At the Art Table: Fun With Texture

Wed, 09/25/2013 - 12:26pm by manz

The next time you’re at the Downtown branch, check out the new art project at the art table in the Youth Department! Sometimes 2D art can have the feel of something soft, fuzzy, smooth, or bumpy, simply by using paint and a canvas. Budding artists will enjoy using bumpy boards and crayons to create their own masterpiece.

The Animals are Out!

Thu, 09/19/2013 - 4:15pm by StoryLaura

As you check out the farm party at the red barn on the tot table Downtown, don’t forget that the real McCoy can be found within a few miles in any direction. You can stroll through a corn maze, treat yourself to cold cider and warm donuts and even shop the farmer’s market with your favorite cows, sheep and chickens at the beautiful farms nearby. For us city folk there is sometimes nothing more soothing than a big red barn!

World Hobbit Day Celebration!

Thu, 09/12/2013 - 5:36pm by manz

Saturday, September 21 | 2:00-3:30pm | DTN-MPR | All Ages

September 22 is the birthday of Frodo and Bilbo, hobbits from J.R.R. Tolkein’s famous fantasies The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. World Hobbit Day has been celebrated by fans all over the world since 1978, and this year AADL is getting in on the game, and we’re celebrating a day early.

Join us for a wonderful celebration of these fantastic books and movies. (The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug is in theaters on December 13th!) In our Shire-for-a-day there will be Hobbit-themed games such as a Lord of the Ring toss, craft projects such as dragons and beards, and special snacks such as lembas bread.

Feel free to dress up as your favorite Middle Earth character to get into the spirit of things! (Note: Even hobbits have to wear shoes while in the library.)

FREE Tutoring @ the Downtown Library Youth Department Starts Monday, September 16!

Sun, 09/08/2013 - 12:54pm by erin

School has started so it's also time to get some FREE tutoring help! Circle K students will be available three days a week: Mondays and Wednesdays from 4:00 - 8:00 PM. And Sundays (FREE Parking Downtown) from 3-5 PM. Students in grades K-12 can get homework help at AADL (all subjects), provided by volunteers for the University of Michigan chapter of Circle K. No appointment necessary - just drop by!

“Murder in Battle Creek,” Discussed by Michigan Author Blaine Pardoe

Thu, 08/15/2013 - 10:14am by krayla

All fans of the true crime and mystery genres are sure to love our upcoming program about a 50-year-old murder mystery that still goes unsolved, despite the presence of witnesses! Blaine Pardoe, a Michigan author hailing from Battle Creek, will be at AADL’s Downtown Multi-Purpose Room to discuss his new book about the infamous murder. His book, titled “Murder in Battle Creek: The Mysterious Death of Daisy Zick,” will be sold and signed at the event. We hope to see you there!

Wednesday August 21, 2013: 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm -- Downtown Library: Multi-Purpose Room

GeekED Game Jam Contest!

Wed, 07/24/2013 - 11:18am by wampishing

Saturday August 3 | 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm | Downtown Library: Training Center | Grade 6 – Adult

Have you made your own videogame? Do you want to? How does winning prizes for your creation sound? Pretty great, right?

Join us August 3rd and those dreams can be realized! Bring in a game you've already created, or use the time to make a new game using Scratch and GameMaker, and you could go home with a fabulous prize. We'll have a prize for two categories: one for the best game created before the event and one for best game created during the event. Come compete, have fun, and win prizes!

Wii Sports Resort Team Tourney for All Ages

Mon, 07/08/2013 - 3:14pm by wampishing

Sunday, July 28 | 1:00 to 4:00 pm | Downtown Library: Multi-Purpose Room | All Ages

Take a family vacation to Wuhu Island and the Wii Sports Resort! Bring friends and family to play your way through Wii Sports Resort's twelve awesome games, from swordplay to frisbee, from golf to power cruising! We'll have prizes for the winning teams!

Make a Cast Fossil

Mon, 07/08/2013 - 3:00pm by prlhw

Monday, July 8 | 2-3pm | Downtown MPR "> Grades K-5

'Rock' out with us and make your own cast fossil out of clay and plaster of paris while exploring a process that has created fossils in sedimentary rock for billions of years.

Fossils in the earth can be formed out of plants, or invertebrates like mollusks and arthropods, or vertebrates like dinosaurs and woolly mammoths. Fossils are found in different forms too. Sometimes they are turned to stone or preserved in amber, and other times they leave an imprint in the earth that is filled in by different minerals, forming a cast. We will replicate the process of creating cast fossils.

You're welcome to bring a small, hard item that can fit in the palm of your hand -- for example, a dinosaur toy or a sea shell -- or you can use the objects the library provides. Looking for more information on fossils? Check out these great books and videos from the AADL collection.

Today: Race to Space: Planetary Rovers

Mon, 07/08/2013 - 10:35am by wampishing

Thursday July 18 | 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm | Downtown Library: Multi-Purpose Room | Grades 6 -12

Ever wanted to build your own robot? Unleash your inner mad scientist Thursday, July 18th at 1 pm, and build the bot of your your dreams using LEGO NXT! Then, after you tweak your robot, test your creation against the other robots in competition!

Participation in "Race to Space" events includes codes for Summer Game space badges if you attend the entire event.

Double Dash Duo Derby Dinner

Sun, 07/07/2013 - 3:05pm by wampishing

Saturday July 27 | 1:00 to 4:00 pm | Downtown Library: Multi-Purpose Room | Grade 6 to Adult

What could be better than pizza, prizes, and Mario Kart? Join us for dinner and driving Saturday, July 27th. It's Double Dash on a GameCube -- one screen/team! Bring a cart-mate for an afternoon of competition! And did we mention pizza?

This event is for teens (grade 6 and up) and adults.