Trusted Sources for Health Information on March 28

We talk to our doctors and our pharmacists, we watch TV programs and read books, and many of us turn to the Internet when we need health information. But do you know if you are getting reliable information from the websites you access? Did you know that the library lets you have access to health databases online from any computer – not only the ones in the library? Or that the library has excellent sources in print where you can find out more about diseases, conditions and medications?

Find out more about what the library offers and how to evaluate information from the Internet by attending a special workshop on Saturday, March 28 from 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. in the library. This will be a presentation (not a hands-on class), giving an overview of library health databases, some of the top health websites on the Internet, and print sources available in the library.

It will be presented by Jan Dempsey, Assistant Library Director. Pre-registration is required so give us a call at 753-1042 to sign-up and let us know if you need wheelchair accessibility.

April book discussion group

Our next month’s book discussion group will meet Wednesday, April 15 to discuss Geraldine Brook’s Pulitzer-Prize winning novel “March.”

Brooks’  novel ” imagines the Civil War experiences of Mr. March, the absent father in Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women. “

A review in Publisher’s Weekly goes on to say “Brooks’s affecting, beautifully written novel drives home the intimate horrors and ironies of the Civil War and the difficulty of living honestly with the knowledge of human suffering. “

Everyone is welcome!

“Handle with Care”

Charlotte and Sean O’Keefe desperately wanted a child of their own. Finally their prayers were answered and Willow was born. But their hopes for a healthy child were dashed when an ultrasound detected numerous bone fractures in their unborn child. Willow was born with severe brittle bone disease.

Jodi Picoult’s new novel “Handle with Care” takes a penetrating look at the O’Keefe family and how a decision by Charlotte to sue their obstetrician (her best friend)  to ensure her daughter’s future survival threatens to tear their family apart.

It’s an incredibly moving story and, like many of Picoult’s novels, you are left wondering what you would do in the same circumstances.

Jan

“Outliers”

Malcolm Gladwell, author of the best-selling books “The Tipping Point” and “Blink” has once again offered up much food for thought. His new book “Outliers – The Story of Success” takes a look at what really makes a person successful. There may be other factors at work other than intelligence and ambition – factors such as family, birthplace or even birth date. He looks at what the Beatles and Bill Gates have in common, why Asians excel in math, and more.

I thought it was fascinating.

Jan

“The Mighty Queens of Freeville”

Amy Dickinson, the “Ask Amy” columnist, NPR contributor and resident of nearby Freeville, has written a memoir of her life – growing up in Freeville, going through a divorce, raising her daughter as a single parent, becoming a syndicated advice columnist, returning to live in Freeville and finding love again.

It’s touching, funny, and full of simple truths. Read it, and not just because of its local flavor.  Highly recommended.

Jan