October is Family History Month, and the Library is celebrating by announcing the acquisition of My Heritage, a genealogy subscription database. Like Ancestry Library Edition and Ancestry.com, My Heritage has indexed census, vital records and family tree information. My Heritage,however, can be accessed at home by Mount Prospect Public Library cardholders! To find more clues to your family 
history check out this resource either in the Library or at home. Please remember that the Library Research Services staff is available to help you search this database and any of the others in our collection. You may also set up an appointment with Genealogy Librarian, Anne Shaughnessy. Let’s celebrate our families, past and present!
News from the Reference Desk Category: Web Resources
Mount Prospect in the News
Events in Mount Prospect over the past 100 years have been documented by a few local newspapers; occasionally the Chicago Tribune would make brief mentions of the village, and the Daily Herald has been a source of Mount Prospect news since 1901.
Two other newspapers were focused just on Mount Prospect. Both papers document life in Mount Prospect during challenging times in history:
From 1932-1942 the Mount Prospect Review covered local events during the Great Depression and early World War II years.
From April 1966 to June 1970 The Prospect Day covered events during a time of great growth and change in Mount Prospect. Digital copies of these newspapers are searchable on the MPPL website.
The Mount Prospect Review and the historical Daily Herald can be searched through the web resource Newspaper Archive. This source is only available in the Library. The Prospect Day was recently digitized and is available on the MPPL website on this page. The Historical Chicago Tribune, Newspaper Archive and Prospect Day can also be accessed by going to the newspapers section of the Web Resources page of the MPPL website.
If you have questions about how to use these resources, please ask for assistance at the Research Services Desk, call the desk at 847-253-5675 or chat online with a librarian.
Creativebug, Our New Web Resource
MPPL is now subscribing to Creativebug, developed by JOANN Fabrics as a crafty version of Lynda.com. Whether you are an expert or a beginner, or are just looking for ideas, Creativebug is there to inspire and instruct. You will find thousands of video tutorials on all kinds of crafts including sewing, knitting, decoupage, stenciling, meditative art journaling, book making, pottery, face painting, cake decorating, and so many more ideas.
Click here to access our web resources.
December is National Write a Business Plan Month
Whether you’re an entrepreneur, budding small business owner or seasoned veteran of owning your own business, one thing you’ll definitely appreciate is the importance of having a solid business plan. Just in time for December–National Write a Business Plan Month–MPPL is here to help. Check out our collection for books on writing business plans, or dive right in by accessing Gale Small Business Builder from our list of web resources! GSBB is a user-friendly database that walks you through a step-by-step process for writing a business plan. It even works in tandem with related Gale Business databases to help you create a comprehensive plan designed for whatever your business, from retail to consulting and beyond. Try it this month and check out this video tutorial!
Protecting Seniors from Scams in Assisted Living
Financial fraud and exploitation of seniors seems even more rampant than ever. This population, more vulnerable than others due to an uneasy relationship to rapidly changing technology in the internet age, is often targeted by those unscrupulous folk looking for an easily duped victim. While most of us undoubtedly do our best to protect our loved ones close to us, what happens when they’re no longer as much under our wing? The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is here to help, with a handy manual designed to offer tips and strategies for caregivers and others responsible for the safety and well-being of those residing in assisted living facilities. Protecting residents from financial exploitation: A manual for assisted living and nursing facilities is published by the CFPB and provides practical advice on how to help protect seniors from falling victim to common scams or fraudulent schemes. Some of the most common include:
- -The resident receives news about a prize or other windfall that requires payment of fees or taxes up front.
-The resident is pressured to keep good news a secret until a transaction is complete or risk losing out on this one-time opportunity.
-A caller constantly seeks more information and pressures the resident to comply.
-A third party claims to be from a government agency, financial institution or other entity and asks for information that they should already have. A resident receives a lot of mail or email for sweepstakes, contests or other sources suggesting that he or she has already been scammed.
Review and download your copy today, and join the fight to protect our seniors!