Indian Trails Public Library notes

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

DDR, Guitar Hero II and Wii: Join other students in sixth through 12th grade to play Dance Dance Revolution, Guitar Hero II and Wii, at 2 p.m. today, Oct. 28 and Nov. 21.

The Immigrant Experience: Jeff Libman examines the complexity of today's immigration by examining the emotional, physical and psychological challenges facing immigrants in "The Immigrant Experience: Voices of Identity and Assimilation," at 7 p.m. Tuesday. Learn from photographs and oral histories on how immigrants adapt to a new culture.

Whole Foods Market: Learn some easy-to-make holiday menu items including an appetizer of brie encroute, a soup dish featuring curried winter squash, at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

Storytimes: Pajama Storytime will be at 7 p.m. Thursday; 3- to 7-year-olds can put on their pajamas and enjoy a half-hour of stories and finger plays.

• Bilingual Storytime: Children 3 to 7 years and their families are invited to listen to stories, rhymes and sing songs in English and Spanish at 11 a.m. Saturday.

• Lapsit Storytime: Infants build their language skills using songs, finger plays, rhymes and stories from 10 to 10:30 a.m. Nov. 12 and 26. For babies up to 18 months and their adult caregivers.

Coffee House: High school students can express themselves in poetry, art, song or short stories at 7 p.m. Friday and Nov. 16. Refreshments will be available.

Do-it-yourself Family History: Changing Worlds Exhibit staff will show participants how to re-create their family histories using a map of immigration or migration history at 10:30 a.m. Saturday.

Changing Worlds Exhibit: Through Sunday, Indian Trails Library District will sponsor "Changing Worlds," an exhibit that explores the traditions of 10 different families, who have emigrated from Bosnia, Cambodia, Iraq, Mexico, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Palestine, Poland, Puerto Rico and Somalia. Through photos and oral histories, learn how each family and each succeeding generation adjusts to their new environment and faces everyday challenges.

Teen Bake-Off: During Teen Read Week, teens can share their favorite recipes for a chance to win a prize at 2 p.m. Sunday. Participants must bring their already-prepared creation; there will be no time for cooking or baking at this event.

Chess for All Ages: Bill Harrison will be available to teach people of all ages the joys of playing chess from 1:30 to 4 p.m. Sunday. All skill levels are welcome. Just drop by.

Finding the Right Child Care: Joy Eckerling, a retired day-care center licensing representative for the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, will be available in the small meeting room for one hour at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. Oct. 15. This informal question-and-answer session will include information on how to do background checks and learn about a child-care center's discipline policies, health, nutrition and programs.

Blue Suede Shoes: Enjoy the music of the King of Rock 'n' Roll, Elvis Presley, which will be sung by Heather Braoudakis at 7 p.m. Nov. 1.

Tongue Twister Contest: A prize awaits the one who can navigate silly sayings and phrases the best, from 1 to 2 p.m. Nov. 3, for ninth through 12th grade.

Downtown Chicago Transition: Learn about downtown Chicago history starting with the Great Fire of 1871 up to the present time with the closing of Carson's State Street store in 2007, at 7 p.m. Nov. 5. Meet Eric Bronsky and Neal Samors, the authors of "Downtown Chicago in Transition."

Polish Cooking: Taste special Polish recipes including pork chops, potato pancakes and dumplings prepared by Chef Ala Ozynko from the Accent Cafe in Mount Prospect at 7 p.m. Nov. 8.

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 service is available from 2 to 10 p.m. seven days a week. It is available in Spanish from 2 to 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, seven 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.

World Languages: The library has added materials to its World Languages collections:

Spanish

• "Papito" is a collection of songs by the Spanish-Italian singer Miguel Bosé, with guest artists such as Shakira, Ricky Martin and Alejandro Sanz.

• "Escuela de rateros" ("School for Thieves"), a comedy-suspense movie from the "Golden Age" of Mexican film.

• Dora the Explorer appears in a collection of seven translated stories, "Cuentos de Dora y sus amigos."

• "Aprende a Tocar la Guitarra" ("Learn to Play the Guitar") by Nick includes choosing a guitar, fundamentals for electric and acoustic, the blues, right and left hand techniques and more.

• Playaway audiobooks in Spanish: Ernest Hemingway's "Adiós a las Armas" ("A Farewell to Arms") and "Cuentos," a collection of 14 tales by the Brothers Grimm.

Polish

• "Tryumf Pana Kleksa," a classic children's book by Jan Brzechwa.

• "Rys" by Stanislaw Tym, a story of Ryszard Ochodzki, a main character from the film "Mis." "Mis" is also available in the World Languages film collection.

• "Szczesliwego Nowego Jorku" ("Happy New York"). A comedy about six Polish people who cross the Atlantic to find fame, fortune and the American dream.

• "Zaproszenie Polska" ("Invitation Poland") on DVD. Take a tour of many regions of Poland that highlights interesting and beautiful sites and the country's cultural heritage.

• "Helena w Stroju Nedbalem Czyli Krolewskie Opowiesci Pana Piecyka" on CD/Wiech -- Humorous history of Poland read by Zbigniew Buczkowski.

• "Gdyby Zwierzeta Umialy Mowic" on CD -- Three fairy tales about animals.

• Listen to Polish rock music from the '80s -- Czerwone Gitary O.K. or Perfect Autobiografia.

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.

Home delivery: Indian Trails Public Library District is as close as patrons' doorsteps with Library Express, a new library service. As part of this grant-funded pilot program, books, videos, CDs and more can be sent directly to patrons' homes for a nominal shipping fee of $4 per item.

To use this service, patrons must have a valid Indian Trails Public Library District borrowers card. The Indian Trails Public Library District Catalog is available online. Follow the instructions for reserving materials and then select a delivery method. Items will be shipped directly as soon as they are available. There is a limit of five items per transaction. Normal checkout periods apply, and the shipping costs will be charged to the patron's library account. Materials may be returned to the library or at any bookmobile stop, or patrons may pay the postage to mail the items back to the library.

Funding for this grant was awarded by the Illinois State Library, a division of the secretary of state's office, using funds provided by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the federal Library Services and Technology Act. For more information about the Library Express service, contact Chris Gibson at (847) 459-4100 or via at cgibson@indiantrailslibrary.org.

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