Mount Prospect Public Library notes

For information or to register, call (847) 253-5675 or visit www.mppl.org/events

Open Storytimes: The library invites children ages six and under and their families to attend these 30-minute sessions featuring stories and songs.

Storytimes will take place at 6:30 p.m. today, 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, and 10:30 a.m. Friday. An adult must accompany children under 3. No registration is required.

New Therapies to Combat Macular Degeneration: Dr. Mark Piotrowski, board-certified ophthalmologist, presents an overview of promising new therapies designed to help stabilize vision loss caused by macular degeneration, from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. today.

Dr. Piotrowski will discuss the basic anatomy of the senior eye, the types of macular degeneration, and vision testing options that are available.

Spanish Storytime: The library will host three special storytimes told primarily in Spanish, from 6 to 6:30 p.m., Fridays, March 28, April 4 and April 11.

These sessions, best suited for children ages 3-7, are open to all who wish to attend. An adult must accompany children under the age of 3.

Tracing family roots: Professional genealogist Maureen Brady will offer insights into researching one's Chicago family history from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday.

Included will be demonstrations on how she used family stories, the census, church and civil records, and the Internet to trace five generations of her Chicago Irish family.

Selling Homes in a Weak Real Estate Market: Theresa Coglianese, of Amazing Space Homes, will present effective tips for selling one's home at a good price in a weak housing market, from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. April 1.

During the program, Coglianese will discuss ways for homeowners to enhance a home's presentation with strategies such as furniture placement and the addition of value-added accessories.

Open Storytimes: The library invites children ages six and under and their families to attend these 30-minute sessions featuring stories and songs.

Storytimes will take place at 6:30 p.m. April 1; 9:30 a.m. April 2, and 10:30 a.m. April 4. An adult must accompany children under 3. No registration is required.

Food for Thought: The library's "Food for Thought" book group will meet at 1 p.m. April 2 for a discussion of Ishmael Beah's "A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier."

This first-person account of a 25-year-old young man -- who fought in Sierra Leone's civil war as a 12-year-old boy -- reveals the life and mind of a child abducted into the horrors of warfare.

Books are available at the Fiction/AV/Teen Desk. No registration is required.

Movies @ MPPL: The library presents a complimentary movie screening at 7:30 p.m. April 2 and 1 p.m. April 10. For more information on this month's featured film, call (847) 253-5675.

Editor's note: Due to a restrictive marketing agreement, the library is prevented from reporting the title of this film in media aimed at the general public.

Book Chat at Caribou: Members of the library's Readers Advisory Group will lead an informal book discussion of Sena Jeter Naslund's "Abundance: A Novel of Marie Antoinette," from 7 to 8 p.m., April 7, at Caribou Coffee, 90 E. Northwest Hwy., Mount Prospect.

Limited copies of the book are available at the Fiction/AV/Teen Desk. No registration is required.

Register for April Computer Programs: Registration for the library's April computer programs began March 1. April's slate of computer programs will help patrons sharpen their Internet and e-mail usage skills, create spreadsheets with Microsoft Excel, develop dynamic slide presentations with PowerPoint, and provide an introduction to computers for novice users.

Space is limited for each program. To register for these programs, visit www.mppl.org/events, call (847) 253-5675, or stop by the library.

Library Life: Catch current and past episodes of the library's award winning cable show "Library Life" online at www.mppl.org/about/librarylife.html.

"Library Life" is a monthly cable television program highlighting library's services, programs, and activities. It airs on the village of Mount Prospect's cable access channel (Comcast channel 15 and WOW channel 6). Each 30-minute episode includes book reviews, compelling interviews, upcoming events, monthly program highlights, and library trivia.

Library Executive Director Marilyn Genther was anxious to share this quality programming with as much of Mount Prospect as possible. Library Life was recently awarded its second Telly Award for outstanding local cable TV program. For more information, call (847) 253-5675.

Electronic newsletter: Mount Prospect Public Library has introduced a customized electronic newsletter that provides a preview of newly released titles in several categories.

The Library's "NextReads" e-newsletter service sends readers periodic e-mail updates of new titles available in a variety of fiction and nonfiction genres. Subscribers to the service create their own interest "profile," then receive a customized listing of new book titles that may appeal to their tastes.

Categories include Armchair Travel; Biography/Memoir; Business and Marketing; Do-It-Yourself; Fantasy; Fiction A to Z; Historical Fiction; History and Current Events; Horror; Inspirational Fiction; Mind and Body Fitness; Mystery; Nature and Science; Popular Culture; Romance; Science Fiction; Spirituality and Religion; and Thrillers and Suspense.

To subscribe, visit www.mppl.org and click on the "Newsletter for Avid Readers" icon on the right side of the Homepage.

Each newsletter listing contains a direct link to the library's online catalog.

For more information on the "NextReads" newsletter, visit the Fiction/AV/Teen Desk, or call (847) 590-4070.

Real time reference: Busy patrons who are unable to visit Mount Prospect Public Library in person may now access "real time" reference librarian assistance 24 hours a day, seven days a week with just a mouse click.

"Ask Away," a new statewide cooperative reference service of Illinois libraries, allows users to get reliable answers to questions from a professional librarian via the Internet. Patrons will find a link to the service on the Mount Prospect Public Library Homepage, www.mppl.org.

In addition to providing around-the-clock access to reference librarian services, "Ask Away" features a growing network of cooperating libraries that work together to provide authoritative answers to reference questions.

It is staffed by the 24/7 Reference Consortium, made up of hundreds of libraries across the country that work together to provide this service. Mount Prospect Public Library is a member of the consortium.

For more information on the Library's "Ask Away" online reference service, call (847) 253-5675 or visit www.mppl.org.