Indian Trails Public Library notes

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, unless otherwise noted.

Storytimes: Preschool Drop-in Storytime will be held from 11 to 11:30 a.m. today, Tuesday, and Feb. 18, 19, 25 and 26. These drop-in storytimes are for children ages 3 to pre-kindergarten 5. Kids attend on their own. No registration is required.

• In Lapsit Storytime, babies and their caretakers can enjoy stories, puppets, finger plays and playtime together from 10 to 10:30 a.m. today and Feb. 25.

• Toddler Family Storytime will be from 10 to 10:30 a.m. Feb. 20 and 21. Encourage a child's pre-literacy skills with stories, songs and finger plays. This 30-minute program is designed for ages 18 months through 36 months and their caregivers.

• Bilingual Storytime: Hear stories and rhymes and sing songs in English and Spanish from 11 to 11:30 a.m. Feb. 23.

Games Galore: Enjoy an afternoon of games from 3 to 5:30 p.m. today, Tuesday, and Feb. 25 and 26 in the Large Meeting Room. No registration required.

Evening with the Lincolns: "An Evening with Mr. And Mrs. Lincoln" is a play in one act in which Max and Donna Daniels will portray President and Mrs. Lincoln as they reflect on their lives and plans for the future, flashing back to their courtship, marriage, births of their children, political career and the Civil War years, from 7 to 8 p.m. Tuesday. A short epilogue addresses the events of April 14, 1865, and the last years of Mary Lincoln's life. Co-sponsored with Buffalo Grove Park District.

Sweet Hearts: Kurt Schmitt, owner of Deerfield's Bakery in Buffalo Grove, will prepare special pastries and cookies in celebration of Valentine's Day at 7 p.m. Wednesday. A tasting will follow the demonstration.

Karaoke Night: Karaoke Night for sixth- through 12th-graders will be held from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday. Make reservations; space is limited.

DDR, Guitar Hero II and Wii: Play Dance Dance Revolution, Guitar Hero II and Wii games from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Friday. Participants can bring their own games, too. Water and snacks will be provided. No registration necessary.

High School Coffee House: Students in ninth through 12th grade can express themselves in poetry, art, song or short stories from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday. Refreshments will be available.

Tacky the Penguin: Tacky the Penguin will come to the library from 10 to 11 a.m. Saturday. Listen to stories, make a craft to take home, have refreshments and have pictures taken with Tacky. For all ages, but this program is most appropriate for children 3 to 7 years old. All ages.

Monopoly Tournament: Celebrate the end of the Winter Reading Program with a Monopoly Tournament consisting of two 90-minute sessions from 1 to 5 p.m. Feb. 18. Pizza and beverages will be provided and a prize will be awarded to the winner. For sixth-graders and older.

Book discussions: Tom Hermann will discuss "The Pursuit of Happyness" by Chris Gardner from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Feb. 19. New members are welcome. Registration is required.

• Heather Resnick will lead a discussion of "The Measure of a Man" by Sidney Poitier from 7 to 8:45 p.m. Feb. 25. Registration is required.

Louis Armstrong: To help celebrate Black History Month, historian Jack Diamond will discuss the legendary Louis Armstrong, the great jazz musician, whose influence has left an indelible mark on popular music history, at 7 p.m. Feb. 19. Co-sponsored with Wheeling Park District.

A Night at the Oscars: Local author and film historian Raymond Benson will lead a discussion of this year's Oscar nominations at 7 p.m. Feb. 21. Benson will present insights on the academy's history and Oscar trivia, and lead participants in a debate and vote on possible winners.

Get Your Kicks on Route 66: This bus trip is a history of the historic road from Joliet to Pontiac and will take place on March 13. The bus will depart from the library at 7:15 a.m. and return at approximately 6 p.m. The cost is $67, which is due at the time of registration, no later than Feb. 25. The fee includes an "all-you-can-eat" lunch. Make checks payable to Indian Trails Public Library District. The trip is open to adults only.

If I Loved You: In honor of Valentine's Day, Heather Braoudakis will present music about different kinds of love from musical theater, the big bands, Nat "King" Cole, Peggy Lee and the Hutton Sisters at 7 p.m. Feb. 27.

Take Charge, Take Heart: Clinical experts from Northwest Community Hospital will share ways to decrease the risk of heart disease in an interactive session at 7 p.m. Feb. 28. Co-sponsored with Northwest Community Hospital.

Friday Fun Teen Crafts: Teens in sixth through eighth grade can take part in a craft project from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Feb. 29. Explore aromatherapy on this extra day of the year by creating soap and candles. Anyone born on Feb. 29 will get a special gift. Bring a form of identification to show date of birth.

Carson's Community Day: The Foundation for Indian Trails Public Library is participating in the Carson's Community Day Event March 1. Coupons are available at the library. The booklet is $5 and participants will receive back $10 on their first purchases, and eight 20 percent off coupons. The entire $5 from each booklet sold is donated to the foundation.

Silent Auction: Watch for silent auction items on display at the library during the month of April. To donate goods (new items only) or services to the auction, contact Mary Kedroski or Chris Gibson at (847) 459-4100.

Prescription Cards: Free Cook County Prescription Cards are now available at the second floor "Ask Here" desk. These cards are being made available by the county under a program administered by the National Association of Counties that offers an average savings of 20 percent off the retail price of commonly prescribed drugs.

All county residents are eligible for the NACo prescription discount card, regardless of age, income or existing health coverage. In addition to being accepted at participating pharmacies in Cook County, a national network of more than 57,000 retail pharmacies honor the card.

To receive a discount on prescriptions, an individual simply presents the card at a participating pharmacy. There is no enrollment form, no membership fee and no restrictions or limits on frequency of use. Cardholders and their family members may use the card any time their prescriptions are not covered by insurance.

New at the library: The library now has circulating video games for Indian Trails Public Library cardholders. Visit the Front Room to see a selection of PlayStation 2 and 3, Wii, Xbox 360 and DVD games. Games may be checked out for one week from either the library or the bookmobile.

Voices of Vision: Those who cannot read due to vision problems or who cannot hold a book due to permanent disability or allergy may qualify for the Voices of Vision service. Recorded materials (popular books and magazines) and special assistive equipment are made available free to qualifying people. To know more about Voices of Vision or obtain an application, call Abida Salahuddin at (847) 459-4100.

CRIS Radio Service: Chicagoland Radio Information Service is a free radio service for people with visual impairments and special needs. Newspaper articles and stories from national magazines are read by volunteers. CRIS transmits on a sub-frequency so a special radio is needed in order to hear the broadcast. The radio receivers are free to those who qualify. For information, call Abida Salahuddin at (847) 459-4100, or contact CRIS at (312) 541-8400.

Delivery for the homebound: Residents who are permanently homebound due to a disability or long-term illness and cannot get to the library may qualify for free Homebound Delivery Services. Call Abida Salahuddin at (847) 459-4100.

IM help available: The library is ready to provide information via Instant Messaging through AOL or Juno: indiantrailslib. IM the librarians to receive timely information.

E-Media: Movies can be downloaded and watched on laptops or PCs. Print e-books can be read on computers and PDAs. Digital audio books can be played on PCs and transferred to many portable devices and many can be burned to CD for playback on a portable CD player or car stereo.

A valid Indian Trails Public Library District card is needed to download digital books. Download, install and activate the free reader software from the library's Web site, select the desired books, check them out with a library card, download and listen or read.

Online Homework: Help Indian Trails Library patrons have access to Live Homework Help for both Macs and PCs via the library's Web site.

Professional tutors will answer all questions related to English, math, science or social science for fourth through 12th grade, up to pre-college work.

In English, this is service is available from 2 to 10 p.m. seven days a week. It is available in Spanish from 2 p.m. until 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday. Visit the library's Web site and go to Live Homework Help. Students ask questions via instant messaging. No advance appointment needed, just an Indian Trails Library card.

AskAway: Get assistance 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with AskAway, a reference service staffed by professional librarians. Access this service via the library's Web site.

Trace your family tree: Indian Trails Public Library District has new resources that use technology to make tracing family trees easier. HeritageQuest Online and Ancestry Library Editions, Web-based reference tools from ProQuest Information and Learning, will allow patrons to start exploring their roots by searching a surname. Anyone with an Indian Trails Public Library District card can log on to HeritageQuest Online through the library Web site or come into the library to dig into Ancestry Library Edition's millions of records, as far back as the 1700s.