From the Reference Desk
2020 Elections – Be Informed
2020 Michigan Primary Election – August 4, 2020 2020 General Election - November 3, 2020 Are you registered to vote? Check out Michigan’s Secretary of State Elections webpage some great information on voting in the 2020 elections. From viewing the candidate listings, to registering to vote and voting from home, it’s all available in one place. The Secretary of State Elections webpage also includes the Michigan Voter Information Center (MVIC) to find a polling location, your sample ballot based on your address, and...
Lead Exposure Risk in the United States
With the Monroe County One Book One Community book title, What the eyes don’t see by Mona Hanna-Attisha, focused on the lead exposure water crisis in Flint, Michigan, it seems timely to include this 2016 post from Vox.com, that shows the risk of lead exposure county by county throughout the United States. Vox is a website begun in 2014 by founders Ezra Klein, Melissa Bell and Matthew Yglesias to explain the news. In this case, according to their website, “Vox worked with the Washington State Department of Health to map lead exposure...
Tracking the Coronavirus
John Hopkins University has created a website to track the Coronavirus. Data is compiled from the CDC, World Health Organization, National Health Center and a variety of other health organizations around the world. John Hopkins has arranged the compiled data to show up-to-the-minute numbers of confirmed cases by country, total deaths, and total number of patients who have recovered - also by location. A map showing locations where the virus has been confirmed centers the website.
Insure Kids Now
InsureKidsNow! Your children may be eligible for free or low-cost health and dental insurance through Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Children that do not currently have health insurance are likely to be eligible, even if parents are working. Each state has different eligibility rules, but in most states, uninsured children 18 years old and younger whose families earn up to $34,100 a year (for a family of four) are eligible. This government website at https://www.insurekidsnow.gov/ will walk users...
Fuel Economy Guide
Does your New Year’s resolution involve finding ways to save money and making your environmental footprint a little smaller? If so, check out the Fuel Economy Website. Developed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the website offers a printable, electronic version of the 2020 Fuel Economy Guide, as well as printable, electronic versions of previous years. The website features updated fuel economy data for new and used passenger vehicles dating back to 1984, allows side-by-side...
Tracking Santa
“'Twas the night before Christmas, and Santa was near According to NORAD, he would soon be right here So we hopped into bed and dreamt of new toys And awoke in the morning to much Christmas joy” https://www.noradsanta.org/ How did it come about that NORAD - the North American Aerospace Defense Command would keep tabs on Santa on Christmas Eve? According to their website, a youngster following directions in a newspaper ad with an incorrect phone number printed, called the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) Operations Center in...
eBook Open Dyslexia Reader Settings for Overdrive Libby App
According to the Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity website, dyslexia was first discovered in 1896 by English doctor W. Pringle Morgan. The site states that dyslexia is common and affects the reading ability of 20% of the population. Overdrive, a popular service providing eBook apps to libraries, schools and universities worldwide, has addressed dylexia in their Libby and SORA apps by employing a new font style called “OpenDyslexic.” This font style was created to improve readability for many dyslexic readers. It weights...
Michigan Libraries for Life @ Your Monroe County Library System
Give the Gift of Life – Become an Organ Donor Did you know that more than 3,000 Michigan residents are waiting for an organ? Did you know that one organ donor can save up to 8 lives? Did you know that one tissue donor can improve the lives of up to 75 people? Did you know that there is no age limit to become a donor? Did you know that 60% of adult residents in the State of Michigan are already registered? Have you considered becoming a donor but are not sure how to register? Libraries across Michigan will be participating in...
REAL ID
REAL ID may affect YOU On Oct. 1, 2020, the federally mandated REAL ID law goes into effect, and if you travel by air, this law will impact you. REAL ID is the post-9/11 federal requirement that sets higher security standards for identification. Once in effect, a REAL ID will be required to board any U.S. flight or to enter some federal facilities. A REAL ID can be a U.S. Passport or an Enhanced Driver’s License – or you can turn your standard driver’s license into a REAL ID at the Secretary of State’s office. Learn more...
103rd Birthday of the National Park Service
Did you know that the National Park Service will be 103 years old this year? On August 25, the NPS will celebrate the 103rd anniversary of the 1916 National Park Service Act. The Act was signed by President Woodrow Wilson and officially established the National Park Service as part of the Department of the Interior. According to the NPS website, this new service was put in charge of the 35 national parks and monuments that already existed. In celebration of the anniversary, fees for entries to the parks are waived. For a list of...
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