Start your spring cleaning and help a good cause all at the same time!  The Canton Senior Center is looking for new or gently used handbags and jewelry for their 6th Annual Jewelry & Purse Sale.  Proceeds from this sale will support Canton's Senior Adult Program, which offers a variety of social, enrichment and service-based programs to Canton residents 55 and older.  Donations will be accepted in the Parkview Room of Summit on the Park Community Center until April 28. 

Poetry can be celebrated the year-round, but especially so in April. Established in April 1996, National Poetry Month brings together poets and booksellers, literary organizations and publishers to celebrate the importance of poetry and its vital place in American culture. We at the Canton Public Library would like to participate by showcasing our many poetry resources in this Special Collection.

Timeless Poetry Collections

The best-loved poems of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis by selected and introduced by Caroline Kennedy — Jaccqueline's daughter offers a selection of the former First Lady's favorite poems, plus a few of her mother's own verses.

The hell with love: poems to mend a broken heart by edited by Mary D. Esselman and Elizabeth Ash Velez — This collection of love poems is for anyone who has ever suffered the pain of breaking up and everyone who believes in the unique power of poetry to console and transform.

My song is beautiful: poems and pictures in many voices by selected by Mary Ann Hoberman — Fourteen poems celebrate the power of childhood from the perspective of a rich variety of cultures.

Family Fun Day will once again be brought to you by the Muslim Community of the Western Suburbs Outreach Committee. It will be held at the Canton Mosque at 40440 Palmer Rd. in Canton on April 12th from 11am-2pm. This will feature face paining, henna, ethnic foods, sports, arab calligraphy, mosque tours and Q and A with the Imam. Please RSVP to www.mcws.org/outreach if you wish to attend so they will have an idea of how many will come.  This Family Fun Day should be fun for everyone!

Have you wondered why everyone is talking about being "gluten-free" ? Are you starting the journey of being gluten-free or have you been without gluten for a long time? This class/support group is for you. Dr Cynthia Shaft-Toll DC will share health benefits of the gluten-free lifestyle : how and where to shop for gluten-free items, how to and where are the best gluten-free restaurants, how to cook for holidays and special events. Guest speakers also will be presenting at different months. Some sample gluten-free food will be available and we hope for the group to share their best recipes as well.

Program: Tuesday, April 8. 7:00-8:00 PM  

Created by the Federal Reserve in 2002, Money Smart Week is a public awareness campaign designed to help consumers better manage their personal finances. This year, during the first week of April, organizations across the country will be providing free programs to address financial concerns. This year we are joining forces with the Financial Planning Association of Michigan to present this great program. Local FPA member Russ Jones will cover the basics of creating and maintaining a household or personal budget, including why to create one, how to create one and, most importantly, how to stick to one. Our presenter will also addresses the issue of debt – how to manage it and ways to begin eliminating it. Join us on Tuesday, April 8 from 7:00-8:00 PM for this fabulous and informational program!

Wednesday, April 23, 6:30-8:45 PM join us for our monthly meeting of the Animanga Club! We've got all sorts of zaniness in store from a raffle to trivia to our always popular "mystery anime." What is it this month? Sorry, no hints. Drop by and let your inner otaku run free.

Into board games like Settlers, Carcassonne, or Puerto Rico? Drop by Saturday, April 5 between Noon and 5:45 PM for our monthly Board Gaming League of Canton Meeting. Play some of the hottest games and meet some new folks!

In honor of Earth Week, which includes Earth Day and Arbor Day, we will have representatives from The Greening of Detroit on hand to discuss what they are doing to transform the physical, and metaphorical, landscape of Detroit. For over two decades, this non-profit organization has been instrumental in spear-heading green initiatives, most notably the repatriation of trees, in conjunction with the City of Detroit and Detroit Public Schools. If you are interested in learning about an innovative and fun project focused on the revitalization of the city, and how you can get involved, please join us on April 24 from 7:00-8:00 PM for this event. There will be the opportunity to sign up for tree-planting and park clean-up volunteer activities as well as enroll in the Citizen Forester program. Check out the Greening on Channel 7 News and in the Detroit Free Press. See the attached document for more details.

Rick Lieder, award-winning nature photographer and author of Step Gently Out, will present a workshop for middle and high school students on Tuesday, April 29, 3:30-5:00 PM. Students should bring their own cell or digital camera and will learn to use photography to connect with nature by taking outdoor photos on the grounds of the library.

Students will learn techniques to grow their photography skills, including design and composition concepts and available light to help tell a story. Registration is required.

This program is offered in partnership with the Canton Commission for Culture, Arts & Heritage.

Join us for informal open play as well as a tournament by the "Library Chess Clubs" on April 27 in the library Community Room. For tournament information and registration, please email clubchess@wowway.com. This chess meeting on April 27 at 1:00 to 5:00 PM is open to everyone from 10 to 100 years old

Join other handcrafters for an evening of sharing and learning. all ages and stages are welcome at this informal gathering on Monday, April 14 at 7:00 PM in the library Purple Room. Bring your own project, yarn and needles

On Monday, April 28, 3:30-5:00 PM, work with professional photographers Jack Kenny and Bob Mosher to learn about composition and light when taking photos. This hands-on workshop for middle and high school students will focus on taking portraits. Students should bring a digital camera or cell phone camera.

Jack Kenny is a professional photographer best know for his extensive knowledge and photographs of Cuba and is a specialist in portraiture and studio photography. This program is presented in partnership with the Canton Commission for Culture, Arts & Heritage.

Online registration is required.

Sylvan Saturdays are back Saturday, April 12, from 9:30 AM-1:30 PM. Teens are invited to attend this introductory ACT Prep course, that will give students some tips and strategies for scoring higher on the ACT. It will also include a full length practice test with scoring. You must attend the entire session. Registration required.

Raja Yoga Meditation helps you reach a deeper understanding of yourself, your intrinsic positive qualities and your innate value. Join practitioners from the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University every Sunday from 2:45-5:45 PM to explore these universal concepts and encourage your inner spiritual development toward a fresh perspective on values such as justice, freedom, respect and love.

*2:45-4:00 PM class is for registrants only. You may register with Brahma Kumaris in Michigan by calling 248.987.2687 or emailing farmingtonhills@us.brahmakumaris.org
*4:00-5:45 PM class is open to any and all participants. No registration is necessary.

April Themes are as follows:
April 6th Gifts of meditation
April 13th CANCELLED
April 20 - NO YOGA - CLOSED FOR HOLIDAY
April 27th Inherent Virtues

College Board President and CEO David Coleman announced major changes to the SAT, a college entrance exam, going into effect in the spring of 2016. The redesigned test reflects the real work going on in the classroom curriculum. Also, the College Board will partner with the Khan Academy to offer free test preparation. Learn more about the changes here.

Into board games like Settlers, Carcassonne, or Puerto Rico? Drop by Saturday, March 1 between Noon and 5:45 PM for our monthly Board Gaming League of Canton meeting. Play some of the hottest games and meet some new folks!

Teen Tech Week is March 9th-15th

Celebrate Teen Tech Week with us by creating a library-themed meme to enter in our contest! Submit your meme between March 1st and March 14th for your chance to win a prize.

How to Submit

You can send your meme to us in several ways:

• Share it with us on Facebook
• Tweet it to us using #TTW
• Email it to us

Here are a few library memes we found to get you started - but remember, you'll need to create your own original meme to enter the contest!

Have you wondered why everyone is talking about being "gluten-free" ? Are you starting the journey of being gluten-free or have you been without gluten for a long time? This class/support group is for you. Dr Cynthia Shaft-Toll DC will share health benefits of the gluten-free lifestyle : how and where to shop for gluten-free items, how to and where are the best gluten-free restaurants, how to cook for holidays and special events. Guest speakers also will be presenting at different months. Some sample gluten-free food will be available and we hope for the group to share their best recipes as well.

Session: March 11, 7:00-8:00 PM.  Purple Room

The Cultural Expo open house will be presenting information from cultures all over the world, some well known and some not. Every country will have an activity, from coloring pages to puppets. Other countries will have traditional food with the recipes available if you love the food and want to make some at home. Countries represented will be Korea, Germany, India, Honduras, Poland and others!!
Join us on Saturday, March 22 from 10:00 AM-12:00 PM as a team of National Honor Society students teach about and celebrate cultures from around the world.
[Savoir-Vivre International flag endpapers by Crosset Library in licensed under CC BY-SA2.0]

Wednesday, March 19, 6:30-8:45 PM join us for our monthly meeting of the Animanga Club! We've got all sorts of zaniness in store from a raffle to trivia to our always popular "mystery anime." What is it this month? Sorry, no hints. Drop by and let your inner otaku run free.