Blog Post
Pittsfield Branch Opens!
by TimG
Ann Arbor District Library’s new Pittsfield Branch (2359 Oak Valley Drive in Ann Arbor) opened its doors on Monday, March 20 at 10:00 am, offering a week-long celebration, featuring storyteller LaRon Williams, the music of Mr. B (Mark Braun), The Boychoir of Ann Arbor and other well-known area entertainers. Located in Pittsfield Township near the Ann Arbor Ice Cube, the building was designed by Luckenbach|Ziegelman Architects PLLC, constructed by Skanska USA Building, Inc. and landscaped by InSite Design Studio, Inc.
Blog Post
Site Plan Submitted for New Branch at Traverwood and Huron Parkway
by aadl-news
The site plan for the new library branch at Traverwood and Huron was submitted to the City of Ann Arbor Planning Department on Monday, Februray 13 and revisions were submitted on May 1. The project was unanimously approved by the the City of AA Planning Commission Tuesday, May 16. The project will now move to City Council for final approval.
This new building scheduled to open in 2008 will replace the existing Northeast Branch in the Plymouth Road Mall. The location at the corner of Traverwood and Huron Parkway is .5 miles from the current location.
The proposed building includes a total of 16,987 square feet with 90 proposed parking spaces. 34 of the spaces are in an off street underbuilding parking lot, 32 are in an open off-street parking lot, and 24 spaces are on-street. The building is designed to hug the corner with as little impact on natural features as possible. Sustainable design elements include an innovative stormwater management system that may include a vegetative roof.
The project budget of 10 million dollars includes the property purchase, building design and construction, site development, furnishings/fixtures and collection.
The Ann Arbor District Library branch expansion plan is funded from the existing millage approved by voters in 1995. The building is designed by VanTine|Guthrie Studio and will be constructed by O'Neal Construction.
Images of the site plan and elevations are on display at the current Northeast Branch, and elevations can be found at New Northeast Branch Information
Blog Post
Pittsfield Branch Opens March 20
by aadl-news
We are pleased to announce that the Pittsfield Branch on Oak Valley Drive will open on Monday, March 20, 2006. This library branch, the first in the district to be built outside of the city limits of Ann Arbor, is located in Pittsfield Township at the headwaters of Malletts Creek.
A reading room, to be named the Homer Chance Reading Room, honors the former Ann Arbor Public Library director who initiated branch expansion in the district while serving as director from 1951-1977. Group study and tutoring rooms, computers, a casual study area with vending, a meeting room, and outdoor seating area will be available.
The collection is new and will feature new formats as they are introduced into the marketplace, as well as traditional materials such as books, CDs, DVDs, newspapers and magazines. Access to the collection will be enhanced by self checkout and a 24/7 material pickup system.
The Library continued its committment to build responsibly and sustainably on this site. The building takes full advantage of a southern exposure on the front and will be cooled and heated convectively when conditions are favorable. We have used recycled content, low energy content, and content from renewable resources in our building material choices. We will restore and manage areas including the existing watercourse, Malletts Creek, and a wetland on the property.
The building designed by Luckenbach|Ziegelman Architects PLLC, constructed by Skanska USA Building, Inc. and landscaped by InSite Design Studio, Inc. cost 8.3 million dollars. The cost for the 16,500 square foot project on 5.74 acres include: the property purchase, site development, construction, furnishings, and the new collection.
The library levies 1.94 mills and uses 1.6 for operations. The remaining .34 mills is used for buildings and other capital expenses. Voters approved a levy of 2.0 mills in perpetuity for the library district in 1995.
Blog Post
New aadl.org features: Optional Checkout History and More
by eli
Thanks to all your comments and suggestions, we've rolled out some new features for aadl.org that will give you better information about how you use the Library.
The biggest news is the addition of an optional Checkout history that will allow you to easily keep track of the items you've previously checked out from the library, and even search through them for those times when you can't remember if you've read something. You can activate the recording of checkouts on your My Account page (just check 'Record Checkouts' in your preferences), and you can view any checkouts you make from then on from the 'Checkout History' button.
Once you've turned this service on, you can turn it off at any time, delete specific items, or delete your whole checkout history if you choose. Please note that we've made an addition to our Privacy Policy, under 'Checking Out Materials', to cover this new service. Also, know that only you can access your checkout history when you log in to aadl.org. Library staff can't access this information for you.
Read more to find out about other new enhancements...
Blog Post
...And We're Back
by eli
As you've noticed, aadl.org is back online after a brief network outage at Merit, our internet provider. Sorry for the downtime!
On a related technical note, we have solved another problem that was preventing some patrons, notably AOL users, from receiving library notices via email. If you're still not receiving email notices, and you want to, please contact us and we'll look into it. Due to the outage, today's due date reminder notices went out a little late, and won't reflect if you returned your items this morning.
Thanks for your patience during the outage.
Blog Post
Update: Notices Resume Monday
by eli
We've solved some of our notice problems, and starting Monday, we will resume sending our advance notice of due items via email. We've all gotten accustomed to these notices, so if you received fines this past week while the advance notices weren't working, be sure to mention it on your next visit to an AADL circulation desk, and we'll waive those fines for you.
One catch is that Request Pickup notices are still not working via email, so we're going to print and mail them starting Monday. If you get a paper notice, it doesn't mean we've deactivated your email, it's just until we get the email notices working right for when your requests are ready. In the meantime, check your account to see if your requests are 'Ready for Pickup', especially if you are hoping to get one of our 100 copies of You-Know-What, or, the just-cataloged audiobook!
One other note, if your request pickup notice says you only have until 7/18 or 7/19 to pick up your request, don't worry, we're actually giving you an extra week to pickup your holds, until 7/24. We're just not bothering to let the system know that.
Hopefully, this shouldn't be too big an inconvenience, especially since we routinely extend due dates and request pickup deadlines so that nothing is due or expires during the Art Fair. If you have any questions, or would like us to waive your fines, please contact us online.
Thanks for your patience as we settle into the new system, and keep the comments coming!
[eli]
Blog Post
Email notices still to come
by eli
We're having a problem with email notices on the new system, including hold notices, overdue notices, and advance due date notices. While we are not currently able to send any notices, we are working on the problem, and we hope to have these services restored before the end of this week.
In the meantime, keep an eye on your My Account page to see when things are due. We are refining this page based on your suggestions to give better information about renewals and clearer explanations for renewal failures.
Please Contact Us if you're having any trouble with your account. More to come!
Blog Post
Architect and Construction Manager for Third Branch Selected
by aadl-news
In addition to the launch of a new website and the successful migration of our catalog over to Innovative Interfaces, Inc. this week, the Library also announced the selection of an architect and construction manager for the third branch library project that will replace the Northeast Branch. The branch located at Plymouth Mall will be replaced with a new facility at Traverwood and Huron Parkway and is scheduled to open late 2008/early 2009.
Van Tine | Guthrie Studio in Northville, MI teaming with Veazey, Parrott, Durkin and Shoulders from Evansville, IN were selected to design the new branch. Local construction company, O'Neal Construction, owned by Joe O'Neal, will be the construction manager for the project.
AADL opened the NEB 24 years ago and has remodeled and added space to accomodate demand and new services, but we struggle to sustain high standards of service in the current facility.
Blog Post
Requesting Items: Fixed!
by eli
If you were unable to request (or find the link to request) items earlier, try again. We've fixed a problem that was preventing the "Request this Title" link from showing up on Titles that are on order. We are also working on a way to better show the results of your renewals.
If you'd like to request an item, be sure to login to your account first - or create an account if you haven't already, and then search the catalog for your desired item. Please give requesting another shot- especially if you were trying to request Eat a good meal before reading the book, however, as Sklar's examples sound delicious and may make you hungry!
You-Know-What.
Thanks for all your feedback and comments, more to come.
Eli
Tech Manager
Blog Post
The New Catalog: Create your account and log in!
by eli
Our new catalog is up and running! Thanks for your patience as we smoothed out the last few bugs.
So, to access your account, you first need to Create an Account. Enter any username you'd like, and you can make your password whatever you'd like: it does not have to be your old PIN. You'll also need to identify the text in a picture. If you have any trouble with this, please let us know.
Once you've created your account and logged in, you will stay logged in until you log out. You can find a logout link in the top right corner of every page. You can click My Account to see your checkouts and holds, and renew items. Once you've logged in, you can also comment on stories on the website. Just click 'comments' under a story to add your thoughts!