Local Businesses and Organizations

Colon Community Schools
Find information pertaining to the Colon Community School District

Abbott Magic

Fab Magic

www.colonmi.com
Welcome to the Magic Captial of the World!

www.rivercountry.com
Southwest Michigan Vacation Getaways and Holiday Vacations.

Michigan has launced a new website for people who are dealing with economic hardship. This website contains information about...

Jobs and Training
Unemployment
Health Care
Family Support
Housing

Visit www.michigan.gov/helpinghand for more information on how to find the services you need.

Employment Resources

The U.S. Department of Labor has announced a new CareerOneStop reemplyment portal. 
The website is designed to provide employment, training, and financial assistance during the process of job transition. 
Users can find information on unemployment insurance benefits, health-care coverage, dealing with job loss, and job hunting.

http://www.careeronestop.org/ReEmployment/Default.aspx

Foreclosure Resources

Save the Dream; a Response to Michigan Foreclosures, MSHDA's Save the Dream Campaign includes helpful information on our Web site that assists homeowners who are experiencing financial difficulties or facing foreclosure, our statewide network of homeownership counselors, a second mortgage program to assist current MSHDA borrowers, and refinance programs available to eligible homeowners. If you are having financial problems, don’t risk losing your home - there are options available. The Save the Dream toll-free number is 866-946-7432. Operated by the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA), the hotline directs homeowners to a homeownership counselor in their county who specializes in foreclosure prevention. Or if they prefer, homeowners can locate a MSHDA Homeownership Counselor directly.

Guide to Avoiding Foreclosure - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

HUD Homeowners Hope Hotline at 888-995-HOPE

Consumer Tips for Avoiding Foreclosure Rescue Scams

- U.S. Comptroller of the Currency Advisory US Federal Trade Commision Bureau of Consumer Protection.

Educational Resources

New Computer User Tutorial

A tutorial designed to help people who have never used a computer before compliments

of The Library Network.

http://tech.tln.lib.mi.us/tutor/

New Microsoft site offers latest online safety information

The new Microsoft Online Safety site keeps parents, teachers, and kids up to date with the latest in online safety news and tips. Watch videos and interact with others who are concerned about staying safe online. Get advice on how to help protect yourself from fraud, secure the data on your PC, and more.
If you find an article helpful, you can easily share it with others on Facebook, Twitter, the Windows Live network, and elsewhere.

http://www.microsoft.com/protect/default.aspx

FOR MICHIGAN EDUCATORS

MICHIGAN EDUCATORS GET MORE QUALITY TEACHING TOOLS AND RESOURCES - FREE AT http://more.mel.org

'MORE' resources are aligned with State of Michigan grade-level and high school content expectations.

The Library of Michigan, the Michigan Department of Education and Wayne State University today announced the official launch of "MORE in MeL.org" (Michigan Online Resources for Educators at http://more.mel.org ) Making its debut in March 2009, MORE is a growing Web-based collection of thousands of high-quality, digitally available information resources that gives teachers a significant edge in providing an enhanced educational experience for their students.  -from Library of Michigan press release, March 18, 2009

Health Resources

Your link to health services in Michigan
A service of the U.S. National Library if Medicine and the National Institutes of Health

"Top Ten" Most Useful Medical Websites

The Medical Library Association finds the following websites particularly useful.
(Sites are listed in alphabetical, NOT ranked, order):

cancer.gov

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

familydoctor.org

healthfinder

HIV InSite

Kidshealth

Mayo Clinic

MEDEM: an information partnership of medical societies

MEDLINEplus (English/Spanish)

NOAH:  New York Online Access to Health (English/Spanish)

Legal Resources

Legal Self-Help Center

A new online resource is now available to members of the public who want immediate information and more access to the justice system.  To access this new website visit www.michbar.org.  Click on Public Resources and Michigan Online Legal Self Help Center.

THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU-

A Valuable Resource! 

Old Values, New Look

The BBB announces a new look but the same values for our 95 year old organization. 

More reports than ever!  More substance than ever!  It all Starts With Trust at  WWW.BBB.ORG.

BBB of Western Michigan             Grand Rapids,MI 49503            616.774.8236

Reference

Seeking Michigan

Explore Michigan’s Past & Present: Seek family histories. Discover something new.

Look at Michigan’s stories.
"Seeking Michigan" provides access to unique historical information that promotes

Michigan’s cultural heritage-- the stories of Michigan’s families, homes, businesses, communities

and landscapes as told by unique source documents, maps, films, images, oral histories and artifacts.

www.seekingmichigan.org

Chilton's Available Online

The Content and Coverage You Need - All in One Location

One of the many resources available through Mel.org is the Chilton's Auto Repair database. If you like the manuals, you'll love this site!
Go to http://mel.org and choose to access MeL's databases from home or the library. If you are accessing from home, you will need to enter your driver's license number (remember, this is a service to Michigan residents). Then click on the link at ChiltonLibrary.com
For a   2-minute tutorial, go to: http://support.ebsco.com/training/tutorials.php

Book Lovers

2009 Outstanding Books for the College Bound and Lifetime Learners

The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), announced the 2009 Outstanding Books for the College Bound and Lifetime Learners list. Revised every five years, this list is intended as a tool for several audiences: students preparing for college, parents, educators and librarians. The 2009 list was produced by a YALSA committee made up of public, school and academic librarians, in collaboration with the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL).
The 2009 list offers titles in five categories: Arts and Humanities, History and Cultures, Literature and Language Arts, Science and Technology and Social Sciences. The complete list can be found online at www.ala.org/yalsa/booklists/obcb.

BEST FREE REFERENCE WEB SITES, COMBINED INDEX
This index includes free reference web sites from the American Libraries Association's annual "Best" lists,
1999-2006.

What Do I Read Next?

A database to help you decide what to read next. Search by character, topic, setting, time period, genre, title, author and series. Will also make recommendations based upon likes and dislikes.

Books toolbox: 50+ sites for book lovers
Social networking blog Mashable offers this 2.0 list of book review websites, book communities, interactive publishing, book search and exchange sites, and other 2.0-like tools....