Bus riders! TransitTime + has added AATA's The Ride to its app

Fri, 07/13/2012 - 1:30pm by sernabad

The Ann Arbor Transportation Authority just announced that the award-winning app, TransitTimes + has added Ann Arbor to its list of more than 50 cities that provide details about their transportation modes to this popular app.

Now you can easily locate The Ride's bus schedules, the location of your particular bus and its arrival time, or map out and save a route to a new location.

To see how easy this app is to use, check out TransitTimes' YouTube channel here.

For more information about this app and to see the growing list of U.S. and international cities being added all the time, click here.

Huron River Day!

Wed, 07/11/2012 - 9:28am by Beth Manuel

The City of Ann Arbor is hosting its annual celebration of the beautiful Huron River this week-end. The public is invited to Huron River Day! Haven't been? It's tons of fun! New this year is the TRI the Huron! This Huron River Adventure Triathlon starts by Bike - 4 miles from Gallup to Argo, A Fun/Walk - 2 miles around Argo Pond and Kayak/Canoe - 4 miles down the Huron River from Argo to Gallup. To enter go to this website. Otherwise, come on down to Gallup Park for a canoe ride, a fun craft or a GAMECODE! For more information about Huron River Day call (734) 794-6240.

Caregiver Burden: The Sandwich Generation

Thu, 06/21/2012 - 2:02pm by Beth Manuel

Are you caring for an aging parent? You aren't alone. This monthly series, "Caregiver Conversations" co-sponsored by Jewish Family Services of Washtenaw County and Arbor Hospice will address the issues many caregivers face, especially those who are working full time and/or raising their own families. The Sandwich Generation series will explore many of the issues adults deal with in their role as caregiver including finding a balance between caregiving & pleasure, disagreements between siblings & talking to a parent about giving up the car keys or moving. The next meeting, Thursday June 21st, is from 6:30-8:00 PM at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Ann Arbor and is open to the public.

Ann Arbor Book Fest is this weekend: June 22-23

Wed, 06/20/2012 - 4:02pm by prlhw

The annual Ann Arbor Book Fest will be held this weekend, June 22nd & 23rd, on the University of Michigan's campus. Visiting authors and poets include Newbery Award Winner Christopher Paul Curtis, Steve Amick, Scott Beal, Adam Mansbach, Kevin Coval, Jeff Kass, and Aaron McCollough - just to name a few!

Events throughout the weekend will consist of everything from workshops to the bookcrawl! For a full list of the weekend's events, visit the Bookfest's website to view the schedule. Enjoy!

A2 Kidical Mass

Tue, 06/12/2012 - 5:29pm by Beth Manuel

Have you heard of Kidical Mass? This national (even International: Budapest, Hungary) biking group promotes bike safety, fun and fosters community among bike riders & families. In Ann Arbor they meet on the 3rd Saturday of the month, Rain or Shine! The first 15 minutes may include bike decorating or a mini-safety lesson. The group always uses a short & safe route to a family-friendly & fun destination afterwards. Check out their blog to see where the route begins this Saturday, June 16th at 10:15 AM!

What's Happening in Ann Arbor This Summer?

Sun, 06/10/2012 - 12:39pm by Caser

If you've lived in Ann Arbor for at least one summer, then you're probably aware of the annual Summer Festival that starts on Friday, June 15, as well as the Art Fair that starts July 18. Additionally, Ann Arbor is host to dozens of other festivals and events throughout the summer, including the stacked lineup of events at the AADL. Here are some other highlights around Ann Arbor.

Shakespeare in the Arb is presented by the U-M Residential College and Matthaei-Nichols, performing an outdoor production of Shakespeare's comedy, The Merry Wives of Windsor that moves through various settings in the Arb. Show dates: June 10, 14, 15, 16, 17; June 21, 22, 23, 24.

At Minifest, the Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival presents concerts featuring internationally known artists and new chamber ensembles at the Kerrytown Concert House. Concert dates: June 15, 22, 24, 30.

The Rolling Sculpture Car Show features more than 400 antique, classic, and concept cars on display downtown for one day only, July 13, 2012.

Join the fun on Huron River Day, with river exhibits, discounted canoe and kayak rentals, 1-mile run, a 5K walk and run, live music, food vendors, and a children's activity tent on July 15, 2012.

One more gem, the Riverfolk Jam Camp takes place in Manchester from August 1-3, but its finale is in Ann Arbor, at The Ark on August 4.

Ann Arbor Mini Maker Faire: Call for contributors!

Wed, 05/09/2012 - 7:10pm by OneillT

We are excited to announce the Call for Makers for the 4th Ann Arbor “Mini” Maker Faire, to be held Saturday June 2, 2012, at the Washtenaw Farm Council Grounds, Ann Arbor, Michigan. The Faire features exhibits and activities in robots, green tech, science, radio, rocketry, unusual tools/techniques, fixing and/or taking things apart, and other areas, all with an emphasis on “do it yourself.” Last year’s Faire drew over 1,400 people to engage in activities such as learning to solder and silk screening t-shirts, and saw exhibits such as hearing the neural activity of a cockroach leg, a giant “Simon Says” game, a DIY satellite to test an ion engine in space, pop-up books with a master of paper folding, gigantic vortex cannon, robots galore, computer vision, and much more.

Apply now to be an exhibitor! Additional information and an online application form are at http://www.a2makerfaire.com. The application deadline is May 13, 2012.

The Faire is free to exhibitors and visitors alike. It is organized by the group a2 geeks (http://www.a2geeks.org), a newly organized Ann Arbor area non-profit foundation promoting the informal technology culture in the greater Ann Arbor area. The Faire is a local, community version of the major Maker Faires in the Bay area and in New York City.

The mission of the Ann Arbor Mini Maker Faire is to present interesting or unique exhibits, individuals, and demonstrations in DIY science, technology, engineering, and art that excite, motivate, and educate. The emphasis is on cool things, skills, and knowledge. As a shorthand, the exhibits should be the kind of thing you’d see in Make Magazine.

VISIONS 2012 Vendor Fair: What's New In Technology And Services for the Blind And Visually Impaired

Wed, 05/09/2012 - 10:00am by hillary dorwart

Wednesday May 9, 2012: 10:00 am to 3:00 pm
@ Washtenaw Community College - Morris Lawrence Building - 4800 East Huron River Drive, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48105 (map)

This 2012 VISIONS Vendor Fair is presented by the Ann Arbor District Library (which also serves as the Washtenaw Library for the Blind and Physically Disabled) and is cosponsored by the Michigan Commission for the Blind and Washtenaw Community College.

A variety of Michigan exhibitors will demonstrate the latest products and services for the blind and visually impaired. Magnifiers, electronic readers, Braille devices, library services, CCTVs, leader dogs, support services for the blind and transportation services are just a few of the many outstanding services and products on display. There is no admission charge and ample free parking is available.

Download and print the 2012 VISIONS flyer to learn the full schedule of the day and other details.

Bookshare Celebrates its 10th Anniversary!

Thu, 05/03/2012 - 9:18am by Beth Manuel

Access to books for education, employment & social inclusion has dramatically increased for people with print disabilities. An early ebook innovator, Bookshare developed a new approach to digital rights management (DRM) which include both electronic fingerprints in the books as well as legal agreements & social pressure. Bookshare's parent company, Benetech is a leading provider of accessible open content and open source tools to improve accessibility. Bookshare started with volunteers digitizing and legally sharing materials over the Internet with others who had qualified print disabilities. To date, over 180 publishers have now contributed over half of the 140,000 titles in the collection. For more information about Bookshare or to see if you or a family member qualify, click here.

Easy English News

Wed, 05/02/2012 - 9:55am by Beth Manuel

AADL carries the Easy English News at all of our locations. This publication is written at a 3rd or 4th grade reading level but with newsworthy topics of interest to adults. Let all your English Language Learning friends & relatives know about this resource in our collection. Their website is awesome, too!