World of knowledge is available with a computer and a library card

If you have ever taken a few minutes to cruise around the Halton Hills Public Library website, you may have noticed our online databases page. Just recently, through the generous support of a provincial government sponsored initiative called Knowledge Ontario, we have been able to vastly expand the number of databases that you can access with your library card. Now, the mere mention of "online databases" probably does not make you want to stand up and cheer, so let me boil it all down into one word: magazines. I am sure you are aware of the huge variety of magazines that exists in the world today. There are magazines about parenting, consumer information, health and fitness, crafts, cars, cooking, business, sports, music, art, computers, and just about anything else you can think of. There are magazines for children, adults, amateurs, professionals and scholars. And now through the Halton Hills Public Library's website, thousands of magazine titles are at your fingertips and accessible from home, for free. For example, in just 15 minutes of searching, I was able to find an article about sunflowers suitable for a second grader, a recipe for creamy orzo with asparagus and proscuitto, a knitting pattern for an iPod cozy (I kid you not!), advice about how to fix my `06 Corvette's squealing brakes (that is if I had an `06 Corvette!), a thorough assessment of whether or not the Toronto Maple Leafs will make the playoffs, instructions for strengthening my quadriceps through sidestep shoulder raises, a fascinating description of using quantum topography to determine the state of superconductors, and numerous movie reviews of The Last Mimzy. I am not saying you should rush out and cancel your magazines subscriptions. (Until

someone invents a bubble-bath-proof laptop, I certainly won't.) But if you are looking for some interesting reading, want to catch up on magazines you don't subscribe to, need to research a topic from kindergarten level to post-graduate level, then all you need is your library card and access to the internet. For help getting started, please visit our website at www.library.hhpl.on.ca or come to the library for a demonstration. A world of magazines awaits!

Storytime begins next week

Family Storytime is a fun drop-in program for parents and young children to enjoy together. The program is 30 minutes long, with stories, music and movement. No registration required. It will be held at the Acton Community Centre on Thursdays, April 12 to May 17, 2 p.m.; at the Georgetown Branch on Wednesdays, April 11 to May 16, 9:45 a.m. and on Saturdays, April 14 to May 26, 11 a.m.; and at the Gellert Centre on Fridays, April 13 to May 18, 10:30 a.m.