Blog Post
Pulp
by Stewart
In our magazine collection...
SAVEUR September 2008 Issue
Page 46
"The Best Brownie Recipes in the World"
Three recipes, one from Katharine Hepburn. The recipes have only four ingredients in common: unsalted butter, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. One recipe uses 1 cup of chocolate covered espresso beans.
Page 73
"Why We Love Watermelon"
Fall approaches and this article gives one last taste of summer...
- A brief history of watermelon,
- A list of things that go well with watermelon,
- Cool recipes for watermelon salad and pickled watermelon,
- Beautiful pictures of the many varieties of watermelon,
- Watermelon art.
Blog Post
Le Tour de France
by Caser
The world's largest cycling race, Le Tour de France, has begun again! This televised, 21 stage event will test the limits of international riders with over 2200 miles of picturesque -- albeit arduous -- French countryside for the next three weeks. The Tour began on July 5th, and the champion will be crowned on July 27th. If this year's race has you excited about bicycle racing then check out the AADL's collection of books and magazines on the sport of cycling.
Blog Post
Hunting for Crayfish
by Caser
I remember very little from childhood, but some of the memories I've retained involve swimming in neighborhood creeks and rivers, and hunting for crayfish in the summer. When I moved to Ann Arbor last year, it was great to see so many canoes and kayaks on the Huron River, but surprising to see so few people swimming in the water. The Huron River Watershed Council has addressed this issue by working with local organizations to put on Huron River events, such as canoe races, group swims, and educational courses. The HRWC has also compiled resources and reports on its website regarding the increased safety of the water. You can also find the seasonal Huron River Report periodical, as well as several other books on activities in the Huron River available at the AADL. Come on in, the water is fine!
Blog Post
A D.I.Y.L.R.B.B.V.R.R/CR.!
by jimmyg
That stands for: A Do It Yourself Living Room Baja Buggy Virtual Reality Radio Controlled Racer! The instructions for this DIY project can be found in the current issue of Make magazine.
Other projects in this issue include: a taffy pulling machine, a night light made with LEDs, an electric motorcycle, a primer on solar power system design, and more.
Copies of Make can be found at the Downtown, Malletts Creek Branch and Pittsfield Branch locations.
Blog Post
The 826 Gazette rocks!
by annevm
Great news! The premiere edition of The 826 Gazette published by students of 826michigan is attractive and impressive. I just picked up a copy at the downtown library youth desk, and I particularly liked the articles ”Restaurant patrons to help fight cystic fibrosis,” by Maureen McCord, and “Michigan’s Green Schools initiative aims to make schools more environmentally friendly,” by Andrew Yoo. The newspaper was written and reported by local tweens age 10-14. Erik Gable of The Daily Telegram in Adrian helped with the journalism, many volunteers assisted, and printing was donated by The Ann Arbor News. Yay! Already I’m looking forward to the next issue this summer!
Blog Post
"Woman's Day" Magazine promotes libraries
by Maxine
"Woman's Day" Magazine and the American Library Association are co-sponsoring a new health initiative. The magazine is asking readers 18 or older to submit stories of 700 words or less on how libraries have helped them improve their own or a family member's health. Up to four of the stories will be featured in the March, 2009 issue. Deadline for submissions is May 11, 2008. For submission guidelines, go to their guidelines page.
Blog Post
But Wait ... There's More
by Debbie G.
The Local History Room at the Ann Arbor District Library also boasts a complete run of the Ann Arbor Observer from 1976 as well as the Observer's City Guide from 1987. We use the Observer constantly at the Reference Desk to answer all questions local. The covers alone are worth a visit!
Blog Post
An Economist holiday
by remnil
If you've never read the annual holiday edition of The Economist, you're missing a rare treat. In addition to the magazine's typical insightful reporting and commentary, this edition includes several special reports on as sundry topics as professional poker to Mao Zedong's management style. Here are just a few articles that I enjoyed from this year's issue:
* Why humans' hunter-gatherer era wasn't quite as idyllic as we think
* The political sensitivity and power that comes from the Census
* China's attempts to encourage panda sex, and why we should care
* The political implications of electing a Mormon president.
Has your interest been piqued? Want to check out this issue of The Economist in its full-text glory? You're in luck! You can access it online in General OneFile, one of our great research databases. After you get into the database, just click the "Publication Search" link and search for The Economist. You will need to login to your aadl.org account to follow the database link.
Blog Post
Green Holidays
by manz
Looking for a way to live and give green this season? Try Eco-Libris for ideas on “sustainable reading.” Eco-Libris is committed to seeking out books and practices that are easier on the environment. They offer a handy Holiday Green Gift Guide for Book Lovers and information on how you can sign up to plant a tree for every book you read, for a dollar a book.
Relatedly, The New York Times recently ran an interesting article on the idea of simplifying gift-giving in eco-conscious ways. Is it simplifying? Is it preaching “ecological responsibility?” Is it worth all the to-do? Will you be giving energy-efficient light bulbs as gifts, or snickering at those who do?
Blog Post
The impending death of the used bookseller
by remnil
provocative article on Entrepreneur.com recently profiled several industries on the verge of extinction. Among the condemned: record stores, newspapers, and used bookstores.
As the article notes, newspapers aren't really going to die; they're just going to change. But what about those book and record stores? It would perhaps be more accurate to say that and record stores are under threat. Sure, a few widely successful independents will remain. But even iconic independents are finding it harder to stay open.
What do you think? Are independent book and record stores disappearing? Should we even care, in the age of the long tail thrift and accessibility of Amazon and Barnes & Noble? Or will such stores simply adapt like their allegedly-doomed newspaper brethren?