Tutorials & guides

Seasonal Flu vs. H1N1 (Swine) Flu
Most of the publicity this year has focused on the H1N1 flu (swine flu), but is there a difference between this strain and the seasonal flu?

There are thousands of different strains of viruses that can and do cause the flu. The seasonal flu is comprised of several different strains. The H1N1 is a new strain. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 200,000 people a year are hospitalized by the seasonal flu and 36,000 die from it, although people over 65 are most at risk. The swine flu, in contrast, mainly affects people under 25.

Both seasonal flu and H1N1 are contagious, and their symptoms are the same. Only by seeing your doctor can you be sure if you have the seasonal flu or the H1N1 virus; however, the time for seasonal flu doesn’t really begin until October, so most flu right now is H1N1. Although getting a shot for the seasonal flu probably won’t help prevent getting the H1N1 flu, the CDC and other health organizations recommend you get both shots as soon as they become available.

This guide provides information on how to become a U.S. citizen, how to learn English as a second language, where immigrants can get legal assistance, and local resources for immigrants.

Looking for a job? This tutorial includes the best places to look for job openings in Kansas City, lists helpful local agencies, identifies job clubs for networking and support, and suggests some books to help you in your search.

Learn more about the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 in this guide. The purpose of this Act is to “jumpstart the economy” and “create or save millions of jobs.” Introduced as House Bill H.R. 1, it was signed into law by President Obama on February 17, 2009.

This article highlights various resources which can help you learn a language.

List of resources regarding the current economic crisis.

The AARP Tax-Aid program provides free tax preparation and assistance services to low- and middle-income taxpayers, with special attention to those ages 60 and older. The VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) provides assistance to those with a low income ($49K and less).

2009 Tax Season

The Kansas City Public Library can point you to a variety of resources that can help with tax preparation assistance.

These websites provides tips, tools, articles, resources and more on living green in Kansas City.

All of the Library’s online article and research databases can be found on the Databases page, found under Research Resources on the main menu of the library's website.