information form and a program registration form. Registration closes on Wednesday, January 23.

The Nature Conservancy announced a first-of-its-kind television and Web special, designed to convene a discussion on the solutions to the threats posed by dangerous invasive species in the Great Lakes. This special event "Great Lakes Now Connect: Invasive Species" broadcast on January 15, but you can still view it as an archive. For more information on invasive species search CPL's Science in Context database for "invasive species" or "biological invasions."

[Goby by Ohio Sea Grant and Stone Laboratory is licensed by CC BY-NC 2.0]

This year at CPL, the University of Michigan's Museum of Natural History presents a series of three, fun Family Reading and Science workshops titled Just Like me: exploring culture, biology and the human experience. To tie in with their temporary exhibition at the museum called RACE: Are we so different? (February 2013-June 2013), they are focusing on and exploring how biology, anthropology, physics, geography and chemistry all play a part in race and culture.

We invite you to register for the second of three monthly workshops in the series titled Everybody Cooks! Exploring how geology, geography and human migration influenced food. The workshop takes place in the Community Room on Saturday, February 9, 2013, from 1:00-2:00 PM. You will learn that every culture has a cuisine, but why do the same ingredients, cooking techniques or types of food pop up all over the world? Families will learn how geology and geography relate to food, what "cultural transmission" is, and will also get to make their very own bread starter. Workshops are designed for children ages 6-11, accompanied by an adult. Online registration begins January 25.

Just in time for the holiday break, the Detroit Science Center reopens Wednesday, December 26th, as the Michigan Science Center .  Families with older children may find the grand opening special exhibit, Human Bodies: Anatomy in Motion, interesting. For the younger crowd, try Kids Town, the Chrysler IMAX dome, or take in a show at the Dassault Systèmes Planetarium. 

CPL is pleased to host Harry Potter’s World: Renaissance Science, Magic, and Medicine. This fantastic travelling exhibit, curated by the History of Medicine Division of the National Library of Medicine, explores the world of Harry Potter and its roots in Renaissance magic, science, and medicine. In 1997, British author J.K. Rowling introduced the world to Harry Potter and a literary phenomenon was born. Although a fantasy story, the magic in the Harry Potter books is partially based on Renaissance traditions that played an important role in the development of Western science and medicine. Come to CPL from October 22 to November 30 and read all about the potions, immortality, monsters and more written within the pages of the incredible, ground-breaking series.

Astronaut Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon has died at the age of 82. Armstrong was the commander of the Apollo 11 spacecraft which landed on the moon July 20, 1969. During Armstrong's famous moonwalk he radioed back to earth the now famous phrase "That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind."

Looking for some great Fourth Grade reads? Try some of these:

The strange case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger

The one and only Ivan by Katherine Applegate; illustrations by Patricia Castelao

Tales of a fourth grade nothing by Judy Blume; illustrated by Roy Doty

If you're wondering just what in the world is happening with our weather lately, the National Climatic Data Center at NOAA has the answer. According to their recently released report State of the Climate: National Overview for June 2012, the 12-month period from July 2011 to June 2012 was the warmest on record for the contiguous United States. (Their records go back to 1895.) The national average temperature was 3.2 degrees higher than the long-term average, with every single contiguous state except for Washington warmer than average temperatures. In addition, the period from Januray to June 2012 was the warmest first half of a year on record.

On Thursday, August 23 from 9:30-11:30 AM join Starfish Family Services as they present Back Yard Science: the components of the preschool scientific method and strategies to support learning.  Children are welcome as Starfish provides licensed daycare in the Purple Room during the workshop. 

The doomsday clock [videodisc]

Faster: the acceleration of just about everything by James Gleick

Galileo's pendulum: from the rhythm of time to the making of matter by Roger G. Newton

About time: cosmology, time and culture at the twilight of the Big Bang by Adam Frank

Breaking the time barrier: the race to build the first time machine by Jenny Randles

Chronos: how time shapes our universe by Etienne Klein ; translated by Glenn Burney