Blog Post
Fantastic New Picture Books
by evelyn
If you have little ones that are searching for great new reads, look no further than our New Picture Book section! We have a wonderful array of books for you to enjoy, but here are my current favorites:
In the hilarious Weasels, by Elys Dolan, the weasels’ plot to take over the world is thwarted by a machine malfunction. With incredibly detailed drawings and funny side plots, this book is perfect for both kids and grownups.
If your little one can’t read yet, but loves to pour over books anyway, then The World of Mamoko in the Year 3000, by Aleksandra Mizielińska and Daniel Mizieliński, is the perfect choice This book boasts gorgeous illustrations that will keep little minds captivated as they search for different objects and make up their own stories to go along. If your child likes this book, you should also look at their beautiful book of illustrated world maps, Maps.
Blog Post
Fairies in the Library!
by eapearce
Wow! Have you seen the new display in the downtown youth department? It was created by FAIRIES! As many of you know, the fairies have a special house here at the downtown library. Lots of fairy-lovers come and leave little notes and gifts at this house for the fairies—which they love! To say thank you for all these beautiful presents, the fairies have displayed some of them next to the youth desk along with a special thank-you note!
Of course, fairies don’t just live at the library: there are fairies all over Ann Arbor! There is even an urban fairy village near the library and another fairy village in Nichols Arboretum. It’s clear that we in Ann Arbor love fairies… and that fairies love us! Are you interested in creating your own fairies? The library has lots of resources that might be of help to you. Try Drawing Faeries: A Believer’s Guide, How to Draw and Paint Fairies, or Forest Fairy Crafts: enchanting fairies and felt friends from simple supplies.
If you’d rather just read and learn more about fairies, of course there are tons of great fairy stories at the library too. We have The complete book of the flower fairies: poems and pictures, which has beautiful illustrations accompanied by memorable and detailed poems about fairy life. There’s also My Treasury of Fairies and Elves: a collection of 20 magical stories, the beautiful The Little People: stories of fairies, pixies and other small folk and The Hidden Folk: stories of fairies, gnomes, selkies and other hidden folk.
Are fairy movies your thing? There’s the classic Ferngully, in which fairies help to save a rainforest from being cut down, and the enchanting Fairy Tale: a True Story, which tells of how two little girls discover real fairies and get swept up in the ensuing controversy in post-World War I England.
Happy fairy-seeking!
Blog Post
Join us for a nature walk at Mary Beth Doyle Park Thursday evening!
by eapearce
Some of you Summer Gamers might be familiar with Mary Beth Doyle Park after earning the Park Explorer badge that took you there! This final installment in our summer nature walk series is an opportunity to revisit this lovely wetland area, or see it for the first time if you've never visited before. The nature walk will take place this Thursday, September 4, from 7:00 to 8:30pm. The approximately 80-acre park has a long, unpaved trail that runs along Mallets Creek, which we will be exploring. The creek and surrounding ponds and wetland make for great wildlife viewing. A representative from Ann Arbor's Natural Area Preservation will lead the hike and provide interesting information as we explore the area.
We will meet in the parking area off of Packard Road. You can also park at the Mallets Creek branch of the AADL and walk half a mile east along Packard to the entrance of the park. Bring water and dress comfortably. Arrive a few minutes early to make sure that you don't miss the group before we set out on the walk!
Blog Post
It's time for the Dawn Farm Jamboree!
by Beth Manuel
You’re invited to have a great time while supporting a great cause at Dawn Farm's Fantastic 43rd Anniversary Jamboree on Sunday, September 11th, 2014 from 1:00 pm to 6:00 pm! Admission and all activities are free! This is a great family activity with hayrides, pony rides, crafts and a children’s tent, too. Visit the working farm or bid on unique items in both silent and live auctions. Food and beverages will be for sale for a variety of tastes. Funds raised from the auctions will help support critical addiction services for individuals who need help and lack resources. For more information, or if you would like to volunteer at the event, call 734-485-8725 or email Megan at mrodgers@dawnfarm.org.
Blog Post
Muppets Most Wanted
by manz
The Muppets are at it again! Fresh off the stage of the Mupppet TV Show, you first saw them on the big screen in 1979’s The Muppet Movie, and then saw them in slew of other movies. Well, they’re "together again" in The Muppets Most Wanted.
Criminal mastermind Constantine, who looks very much like Kermit, trades places with him. Constantine tries to run the Muppet Show and works with the silly Muppets (and secretly plots a heist), while Kermit sits in a jail in Siberia. Will the gang realize the funny talking green frog isn’t Kermit before it’s too late? Will Kermit and Piggy ever marry?
Starring the Muppets, as well as Tina Fey and Ricky Gervais, with cameos from the likes of Lady Gaga, P. Diddy and Salma Hayek, the film is full of the usual Muppet-y one-liners and song and dance numbers. It's fun to see them all together again. Again.
Blog Post
Summer Game 2014: Game Over, Man! Game Over!
by andrewjmac
Well, Gamers, it's over. The cries of anguish have finally subsided. The tears have been wiped away. The sun rose (twice, so far!) and set (only once, but I wouldn't worry about it). But, hey, let's take a look back at how AMAZING this Summer Game really was!
Players Playing: an ASTOUNDING 4,920!
Badges Earned: an ASTONISHING 68,040!!
Codes Entered: an AMAZING 339,062!!!
Points Earned: an AWE-INSPIRING 30,033,470!!!!
In case you are wondering if those numbers BLOW NUMBERS FROM PREVIOUS YEARS OUT OF THE WATER, the answer is YES!!!
At times like these, questions long pushed to the back of the brain percolate to the top of one's consciousness: How will I live my life without the Summer Game? What can I look for at the library if there are no codes? Where will I share my opinions about things I've read/watched/listened to? What can I accomplish if I'm not earning badges? (Answers: You did just fine before June 13th! Books, CDs, DVDs, Tools, Art Prints, etc etc etc! You can still do that in the catalog, there are just no points for it! I dunno, learn to play the zither or something!)
But you can also play all of the non-Summer Game games available at play.aadl.org! Like Points-O-Matic, where you can help us figure out which reviews are helpful and which are not with a click of your mouse and where you can help us make our amazing old newspapers more searchable by entering text from hundred-year-old pages! Or Streets Quest, a game that takes you to many of the historic streets panels around town and teaches you the history of the city around you! How about Treasure Quest, a truly bonkers set of quests the will set you to decoding and deciphering your way through the catalog!
Or...how about A BRAND-NEW SET OF QUESTS, heretofore unseen in the annals of play.aadl.org! That's right, a new game is on its way! When? SOON! (But not too soon, let us recover from the Summer Game first.) Keep your eyes on play.aadl.org to find out when this new game begins!
And don't forget about all of those Summer Game points you earned this year! The Summer Game Shop stays open until 5 PM MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 15TH, so get there and spend spend spend!
That's all for now! You players are what makes the Summer Game GREAT, and this year has been the GREATEST YEAR EVER, so thanks for a TRULY PHENOMENAL SUMMER GAME! And, one last time for 2014...
THANKS FOR PLAYING!
Blog Post
September is National Library Card Sign-Up Month
by aadl staff
September is National Library Card Sign-Up Month. Give yourself or your child one of the greatest gifts you can give: Free Knowledge!
AADL is full of books to read and explore, graphic novels and magazines to escape into, and movies and music to transport your imagination to new places. But that is not all! We have a growing collection of unusual stuff to borrow which includes music tools, home tools, games, art prints, telescopes, and activity passes for many statewide attractions, to name a few.
AADL also offers services like homework support and resources for job-seekers and small business entrepreneurs. There are also on-going, drop-in ESL conversational groups.
Getting a library card is a rite of passage; many adults have never forgotten when they first received "the keys to the castle" as a child. Maya Angelou, a great supporter of public libraries once said, "The best candy shop a child can be left alone in, is the library." And if you are an adult without an AADL card, remember, it's never too late! Stop into any location to get your card, there is no fee if you live within Ann Arbor District Library boundaries. To see the details of what you will need to bring, click here.
We would love see pictures of new cardholders with their cards. Tweet them to @aadl or share them on Instragram at @aadlgram and use the hashtag #MyFirstAADLCard.
Blog Post
Badge Drop #12: The Final Badge-Down!
by mariah
OH. MY. GOSH. Can you, will you, DO you BELIEVE IT?!
The summer has ZOOMED by, week-by-week, badge drop-by-badge drop. We know someone else used the slogan "good to the last drop," but we REALLY MEAN IT. So, THIS (badge) drop is OVERFLOWING with 21 MARVELOUS BADGES!
Most of them declare you the MASTER of something. Want a title to flaunt to all your friends? You could be a WILD KINGDOM MASTER! Or, you could be a BUNNY HOP MASTER — slightly less imposing-sounding, but MUCH more cuddly! What will YOU MASTER? Cryptography? Botany? Exploring? You STILL HAVE TIME to finish up the last badge or two in a series and SCORE that title (and badge!).
Let's get to it:
| 2014 Badge Drop #12 |
|---|
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So...there's only a teeny, tiny little bit of sand left in the METAPHORICAL HOURGLASS of the SUMMER GAME! So, waste no time, dear players! GET TO IT! Enter in your reading/listening/watching, add in those reviews you've been dreaming up, visit branches and other spots around town, and COME SAY HI at our SG Wrap Party this weekend!
There are just about 55 HOURS left until the Summer Game's STUNNING CONCLUSION! You have until 11:59 SUNDAY, AUGUST 31 to earn THOSE FINAL SUPER-SPECIAL BADGES! We KNOW you can squeak in a few more. WE BELIEVE IN YOU!
We're already getting a little misty-eyed over here, thinking how we'll miss SG14, but... don't worry, we're also SCHEMING FOR SG15. So, don't spend TOO much time getting nostalgic — hop to it! Let's wrap up Summer Game 2014 in STYLE!
As always, this year and every year...
THANKS FOR PLAYING!
Blog Post
It's the FINAL SHOP UPDATE!
by eli
ATTENTION SUMMER GAME SHOPPERS! We're sorry for the delays in getting this last shop update out to you, as you may know, it's been ONE CRAZY SUMMER at AADL! And a lot of that is thanks to YOU! In a GOOD WAY! So here it is... the final shop update you've been waiting for. We are thrilled to release a TOTALLY NEW ITEM for the end of the game, and we hope you'll enjoy our new WAXY RAINBOW GEL STICKS! But that's not all... we also have the long-awaited release of the 2014 SUPREME SUMMER GAME MASTER SET and the 2014 PENULTIMATE PRIZE PACK, plus the TINY ERASER FANATIC SET!
And we're also happy to announce a small restock of a few hot items. We managed to find 20 more Snack Boxes, and 40 more pairs of Binoculars.. so have at them! But please, if you've already got these items, let someone else have a chance this time!
Lots of good items are still available! Remember that Summer Game 2014 ends at Midnight on August 31st, but The 2014 Summer Game Shop will close at 5 PM on Monday, September 15th! Will will also hold your items for pickup until the end of October, but Shop Orders not picked up by the end of October will be returned to the Summer Game Shop Inventory!
So, happy shopping, and we hope to see you at The Summer Game 2014 Wrap Party at Malletts Creek this Sunday from 2-4 PM! Drop in anytime to meet staff and players and earn a special badge! And as always....
THANKS FOR PLAYING!
Blog Post
Log On to Brainfuse!
by Beth Manuel
AADL subscribes to a live online tutoring service called "Help Now" by Brainfuse, also known simply as
"Brainfuse", and is available to anybody accessing it from inside any AADL location, or to cardholders from home or elsewhere.
There are several facets to Brainfuse that not only help with homework & study skills, but skill building and writing support.
Users can log on to Brainfuse to access EXPERT help in a variety of ways: live tutoring any time from 2:00 PM-11:00 PM except on Federal Holidays. Simply choose the grade or age level that suits the user’s needs, be it elementary, middle or high school, ESL or even computers and technology.
SkillSurfer is a learning library that contains thousands of lessons, quizzes, & tests to help users master academic concepts. Check out the STUDY portal and look at FLASHBULB, which is a library full of flashcards & self-tests for a huge array of subjects! Go to the COLLABORATE portal to schedule meetings with friends in their private virtual study rooms. There’s a writing lab where users can upload documents to a teacher and have them edit/critique their work within 24 hours. Brainfuse's "Send a Question" gives users the opportunity to ask a question any time of day and get a written response from one of their tutors within one business day.
Whether you are an English Language Learner, a student of any age or an adult trying to get back into the workforce, Brainfuse may have just the answer to your academic and technical questions.