Darwin Day Celebration website reports that there are 598 events planned in 40 countries for Darwin's birthday!  Visit the website to learn more about Darwin and visit our catalog to find books about this immensely influential scientist.  Three new library offerings on Darwin are: 

• Darwin's Sacred Cause: How a Hatred of Slavery Shaped Darwin's Views on Human Evolution
• Charles Darwin: The Concise Story of an Extraordinary Man
• On the Origin of Species, Illustrated Edition

In conjunction with the upcoming digital television transition, ELPL, together with WKAR, is offering a free, rentable TV antenna to library patrons who wish to see if they receive more digital channels with a new TV antenna. 

To take advantage of this offer, contact the library reference desk to schedule a how-to session on setting up the antenna with your TV, and then take it home for up to a week! 

You can contact the library reference desk by calling (517) 351-2420 ext. 111 or by emailing elpltech@cityofeastlansing.com

ELPL would like to thank WKAR for all their help and support!  Be sure to check out their website at  www.wkar.org for all their great programming!

Pulitzer Prize and National Book award winner John Updike died January 27. Updike published more than fifty novels during his career including the Rabbit series and the Eastwick series.
click here for a list of books at ELPL

Associated Press Obituary Updike's essay on NPR's "This I Believe"

Murder on the Eiffel Tower by Claude Izner is the first in a series recently translated from the French. It is 1889  and France is celebrating its World's Exhibition, with the newly built Eiffel Tower as a main attraction.  When a number of seemingly random people start dying of what appears to be bee stings, bookseller Victor Legris becomes involved.  This was a fun mystery, but the best part was the description of Paris during this time.  Despite a few sentences' clunky translation, a reader can feel transported back in time to the City of Lights during Victorian times.

Calling all movie buffs--go to The Oscars website to see if your favorite movies from the past year made the cut!

The 81st Academy Awards® ceremony will take place on February 22nd, 2009 at 8 p.m.

Want to find out what food products have been recalled?  The FDA and CDC websites have this information.  They provide frequently updated lists of recalled items, advice to consumers, and the latest news on the ongoing investigation.

Check it out--mtvU has created a new website geared towards educating teens and young adults about debt, both personal and governmental.  The website InDebtEd provides statistics, ways to get involved, and even a free movie you can watch online. 

Have you felt as though you were "different"?  Or maybe as though you were an outsider?

Dr. Leonard Felder, Ph.D. has written a new book that combines encouragement, compassion, and specific action steps.  Fitting In is Overrated will help you see that what makes you different, can be a strength.  Make a New Year's resolution to appreciate yourself!  The book can be found on the New Non-Fiction shelves.

Finished reading the Twilight series?  Hooked on the HBO show True Blood?  Check out The Vampire Library  to find out all about vampire fiction and what series to read next!

Stop by the library to catch these displays this month:

"Brunonia Barry dreamt she saw a prophecy in a piece of lace, a vision so potent she spun it into a novel." So states Amazon.com's review of this debut novel. Originally self-published, The Lace Reader became the subject of a multi-million dollar bidding war among New York's publishing giants. It's been re-released as the first installment of a planned trilogy.
 
So far, it's been a great read (or listen, since I am listening to the recorded version), and here's a short synopsis:

Are you looking for a good read for your book group? Here's the most popular titles for book groups for 2007:

1. Water for Elephants, by Sara Gruen

2. The Glass Castle, by Jeannette Walls

3. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, by Lisa See

The Library of Michigan has announced the Michigan Notable Books for 2009.

Every year, the Library of Michigan selects up to twenty of the most notable books, either written by a Michigan resident or about Michigan or the Great Lakes.  Each selected title speaks to our state's rich cultural, historical, and literary heritage and proves without a doubt that some of the greatest stories are found in the Great Lakes State.

The U.S. Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program has released the 2007 updated statistics for East Lansing.  Data profiles include official estimates of changes from the 2000 census for demographic. social, economic, and housing characteristics.
 
A number cruncher's delight!