CADL Video On Demand

If you missed an event hosted by the Capital Area District Library, chances are you will still have the opportunity to catch it later. CADL has created an online video collection, so you can watch CADL events and productions anytime from any computer.

We’ve taped author interviews and discussions – including an interview with James McBride, author of Song Yet Sung, our 2009 Capital Area District Library Reads One Book choice. We were also lucky enough to partner with Joy 1580 AM to host a concert starring gospel legend Dorinda Clark-Cole – and we got it on tape! Other videos currently in the online collection include the winning Literature and Lyrics video by the local Global Fusion group, Thom Jayne and the Nomads; a discussion by the Director of the Mid-Michigan Film Office; and a presentation by basketball great, Greg “Special K” Kelser among others.

We will continue to build this collection, adding instructional programs, business events and much more, so be sure to bookmark this page!

Local History Meets 21st Century Web Technology

In recent years, there has been an infusion of original local history records uploaded to the web making it easier than ever to research local history and genealogy.  Sites like ancestry.com and its library subscription sister site ancestrylibrary.com were the first on the scene primarily with United States Census records.  Ancestrylibrary.com is accessible at any one of our CADL branches. 

Then sites like FamilySearch and Footnote started to join the fun by adding their collections to the internet.  FamilySearch, a product of the Latter Day Saints Church, has started scanning their vast holdings of microfilmed church records, census records, tax records, etc. It will soon  be accessible on their FamilySearch website.  Until then you can view what they have so far at their site pilot.familysearch.org anywhere with internet access.  Footnote, which is accesible for free at the Library of Michigan, contains electronic versions of records housed at the National Archives including FBI case files.

The newest kid on the block for Michigan local history research is Seeking Michigan.  Seeking Michigan is a product of the Library of Michigan and the Archives of Michigan.  It contains items such as Michigan Death Certificates from 1897 to 1920, Civil War Photographs, WPA Property Inventories, and Civil War Service Records.    

Another wonderful resource is the Making of Modern Michigan , or MMM.  MMM contains local history photographs and other resources from institutions all across Michigan including the Capital Area District Library.  It truly is a treasure chest of Michigan Local History Resources.

As always, be sure to check out the Capital Area District Library Local History Page for information about accessing Sandborn Fire Insurance Maps and other valuable tools.

Vista and Office 2007

In the very near future, all of the libraries in the CADL system will have new computers operating on the Windows Vista platform, with Microsoft Office 2007 software. The Main Library has already begun that switch.  To stay ahead of the curve, check out Microsoft’s Office Online Home and the Windown Vista home page. There’s no better way to find out the odds and ends of Microsoft’s newest products than to go to the source itself.

Consumer Health Resources

As mentioned in a previous post titled, Some Developments, we will be having a guest blog posting. Well, here it is….

 

For those of you who have made New Year’s resolutions to improve your health and well-being in 2009, CADL is here to help.  The resources we offer extend beyond just books.  Magazines, local links, free handouts, databases, and reference books are all available.  You can search our online catalog to find titles that interest you.  Magazines are located on the 2^nd floor and all but the most current issue can be checked out for 3 weeks.  The local links section on our homepage provides links to local online resources for specific diseases and conditions and other concerns.  On the 2^nd floor, we have a 3-sided health resources kiosk on the east side of the floor near the magazines.  It is stocked with health alerts issued by the FDA, free pamphlets, and health/medical books.  We subscribe to high quality databases which you can search for journal and newspaper articles.  For further details or assistance, get in touch with the Reference Department at 517-367-6346, by email at http://www.cadl.org/answers/Ask-a-Librarian/,or in person during regular library hours.