Victoria Day

All branches of the Huron County Library system will be closed Monday, May 21, 2012 for Victoria Day.

Regular business hours will resume Tuesday, May 22, 2012. Have a wonderful Victoria Day!

Sunday Hours Ending

Sunday hours at the following branches - Clinton, Exeter, Goderich, Seaforth and Wingham - will be ending Sunday, May 13, 2012 for the summer months. Sunday hours will resume on Sunday, September 9, 2012.

Have a wonderful summer!

Book Sales at Huron County Library

The time has come again for Huron County Library to hold its annual book sales. Throughout the Summer and into the Fall, several of our branches will host book sales. Come on out and see what bargains you can find.

Dates for book sales are as follows:

For more information about your local library branch's book sale, please contact your library branch.

YOUR Support is Needed

Since 1995, the Government of Canada has provided CAP (Community Access Program) funding to public libraries to help provide Canadians with access to the Internet. This funding has allowed Huron County Library to provide public computers and other equipment in all our branches.

At the end of March 2012, Industry Canada ceased its funding support for public libraries as Community Access Program sites.

The financial support of CAP has been critical to our branches and going forward, we will be faced with the possibility of reduced equipment and service. We believe that the public continues to need CAP assistance as much as ever, as many families, for economic reasons, still lack home computers or home Internet access.

Has CAP made a difference to you or someone you know? We want to hear your stories and we will send those messages to Industry Canada. E-mail skammerer [at] huroncounty [dot] ca or drop off your submissions at any branch of Huron County Library.

New Electronic Resources Available

As a part of a new $2 million grant from the Government of Ontario, Huron County Library has access to new electronic resources. The following resources are now available to Huron County Library users:

Global Road Warrior: Do you have an interest in travel or a country you just want to know more about? Global Road Warrior has the answers. The resource has current information on over 175 countries for travel, communication and cultural issues for everyone from students and travellers to international business people. There are over 6,500 colour photos and 1,500 high-resolution country maps.

TumbleReadables: This online collection of read-along titles appeals to elementary, middle school, and high school students. TumbleReadables features adjustable online text and audio narration; the collection includes chapter books, early readers, Teen novels, and classics. You can view titles online or download the TumblePad to add titles to your computer.

AudioBookCloud: Listen to your favourite audio books with just a click of a button. Fiction, non-fiction, classics and even Spanish language audio books are always available, never on hold, and no need to download.

PebbleGo: PebbleGo is for our youngest researchers - pre-kindergarten to grade 3. Discover interactive content, learning activities and games. Select from PebbleGo Animals or PebbleGo Earth and Space to start your learning fun!

Mango Languages: Learn a variety of languages - basic to advanced levels - with this online learning tool. Over 30 languages (ESL included) are available from Mango Languages.

Little Pim: Children ages 0-6 are introduced to foreign languages in ways they can understand and enjoy with Little Pim. A variety of courses, which combine animation and video plus memory-building exercises, are available.

You've got questions? We've got answers!

Ask Ontario delivers research services using one-on-one real-time chat. Let a Librarian help you find better information faster! Try it today.

Access to AboutMyPropertyTM now available at Huron County Library

The Huron County Library is working with the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC), to offer access to AboutMyPropertyTM at the library. This service is being made available for those property owners who do not have Internet access at home.

AboutMyPropertyTM is a secure, online service on the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation's website at www.mpac.ca

Through AboutMyPropertyTM, residential property owners can access:

• Detailed information about their own property
• Information on up to 24 additional properties of their choice

This information can be used to compare an assessment to similar properties in the area and help determine if the assessment is accurate. Property owners may also choose to file a request for Reconsideration through AboutMyPropertyTM.

Property owners will need their AboutMyPropertyTM User ID and Password to login. This information can be found on the bottom right hand corner of your Property Assessment Notice.

Contact MPAC at 1.866.296.MPAC (6722) for more information.

Downloadable Audiobooks

Huron County Library patrons can access a wide range of downloadable audiobooks and ebooks from home or library. Audiobooks can be downloaded at the Clinton, Exeter, Goderich, Seaforth, Wingham and Zurich branches using the available Download Station. You may download ebooks in our branches using your own personal laptops, wireless ereaders and similar devices.

This service is funded by the $15 Million Investment in Ontario Public Libraries program from the Ontario Ministry of Culture and administrated by Southern Ontario Library Service and Ontario Library Service North. For more information or help using this service contact your local library.

New Genealogy Electronic Resource for Huron County Library

Huron County Library now has access to the database Ancestry Library Edition, a genealogy database supplied by ProQuest Inc. Ancestry Library Edition is a joint effort between ProQuest and MyFamily.com to be one of the most important genealogical collections available today. The Ancestry Library Edition collection has census, vital, church, court and immigration records for the United States and the United Kingdom as well as access to collections from Canada and other areas. Ancestry Library Edition updates continually, with more indexes and original images added all the time. To access this resource, please visit your local branch library.

ServiceOntario at the Library

Have you ever lost your wallet and not know what to do about it? Are you moving and are unsure what you need to do? Did you want to learn more about starting your own business? Your local library branch and ServiceOntario can help.

The ServiceOntario website has a wide variety of information that ranges from what to do when you lose your wallet, when you are moving within Ontario, if you want to start your own business or need to apply for a birth, death or marriage certificate and much much more. Library staff can help first-time users of the site to find the information needed. For more information and to learn more about the ServiceOntario website, visit your local library branch or visit the ServiceOntario website.