New & Improved: HelpNow by Brainfuse!

Mon, 03/23/2009 - 1:00am by Beth Manuel

AADL's access to on-line LIVE tutoring just got easier. The first page is oh-so simple to navigate. Visit AADL's newest LIVE homework help by clicking here: Brainfuse. This service is available from 2 pm-11 pm EVERY DAY of the week from home or from 2:00 PM at AADL sites till closing time. Core subject tutoring is offered for grades 3-12 and adult learners, too. There's also a writing lab and a 24/7 Help portal. It's quick, secure and FUN! You can brush up on your subjects before school starts!

Toddlers: Tired of Your Toys?

Mon, 10/20/2008 - 2:47pm by Beth Manuel

Parents: Could your preschooler’s playroom use peppier provisions? Come visit the Toy Library at Bryant Community Center. The toys are gently used, in good condition and there’s no time limit to borrow them. Toys are free for all Ann Arbor families. The library will be open on Thursdays from 1:00-3:30 pm. However, this Friday October 24th is the Grand Opening! Come take a look at the wide range of toys available for the borrowing!

Catalogue of the Ann Arbor High School, 1904-05

Wed, 10/15/2008 - 4:49pm by amy

The full view (text and images) of hundreds of books on Ann Arbor history are now available through Google books, including Catalogue of the Ann Arbor High School, 1904-1905. The above photo, of the interior of the Ann Arbor Public Library, first appeared in the Ann Arbor High School catalogue of 1909-1910. Google also delivers a History of Michigan published in 1841, A History of St. Andrew's Church published in 1906, and The City of Ann Arbor, by the Ann Arbor Business Men's Association, published in 1887.

I Can't Believe These People!

Fri, 09/26/2008 - 9:20pm by local_girl

This week I managed to finagle my way into a very cool meeting at Skyline High School. The mission for the group was to figure out how to use the Downtown Ann Arbor Street Exhibit in the curriculum at the new high school. In the room were 11 community volunteers and five teachers from Skyline. Some of the teachers could only pop in for a moment because, well, they're teachers and if you know a teacher, then you know they are crazy busy.

Just so you know, most of the community volunteers who came are a) retired and b) former educators. Some of them have spent unspeakable hours conceiving of, raising money for, researching and promoting the Street Exhibit. They have rounded up over 60 Ann Arborites willing to donate their time to the cause of helping our kids make the connection between where we've been and where we are.

The energy in the room blew my mind. The teachers (Pam Jenkins totally rocks, by the way) were truly excited about figuring out how to make it work. The whole deal is not out of the standard high school playbook and everyone was totally into it. More on this later, but I can't believe these people. OK, I believe. I believe.

Back to the New High School

Sun, 08/31/2008 - 1:34pm by amy

As Ann Arbor marks the opening of its newest high school, take a look at this 101-year-old photograph of the then-new Ann Arbor High School in 1907. It was the pride of Ann Arbor, with its attached Carnegie library, but as fate would have it everything but the library facade was torn down last year to make room for the soon-to-be North Quad dormitory. An earlier image of an Ann Arbor high school is this 1859 engraving from the Making of Ann Arbor collection.

A High School Musical of a Different Sort

Thu, 11/01/2007 - 4:03pm by Sarah T

There’s something perfect about a person expressing their innermost feelings through spontaneous song and tap dancing. Agreed? I thought so. Then you shouldn’t miss Pioneer High School’s performance of Thoroughly Modern Millie November 3, 4, and 9-11. The dance moves are up to you, but brush up on the lyrics by checking out the soundtrack at AADL. Tickets can be bought at Morgan & York or at the door.

Pomp and Circumstance

Wed, 06/06/2007 - 6:28pm by Debbie G.

Cue the Elgar for the airing of the Ann Arbor high schools commencement ceremonies on CTN. CTV 19 will air the ceremonies for Community, Pioneer, Stone and Huron Monday, June 11th – Saturday, June 26th.

Welcome Slauson Library Songsters!

Wed, 01/31/2007 - 8:35am by lola

Sixth graders from Slauson Middle School are coming to the library Wednesday, Jan. 31, and Thursday, Feb. 1, to present the songs, stories, skits and stomps they have created. They all have worked very hard on their performances, with the help of Lee Knight, well known musician and storyteller from Cashiers, NC. The Slauson sixth graders should be proud of their work! Tell us about what you wrote for Songsters guys!!

See Lee Knight perform at the library on January 31 from 7-8:30.

Kid Bits - Reading-ish Levels

Fri, 10/06/2006 - 11:42am by ryanikoglu

If your child goes to Elementary School in Ann Arbor Public Schools, the Teachers and Media Specialists guide reading levels by "Alphabet Level". The Ann Arbor District Library has the guides at all Branches in the Reference Collections. It leads Librarians and Parents to identify books at reading levels the schools use. There are 2 titles that cover the elementary school grades, Matching books to readers : using leveled books in guided reading, K-3 and Leveled books for readers, grades 3-6 : a companion volume to Guiding Readers and Writers. These titles are also referred to as "Fountas & Pinnell", the authors' names.

Gold Mine for Teachers at the UM Exhibit Museum of Natural History

Wed, 09/27/2006 - 8:16pm by lola

If you are looking for fun and educational field trips for your class, check into what the University of Michigan Exhibit Museum of Natural History has to offer. There are guided tours exploring how fossils form and the cultures of Native Americans indigenous to the Michigan area. The museum also has planetarium shows, with shows specific for a wide age range of students. Located on the museum website are links to teacher and student resources with scavenger hunts and crossword puzzles, as well as the schedule of current program offerings.