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It's National Cat Day! October 29th is a day to celebrate how cats make purrfect companions! There are so many cats surrendered or abandoned to local shelters every year who need a forever home. National Cat Day is an opportunity to consider adopting a new cat to your family. Cats can bring positive health benefits. Hearing a cat purr can lower your blood pressure and stress level. Having a cat around releases calming chemicals in your body that reduces tension and anxiety. Who can resist a cuddly cat?! If you're interested in adopting, consider visiting the Huron Valley Humane Society or the Michigan Humane to find a new furry friend! Until then, check out some of our cat resources!

While cats understand their owners, in our eyes felines continue to be regarded as unpredictable and mysterious pets. So, if we have decided that our new companion will be a kitty, we must prepare ourselves and discover its world. Learn important skills and knowledge about cats that will better prepare you and make your cat happy, such as how to: Welcome a new kitten into the house Feed your cat the most appropriate food Assess its behavior Care for it if it gets sick And other important skills to ensure it has a happy, healthy life This is only a snippet of what you will find in this book. All of these skills have been elaborated by an animal care expert, which is accompanied with a good deal of useful advice that will help you understand our four-legged friend and make it grow healthy, while at the same time debunking certain myths about the cat world. In this book you will find everything you need to know in order to be the well-informed owner of a happy cat

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Every year, 42,000 women lose their fight against breast cancer. Breast Cancer Awareness Month raises awareness of the disease and helps provide support to those affected by breast cancer. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many women have put scheduling their mammograms on hold. So is it safe to get your mammogram? Doctors and hospitals have put extra precautions in place to ensure the safety of patients. And studies have shown the most effective weapon in the fight against breast cancer is screening. So call your specialist today and don't delay getting your mammogram. Here's some resources to learn more about breast health!

As a health-care journalist, Kate Pickert knew the emotional highs and lows of medical treatment well -- but always from a distance, through the stories of her subjects. That is, until she was unexpectedly diagnosed with an aggressive type of breast cancer at the age of 35. As she underwent more than a year of treatment, Pickert realized that the popular understanding of breast care in America bears little resemblance to the experiences of today's patients and the rapidly changing science designed to save their lives. After using her journalistic skills to navigate her own care, Pickert embarked on a quest to understand the cultural, scientific and historical forces shaping the lives of breast-cancer patients in the modern age. Breast cancer is one of history's most prolific killers. Despite billions spent on research and treatments, it remains one of the deadliest diseases facing women today. From the forests of the Pacific Northwest to an operating suite in Los Angeles to the epicenter of pink-ribbon advocacy in Dallas, Pickert reports on the turning points and people responsible for the progress that has been made against breast cancer and documents the challenges of defeating a disease that strikes one in eight American women and has helped shape the country's medical culture. Drawing on interviews with doctors, economists, researchers, advocates and patients, as well as on journal entries and recordings collected over the author's treatment, Radical puts the story of breast cancer into context, and shows how modern treatments represent a long overdue shift in the way doctors approach cancer -- and disease -- itself.

Adult Contemporary Book Discussion February 2021

Also available in: e-book | audiobook | e-audiobook | large print

Three women whose fates are joined by one splendid hotel. France, 1914. As war breaks out, Aurelie becomes trapped on the wrong side of the front with her father, Comte Sigismund de Courcelles. When the Germans move into their family's ancestral estate, using it as their headquarters, Aurelie discovers she knows the German Major's aide de camp, Maximilian Von Sternburg. She and the dashing young officer first met during Aurelie's debutante days in Paris. Despite their conflicting loyalties, Aurelie and Max's friendship soon deepens into love, but betrayal will shatter them both, driving Aurelie back to Paris and the Ritz-- the home of her estranged American heiress mother, with unexpect.ed consequences. France, 1942. Raised by her indomitable, free-spirited American grandmother in the glamorous Hotel Ritz, Marguerite "Daisy" Villon remains in Paris with her daughter and husband, a Nazi collaborator, after France falls to Hitler. At first reluctant to put herself and her family at risk to assist her grandmother's Resistance efforts, Daisy agrees to act as a courier for a skilled English forger known only as Legrand, who creates identity papers for Resistance members and Jewish refugees. But as Daisy is drawn ever deeper into Legrand's underground network, committing increasingly audacious acts of resistance for the sake of the country--and the man--she holds dear, she uncovers a devastating secret . . . one that will force her to commit the ultimate betrayal, and to confront at last the shocking circumstances of her own family history. France, 1964. For Barbara "Babs" Langford, her husband, Kit, was the love of her life. Yet their marriage was haunted by a mysterious woman known only as La Fleur. On Kit's death, American lawyer Andrew "Drew" Bowdoin appears at her door. Hired to find a Resistance fighter turned traitor known as "La Fleur," the investigation has led to Kit Langford. Curious to know more about the enigmatic La Fleur, Babs joins Drew in his search, a journey of discovery that that takes them to Paris and the Ritz--and to unexpected places of the heart.

Upcoming sessions

There are no upcoming sessions available.

Adult Contemporary Book Discussion January 2021

Also available in: e-book | audiobook

For more than ten years, a mysterious and violent predator committed fifty sexual assaults in Northern California before moving south, where he perpetrated ten sadistic murders. Then he disappeared, eluding capture by multiple police forces and some of the best detectives in the area. Three decades later, Michelle McNamara, a true crime journalist who created the popular website TrueCrimeDiary.com, was determined to find the violent psychopath she called "the Golden State Killer." Michelle pored over police reports, interviewed victims, and embedded herself in the online communities that were as obsessed with the case as she was.

I'll Be Gone in the Dark--the masterpiece McNamara was writing at the time of her sudden death--offers an atmospheric snapshot of a moment in American history and a chilling account of a criminal mastermind and the wreckage he left behind. It is also a portrait of a woman's obsession and her unflagging pursuit of the truth. Utterly original and compelling, it has been hailed as a modern true crime classic--one which fulfilled Michelle's dream: helping unmask the Golden State Killer.

Upcoming sessions

There are no upcoming sessions available.

For a moment, close your eyes, quiet your thoughts and take a slow, deep breath. This simple breathing technique is one of the best ways to lower the stress level in your body. When your lungs take a deep inhale in and a slow exhale out, it sends a message to the brain to unwind and relax. Wherever or whenever, breathing exercises can reduce tension in your muscles, lowers the blood pressure, and calms the frayed nerves. Focusing on your breath can restore a sense of peace and positivity in your day. Google has an easy 1 Minute Breathing Exercise. Want to learn more? Check out these resources!

There is nothing more essential to our health and well-being than breathing: take air in, let it out, repeat 25,000 times a day. Yet, as a species, humans have lost the ability to breathe correctly, with grave consequences. Journalist James Nestor travels the world to figure out what went wrong and how to fix it. The answers aren't found in pulmonology labs, as we might expect, but in the muddy digs of ancient burial sites, secret Soviet facilities, New Jersey choir schools, and the smoggy streets of São Paulo. Nestor tracks down men and women exploring the hidden science behind ancient breathing practices like Pranayama, Sudarshan Kriya, and Tummo and teams up with pulmonary tinkerers to scientifically test long-held beliefs about how we breathe. Modern research is showing us that making even slight adjustments to the way we inhale and exhale can jump-start athletic performance; rejuvenate internal organs; halt snoring, asthma, and autoimmune disease; and even straighten scoliotic spines. None of this should be possible, and yet it is. Drawing on thousands of years of medical texts and recent cutting-edge studies in pulmonology, psychology, biochemistry, and human physiology, Breath turns the conventional wisdom of what we thought we knew about our most basic biological function on its head. You will never breathe the same again. 

The Covid-19 pandemic continues to have an impact on our daily lives. Throughout human history, outbreaks of highly-contagious deadly viruses have taken the lives of millions of people. The most devastating pandemic in recorded history was known as "the Black Death" in which 75-200 million were killed in the early 14th century. In 1918, the Spanish Flu pandemic claimed between 17-50 million lives. The ongoing pandemic of the coronavirus has so far infected over 26.6 million people worldwide with new cases are added every day. No one can predict when we will truly be free of Covid-19. To keep up-to-date with the global health crisis, click on the Covid-19 Tracker link. All we can do is stay safe and stop the spread. Want to learn more? Check out these resources.

Over the last 30 years of epidemics and pandemics, we learned nearly every lesson needed to stop this coronavirus outbreak in its tracks. We heeded almost none of them. The result is a pandemic on a scale never before seen in our lifetimes. In this captivating, authoritative, and eye-opening book, science journalist Debora MacKenzie lays out the full story of how and why it happened: the previous viruses that should have prepared us, the shocking public health failures that paved the way, the failure to contain the outbreak, and most importantly, what we must do to prevent future pandemics. Debora MacKenzie has been reporting on emerging diseases for more than three decades, and she draws on that experience to explain how COVID-19 went from a potentially manageable outbreak to a global pandemic. Offering a compelling history of the most significant recent outbreaks, including SARS, MERS, H1N1, Zika, and Ebola, she gives a crash course in Epidemiology 101--how viruses spread and how pandemics end--and outlines the lessons we failed to learn from each past crisis. In vivid detail, she takes us through the arrival and spread of COVID-19, making clear the steps that governments knew they could have taken to prevent or at least prepare for this. Looking forward, MacKenzie makes a bold, optimistic argument: this pandemic might finally galvanize the world to take viruses seriously. Fighting this pandemic and preventing the next one will take political action of all kinds, globally, from governments, the scientific community, and individuals--but it is possible. No one has yet brought together our knowledge of COVID-19 in a comprehensive, informative, and accessible way. But that story can already be told, and Debora MacKenzie's urgent telling is required reading for these times and beyond. It is too early to say where the COVID-19 pandemic will go, but it is past time to talk about what went wrong and how we can do better.

A deadly virus suddenly explodes into the population. A political movement gathers pace, and then quickly vanishes. An idea takes off like wildfire, changing our world forever. We live in a world that's more interconnected than ever before. Our lives are shaped by outbreaks - of disease, of misinformation, even of violence - that appear, spread and fade away with bewildering speed. To understand them, we need to learn the hidden laws that govern them. From 'superspreaders' who might spark a pandemic or bring down a financial system to the social dynamics that make loneliness catch on, The Rules of Contagion offers compelling insights into human behavior and explains how we can get better at predicting what happens next. Along the way, Adam Kucharski explores how innovations spread through friendship networks, what links computer viruses with folk stories - and why the most useful predictions aren't necessarily the ones that come true.

2020 is proving to be a year unlike anything else we've experienced. Covid-19 has affected every aspect of life in our communities. Many families with college-bound students have to reconcile with a virtual college experience instead of living on campus for the fall semester. Does your student have to "college at home?" No worries. We've compiled a list of online resources at the library that can be helpful for your stay-at-home while staying-safe college student. 

Student Studying at Home
  • Academic Search Complete is a multi-disciplinary resource for scholarly research. Subjects range from Animal Science to Zoology. Articles are peer-reviewed and full-text. If you're looking for scholarly articles in peer reviewed journals, this database is for you.
  • Ebsco eBook Academic Collection offers a wide selection of high-quality academic eBooks curated by librarians. Perfect for the remote learner. 
  • Gale Courses offers college students access to GRE test preparation as well as skills reviews and refreshers to math and sciences. Courses run for 6 weeks and are taught by college instructors. Gale Courses is available to Canton residents with a Canton library card.
  • LearningExpress Library provides access to a range of academic skill-building tutorials for those interested in achieving their educational goals. 

Sensory Social Hour

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This inclusive and accessible program is intended for patrons with disabilities aged 18+ with their family and/or caregivers. Join us on every second Saturday of the month from 2:00-3:00 PM for our special program with activities on Zoom! Our session will feature storytelling, a grab and go craft project, movement exercises, games, and more! This event is open to disabled individuals, group homes, and support staff. 

  • How will we do this live?

Make sure you have a device that supports Zoom.

  • How do I register for the program? 

Just click the link below.

  • How do I pick up a craft kit?

You pick up your Grab and Go kit at the library during our Limited Browsing hours. You will be emailed when the kits are ready to be picked up. They will be waiting for you on the hold shelf under your last name. If you prefer, you can schedule a Curbside pick up or call us at 734-397-0999 option 4 to schedule the pickup for you.

  • When will the Zoom link be sent? 

You will receive an email 24 hours before the Zoom program. Click the link in your email to join us live! 

Registration is required. One activity kit per family. 

Upcoming sessions

There are no upcoming sessions available.

Adult Contemporary Book Discussion December

Join us for a live virtual program on Monday, December 21, 2020, at 7:00PM via Zoom video conference as the Adult Contemporary Book Discussion Group discusses: 

Little women by Louisa May Alcott
Also available in: e-book | audiobook | e-audiobook

Set during the Civil War, the March family is left with no men in their household when the father is sent off to war. The remaining house full of women is left to manage on their own. The four March sisters grow from little girls to respectable young women. Each sister carries unique hopes for her future, but Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy learn that life often has other plans in store. Their coming-of-age stories are filled with hilarity, humility, friendship, heartbreak, and duty. 

This book is available immediately on Hoopla in e-book format. If you would like to reserve a print copy, please call 734-397-0999 and select option 4. Or visit us during Limited Browsing Hours and Curbside Service is now available.

Registered participants will receive an email two days before the program with a link to attend the discussion. To help you make the most of your virtual program experience we have compiled some tips and resources.

Upcoming sessions

There are no upcoming sessions available.

Adult Contemporary Book Discussion November

Join us for a live virtual program on Monday, November 16, 2020, at 7:00PM via Zoom video conference as the Adult Contemporary Book Discussion Group discusses: 

The mountains sing : a novel by Nguyen Phan Que Mai
Also available in: e-book | e-audiobook

An enveloping, multigenerational tale of the Trần family, set against the backdrop of the Việt Nam War. Trần Diệu Lan, who was born in 1920, was forced to flee her family farm with her six children during the Land Reform as the Communist government rose in the North. Years later in Hà Nội, her young granddaughter, Hương, comes of age as her parents and uncles head off down the Hồ Chí Minh Trail to fight in a conflict that tore not just her beloved country, but her family apart. Vivid, gripping, and steeped in the language and traditions of Việt Nam, The Mountains Sing brings to life the human costs of this conflict from the point of view of the Vietnamese people themselves, while showing us the true power of kindness and hope.

This book is available immediately on Hoopla in e-book and e-audiobook format. If you would like to reserve a print copy, please call 734-397-0999 and select option 4. Or visit us during Limited Browsing Hours and Curbside Service is now available.

Registered participants will receive an email two days before the program with a link to attend the discussion. To help you make the most of your virtual program experience we have compiled some tips and resources.

Upcoming sessions

There are no upcoming sessions available.

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