Blog Post
Come see the new fairy door in the Downtown youth area!
by eapearce
Visitors to the Downtown Library in recent months might have noticed that the fairy door area was “under construction.” Just this week we installed a BRAND NEW fairy door and fairy door fans of all ages will definitely want to come check it out! Located in the same spot as the old fairy door, in the Downtown Youth Department, this new door is super special. You can peek inside to see an adorable scene with a tiny desk, fairy-sized chairs and pillows and little books. There’s even a cute hanging plant—in a thimble, of course! And, this fairy door has a special light that allows you to really see the details that make it so special. Each time you look inside, you’ll notice things that you hadn’t before—like how the walls are papered with dozens of images from old books. The new fairy door is really a treat—come see for yourself!
Blog Post
Digitize Your Photo Collection with a Portable Scanner!
by anthonyd
The Magic Wand Portable Scanner is just one of many great Tools at the Ann Arbor District Library that you can check out with your library card.
With its easy to use functions this scanner is great for scanning large amounts of photos in minutes. Insert 4x6, 5x8 or 8x10 prints into the auto feeder and the scanner will do the rest. And anything larger can be scanned by hand; just detach the scanner from the docking station and you're instantly mobile!
Other features include color or monochromatic scan selection, 300/600/1050/1200 DPI scan quality selection and a color display to playback the scanned images. So instead of spending countless hours using a flatbed scanner for your next project use this one instead!
Blog Post
Poetry on the Bus!
by muskrat
To celebrate National Poetry Month, AADL has joined with the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority for poetry on the bus!
In the spirit of the 2006 Poetry Bus and following in the footsteps of Vancouver's Poetry Moves and the Poetry Society of America's Poetry in Motion campaigns, AADL and AAATA have introduced two placards in each AATA bus with excerpts from great poems by John Keats, Li Po, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Claude McKay and others.
See if you can read them all! There are 8 placards and they will be up all month
Then head over to the library to check out more poetry!
Blog Post
Library Closed On Easter Sunday
by TimG
All AADL locations will be closed on Easter Sunday, March 27.
Regular Library hours will resume on Monday, March 28.
Blog Post
Pulp: Arts Around Ann Arbor
by TimG
Where can you find out more about arts & culture in Ann Arbor?
Where can you get updates on music? Visual art? Author and book events? Film & video? Theater & dance?
With AADL's new arts blog, Pulp, you'll find excitement and appreciation for the Ann Arbor area arts & culture scene and all it has to offer. Visit Pulp for previews, thoughts, critiques, reviews, dorky puns, opinions, and observations from professional journalists, community contributors, and, of course, your very own AADL staffers.
Learn about a new art exhibit at the University of Michigan Museum of Art, read a review of a film currently playing in Ann Arbor theaters, and even get a head start on summer plans with a preview of offerings at the Stratford Festival.
Find out more at A2pulp.org!
Blog Post
AADL on MetaFilter
by valerieclaires
The community weblog MetaFilter invites members to contribute to discussions through links and comments. Common threads on the site run the range from advice to news stories, all the way to the Internet’s favorite: cat videos.
One recent thread brought out Ann Arborites and Ann Arbor District Library fans with mentions of our Tools Collections. Commenters were especially excited about our Music Tools, raving over the OP-1 synthesizer and controller and Local Musician Dave Menzo’s album Shhh…, made using only instruments checked out from AADL. The thread also mentions some unusual collections at other libraries across the country.
You can check out our tools for yourself in the library catalog, and read the full thread on MetaFilter.
Blog Post
AADL in the Michigan Daily
by valerieclaires
This week in the Michigan Daily, columnist Susan LaMoreaux shares her fondness for the Ann Arbor District Library. She highlights AADL programs, services, and community partnerships, including our ever-popular Tools Collections and PALMA: Proyecto Avance: Latino Mentoring Association, run through the University’s Residential College.
She interviews our own Laura Raynor, who explains how AADL looks at the community when developing new services and collections.
What sticks out most throughout the piece, though, is Susan LaMoreaux’s love of the library. She writes:
“In many ways, I did much of my growing up between the old brick walls and metal shelves, and among the thousands of pages and stories contained in just the downtown branch alone. I don’t intend to stop using this collection, even with all the resources on campus that are made available to me because of my student status. That may be partly because, even for those with no library card, it’s always free to walk down William Street and step through those doors.”
You can see her full column on the Michigan Daily website.
Blog Post
AADL in Synthtopia
by valerieclaires
Online electronic music site Synthtopia typically covers all things electronica: electronic music gear, new releases, artists, and synthesizers, but this week they’re covering something a little closer to home: The Ann Arbor District Library!
Synthtopia profiles our Music Tools collection and mentions our wide range of synthesizers, effects pedals, amps, and uncommon musical instruments.
Interested in checking out this equipment for yourself?
Visit aadl.org/musictools to see all our music gear, and see aadl.org/tools for our full range of Tools collections, including Art Tools, Home Tools, Science Tools, and more!
Blog Post
AADL Welcomes Sweetwaters Coffee & Tea to Westgate Branch!
by eli
Library patrons will soon be able to enjoy a delicious cup of fresh coffee or tea as they browse new collections at the expanded Westgate Branch Library!
Sweetwaters Coffee and Tea signed a sublease this week to operate a café adjacent to the Branch when it re-opens in late summer. Lisa Bee, Sweetwaters owner and founder, says, “We are so excited and thrilled to join the AADL family and Westgate. To be a part of the first Ann Arbor library where patrons can enjoy a treat with their favorite book is a great honor.”
According to Library Director Josie Parker, “The Ann Arbor District Library's opportunity to expand in place at the Westgate Shopping Center allows the Library to consider and develop a new and different type of partnership. We are pleased to launch this public/private partnership between the Library and Sweetwaters Coffee and Tea. Sweetwaters opening will coincide with the reopening of the expanded Library in late summer 2016.”
Sweetwaters Coffee and Tea was founded in 1993 by Lisa and Wei Bee in downtown Ann Arbor. Both Wei and Lisa are UM graduates who decided to stay in Ann Arbor, continue their families’ hospitality tradition, and become a part of the Ann Arbor business community.
Sweetwaters Coffee and Tea is a warm, comfortable, coffeehouse that offers a blend of traditional European espresso drinks, globally inspired beverages, beautiful Asian teas, delicious desserts, pastries, and savory treats.
Library Board President Jan Barney Newman adds, “It is with great anticipation that the Trustees of the Library look forward to Sweetwaters presence in the expansion of the Westgate Branch. A gathering place on its own, Sweetwaters will be a great asset to the Library and the Westgate Community. “
The new Westgate Branch expansion adds 16,500 square feet to create a branch with 21,000 square feet for its users. The Branch closed in late November and construction is now underway.
Updates on this project can be found on the library website. For more information, visit westgate.
Blog Post
AADL Highlights 2014-2015
by troyanth
Did you know? AADL held 1,465 events last year, including appearances by:
• nationally-known authors Louise Penny, Kathy Reichs, Gary Shteyngart, and David Oshinsky;
• climate activist Tom Hayden;
• Rosa Parks’ niece Sheila McCauley Keys;
• Award-winning Chef Takashi Yagihashi;
• local musician Dave Menzo, who used the AADL music tools collection to create his new album
A lot more happened at AADL this past year.
Check out our full annual report to find out more!