Website Wednesday: USDA Plants Database

Now that spring seems to be just around the corner many of us start thinking about our gardens.

"The PLANTS Database provides standardized information about the vascular plants, mosses, liverworts, hornworts, and lichens of the U.S. and its territories."

Learn more about the plants that grow well in Northern Illinois, where to plant them, and what they have been traditionally used for.

Database: GALE: Testing & Education Reference Center

Do you have to prepare for the ACT or Sat and can't make it to the library for a test prep book? Not to worry, with a Gail Borden Library card you can access the GALE: Testing & Education Reference Center online.

The GALE: Testing & Education Reference Center has testing guides for college and grad school entrance exams as well as exams for nursing, the military, and teaching.

If you are looking to go back to school or change your career the GALE: Testing & Education Reference Center offers list of professional development programs, a career assessment test, and a resume builder.

The GALE: Testing & Education Reference Center is just one of many online databases the library offers for you to use at the library or at home.

Website Wednesday: Medline Plus

The National Library of Medicine has brought us Medline Plus, an authoritative collection of health and medical information from the National Institute of Health as well as from hospitals and other health organizations.

When looking for information of health conditions, drugs & supplements, or if you just want to consult a medial dictionary and encyclopedia start with Medline Plus.

The site has resources in 40 languages including Spanish. Medline Plus also has a mobile site and is on Twitter.

Presidents Day

To celebrate President's Day I have picked out some recent biographies of past U.S. Presidents.

My Father at 100 By Reagan, Ron Check Our Catalog February 6, 2011, is the 100th anniversary of Ronald Reagan's birth. To mark the occasion, his younger son Ron presents an intimate look at the life of his father--one of the most popular presidents in American history. …More

James Madison By Brookhiser, Richard Check Our Catalog In this penetrating biography, eminent historian Brookhiser presents a vivid portrait of the "Father of the Constitution," an accomplished yet humble statesman who nourished Americans' fledgling liberty and vigorously defended the laws that have preserved it to this day. 304 pp. 50,000 print. …More

Nixon's Darkest Secrets: The Inside Story of America's Most Troubled President By Fulsom, Don Check Our Catalog While Richard Nixon left the White House as the nation's most disgraced president, the American people never knew the full extent of his demons, paranoia, prejudices, hatreds, and chicanery. Here, a veteran White House reporter reveals that Nixon was even more sinister and haunted than anyone ever knew. …More

The Big Scrum: How Teddy Roosevelt Saved Football By Miller, John J. Check Our Catalog Miller tells the intriguing, never-before-fully-told story of how Theodore Roosevelt helped to save the game that would become America's most popular sport. …More

Inventing George Washington: America's Founder, in Myth and Memory By Lengel, Edward G. Check Our Catalog …More

The President and the Assassin: McKinley, Terror, and Empire at the Dawn of the American Century By Miller, Scott Check Our Catalog The shocking murder of President William McKinley in 1901 threw into stark relief the emerging new world order of what would come to be known as the American Century. Miller tells the story of the momentous years leading up to that event. …More

The President Is a Sick Man: Wherein the Supposedly Virtuous Grover Cleveland Survives a Secret Surgery at Sea and Vilifies the Courageous Newspape By Algeo, Matthew Check Our Catalog An extraordinary yet almost-unknown chapter in American history is revealed in this extensively researched expos. On July 1, 1893, President Grover Cleveland boarded a friend's yacht and was not heard from for five days. During that time, a team of doctors removed a cancerous tumor. When enterprising reporter E.J. Edwards exposed the secret operation, Cleveland denied it and Edwards was consequently dismissed as a disgrace to journalism. …More

The Dwarf Planet

Today in 1930 Pluto was discovered by astronomer Clyde Tombaugh at the Lowell Observatory at Flagstaff, AZ. Until 2006 Pluto was the ninth and farthest planet from the sun, when it was reclassified as a dwarf planet.


Being 3.66 billion miles away from the sun Pluto takes almost 250 years to complete one rotation around the sun. Receiving it's name from the Roman God of the underworld, Pluto is very dark and receives very little light from the sun.


Some links may require a Gail Borden Library card.

Photo by Lunar and Planetary Institute.

500 Years of Black History

February is Black History Month, an occasion to commemorate the Civil Rights movement. Henry Louis Gates Jr.'s Life Upon These Stores chronicles the most important figures and events, both famous and overlooked, in African-American history. This comprehensive volume begins before the first shipment of slaves to America and ends with America's first black president. Reading Life Upon These Shores will help to place King and his accomplishments in the broader spectrum, thus making the day all the more relevant.

The French Chef

Today in 1963 Julia Child's French Chef appeared on TV for the first time. To celebrate check out some of our great Julia Child cookbooks including a DVD of the show.

Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume I By Child, Julia Author Bertholle, Louisette Author Beck, Simone Check Our Catalog "Anyone can cook in the French manner anywhere," wrote Mesdames Beck, Bertholle, and Child, "with the right instruction." And here is the book that, for forty years, has been teaching Americans how. …More

Julia's Kitchen Wisdom: Essential Techniques and Recipes from a Lifetime of Cooking By Child, Julia With Nussbaum, David Check Our Catalog BookPage Notable Title Julia Child has given us answers to these and other questions in the ten masterful volumes she has publishedover the past 40 years. But which book do you go to for which solution? Now, in this little volume, you can find the answers immediately. …More

Baking with Julia: Sift, Knead, Flute, Flour, and Savor... By Greenspan, Dorie Check Our Catalog Baking with Julia is not only a book full of glorious recipes but also one that continues Julia's teaching tradition. Here, basic techniques come alive and are made easily comprehensible in recipes that demonstrate the myriad ways of raising dough, glazing cakes, and decorating crusts. This is the resource you'll turn to again and again for all your baking needs. …More

Black History Month

Did you miss the Black History Family Festival? Well you can still catch up on your reading for Black History Month, check out our reading lists for all ages.

Children of Fire: A History of African Americans By Holt, Thomas C.  Check Our Catalog In this groundbreaking new book, renowned historian Holt tells the story of how generations of African Americans fashioned a culture and identity amid the turmoil of four centuries of American history. …More

The Inventive Spirit of African Americans: Patented Ingenuity By Sluby, Patricia Carter Check Our Catalog The most comprehensive work on African American inventors to date, this book provides information on patent holders in all fields from colonial to modern times. …More

African American Firsts in Science & Technology By Webster, Raymond B. Check Our Catalog Presents capsule accounts of notable first achievements by African Americans, arranged in the categories "Agriculture and Everyday Life, " "Dentistry and Nursing, " "Life Science, " "Math and Engineering, " "Medicine, " "Physical Science, " and "Transportation." …More

Genealogy refresher

You've seen Who Do You Think You Are, now lighten up and learn at the same time!  Master family history sleuth Megan Smolenyak's Hey, America, Your Roots Are Showing writes about her amazing adventures tracking down difficult-to-find ancestors and descendants, and you learn valuable searching tips along the way. Especially read chapter 16, "No, Your Name Wasn't Changed at Ellis Island." I promise you'll be amazed at her stories and the perseverance she demonstrates.

Groundhog Day

It's Groundhog day, what will Punxsutawney Phil and Woodstock Willie predict for this spring?.

Midwestern folklore says that when a woodchuck comes out of his burrow on February 2nd and sees his shadow we are in for an early spring, when he doesn't we are in for 6 more weeks of winter.

Some links require a Gail Borden Library Card.

Photo by Jason Sturner

Black History Family Festival

In partnership with Elgin Community College and School Dist. U-46, on February 4, 2-5 pm, discover Black Americans who have had an impact on our lives from science and medicine to politics and art.

This free event will feature award-winning author Candy Dawson Boyd, Broadway dancer Reginald McLaughlin and professional storyteller Linda Gorham. The culinary experts at Elgin Community College will provide sweet-potato pie bites. No registration. Learn more.