PV America and PVSC have designated Tuesday, June 9 as Public Day. From 12:00 noon until 8:00 PM,
the PV America Expo will be open to the public and admission is free. This is your chance to check out
solar and see how it can work in your life‐ at home and at work.
The access is for the Expo only, in Halls A & B at the Pennsylvania Convention Center at 1101 Arch St.
When you arrive on site, go to PV America registration on the Bridge (2nd level, by the 200 level meeting
rooms), and fill out a very short form.

Everybody knows you can get books to read for FREE at Free Library of Philadelphia. However what do you know about additional services that are offered to the reader?

1. Free Audiobooks rental: fiction, non-fiction, language learning - there is a new addition every week. You can listen to an excerpt of the audiobook here before renting it or placing on hold.


2. Free DVD rental. Although a choice is rather limited, you can find new and old movies and some TV shows. There is also over 500 new downloadable videos at eFreeLibrary.


3. Free CDs for music lover. You can download some music titles for FREE. Also if you love listening to an opera, you will be delighted to find a collection of Opera DVDs. No need to pay Netflix or Blockbuster fees!


4. Looking for a grant? The Regional Foundation Center has free access to the Foundation Directory Online--the most comprehensive database of U.S. grant makers and their grants.


5. If English is not your native language, or you want to practice in a foreign language, there are books available in Spanish/German/French/Polish/Russian/etc


6. Free Internet Access and Wireless Internet.


7. Kids programs. Science in the Summer, Reading Olympics, Summer Reading


8. Author Events, Poetry Meetings and Free Concerts.


9. Learn computer and business skills by taking FREE courses. Also Free Library can help in a job search by offering Career Services and Workshops


10. Free Library will help you to find information about local social services and municipal resources.
    
    

    That should be enough of reasons to apply for your Library card! The Parkway Central Library is located only 0.4 miles from The Phoenix. Exercise your freedom to be informed!

    
    
    

Please Touch Museum continues a longtime museum favorite: 9th Annual ABC Games. The month of learning through sporty play will fill the museum’s Rainforest gallery, located next to the Woodside Park Dentzel Carousel, for more than three weeks, June 5-28. Activities for the 9th Annual ABC Games will encourage an interest in sportsmanship, physical fitness and fun.

Did you have a chance to see the permanent exhibit “Butterflies!” in Natural History Museum of Philadelphia? "Butterflies!" features a lush, tropical garden filled with colorful plants and a multitude of exotic butterflies from around the globe. As you walk through the world of these beautiful creatures, knowledgeable Academy staff will be on hand to answer all your questions.
In addition, “Butterflies!” features:

• computer stations with interactive games about butterfly habitats, body parts, responses to global warming and general trivia
• a chamber of live pupae from which you may see butterflies emerging (if you're there at the right time!)
• a live animal kiosk comparing different kinds of metamorphosis in insects and frogs.

There will be a $2 fee to enter “Butterflies!” in addition to museum admission. Members enter free.

If you are among those following news and updates about Swine Flu or H1N1 virus you might be interested in visiting a lecture given on May4 at 9 am at The College of Physicians of Philadelphia located on 22nd Street. Hear what officials in the Delaware Valley are doing to deal with the outbreak:
- what is it?
- protecting yourself
- treatment
- global picture
- local response & readiness

Presenters to date include:
Esther Chernak, MD, MPH, Medical Director, Acute Communicable Disease Control, Division of Disease Control, Philadelphia Department of Public Health
Thomas Fekete, MD, Temple University Section Chief, Infectious Diseases, Associate Professor, Microbiology and Immunology
Marla J. Gold, MD, Dean, Drexel University School of Public Health
Harvey Rubin, MD, PhD, Director of the Institute for Strategic Threat Analysis and Response (ISTAR) at the University of Pennsylvania

Start time: Monday May 04, 2009 at 9:00 AM
Where: The College of Physicians of Philadelphia, 19 South Twenty-Second Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103

The Pennsylvania Department of Health and the Philadelphia Department of Public Health today reported the state's first probable case of swine influenza. Currently,Pennsylvania does not have any confirmed cases of 2009 H1N1.However, officials stressed that this probable case may not be confirmed when additional testing on samples is conducted at the federal CDC.
Influenza is a serious disease and every year, on average, 36,000 people die in the U.S. from seasonal flu. Find more key facts about influenza here. As with any influenza, citizens are reminded to take the following steps to prevent spreading illness to others:

• Take everyday actions to stay healthy, strengthen your immune system.
  
• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
  
• Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hands cleaners are also effective.
  
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread that way.
  
• Stay home if you get sick. CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.
  
• Follow public health advice regarding school closures, avoiding crowds and other social distancing measures.
  

The current swine flu virus appears to be susceptible to two of the four usual anti-viral medications available. CDC recommends the use of oseltamivir(Tamiflu) or zanamivir(Relenza) for the treatment and/or prevention of infection with swine influenza viruses. Recommendations for using antiviral drugs for treatment or prevention of swine influenza will change as we learn more about this new virus.

You can order CDC recommended swine flu prevention products online:

I love Seinfeld and I was happy to find out that the creator of arguably one of the best sitcom's in TV history, Seinfeld, will be on stage at the Academy of Music on June 20. The shows will be at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Tickets go on sale on Friday, April 17 at 10 a.m. To get tickets call 215-893-1999, or buy at www.kimmelcenter.orgor visit Kimmel center box office.

April 4-September 7, 2009

Galileo's contributions to the progressive development of the telescope, as well as his revolutionary work to create modern scientific methods, make him one of the greatest luminaries in scientific history. The exhibit showcases Galileo's accomplishments, his relationship to the ruling Medici family, his discoveries, and his overall impact on astronomy, physics, and math. This will be the first time one of the two remaining Galileo telescopes has left Italy. Also exhibited will be paintings, prints, and manuscripts from the priceless Medici collection.