Children love bugs and learning about them is a great way to introduce them to the wonders of the natural world.

The Macomb County Library's "Creepy Crawler" program starts tomorrow, July 8, at 2 pm. The program's featured presenter, Dan Briere, is a wildlife educator and he runs Little Creatures Co. His presentation at the library will be an opportunity to see live insects like hissing cockroaches and giant centipedes. You must reserve a space to participate and space is limited. Call 586-286-6660 to register.

The "Creepy Crawler" program is one component of the Macomb County Library's summer reading program and it fits right in with the library's theme for this year, "Catch the Reading Bug!"

Hopefully, kids (and adults) who see Mr. Briere's presentation will catch the reading bug and get a few books while they are at the library. The library is open from 9 am-9pm, Mon.-Thurs.; from 9am-5pm, Fri.-Sat.; and from 1pm-5pm on Sundays from September to May. Visit www.macombcountylibrary.org to learn more about programs that the library sponsors.

Macomb County Library
16480 Hall Road
Clinton Township

If you have been hankerin’ to get out there and see some of the world, but feel like you’re not prepared, then tomorrow’s “”World Travel 101” workshop, presented by the Michigan Council of Hostelling International-USA (HI-USA) is for you. The information presented will be useful, even if you are not thinking of packing a bag in the near future.

This session will help travel newbies and travel veterans who are open to learning new ways to travel and save money. The speaker, Bob Holley, has been all over the world and he thinks it is best to travel light—meaning travel should be easy on the wallet and free of cultural biases. When traveling keep in mind that you are in someone else’s home, so you should be sensitive to their cultural norms.

Your first exercise in traveling inexpensively can be attending the workshop, since it is free. Your only expense will be transportation to the Berkeley Public Library. The workshop is from 6:30-8:00pm and the library is at 3155 Coolidge Highway in Berkeley.

You can call 248-302-8026 or send an e-mail to HI-Michigan@twmi.rr.com to get more information.

If you are part of an organization or non-profit that is looking for grant money, look no further than the Macomb County Public Library.

No, the library will not be able to fund your endeavors…but it is the place to go to find someone who can. The library began its Foundation and Non-Profit Collection to help local groups get monetary aid for continuing projects or for new ventures.

Sure, fundraising is great, but there are times when you need more money to accomplish your goals. Plus, when you fundraise in your local community, you usually have to appeal to the people you want to help. Some of them can assist and some can’t. This is where corporations and other large entities can assist you.

There are two very informational databases can only be used in the library.

The Foundation Directory includes more than 60,000 foundations, public charities, and corporations that are willing to help community-based groups get the funds they need to carry out their missions.

And if you are looking for grant assistance as an individual, you can look to the database of Foundation Grants to Individuals to give you the scoop on more than 4,300 foundations.

Macomb County Library
16480 Hall Road
Clinton Twp., MI 48038
586-286-6660

If parents wait until a child starts going to school to think about literacy, they will have missed a great opportunity to further their child’s reading skills. From birth on, children are gathering up the skills and vocabulary they will need to read and become literate. When you read to a baby or a toddler you are helping them learn about letters and sounds. You are also giving them an all-important introduction to print and the written word.

The Macomb County Library has Baby Lapsit Story Time on Tuesdays at 10 am. The program has been custom designed for the youngest infants to those who are 18 months old. The ½ hour program is divided into two parts. During the first half children and their caregivers can enjoy singing and dancing to music. The second half is reserved for play and interaction with the group. Young children get the opportunity to spend time with a caregiver in another setting and to socialize with their peers.

Toddler Time StoryTime is a similar program for toddlers ages 2 ½ -3 1/2. The program takes place on Wednesdays at 10 am and includes stories as well as music.

Call 586-286-6660 to reserve a space.

You may not be thinking much about lawn care right now because it is not something you need to worry about in the winter. But this is actually the right time to begin to give you lawn some thought.

-Are you never quite satisfied with how your lawn looks?
-Do you want some tips on how to make it look better?
-Are you a first-time homeowner who knows little about maintaining a lawn?
-In the past, have you paid a professional to care for your lawn, but felt you really could take care of it yourself?
-Are you wary of leaving your lawn care in the hands of your teenaged children or neighbors?

Answering yes to any of these questions is an indication that you could benefit from a talk being held at the Mount Clemens Library on Wednesday, February 6, 2008, from 7 -9 pm.

The Gourmet Garden Hour will host a presentation by Thomas Smith, Executive Director of the Michigan Turfgrass Foundation. Mr. Smith will speak on “Common Sense Lawn Care.”

There is no cost for this program, but they ask that you pre-register by coming to the library in person or by calling 508-469-6200. The library is located at 150 Cass Avenue in Mount Clemens.

You may know a little about your ancestors, but would you like to know more?

Come to the Macomb County Library (16480 Hall Road, west of Garfield, in Clinton Townshi)p on December 13 and take a class that will show you the ins and outs of researching your family's past on the internet. This class won't take you through the stacks or have you flipping through piles of dusty books or trying to figure out how to use the microfiche machine. Instead you will learn how to use the world wide web as if it were your own personal time machine. You can look up family history on several levels--local, regional, state and national.

Everyone who attends will get genealogy charts and a booklet calle Beginning Your Geneaology Research" at no cost. This is a great opportunity to begin to satisfy your curiousity to know more about who you are and where you came from. Once you've gathered a good bit of knowledge, youll be able to share it with your relatives and they will surely be excited to know more about your family's origins.

The class starts at 7:00pm and ends at 9:00. It will be held in the library's computer lab so you will get hands-on experience. Each participant is asked to come with the name of a male ancestor who lived in the U.S. in 1930, so everyone will be starting to explore their genealogy right away.

Although this and other great programs sponspored by The Macomb County Library are free, you are asked to register. You can contact Bill Luft at (586) 412-5986 to register.

Henry Ford changed life in America with his Model T Ford. He wasn’t just an inventor though. He was also an innovator in business and management. He is considered the father of the modern-day assembly line.

You may think you know all about Ford and the Ford Motor Co., but you may be surprised at all the little interesting details that are not commonly known. The Macomb County Library is hosting a program that will give you the opportunity to learn more about Henry Ford, his family and his company.

On November 7 (this coming Thursday), Michael W.R. Davis and James K. Wagner will give a talk about the life at the Ford Motors. Davis and Wagner are the authors of the book Ford Dynasty: A Photographic History and between the two of them, they’ve spend 63 years working for Ford. So they know more than a little about the people who’ve come and gone at Ford over the years. As the title indicates, their book has lots of photos and they will show some of these at Thursday’s event.

There is no cost for this program, but you do need to make a reservation to attend. Call 586-286-66680 or consult the Macomb County Library website for more information.

It may not be the fountain of youth, but these tips could help Macomb County, Michigan residents live longer. Dr. Pamela Smith will present her Top Three Anti-Aging Tips tomorrow at 7 p.m., Tuesday, October 2, at the Macomb County Library.

The library is located at 16480 Hall Road, west of Garfield, in Clinton Township, Michigan. The program is free, but seating is limited. Call the Macomb County Library at 586-286-6660 to register or for additional information.

Dr. Smith will provide tips on maintaining vision as we age, improving memory and enhancing mobility. A board certified specialist in anti-aging, Dr. Smith is owner and director of The Center for Healthy Living and Longevity. She is a member of the American Academy of Anti-Aging Physicians and a board examiner.

Other October library programs include:

• October 11 - Collecting Fashion Dolls
• October 18 - Tracing Your Polish Ancestors
• October 19 - Learn How to Buy and Sell on eBay
• October 25 - Finding Travel Bargains on the Internet

Click here to visit the Macomb County Library's website for full details.

CLINTON TOWNSHIP, Mich – Story time is back at the Macomb County Library. Children and their parents or caregivers are invited to register for the 30-minute sessions that include songs, finger-plays, stories and more.

Everyone’s Reading is a city-wide Metro-Detroit event Jan. 15-April 26, 2007. There are discussions, panels, exhibitions, book signings and lectures planned around Arc of Justice. The award winning book by Kevin Boyle is available now at the Book Beat in a special hardcover discounted edition, priced at $7.99. (the regular hardcover price is $26. and the paperback is $14.95) To purchase the book online click: ARC OF JUSTICE SPECIAL