Books on Display at HPL

Display Books

Books on Display at HPL

Investing in Real Estate

Real Estate Investing Made Simple: A Commonsense Approach to Building Wealth By Carr, M. Anthony 2004-10 - AMACOM/American Management Association 081447246X Check Our Catalog Filled with practical strategies and proven tips for success for novices and seasoned buyers alike, this handy, informative book takes the reader step by step through locating properties, arranging financing, evaluating market value, negotiating contracts, and more. …More

How to Make Money on Foreclosures By Evans, Denise L. 2005-09 - Sphinx Publishing 1572485205 Check Our Catalog A foreclosure purchase is a great way to buy property at below-market price, rent it out to others or fix it up and sell it for a profit. How to Make Money on Foreclosures covers everything from finding properties in foreclosure, to negotiating with sellers in financial distress, to reselling the properties with a healthy profit. Written from a real estate expert's point of view, How to Make Money on Foreclosures gives valuable information regarding investing in real estate, keeping the profit and maybe even quitting your day job. …More

Foreclosure Investing for Dummies By Roberts, Ralph R. With Kraynak, Joe 2007-06 - For Dummies 9780470122181 Check Our Catalog Covers foreclosure rules and regs for all 50 states Minimize your risks and maximize your return, while assisting homeowners Want to buy and sell foreclosure properties? This hands-on guide covers all aspects of investing in foreclosures, from identifying potential properties and assessing value to carefully researching and inspecting properties, so you don't get stuck holding a money pit . . . or even worse, a worthless piece of paper! Discover how to deal with homeowners in preforeclosure, bid for a property, buy bank-owned properties at well below market value -- and ultimately sell for maximum profit. Research property titles, mortgages, and deeds Build a strong investment team Obtain financing Network your way to success Avoid common pitfalls Invest with integrity …More

Bubbles, Booms, and Busts: Make Money in Any Real Estate Market By Evans, Blanche 2006-12 - McGraw-Hill Companies 9780071475488 Check Our Catalog Discover hidden financial and lifestyle opportunities in any real estate market No one knows more about real estate than Realty Times Editor Blanche Evans. In Bubbles, Booms, and Busts, Evans explains how ever-changing cyclical and regional real estate conditions can translate into benefits that go beyond just knowing the best time to buy and sell. Readers will learn how local bubbles and busts can help them find employment opportunities, plan retirement, pinpoint relocation sites, formulate long term investment strategies, and more. Evans offers a readable, objective evaluation of how demographics, cultural diversity, immigration, as well as hidden risk factors, can present problems as well as lucrative opportunities for savvy investors. …More

All Real Estate Is Local: What You Need to Know to Profit in Real Estate - In a Buyer's and a Seller's Market By Lereah, David 2007-03 - Currency 9780385519229 Check Our Catalog There are countless books offering advice on making money in real estate. This is the first one to explain why knowing the ins and outs of one's local region is essential to deciding when, and where, to buy. …More

Clark Smart Real Estate: The Ultimate Guide to Buying and Selling Real Estate By Howard, Clark Author Meltzer, Mark 2007-04 - Hyperion Books 9781401307851 Check Our Catalog One of Americas leading consumer advocates and popular talk show hosts offers his tips and tricks to successfully buying and selling real estate--in any market. …More

Your New House: The Alert Consumer's Guide to Buying and Building a Quality Home By Fields, Alan Author Fields, Denise 2002-04 - Windsor Peak Press 1889392111 Check Our Catalog This fourth edition includes updated prices and new trends in home buying, more Web addresses, and the best Web sites for deals on products like carpet and lighting. Illustrations throughout. …More

Starting Out: The Complete Home Buyer's Guide By Hymer, Dian 1997-01 - Chronicle Books 0811812723 Check Our Catalog One of America's most successful real estate brokers comes to the rescue with a home-buying guide based on decades of experience in helping people find the perfect homes to fit their needs and budgets. Charts, checklists, and sample contracts demystify the home-buying process, while sidebars offer real-life anecdotes. 20 illustrations. …More

20 Questions to Ask Before Buying a Home By Price, Connie J. Author Price, Ronald L. 2005-07 - Career Press 1564148203 Check Our Catalog Many first-time homebuyers aren't aware of the many programs available to them and feel intimidated by the whole process. As a result, they continue to pay rent while their dream home waits. 20 Questions to Ask Before Buying Your First Home focuses on educating you and preparing you to make informed decisions on whether buying a home is the right thing and, if so, what to expect during the process, from just looking to closing and moving in your dream home. …More

Home Buying for Dummies By Tyson, Eric Author Brown, Ray 2009-05 - For Dummies 9780470453650 Check Our Catalog Financial expert Tyson shows readers how to buy a home that fits into their financial picture, with tips on saving for the down payment and selecting the best loan. Real estate expert Brown guides readers painlessly through the home-buying process. …More

Heat Your Home, Save Money

Heat Your Home, Save Money: From GovGab

It’s a cool, rainy day and that reminds me that I have to face facts and get my home ready for winter. I’ve been putting it off because I just don’t want to know what that tank of oil will cost me this year. But it’s time to face reality and accept that the cold weather is on its way.

Last year we got some new windows and I hope that the investment will pay off this year in the form of lower heating costs. I really did my homework and we bought good-quality, energy-efficient windows. Replacing old, drafty windows is a great way to save energy, but it's expensive. There are plenty of free or low cost ways to save energy too.

It’s never too late to make some changes in your household to save energy, and there may be financial assistance to help you make your home or business more energy efficient. Depending on where you live and what programs your state offers, you may be eligible for assistance or rebates to weatherize your home, and rebates when you buy Energy Star products. There’s also a program known as LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program) that’s administered by the states to help families who can’t afford their energy costs.

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Libraries Worry About State Aid Cuts

Libraries Worry About State Aid Cuts: From the Red Tape Blog

Pretty soon, library patrons might have to stick to their hometown libraries or pay a fee to use other libraries' services, as local libraries struggle to cope with a proposed 40 percent cut in state aid.

A state Legislature conference committee voted Sunday to reduce state aid from $10 million to $6 million, setting the stage for votes in the House and Senate when their members return to work Tuesday.

Lawmakers are trying to erase a $2.8 billion shortfall by the end of Wednesday to prevent a partial shutdown of state government.

The library cuts are just one of the items on the table.

'This is a big loss for a lot of people,' said Sandra Wilson, director of the Lakeland Library Cooperative. It covers 41 West Michigan library systems and allows for patrons from any library to check out resources and return them in any of the member libraries.

The group, which delivered about three million items last year, would lose more than $150,000 of its $1.9 million budget if the proposed cut goes through.

Wilson said among possible cuts to services, they've considered reducing deliveries between libraries from five to three times a week, and to stop reciprocal returns, thus reduce the volume exchanged between libraries.

The cuts also would put in jeopardy $3.8 million in matching funds the federal government provides for an online information and subscription program called 'MeL,' which is used by students, teachers and residents across the state and MeLCat, the statewide interlibrary loan system.

Those cuts wouldn't hit until 2011 or 2012.

'You're going to see those things disappearing,' Wilson said. 'It's a shame.'

Last year, the Lakeland Library Cooperative received $440,000 from the state. That's expected to be reduced to $246,000 this year.

'In hard economic times, libraries get busy. People who don't have computers at home come here to look for jobs, to send applications, even to get an education,' Wilson said.

She said smaller libraries depend more on those with bigger collections and may be affected more by the cuts.

Martha Smart, Kent District Library director, said her system expected to receive $850,000 of its $16.4 million budget from the state.

The cut comes as the district already faces a decrease in property tax revenues, which represents 85 percent of its budget.

'That sharing of materials between libraries is very popular with the public and will likely be reduced. That will have a big impact for KDL,' she said.

'To have this big of cuts to public libraries, it's pretty devastating for the state of Michigan.'

Tom Genson, director of Holland's Herrick District Library, said they're still trying to gauge the impact the cuts will have on individual libraries.

He agreed losing the online catalog and databases would be a blow to schools, colleges and residents who count on the program to reach reliable information.

Last year, Herrick received $62,000 of its $5.5 million budget from the state. They had planned on receiving only $49,000.

For the full article, see Nardy Baeza Bickel, 'Proposed 40 percent budget cut to Michigan libraries may hurt interlibrary loan system', The Grand Rapids Press via MLive, September 28, 2009.

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Constitution Monday-Article 5

Article. V.

The Congress, whenever two thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose Amendments to this Constitution, or, on the Application of the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States, shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments, which, in either Case, shall be valid to all Intents and Purposes, as Part of this Constitution, when ratified by the Legislatures of three fourths of the several States, or by Conventions in three fourths thereof, as the one or the other Mode of Ratification may be proposed by the Congress; Provided that no Amendment which may be made prior to the Year One thousand eight hundred and eight shall in any Manner affect the first and fourth Clauses in the Ninth Section of the first Article; and that no State, without its Consent, shall be deprived of its equal Suffrage in the Senate.

National Public Lands Day

National Public Lands Day: From GovGab

I've worked in the federal government for over 18 years. When I first started my federal career, I never expected that I would stay in the government this long. I'm not a politician. I'm not involved in making laws, important decisions, or defending/protecting American citizens, but I take my commitment to serving both my country and the American people seriously. It makes me feel good to know that, in my own small way, I am making a contribution towards a better America.

On September 26^th, National Public Lands Day, everyone has a hands-on volunteer opportunity to participate in the caring and stewardship of America's public lands. It is a way for all citizens to lend a helping hand to our country in maintaining America's natural heritage, so that we will have something wonderful to pass on to future generations.

In 1994, 700 volunteers participated in the first National Public Lands Day. Those numbers, last year, rose to over 120,000 volunteers working together in every state in over 1,800 locations to build trails and bridges, remove trash and invasive plants, and plant over 1.6 million trees.

To find volunteer opportunities on public lands in your area, visit Volunteer.gov and type the keywords “National Public Lands Day.” You can also visit USA.gov. Type “National Public Lands Day” and your state name in the search box to see what is going on in your state. If you want to see the volunteers in action, check out photos of the volunteer efforts from previous years . Or, if you have a way with a camera, you can enter the photo contest for this year.

You can read about the volunteer activities of groups and individuals from the 2009 Take Pride in America National Award Winners. If you like the idea of giving back, but you aren't available to participate in National Public Lands Day, you can go to Volunteer.gov to search for other volunteer activities that you can participate in.

I just signed up to help out at San Antonio Missions National Historical Park. If you are in the area, come join me! I promise, the feeling of pride you will get from giving back to your country will make you glad you did.

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Using the Lakenet Library Catalog

Upcoming Events at Hackley Public Library

Contemporary Gospel Music September 25, 2009 1:00 pm Dr. Deborah Smith Pollard will present a multimedia presentation of contemporary gospel music on September 24, 2009. Dr.  Deborah Smith Pollard enjoys an exciting dual career as Associate Professor of English Literature at the University of Michigan-Dearborn and host/producer of “Strong Inspirations,” a contemporary gospel music program that has been heard on FM 98 WJLB-Detroit since 1994. Pollard, who has lectured internationally on gospel music, has published articles in both academic and popular journals. Her book When the Church Becomes Your Party: Contemporary Gospel Music, was a Michigan Notable book for 2009. For more information or to register call HPL at 231-722-7276.

	Micigan Search and Rescue Dogs September 26, 2009 2:00 pm Michagn SAR presents "What to do when you're lost in the woods" introducing search and rescue work to children.  The program includes finding a hidden audience member! Please call the Youth Services Department at 231-722-7276 x 230.

Write Edit Publish September 26, 2009 9:00 am - Noon Many people are interested in publishing but don’t know how to get started. Some may be stalled in the writing process itself, others may have written work that needs editing, and still others feel their project is ready for query letters and editorial scrutiny. Peg guides writers through the process, giving specific, usable information on how to write that piece, how to edit it to top form, and how to present it to an agent or publisher for optimal effect. This is a workshop with hands-on exercises and specific examples. For more information call 231-722-7276. For more information or to register call HPL at 231-722-7276.

	Monday Storytime Monday, September 28, 2009 6:45 pm Youth Services.  Storytelling, picturebooks, fingerplays, holiday tales, and special fun.  Each session ends with a craft project.  Signup required.  Call 231-722-7276 x 230.

	Toddler Storytime September 28 11:00 am Stories and activities aimed at 18 to 36 month olds.  Toddlers and grownups attend together.  Registration is required. Please call the Youth Services Department at 231-722-7276 x 230.

	Evening Toddler Storytime September 29, 2009 6:45 pm Youth Services Stories and activities aimed at 18 to 36 month olds.  Toddlers and grownups attend together.  Registration is required. Please call the Youth Services Department at 231-722-7276 x 230.

	Identity Theft September 29, 2009 6:30 pm Speakers from Community Shores bank will be on hand to discuss how to prevent and recover from Identity Theft. For more information call 231-722-7276. For more information or to register call HPL at 231-722-7276.

	Morning Storytime September 29, 2009 11:00 am Youth Services.  Storytelling, picturebooks, fingerplays, holiday tales, and special fun.  Each session ends with a craft project.  Signup required.  Call 231-722-7276 x 230.

	Mini class on Searching the Catalog-2 September 30, 2009 2:00 pm Drop by the Julia Hackley room for a mini class.  Feel free to bring your own laptop, otherwise the class is a watch-and-learn. This week's class is searching the Lakenet Catalog using the Encore website. For more information or to register call HPL at 231-722-7276.

Write for Fright Scary Story Contest October 1-31, 2009 Oct 1-Oct 31 Enter Write for Fright! HPL's scary story contest.  Bring your stories and poems to the Library by October 31.  The scariest stories will be printed in our Write for Fright! book.  For grades k-6.  Winners will be honored at an Author's Night Award Program on November 18. Please call the Youth Services Department at 231-722-7276 x 230.

Spend and Send Fundraiser October 2, 2009 Spend some money at Barnes and Noble on October 2nd and 3rd and you will send a percentage of it back to the Friends of Hackley Public Library to support programs at the Library.  Here's how it works: Go to Barnes and Noble during usual business hours on October 2 and 3. Clip and take with you the voucher printed in the newsletter.  Additional copies may be obtained at Hackley Public Library, and you may duplicate the vouchers.  No vouchers will be available at the store. Choose your purchases-lots of them!  Think about gifts, book club picks, greeting cards, snacks at the Cafe.  Almost everything but the purchase of Barnes and Noble memberships and gift cards counts. When you check out, present the voucher to the cashier.  You may use previously purchased gift cards and your membership discount when you pay.  If you forget your voucher, identify yourself as a Friend of HPL. The Friends of HPL will receive a percentage of your total purchase price.  The more you spend, the more you send.

Spend and Send Fundraiser October 3, 2009 Spend some money at Barnes and Noble on October 2nd and 3rd and you will send a percentage of it back to the Friends of Hackley Public Library to support programs at the Library.  Here's how it works: Go to Barnes and Noble during usual business hours on October 2 and 3. Clip and take with you the voucher printed in the newsletter.  Additional copies may be obtained at Hackley Public Library, and you may duplicate the vouchers.  No vouchers will be available at the store. Choose your purchases-lots of them!  Think about gifts, book club picks, greeting cards, snacks at the Cafe.  Almost everything but the purchase of Barnes and Noble memberships and gift cards counts. When you check out, present the voucher to the cashier.  You may use previously purchased gift cards and your membership discount when you pay.  If you forget your voucher, identify yourself as a Friend of HPL. The Friends of HPL will receive a percentage of your total purchase price.  The more you spend, the more you send.

	Monday Storytime Monday, October 5, 2009 6:45 pm Youth Services.  Storytelling, picturebooks, fingerplays, holiday tales, and special fun.  Each session ends with a craft project.  Signup required.  Call 231-722-7276 x 230.

	Toddler Storytime October 5, 2009 11:00 am Stories and activities aimed at 18 to 36 month olds.  Toddlers and grownups attend together.  Registration is required. Please call the Youth Services Department at 231-722-7276 x 230.

	Evening Toddler Storytime October 6, 2009 6:45 pm Youth Services Stories and activities aimed at 18 to 36 month olds.  Toddlers and grownups attend together.  Registration is required. Please call the Youth Services Department at 231-722-7276 x 230.

	Morning Storytime October 6, 2009 11:00 am Youth Services.  Storytelling, picturebooks, fingerplays, holiday tales, and special fun.  Each session ends with a craft project.  Signup required.  Call 231-722-7276 x 230.

	Skeletons in the Closet October 6, 2009 6:30 pm Dr. Stephen Cohle, Kent County Chief Medical Examiner, recounts riviting, real-life stories, each with an unique forensic twist. For more information call 231-722-7276. For more information or to register call HPL at 231-722-7276.

Family Genealogy Workshop October 10, 2009 10:30 - 11:30 am Learn how to do Genealogy research in the Local History Department.  For more information call 231-722-7276 x 233

Read-a-likes

Read-a-likes These books all take a look at different countries and cultures.  Take a world tour from your favorite couch!

Gabriela, Clove and Cinnamon By Amado, Jorge Translator Taylor, James L. Translator Grossman, William L. 2006-09 - Vintage Books USA 9780307276650 Check Our Catalog Ilheus in 1925 is a booming town with a record cacao crop and aspirations for progress, but the traditional ways prevail. When Colonel Mendonca discovers his wife in bed with a lover, he shoots and kills them both. Political contests, too, can be settled by gunshot... No one imagines that a bedraggled migrant worker who turns up in town-least of all Gabriela herself-will be the agent of change. Nacib Saad has just lost the cook at his popular cafe and in desperation hires Gabriela. To his surprise she turns out to be a great beauty as well as a wonderful cook and an enchanting boon to his business. But what would people say if Nacib were to marry her? Lusty, satirical and full of intrigue, "Gabriela, Clove and Cinnamon" is a vastly entertaining panorama of small town Brazilian life. …More

The Last Chinese Chef By Mones, Nicole 2008-06 - Mariner Books 9780547053738 Check Our Catalog This exhilarating story is the transporting tale of how the sensual, romantic elements of haute Chinese cuisine become the perfect ingredients to lift the troubled soul of a grieving American woman. …More

Love in the Time of Cholera By Garcia Marquez, Gabriel Translator Grossman, Edith 2007-10 - Vintage Books USA 9780307389732 Check Our Catalog An Oprah's Book Club selection a masterly evocation of an unrequited passion so strong that it binds three people's lives together for more than 50 years. …More

The Shadow of the Wind By Ruiz Zafon, Carlos Translator Graves, Lucia 2005-02 - Penguin Books 9780143034902 Check Our Catalog Barcelona, 1945 A great world city lies shrouded in secrets after the war, and a boy mourning the loss of his mother finds solace in his love for an extraordinary book called The Shadow of the Wind, by an author named Julian Carax. When the boy searches for Carax's other books, it begins to dawn on him, to his horror, that someone has been systematically destroying every copy of every book the man has ever written. Soon the boy realizes that The Shadow of the Wind is as dangerous to own as it is impossible to forget, for the mystery of its authors identity holds the key to an epic story of murder, madness, and doomed love that someone will go to any lengths to keep secret. …More

The White Tiger By Adiga, Aravind 2008-10 - Free Press 9781416562603 Check Our Catalog BookPage Notable Title Balram Halwai is a complicated man. Servant. Philosopher. Entrepreneur. Murderer. Over the course of seven nights, by the scattered light of a preposterous chandelier, Balram tells us the terrible and transfixing story of how he came to be a success in life -- having nothing but his own wits to help him along. …More

The Kite Runner By Hosseini, Khaled 2003-01 - Riverhead Books 9781594480003 Check Our Catalog Alex Award Winner - 2004 Winner - 2004 ALA Notable Fiction Selection A BookPage Notable Title An epic tale of fathers and sons, of friendship and betrayal, takes readers from Afghanistan in the final days of the monarchy to the atrocities of the present. As emotionally gripping as it is tender, The Kite Runner is an unusual and powerful debut. …More

Saving Fish from Drowning By Tan, Amy 2006-09 - Ballantine Books 9780345464019 Check Our Catalog On an ill-fated art expedition into Burma, 11 Americans leave their Floating Island Resort for a Christmas-morning tour--and disappear. Through twists of fate, they encounter a tribe awaiting the return of a leader and the mythical book of wisdom that will protect them from the ravages of the Myanmar military regime. …More

The God of Small Things By Roy, Arundhati 1998-06 - Harper Perennial 0060977493 Check Our Catalog Winner - 1997 Booker Award "A banquet for all the senses", said "Newsweek" of this bestselling and Booker Prize-winning literary novel--a richly textured first book about the tragic decline of one family whose members suffer the terrible consequences of forbidden love. …More

Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress By Dai, Sijie Author Sijie, Dai Translator Rilke, Ina 2002-10 - Anchor Books 0385722206 Check Our Catalog Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress is an enchanting tale that captures the magic of reading and the wonder of romantic awakening. An immediate international bestseller, it tells the story of two hapless city boys exiled to a remote mountain village for re-education during China's infamous Cultural Revolution. There the two friends meet the daughter of the local tailor and discover a hidden stash of Western classics in Chinese translation. As they flirt with the seamstress and secretly devour these banned works, the two friends find transit from their grim surroundings to worlds they never imagined. …More

Midnight's Children: Great Books Edition By Rushdie, Salman 2000-01 - Penguin Books 0140283390 Check Our Catalog After the publication of MIDNIGHT'S CHILDREN in 1980. Salman Rushdie was awarded the Booker Prize and hailed as the voice of contemporary India. A dense interweaving of narratives, cultures, and voices, Midnight's Children chronicles modern India through the lives of the one thousand and one children born within the country's first hour of independence on August 15, 1947. The protagonist-narrator, Saleem Sinai -- born at the stroke of midnight, the precise moment of India's nationhood -- is celebrated in the press and welcomed by Prime Minister Nehru himself. The coincidence of his birth endows him with telepathic powers that connect him with the other one thousand midnight children, who also possess magical talents. Inextricably linked to his nation, Saleem's story is a whirlwind of disasters and triumphs that mirror the course of modern India. Ebullient, operatic, comic, and serious, this novel is a wild, astonishing evocation of the maturity of a vast and complicated land and its people. It is also a brilliant incarnation of the universal human comedy. …More

Things Fall Apart Things Fall Apart By Achebe, Chinua 1996-11 - Heinemann 0435905252 Check Our Catalog Chinua Achebe's first novel portrays the collision of African and European cultures in people's lives. Okonkwo, a great man in Igbo traditional society, cannot adapt to the profound changes brought about by British colonial rule. Yet, as in classic tragedy, Okonkwo's downfall results from his own character as well as from external forces. …More

Nervous Conditions By Dangarembga, Tsitsi 1996-09 - Seal Press (CA) 187806777X Check Our Catalog …More

Once on a Moonless Night By Dai, Sijie Author Dai, Sijie Translator Hunter, Adriana 2009-08 - Knopf Publishing Group 9780307271587 Check Our Catalog From the author of the beloved best seller "Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress" comes a haunting tale of love--and the beguiling power of a lost language--in this story that carries readers across the breadth of China's past. …More

Getting More Sleep Almost Certainly Staves Off Colds [Health]

Getting More Sleep Almost Certainly Staves Off Colds [Health]:From Lifehacker
Game addictions, all-night crams, and television catch-up marathons will probably cost you in Kleenex. That's according to a recent (and cruel) study that exposed both under-slept and fully-rested people to cold viruses and measured if and when they fell ill.
Photo by sunshinecity.
Your mother, and many mothers before her, probably told you that a good night's sleep was important for keeping your defenses up, but it's always good to double check folksy wisdom against fairly cold, hard proof. Researchers have recently done just that:

In a recent study for The Archives of Internal Medicine, scientists followed 153 men and women for two weeks, keeping track of their quality and duration of sleep. Then, during a five-day period, they quarantined the subjects and exposed them to cold viruses. Those who slept an average of fewer than seven hours a night, it turned out, were three times as likely to get sick as those who averaged at least eight hours.

Already got the bug, regardless of sleep patterns? Try our readers' remedies from their grandparents, and eating the right foods to win the battle against the sniffles.

Lack of Sleep Increases the Risk of Catching a Cold [NYTimes.com]

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