We've all seen the pictures of the flooding in Pakistan and read about the thousands dead and millions displaced. If you want more information and want to help, here are some resources.

According to the American Library Association, "Banned Books Week (BBW) is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read and the importance of the First Amendment" (source). Which means that we want you to read a banned (or challenged) book (or two).

Early Tuesday evening, preparations and tests began for the rescue of the 33 miners trapped over 2000 feet underground. By midnight eastern, the rescue efforts had begun and the first miner, 31 year old Florencio Ávalos, was released.

Do you need a copy of your birth certificate? Are you applying for a marriage license? Or maybe you need to get property, mortgages, deed or lien records? Don’t have time to go to the county offices in Pontiac? Avoid the drive time and standing-in-line time by ordering these records online. The Oakland County Clerk & Register of Deed’s Office has made it much easier to order these and other documents online and to have them delivered to your home.

The Library CARD (Convenience & Access to Records and Documents) Program is a joint effort with more than 25 Oakland County libraries, including Royal Oak Public Library, to assist their patrons in accessing many public records overseen by the County Clerk’s office. If you need more information about this program, stop by the adult reference desk to pick up a brochure, or ask the reference librarian for assistance.