Ghost ArmyFor nearly 50 years, the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops maintained secrecy about their unique mission and actions during World War II. Now, a powerful documentary about the Ghost Army has been made, and the Hatcher Graduate Library has an exhibit in honor of this extraordinary group of men.

In 1944, the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops arrived in Normandy equipped with "hundreds of inflatable tanks and a one-of-a-kind collection of sound effects records, and it carried out its battlefield mission without firing a shot."

The exhibit at Hatcher began on March 1st and will run through May 3rd. The exhibit, located in Room 100, the Gallery, is available to the public during normal hours of library operations (see the Hatcher site for specific hours).

For more on the documentary about the Ghost Army

For an interesting article from Ann Arbor.com

And for the Hatcher Graduate Library page about the exhibit

Publishers Weekly says “TWO OF A KIND is a one-of-a-kind find!” We are lucky that Jenny and David, a husband-wife duo, have family and friends in Ann Arbor so they drop in to entertain us once in a while! So treat the family to award-winning music with lots of dancing and laughter on Sunday, March 28th at 2:00 pm at the Downtown Library.

filmfest
The Ann Arbor Film Festival, the longest running independent film festival in the U.S., will hold its 48th festival on March 23 - 28. At this pre-Festival event, Saginaw Valley State University Associate Professor Mike Mosher will discuss Bison Boys & Famous Monsters of Michigan: the 1970s Super-8mm Films of Jimm Juback and Cary Loren. Loren and Juback were teenagers in the early 1970s, as well as eager viewers of the Ann Arbor Film Festivals.

The discussion will take place in the Downtown library from 7:00-8:30 p.m. downstairs in the Multi-Purpose Room.

sports injury

Robert Williams, MD, a Chelsea Orthopedic Specialist, will talk bones, stretching, stance, along with training tips to keep you playing this spring, whether you're running track, playing baseball or softball, or training ahead for a fall sport. He will discuss the various types of sports injuries, and will share things you can do to keep from getting sidelined.

Check out library materials Running Anatomy which gives you tips for improving your performance through strengthening exercises, thus reducing injuries or Sports Injuries Guidebook. Be sure to come with questions on March 22, at the Traverwood branch from 7:00 to 8:30pm. Grade 6-Adult.

PEEPS It's our 1st Annual PEEPS® Photo Contest! Preschoolers all the way up to Adults can enter a photo of a PEEPS® diorama they have created. Gift Cards to Target will be given out in six age categories. Read a little about the origin of the contest at annarbor.com. For full details, rules and guidelines click here! Have fun and celebrate spring!

deadline

With only two weeks to go, we at AXIS Coffeehouse are doing our best to send you to summer with a bang. Last Friday we got a visit from Detroit rap artist The Chozn Bravesoul, and this Friday we will host another special guest -- Maggie Hanks of Ann Arbor Word Works! Don't miss this chance to get some writing advice from a poet described as "bold and insightful".

Also, our last day at AXIS Coffeehouse, March 26th, will be recorded for for the AADL podcast, so bring that poem you've been working on for a chance at library fame!

As always, AXIS Coffeehouse will offer food, drink, good writing and good company -- as well as $5 fine forgiveness coupons and free books for those who present at the mic. Join us at Mallett's Creek this Friday, from 6:30-8 for a great time!

Folks are still saying that here in Michigan we have often had spectacular snowstorms in March. But at the Pittsfield Branch our preschool storytimes are charging into Spring with no regard of what happens outside.
We have our storytimes on Thursday evenings at 7:00 p.m. and Friday mornings at 10:00 a.m. Each storytime features live music by one of our talented musicians as well as an easy craft related to the week's theme.
This week's stories will feature some puddle stomping by a father, a son and a big dog as well as an exuberant cat that sings and dances.

If your kids love to do the crafts, check out this website. It has ideas for all occasions and links to other crafty sites.

Baby PlayGroups and Preschool Storytimes start up this week throughout the Library system. They will run for 7 weeks in a row, or through the end of April.

Toddlers who have been in Baby PlayGroups, and are aging over 2 years old, are invited to join Preschool Storytimes next. Don't worry .... you will find other babies and toddlers (they are "the younger-siblings") and still enjoy the programs too.

prom night take 2

In 1997, Academy Award-winning actor Morgan Freeman offered to pay for the senior prom at Charleston High School in Mississippi under one condition: the prom had to be racially integrated. His offer was ignored. In 2008, Freeman offered again. This time the school board accepted, and history was made. Adults and teens (grade 9 and up) are invited to the Downtown Library Multi-Purpose Room for a special screening of the award-winning documentary which chronicles the events leading up to the ground-breaking prom.

Prom Night in Mississippi will be presented on Thursday, March 18 from 6:30-8:30 pm, and will be followed by an audience discussion led by the film's director, Paul Saltzman. This event is co-sponsored by the UM Community Scholars Program.

kimturgeon

Join us Tuesday, March 16th, 7:00 PM at the Malletts Creek Branch and learn more about colorectal cancer prevention and screening tests with presentations by three leading area experts - Danielle Kim Turgeon, M.D., University of Michigan Health System, Jeffrey Barnett, M.D., Huron Gastro, and Michelle Releford, a local resident who cared for her husband before he died of colorectal cancer in 2007. An audience and panel discussion will follow. This event is co-sponsored by the UM Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Colorectal Awareness Network (CRAN) of Washtenaw County.

The American Cancer Society (ACS) estimates that more than 5,150 Michigan residents will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer this year. Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths nationally. Screening tests to detect colorectal cancer are effective, yet studies show that most Michigan citizens are not getting these tests.