Indian Trails Public Library notes

Indian Trails Public Library

For information or to register, call (847) 459-4100 or visit www.indiantrailslibrary.org.

Almost all Indian Trails Public Library District programs are free and everyone is welcome; however, most programs require registration in advance.

Smartest Card: The "Smartest Card" Campaign encourages residents ages 5 and older to get a library card. While supplies last, our library will offer free limited edition Indian Trails wallets to the first 900 people who register for our new blue library cards.

Save money during September by showing your Indian Trails Library card at the following businesses:

Burger King Locations: 80 McHenry Road in Buffalo Grove; 1515 W. Dundee in Buffalo Grove and 425 W. Dundee Road in Wheeling (10 percent off discount any item)

Carnicerias Jimenez, 550 Dundee Road in Wheeling (Free jug of juice with a $5 purchase)

Continental Restaurant 782 Buffalo Grove Road in Buffalo Grove (10 percent off any order all-day long and beginning at 3 p.m. and ending at 6 p.m. you will receive 15 percent off any order)

Vogue 2 Cleaners 61 N. Milwaukee in Buffalo Grove (10 percent off any dry cleaning order)

Preschool Drop-in Storytime: Preschool storytimes are at 11 a.m. Mondays or Tuesdays through September. Children 3 to prekindergarten 5-year-olds will enjoy a half hour of stories, finger plays and even a short movie. No need to register.

Richard Tucker: Jack Diamond will discuss the career of Richard Tucker at 2 p.m. today. Mr. Tucker was the only Jewish Synagogue Cantor, to have a major metropolitan opera career and is known as one of great tenors of the century.

Le Titi De Paris: Michael Maddox, head chef and owner of the world famous Le Titi De Paris, will prepare French soups at 7 p.m. Tuesday. A $5 tasting fee is due at registration time.

Storytimes: Toddler Family Story time will be at 10 a.m. Wednesdays, Sept. 12, 26 at 10 a.m. or Thursdays, Sept. 13, 27. Encourage your child's preliteracy skills with stories, songs and finger plays. This 30 minute program is designed for ages 18 months through 36 months and their caregivers.

Teen DDR, Guitar Hero II and Wii: Join other students in grades 6-12 to play DDR, Guitar Hero II and Wii, at 2 p.m. Thursday and Sept. 28.

Coffee House: High school students, express yourself in poetry, art, song, or short stories at the library's "Coffee House" at 7 p.m. Friday. You provide entertainment and we'll provide refreshments and a meeting place.

Family DDR/Guitar Hero II: Get up and dance with friends and family during the Family DDR/Guitar Hero II at 2 p.m. Sunday. Or try out Nintendo Wii.

Around the World in Sixty Minutes: Bill Helmuth will take you on a tour of sacred places on six continents at 7 p.m. Sept. 17. The audience will visit shrines, religious rites and festivals that reflect the heritage of Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Islam and Baha'i religions.

Children's Advocates: Meet others who want to share fun and creative ways to provide additional library programs, materials and services for youth during the Children's Advocates meeting at 6 p.m. Sept. 18. Call Rose at (847) 279-2248 for more details.

"The God Delusion" Tim Hunter and Keith Plummer, pastors at Our Savior Church, will critique Richard Dawkins' book, "The God Delusion" at 7 p.m. Sept. 20. Dawkins, an evolutionary biologist, is an outspoken advocate for atheism,

Bilingual Storytime: Children 3 to 7 years and their families are invited to listen to stories, rhymes and sing songs in English and Spanish Sept. 22.

And Tango Makes Three:ΠExplore the world of challenged books at 7 p.m. Oct. 1. The discussion will include "And Tango Makes Three," a picture book that was among the most challenged books in 2006. Who bans books and why will also be discussed, as will the library's role in providing reading materials for the public.

Bookmobile schedule: Visit www.itpld.lib.il.us/bookmobile_schedule.htm for a list of scheduled Bookmobile stops.

War records database: The Indian Trails Public Library District now offers a database that makes 90 million war records, from Jamestown in 1607 through the end of the Vietnam war in 1975, available to everyone seven days a week.

With wars come millions of records that can shed light on family history, detailing everything from soldiers' height to their stats in military baseball leagues.

Beyond the military records, Ancestry Library Edition makes it possible to search census, Social Security, immigration and birth and marriage records.

Computer Software: Home-use computer software is available at the library. The library has programs like the "Complete Career IQ Test" and "Resumes that Work," that can help users work through their interests and narrow down career choices or create a resume that reflects the real you. The library also has dream interpretation software called "Secret Paths to Your Dreams" and a variety of other software for both PC and Macintosh.

The library also has the "Baby Einstein" line of products to help children grasp fundamental concepts while having fun on the computer and "Dr. Seuss Kindergarten: When Kids Laugh More, They Learn More," with 250 different lessons that kids and parents can share.

Other topics available include phonics, math, science, selling a house or preparing the whole family for a disaster. Check the library's catalog or ask a librarian for help.

Library catalog in Spanish: Patrons can now search for items at the library in Spanish, in-person or online. When using the catalog online, go to the library Web site, click on the library catalog, then click on the "Kids and Espanol" tab, then click on "Biblioteca in Spanish."

Playaway Digital Audiobooks: The library now offers entire unabridged audiobooks small enough to fin in the palm of a patron's hand. Patrons can supply their own headphones, or buy a set for a dollar. The books are available in the front room for Indian Trails cardholders.

IM homework assistance: Students in fourth through 12 grade may use instant messaging to gain access to Live Homework Help via the library Web site, www.indiantrailslibrary.org.

Connect with a live tutor from 2 to 9 p.m. seven days a week on the subjects of English, math, science and social studies. Assistance in Spanish will be available from 2 to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday. An Indian Trails Library card is required to participate and this is a free service. Learn more by calling (847) 459-4100 or Instant Messaging AOL IM: itpld2 or Hotmail IM: itpld2@hotmail.com.

Kid's Catalog: The library's online catalog now has a way to search for youth materials only. Patrons can now more easily search for age-appropriate books, movies, etc., and can also use picture icons to bring up materials by subject or award-winning books. There's even an icon link to reference databases. The link to the "Kid's Cat" can be found at the top of the main library catalog.

Databases available: Indian Trails Public Library District offers several databases which patrons can access online for free with an Indian Trails Library card.

• For business needs, patrons can try InfoTrac's "Business and Company Resource Center" or use "Morningstar.com" for investments. Or use "ReferenceUSA" to track a company for a possible job lead, sales opportunity or consumer complaint.

• The "Auto Repair Reference Center" has factory drawings, step-by-step photographs, technical service bulletins and recalls on 25,000 automobiles, domestic and imported from 1945 to the present.

• For those studying for a test, "LearnATest" provides practice tests for the ACT, SAT, GMAT as well as civil service, real estate and other job-related exams. "Nueva Spanish Language Encyclopedia" provides excellent information to get started learning Spanish.

• "Record Information Service" allows patrons to search public records on home ownership, foreclosures, new businesses and bankruptcies.

• InfoTrac's "Health and Wellness Resource Center" provides information to evaluate medical advice and make informed decisions.

• For current information about almost anything, the library subscribes to several databases that are easy to use and provide magazine and newspaper articles, like "Infotrac General Reference Center Gold," "FirstSearch," and "Newsbank," which provides access to thousands of newspaper articles from hundreds of newspapers and news magazines.

• Encyclopedia in Spanish -- Enciclopedia en Espanol Nueva Spanish Language Encyclopedia provides information to get started learning Spanish.

The databases can be accessed anywhere patrons use the Internet, at www.indiantrailslibrary.org/library_databases.htm. All programs are free and everyone is welcome regardless of where they live, however registration is required. To register, call (847) 459-4100 or visit www.indiantraislibrary.org.