Youth in grades Kindergarten through 12th from Washtenaw County are invited to submit their artwork to be juried for the very first Kid’s Art Fair at the Townie Street Party on July 16.

Interested young artists should bring samples of their artwork to the Downtown Library Multi-Purpose Room on Saturday, June 16 between noon and 1 PM. Art jurors will score the work between 1 PM and 3 PM. Everyone is invited to watch the process.

Jurors will announce the young artists invited to exhibit their work at 4 PM. These artists will be allowed to sell their work at a booth at the Townie Street Party!

Check out the library's great art book collection to get some ideas!

Pack up the babies and grab the old wagon and come on over to the Library. Preschool Storytimes begin the week of June 11, 2007. Pick up a JUMP brochure and plan your summer calendar for reading and fun.

Baby PlayGroups begin the week of June 11 throughout the Library System. Pick up a summer season JUMP brochure for days and times and plan for fun.

barton

Surveys have been conducted, forums held, walks walked and now its time for sharing the results. Join the City of Ann Arbor Design Advisory Committee for a
Public Meeting on Thursday, June 7th, 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at Forsythe Middle School to learn survey results and what the next steps are for addressing the deterioration of the roadway that best balances the needs of different users.

Lamaze

Spend the morning pampering yourself on Saturday, June 9 from 10 AM-12 PM in the Downtown Library Multipurpose Room. Relax your aching back to the tranquil sounds of nature, and the refreshing smell of lavender.

Keleigh Lee of Belly Beautiful Henna will create simple henna designs on beautiful pregnant bellies.

Jen Fife-Adams and Stephanie Schaldenbrand will also be here from Lamaze to discuss childbirth tips and exercises, while giving soothing hand massages. Plus, find out what the library can do for you once your baby comes to the world. See about baby playgroups and peruse our parenting collection.

Summer Childcare Training for Teens - Saturday, June 9th, 10:00 - 3:00 p.m. at the Neutral Zone

Are you hiring a teen this summer to watch your kids? Or is your older child cruise director for the next three months for your younger kids? You can send them to the library for babysitting books but this might be the perfect program for your teen to get ready for their summer job.

Many teens provide childcare during the summer months, and many of them could benefit from some skill development and support. This training will be active and fun and will focus on child development, safety and positive daily activities. Teens of all ages are encouraged to attend, and they will receive gift certificate incentives for their participation. Training will be followed up with support through a website centered support program.

Summer storytimes will start the week of June 11 and go for eight weeks until August 3. Mark your schedule for baby and preschool storytimes!

Baby Playgroups
15 minutes of stories, rhymes & songs followed by open playtime. Babies up to 24 months. No older siblings.
Downtown YSC, Mondays 10:30-11:30 AM
Malletts Creek, Tuesdays 10-11 AM & Thursdays 6:30-7:30 PM
Pittsfield, Tuesdays 6:30-7:30 PM (no playgroup on Jun. 19)
Northeast, Wednesdays 10-11 AM (no playgroup on Jul. 4)

Podington

I’ve been trolling the Internet lately, doing research for a new AADL computer class (Ideas? Suggestions? Do share!), and there’s so much going on out there that’s cool, innovative, and fun, it’s enough to make me want to explode! Here’s the scoop on two projects that take advantage of web 2.0 technology.

Take, for instance, Podington Bear. Besides being perhaps the cutest name for a podcast, ever, Podington “makes songs with love and care, giving one to the world every Monday, Wednesday and Friday in 2007.” That’s 156 songs in a single year! Podington, not to be confused with Padington, also happens to sport an adorable bear logo that I couldn’t help ordering in t-shirt form.

Click "Read More" below for the scoop on Brotherhood 2.0!

If you're thinking about starting a business you can get a some great help by attending the 'Start Your Own Business' Boot Camp at Washtenaw Community College on May 31. At this forum you will learn about personality traits that impact entrepreneurialism, create a marketing plan for your business, learn about legal, accounting, franchises, business plans and financing options. You will receive one on one counseling with a business expert and have an opportunity to get advice from a variety of business experts and organizations that are available to support new ventures. The fee for the program is $25 and includes breakfast, lunch and materials. For details and to register call (734)484-6707 or (734)821-0075 or register online at the web site above.

ron and bianca

During the Ann Arbor Book Festival, teen author, Ron Koertge spoke to finalists of the short story writing contest with humor and insightful advice. And the winners are. . .(click "read more" below)