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On December 1, 1955, seamstress and civil rights activist Rosa Parks refused a city bus driver's orders to give up her seat for a white passenger. Although her action was not the first of its kind, it became the trigger for the Montgomery Bus Boycott and Mrs. Parks became an international symbol of resistance to racial segregation. You can check out books and movies about this pivotal event in the history of the United States at the Milwaukee Public Library. The picture above is a diagram of where Mrs. Parks sat on board the Cleveland Avenue bus on Thursday, December 1, 1955.

Giving gifts during the holiday season is rewarding for sure, but so is winning gifts, especially if you're a kid. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is offering kids 10 and under the opportunity to win children's books and cooking gear in their contest to answer the question: What kind of dinner should Santa have? They are looking for suggestions from kids, including menus, recipes and artwork, for a Food Section cover story. Check out the guidelines and tips for entries. The deadline is Wednesday, December 8.

Did you know that Access NewspaperARCHIVE of Badgerlink recently updated their website? Besides being the largest online newspaper archive, NewspaperARCHIVE is easier to use with new search tabs and one click access to newspaper articles detailing historic events. The tabs at the top of the screen include the capability to browse and "Ask a librarian" as well as search. The search capability is also expanded with the ability to conduct a name search. You can access a variety of news articles covering famous historic events as they happened by clicking the links on the front page. Coverage includes all of the United States and some select countries.

2010 is almost at an end, which means it's the perfect time to review the year's best books. Fortunately, there is no shortage of best book lists to choose from!

National Public Radio offers its selections, including the year's best cookbooks, teen reads, gift books, books of winter, and the five books everybody's talking about!

The New York Times offers its pick of the ten best books from a list of 100 notable books of the year. The Times also provides a list of the best illustrated children's books.

Publishers Weekly and Library Journal have also released their selections for the top fiction, non-fiction, children's books, and genre titles of the year.

For those who need help brushing up on their skills for an upcoming exam, drop in tutoring is now available three times a week at Washington Park library. Tutors are available on a first come first served basis at the following times: Mondays 2-4pm, Tuesdays 2-6pm, and Wednesdays 5-7pm. Those wanting more long term and intensive tutoring should consider contacting the library's literacy hotline to begin the process of signing up for one on one tutoring with a trained volunteer. The number for the literacy hotline is (414)286-3117.

We've blogged before about MedlinePlus, one of the best web sites for reliable, authoritative health information. There's another great web site also developed by the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other government agencies: ClinicalTrials.gov. This web site provides access to information on clinical studies for a wide range of diseases, conditions, medical devices and drugs. The web site is updated daily and includes links to additional information.

Wondering what a clinical trial is? According to MedlinePlus, "clinical trials are research studies that test how well new medical approaches work in people. Each study answers scientific questions and tries to find better ways to prevent, screen for, diagnose or treat a disease. Clinical trials may also compare a new treatment to a treatment that is already available."

It was a cold and snowy December in 1980 New York City and it seemed to get a lot colder on the 8th, when fans around the world started hearing the news that John Lennon, former member of the seminal musical group the Beatles, was shot and killed outside of his home in the Dakota building. The man died that day, but his music and memory live on.

Don't forget to visit the library before the holidays to pick out some books and movies to entertain the family on cold snowy nights. Try reading an audiobook in the car on the drive to out of town festivities. If you do plan to visit the library make sure you're aware that all Milwaukee Public Libraries will be closed on Sunday, December 19th as well as Friday, December 24th through Monday, December 27th. We wish you a safe and happy holiday this winter.

On Janurary 8, 2011, Bay View Library will host the Young Writers and Illustrator's Workshop. This workshop is intended for children in 1st through 3rd grade. The workshop will teach children how to craft a story and also how to use illustrations to aid in telling the story. Children will be encouraged to create a story and enter it into MPTV's 17th annual PBS KIDS Go! Writer's Contest. Previous years winners' entries will be displayed.

Registration is required for this event due to limited space. Please call (414)286-3011 for more information or to reserve a space for your child.

The Milwaukee County Transit System is celebrating 150 years of public transit in Milwaukee.

The Central Library has a small display of photos, maps, weekly passes and other materials from our archives and collections on Rapid Transit interurbans (light rail), streetcars, trolleybuses, buses and the North Shore Line. It's located in the middle of the 2nd floor hallway near the Humanities Room.

Submitted by Van Lingle Mungo

What else can you do with moist, delectable, cream-filled sponge cake also known as a Twinkie? Find out for yourself at Twinkie Masterpieces, held for both kids and teens on January 10 and 12, 2011. This special kids club event will be held at Tippecanoe and Bayview, and the event for teens will also be held at both libraries. Kick- off the new year by making masterpieces out of twinkies and other edible materials. Participants will vote, and awards will be given for the craziest and most delicious looking!
For more information, or if you have any questions, call (414)286-3011.

What is one of the best ways to reduce stress during the holidays? Ask for help! Here are some tip lines to keep in mind throughout the holiday season.

Dessert Help
Crisco Pie Hotline: 1-877-367-7438
Hershey's Chocolate Hotline: 1-800-468-1714
Land-o-Lakes Holiday Bake Line: 1-800-782-9606
Nestle Toll House Baking Information Line: 1-800-637-8537

Food Safety Tips
U.S. Department of Agriculture Meat and Poultry Hotline: 1-888-674-6854

Main Course and Side Dish Help
Butterball Turkey Hotline: 1-800-BUTTERBALL
Fleischmann's Yeast Baker's Help Line: 1-800-777-4959
Jennie-O Turkey Hotline: 1-800-887-5397
Kentucky Legend Ham Hotline: 1-866-343-5058
Ocean Spray Cranberries Consumer Help Line: 1-800-662-3263
Reynolds Wrap Turkey Tips Line: 1-800-745-4000
Turning Leaf Wine Holiday Tips Hotline: 1-877-TLWINE-3

Santa Locator
Want to know where Santa is on Christmas Eve? Call 1-877-446-6723

Stain Removal Tips
Clorox Holiday Stain Hotline: 1-877-STAIN-411

With the number of ebook readers currently on the market choosing the right one can be overwhelming. Whether you're looking to purchase an ebook reader for yourself or as a gift, OverDrive's e-Reader Device Resource Center can make the process easier. The Device Resource Center includes a list of key features for each reader, links to support pages and price information. Best of all, since Milwaukee Public Library card holders have free access to OverDrive ebooks and audiobooks, the Device Resource Center indicates whether each ebook reader is compatible with OverDrive formats.

Already have your OverDrive compatible ebook reader? Then check out the titles available through OverDrive's Digital Download Center! New to the entire ebook process? The Digital Book Center has a Quick Start Guide that gives an overview of the process and breaks down each step.

All Milwaukee Public Libraries will be closed for the holidays.

The MPL schedule is as follows:

Thursday, December 23rd - Open
Friday, December 24th - Closed
Saturday, December 25th - Closed
Sunday, December 26th - Closed
Monday, December 27th - Closed
Tuesday, December 28th - Open

The suburban libraries in Milwaukee County will also be closed for the holidays. Please check the complete schedule provided by the Milwaukee County Federated Library System for each library's holiday hours.

Last week the Census Bureau released the results from the United States' most massive participation movement in history, the 2010 U.S. Census. Conducted every ten years as mandated by the U.S. Constitution, the census is the basis for determining the number of seats given each state in the House of Representatives and for the allocation of federal funds. The Census' user-friendly website makes it easy for everyone to view and use the census data.

Check out the Census Bureau's Interactive Map (shown above) to see the nation's changing population and current and historical data on population density and apportionment. Looking for more information about the Census Bureau? Check out the Director's Blog, an informative and behind the scenes look at the workings of the Bureau from Director Robert Groves.

All Milwaukee Public Libraries will be closed for the New Year's holiday.

The MPL schedule is as follows:

Thursday, December 30th - Open
Friday, December 31st - Closed
Saturday, January 1st - Closed
Sunday, January 2nd - Closed
Monday, January 3rd - Closed
Tuesday, January 4th - Open

The suburban libraries in Milwaukee County will also be closed for the New Year's holiday. Please check the complete schedule for each library's holiday hours.