Monday, February 18 | 1 - 2 pm | Downtown Library Multi-Purpose Room | Preschool to Grade 3

Make a simple, but snazzy, snowman bookmark out of construction paper, beads, decorative punch out designs, and twine. Also, learn how to make a unique, 6-point, paper snowflake that you can use to create a beautiful winter scene.

The AADL has crafting books of all kinds for kids!

Take time for chess on Sunday, February 17 @ the Traverwood branch 1 - 4 PM. It fills the bill for something to do that is both relaxing and stimulating.

Newly added to the library's collection is, A Fresh Look at Chess : 40 Instructive Games, Played and Annotated by Players Like You, a look at some
amateur games, showing you how to make more effective moves, and Chess is Child's Play : Teaching Techniques That Work. All ages and abilities are welcome at Chesstastic.

Solving problems, thinking logically, and learning patience are skills that playing chess can boost at any age.

If you are a parent with a child on the autism spectrum, here is an opportunity to explore the possibilities on Saturday, February 23 at 1:00 pm. Dr. Rick Solomon, from the Play Project, will be there to chat with parents and children. Kids will have an open space, or quiet space to play with construction toys, puppets and much more. Let the kids try out combinations of soothing scents with expert Michelle Krell Kydd, who recently interviewed
Temple Grandin about her sense of smell.

Friday February 22, 2013: 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm -- Downtown Library: Multi-Purpose Room

Be a participant of the first-ever All-Stars Battle Royale!

Up to four players can battle each other using characters from various Sony franchises such as God of War and Sly Cooper, and third-party franchises like BioShock!

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

Saturday February 23, 2013: 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm -- Downtown Library: Multi-Purpose Room

It's a Mario Kart Wii Tourney for kids, teens AND adults! Bring the family for a fun afternoon!

Due to the Malletts Creek branch closure, the Facebook 101 class for Wednesday February 27 has been relocated to the Downtown library training center. We'll show you how to join Facebook, make a status update, upload photos, find your friends and more. For a complete class schedule, go to aadl.org/classes.

See you in class.

Wednesday February 27, 2013: 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm -- Downtown Library: Multi-Purpose Room

Are you interested in self-publishing? Do you want to know how to get started?

Local author Dan Romanchik has self-published several books on amateur radio and has found it to be a rewarding experience, both personally and financially. In this lecture, he will describe his experiences and explain the technical process involved - including how to create different e-book versions and how to set up accounts with Amazon and Barnes & Noble to begin selling books there. He will also include advice on marketing, setting up blogs, and more.

Join Dan for a witty and informational look at how to get started self-publishing your work.

Writers, actors, poets, storytellers, and artists of all sorts will be enriched by visiting storyteller, Carol Birch’s workshop on The Whole Story. Carol will focus on using imagery to extend the experience of the story, and explore the feelings and attitudes within the tale. Join us on Saturday, February 16 at 10 am at the Downtown Library for this rare opportunity, , co-sponsored by the Ann Arbor Storytellers' Guild!

Matthew Pillischer, director of this 2012 documentary, will lead a discussion after a screening of the film. Broken On All Sides: Race, Mass Incarceration and New Visions for Criminal Justice in the U.S. focuses on mass incarceration in the U.S. and racial inequalities in the criminal justice system. It discusses the theory that mass incarceration has become "The New Jim Crow" by targeting people of color and allowing much of the discrimination that was legal in the Jim Crow era to be applied to "criminals."

Using interviews with people on many sides of the criminal justice system--including Michelle Alexander the author of the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Reads book, The New Jim Crow-- the film attempts to answer and provoke questions about the American penal system.

Cosponsored by the UM Community Scholars Program.

Thursday, February 21 | 6 - 8:30 PM | Grade 9 - Adult | Downtown Library Lower Level Multi-Purpose Room

Thursday, February 21 | 10 - 11 am | Downtown Library Multi-Purpose Room | Preschool - Grade 5

Harpbeat's harpist, vocalist, and percussionist Donna Novack takes you on a magical world tour and explores the geography, culture, language, and music of Africa. Featured languages include Swahili and Zulu.

Travel across the "Middle Passage" to the West Indies. Take a ride on the Underground Railroad and arrive "dancin" in Motown. Learn how African musical styles -- call & response, work songs, spirituals and more, have revolutionized American music. Martin Luther King, Jr. is featured in Harpbeat's original "I Have A Dream," song, which is accompanied by simple sign language.

Harpbeat! recordings and Donna's original songs have won many national awards. The AADL has the Harpbeat! CDs Around the world from A to Z as well as Hopes & Dreams & Rainbows for checkout.