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Have you ever wished you could grow your own food, but wondered how to start? Come to the library to learn some great tips for starting your own vegetable garden. This backyard gardening course will teach you how to design, plant and care for a productive vegetable garden.

By growing food at home, individuals and families:

- Save money
- Eat healthier
- Avoid commerical food safety scares.

Library: Zablocki Library
Date: Saturday, April 21, 2012
Time: 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

There are still openings for this weekend's session, but space is limited. Please register online at www.mpl.org or call Ready Reference at 414.286.3011.

Learn about a different aspect of the Milwaukee Public Library's Great Lakes Marine Collection each month. Of special interest to divers and genealogists, the program is free and open to anyone interested in learning more about Great Lakes history. There is no registration required. Please call Ready Reference at 414.286.3011 with any questions.

Location: Central Library's Krikelas Rm. (Conference Room 2A)
Date: Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Time: 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM

The National Archives released 1940 Census records today. A name index does not yet exist, but Ancestry.com and FamilySearch plan to index the census. Visit the National Archives Start Your 1940 Census Research page for helpful search tips.

The U.S. Census is organized by enumeration district (ED), an area that can be canvassed by one enumerator (census taker). Enumeration district maps show their boundaries. If you have 1940 addresses for your family members, you can search for the census enumeration districts they lived at that time at Steve Morse's useful 1940 Census ED Finder.

If you only have names of people you are trying to find in the 1940 Census, city directories and telephone books for Milwaukee and some suburban directories from that era are available in the Frank P. Zeidler Humanities Room, (414) 286-3061, at the Central Library.

A Humanities librarian offers a brief introduction to library genealogy resources. This free Researching Your Family Tree class meets at 2:30 p.m., every third Monday of the month in the Central Library Krikelas Room, 2nd Floor. The next program will be on April 16th, 2012.

Submitted by Van Lingle Mungo

On this day in 1722, Easter Island was discovered by the Europeans. The first recorded European visitor, Jacob Roggeveen, named the the island after setting foot on its soil on Easter Sunday. The island is regarded as the most remote, inhabited island in the world. The island is most known for their Moai sculptures that feature large, elongated heads. Read more about Easter Island at your Milwaukee Public Library.

Money Smart Week is not just for adults! Kids and teenagers can also learn ways to be smart about their money. One of the best resources they can use is www.themint.org, which is a website that helps kids learn about money and responsiblity. The website is broken into sections for kids, teens, parents, and teachers.

The kid section of the website features:

-Tips on how to earn money
-Money games and quizes
-The benefits of saving money
-The importance of giving and helping others

The teen section of the website features:

-Ways to find a job and earn money
-The benefits of a savings account
-How to be a smart shopper
-How to invest money

You can learn financial literacy at any age! For more money resources for kids and young adults, visit your Milwaukee Public Library!

151 years ago today, Confederate troops under the command of General P.G.T. Beauregard fired upon the Union-held Fort Sumter. This event started the American Civil War. The Civil War was fought over slavery, states rights, and many other issues. The war lasted 4 years and resulted in the deaths of an estimated 750,000 soldiers. It is one of the most historically important events in American history. Several thousand books, movies, and sound recordings have been made about the Civil War. To brush up on your Civil War history, make sure to check out a few items from your Milwaukee Public Library.

On the morning of April 19, 1775, 77 Minutemen (including Paul Revere) stood their ground against 700 British soldiers in what became known as the battles of Lexington and Concord. This incident was the starting point in the American Revolutionary War. The war lasted eight years and 137 days. At its conclusion, over 190,000 soldiers lost their lives and America gained its independance. There have been several books, movies, and sound recordings made about the war. To brush up on your Revolutionary War history, check out some of these items from your Milwaukee Public Library!

If you're a teen that missed the opportunity to participate in Bay View library's Smoothie Challenge, don't despair! This event will also be held at Tippecanoe and Washington Park on Monday, April 16, Center Steet on Wednesday, April 18, and Atkinson on Monday, April 30.
Compete against other teams by creating your own healthy and delicious smoothie. Bring your friends and we'll supply the fresh ingredients. This event is free and registration is not required.

For more information call (414)286-3011.

Eating healthy when your family is on the go can be tricky. Learn great tips to make quick meals from the nutritionist at Outpost Natural Foods and taste a few samples!

Today marks the start of Money Smart Week, a public awareness initiative aimed at building financial knowledge for all ages. Throughout the week Milwaukee Public Library will offer programs and resources to encourage healthy personal financial practices.

Managing Your Investments: Making Value Line and Morningstar Work for You

Smart investing starts now! Learn how you can use stock and mutual fund research tools Value Line and Morningstar to help manage your investments and inform future investment decisions. This program will be held at three Milwaukee Public Library locations. No registration is required.

Monday, April 23rd, 6-7 p.m.
Washington Park Library, 2121 N. Sherman Blvd.

Tuesday, April 24th, 6-7 p.m.
Central Library, 814 W. Wisconsin Ave. Meeting Room 1

Wednesday, April 25th, 6-7 p.m.
East Library, 1910 E. North Ave, Meeting Room

Value Line and Morningstar are subscription databases available inside all City of Milwaukee libraries and remotely to City of Milwaukee library card holders.

Wouldn't it be nice to have your own personal financial planner to show you how to spend your money, where to find savings, and maybe even find a way to create a nest egg? Goof-Proof Personal Finance can teach you how to take control of your financial future without the expense of a financial planner. Goof-Proof Personal Finance is free through Milwaukee Public Library's LearningExpress database. Learn how to take control of your financial future with 44 manageable and easy-to-understand lessons. Some of the topic covered in the lessons include:

* Monitoring spending habits and getting organized for saving
* Managing bills and gaining control of large debts
* Securing home equity loans and mortgages, plus refinancing strategies
* Investing for the future and understanding retirement plans
* Budgeting, saving, and spending wisely on a wedding
* Financing a college tuition and learning about education savings plans

The LearningExpress Library database is available for use through City of Milwaukee libraries and and by remote access to City of Milwaukee library cardholders.

Clarence Darrow, the most renowned American lawyer of the early 1900's, was born on April 18, 1857. He became famous as a defender of labor after representing Eugene V. Debs and other union officials who were arrested for supporting the Pullman Strike of 1894. Darrow later began to specialize in criminal defense and was nearly 70 years old when he tried his two most spectacular cases. In 1924, he defended teen thrill killers Nathan F. Leopold, Jr. and Richard A. Loeb, who admitted to kidnapping and murdering 14-year-old Bobby Franks in their attempt to commit a perfect crime. In 1925, he defended the right of John T. Scopes to teach the theory of evolution in public school. Darrow died on March 13, 1938.

The Friends of Milwaukee Public Library welcomes Chad Harbach, best-selling author of The Art of Fielding, to the 2012 Spring Literary Luncheon. The Art of Fielding was listed as one of the best ten books of 2011 by The New York Times.

The lucheon will be held on May 4 at the Wisconsin Club, 900 W. Wisconsin Avenue. Book sales, book signing and a raffle will begin at 11 a.m. followed by lunch and program at noon. Proceeds benefit the Milwaukee Public Library.

Registration ends April 25. To register, or for more information, call (414)286-3784. This event is sponsored by the Friends of the Milwaukee Public Library with book sales by Boswell Book Company.

The deadline for entry in the teen poetry contest is one week away, enter now!

Do you have a way with words? Milwaukee youth ages 10-18 are encouraged to submit a poem with an entry form to compete in this year's Poetry Contest! Submit up to two poems between March 26 and April 26. Poems must be submitted online.

Prizes will be awarded to top poems in three age categories: 10-12, 13-15, and 16-18. Winners will be announced at the Teen Performance Poetry and Spoken Word Showcase at Villard Square Branch on Tuesday, May 15, 6-7:30 p.m. and may be published on the MPL webpage and Facebook pages!

For prizes and contest rules visit the Teen Poetry Contest page on our website.

All programs hosted by the Teen Advisory Board and sponsored by Best Buy.

Understanding your credit history is half the battle in improving your credit score. Attend this program during Money Smart Week and library staff will show you how to get a free copy of your credit. The library will provide a free printout of one credit report to each person who attends. Staff from the Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Greater Milwaukee will be available to explain the report to you and provide additional information.

To get your free credit report, be prepared to provide your:

• Social Security Number
• Birth Date
• Address or addresses where you have lived for the past three years
• Account numbers for utilities - gas/electric, cable, telephone etc...
• Account numbers for any loans or revolving lines of credit

Library: Central
Date: Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Time: 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM

Library: Center Street
Date: Thursday, April 26, 2012
Start Time: 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM

Space is limited, call (414) 286-3011 and register today!