Wake up and smell the new year!

Did the arrival of a new year fill you with exhilaration and hope? Or, when the alarm clock went off on January 1, 2009, did you feel like the pulling the covers back over your head? I'm looking forward to another 12 months of opportunity and experiences, but at the same time I'm dismayed that my email In Box is stuffed with diet ads and anti-aging products - give me a break already! For some people, a new year may very well be the best time to kick off a a diet or exercise program, and perhaps indulge in some beauty and wellness products.

Maybe you are looking for something different. May I humbly suggest that your New Year's resolution be: Making the best possible use of your Library card?

If you're intrigued, stick with me this January. Every day, I'll be offering a tip or two on how to make the most of your Des Plaines Public Library card. While all of the suggestions may not apply, my best guess is that many of them will. At a time when we all need to save money while taking advantage of every available "self-help" resource, your Library and the tax dollars you pay to support it have never been more valuable.

Suggestion Number One: Slightly self-serving perhaps, but, read our blogs! Not just PlainTalk, which you are reading now, but my sibling blogs Positively Ellinwood Street and The Blog of AWESOME.

PlainTalk not only highlights news and events at the Des Plaines Public Library, but the Des Plaines community in general. It's a great place for you to leave feedback and comments about the Library, too. Just type in your Comments and click submit after any post. PlainTalk provides an informal, friendly opportunity for you to get to the know the Library and its staff, as well as discover new services and programs.

Positively Ellinwood Street is a blog from our Readers' Services department, the helpful folks who work on the 3rd floor of the Library. This blog gives you their insider opinions on books, movies and music, both the classics and the brand new. If you need recommendations for your next great book, movie or CD, stop here first.

The Blog of AWESOME is for teens, who are welcome to post reviews of things they're reading or watching, and share their opinions with other. It's also a place to keep track of events that we're holding just for teens, so don't miss out, check out BLAW today.

Make the most of your blog-reading experience and add one or more of these blogs to your favorite reader (iGoogle, Google Reader, Bloglines, your Yahoo home page, etc. ). If you have a Blogger account, you can "follow" PlainTalk and Positively Ellinwood Street there. The headlines will update automatically whenever we post something new - although we love it if you visit the Library home page frequently! You can get to our blogs easily from the links posted on our home page, or through our "What's New" page, a quick link on the left side of every page.

Check back tomorrow for another suggestion!