Solar Eclipse Today (Only Visible in Australia)

Tue, 11/13/2012 - 1:41pm by Caser

The only total solar eclipse of 2012 will begin around 3:35pm EST today, November 13, and it will last all of two whole minutes, so try not to blink. Unfortunately, it will only be visible live from certain areas of Queensland, Australia and some empty parts of the Pacific Ocean. The good news is that you can watch the solar eclipse live online via streaming sites, including Cairns Eclipse 2012 on USTREAM, which will begin streaming around 2:00 pm.

More resources on eclipses are available here from the AADL, and don't miss one of the newest additions to our collection, the Orion Starblast 4.5 Astro Reflector Dobsonian Telescope, which checks out for two weeks at a time.

James Bond: Pushing 60 and Still Looking Good

Fri, 10/26/2012 - 6:40pm by patrickpdunn

Everyone's favorite suave secret agent, James Bond, is headed back to the big screen with the upcoming release of Skyfall. The new flick stars Daniel Craig in his third outing as Bond, alongside a killer cast including Ralph Fiennes, Javier Bardem as the newest Bond villain, and Ben Whishaw in his debut as the gadget-master Q. The flick, which continues to dig into Bond's origins as seen previously in 2006's Casino Royale, has been receiving early critical acclaim as one of Agent 007's best. Opening in theaters everywhere November 9, Skyfall happens to come out exactly 50 years after the original Bond movie, Dr. No, which starred Sean Connery in 1962.

But before Skyfall arrives in theaters, AADL's collection offers plenty of ways to celebrate Mr. Bond's big birthday--and another even bigger 007 milestone. While Bond may be 50 in movie years, he's existed on the printed page for almost 60. Casino Royale, the original Bond story by Ian Fleming, was published in 1953 and is available via the AADL catalog. Fleming went on to write 14 James Bond books. His final one, Octopussy and The Living Daylights, was published in 1966, two years after his death. Fleming's series has been followed by numerous additional Bond books by authors including Jeffery Deaver, John Gardner, Raymond Benson, and Charlie Higson (who wrote the Young Bond series for teens).

And for those looking to get caught up on the movies, AADL has Bond flicks from the original Dr. No to 2008's Quantum of Solace. For true devotees, try the original 1967 film adaptation of Casino Royale, a wacky spoof of spy films with an all-star cast including David Niven, Peter Sellers, Woody Allen, George Raft, and Jean-Paul Belmondo.

Teen Books to Films

Wed, 10/03/2012 - 3:23pm by Caser

On November 16, 2012 Lionsgate will release the final chapter of the Cullen legacy to theaters with The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2, where Bella and Edward prepare for battle against the Volturi in order to protect their family. Fans have the next month to revisit their favorite vampire drama in The Twilight Series, including Breaking Dawn the book, as well as Breaking Dawn Part 1 on DVD and Blu-Ray, all of which are available in the AADL collection.

Another smashingly successful teen book that's getting the Hollywood treatment is The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, which is currently being filmed in Hawaii. In this sequel, sharpshooting Katniss once again takes on the oppressive Capitol District, this time with a rebellion brewing around her. Fans have a bit more time to catch up on the action with the book versions of The Hunger Games and Catching Fire, as well as the film version of The Hunger Games on DVD and Blu-Ray, for the film sequel isn't expected for release until November 2013. The third book in the trilogy, Mockingjay, now has a confirmed screenwriter, Danny Strong, who will be adapting the book into a Part 1 and a Part 2 to finish the film series.

C-SPAN Challenges Students to Compete in National Documentary Contest

Fri, 09/14/2012 - 4:58pm by cecile

Are you a policy wonk? Then you should enter this contest!!

This Year's Theme: Message to the President

C-SPAN is asking students to consider what issue the president should address in 2013, and create a video documentary explaining why it's important.

This Year's Theme is : Message to the President

What do you think is important and should be addressed by the president? Make a short film and enter it in this contest for a chance to win some cash!!. It will be fun to do and a great item to put on your resume (some day!).

Now in its ninth year, C-SPAN's national competition invites all middle school students (grades 6-8) and high school students (grade 9-12) to produce a five- to eight-minute video documentary using C-SPAN programming.

This year, students will have the opportunity to produce a documentary focusing on "A Message to the President: What's the most important issue the president should consider in 2013?"

The C-SPAN Education Foundation supports the contest by awarding 75 student and 11 teacher prizes, totaling $50,000 in cash.

Entries must represent varying points of view, and incluide C-SPAN video that supports the documentary's topic. Students, working alone or in groups up to three, must upload their videos by January 18, 2013, and winners will be announced in March. A full list of guidelines, FAQ's and past winning videos can be found at studentcam.org.

If enough students enter from Ann Arbor we can reserve a night to run the documentaries and you can invite all your friends!!

PokeMonday

Mon, 07/23/2012 - 7:30am by hillary dorwart

Monday July 23, 2012: 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm -- Malletts Creek Branch: Program Room AB

Summer's here and that means it's time for Pokemondays! Join us for 4 Mondays in a row. We'll be holding these tournaments at different branches each week, so be sure to check the out one close to you. As always you'll need to bring your Nintendo DS or DSi and a copy of your Pokemon game (black and white won't work,sorry.) Big screen and Union Rooms battles are used for admittance into the finals, so be sure to have Pokemon, level 30 or under trained for battle. They'll be needed for qualifying rounds!

This event is for grades K - 5.

Claymation Puppet Workshop for Adults with Animation Expert Brad Pattullo

Sun, 07/15/2012 - 11:15am by hillary dorwart

Sunday July 15, 2012: 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm -- Malletts Creek Branch: Program Room AB

Adults get to join in on the fun! Clay animator and professor Brad Pattullo will demonstrate his skills at this special workshop for adults. Brad will guide participants through the process of fabricating a clay puppet for animation. We will also have two animation stations set-up so that you can try animating your puppet!

Brad has worked on shows like "The PJs" and "Celebrity Deathmatch."

This is a five-hour hands-on session; attendees should plan to stay for the entire session to complete their work. Lunch will be provided.

Clay Animation Workshop for Teens with Animation Expert Brad Pattullo

Wed, 07/11/2012 - 12:09pm by hillary dorwart

Saturday July 14, 2012: 11:00 am to 4:00 pm -- Malletts Creek Branch: Program Room AB

Create your own stop-motion puppet for animation or display! Clay animator/Animation Professor Brad Pattullo guides participants through the process. Brad has worked on shows like The PJs and Celebrity Deathmatch!

This is a five-hour hands-on session; attendees should plan to stay for the entire session to complete their work. Lunch will be provided.

This event is for Grades 6 - 12.

PokeMonday

Mon, 07/09/2012 - 8:07am by hillary dorwart

Monday July 9, 2012: 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm -- Malletts Creek Branch: Program Room AB

Enjoy a good game and challenge? Well, summer's here and that means it's time for Pokemondays! Join us for 4 Mondays in a row. We'll be holding these tournaments at different branches each week. As always you'll need to bring your Nintendo DS or DSi and a copy of your Pokemon game (black and white won't work,sorry.) Big screen and Union Rooms battles are used for admittance into the finals, so be sure to have Pokemon, level 30 or under trained for battle. They'll be needed for qualifying rounds!

This event is for grades K-5.

Documentary Filmmaker, Digital Historian And Archive Team Founder Jason Scott Discusses Preservation Activism

Wed, 05/23/2012 - 1:00am by hillary dorwart

Wednesday May 23, 2012: 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm -- Downtown Library: Multi-Purpose Room

There's a lot of information floating around on the Web - can it be saved from distinction and obscurity? Discover how digital information is preserved and archived when Jason Scott visits the AADL. Jason is the founder of the Archive Team, a loose collective of rogue archivists, programmers, writers and loudmouths dedicated to saving our digital heritage.

At this special event, Jason will discuss the Archive Team's efforts to preserve early Internet content from extinction. He will also screen and discuss a lost episode from his 2010 film Get Lamp: The Text Adventure Documentary.

An Evening With Dan Rather

Mon, 05/21/2012 - 1:53am by hillary dorwart

Monday May 21, 2012: 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm -- Michigan Theater
603 E. Liberty St., Ann Arbor, MI. 48104 (map)

The Ann Arbor District Library is honored to host an evening with journalist Dan Rather as he discusses his new memoir "Rather Outspoken: My Life In The News" at the Michigan Theater. There is no charge to attend this special evening event, cosponsored by Michigan Radio.

You've seen him on the news reporting, now see him in-person as he discusses his memoir. Rather will highlight major stories from his decades of reporting and his reflections on the state of journalism today and what he sees for its future, as well as never-before-revealed personal observations and commentary. This event includes books for sale and a book signing.

Meet this broadcast legend outside of the television screen!