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Have a few minutes? If so, consider helping the Michigan Electronic Library (MeL) by taking this survey. In an effort to continue improving MeL resources, including the popular MeLCat state-wide catalog, the Library of Michigan is conducting a study on the Michigan eLibrary to make sure libraries and Michigan residents get the most benefit from the program. The survey takes only a few minutes to complete...and you may be surprised to discover what's available for free through MeL.

University of Michigan Professor Emeritus and Nobel Prize Winner Henry Pollack will discuss his new book, World Without Ice, on Wednesday, Nov. 18th, 7 p.m. at the Downtown Library. A starrred review in Kirkus leads the raves on this "clear, engaging review of a disturbing environmental pattern." Dr. Pollack will answer questions and sign books following the presentation.

This coming Sunday, November 1, at 2:00 a.m. the time will become 1:00 a.m. and Daylight Saving Time will end. Everyone gets an extra hour of Halloween fun this year thanks to DST.

Under the provisions of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, Daylight Saving Time, since 2007, begins on the second Sunday of March and ends the first Sunday in November. Before 2007, Daylight Saving Time had started on the first Sunday in April and ended on the last Sunday of October.

You can no longer call 665-1212 to hear “At the tone, the time will be…” but you can go to the Official U. S. Time to make sure you set your clocks correctly.

This website, plus a WebExhibits article on Daylight Saving Time, are among the websites listed in the Time, Calendar, and Holidays section of the AADL Select Sites (a guide to useful and interesting websites).

For more on Daylight Saving Time consult Seize the Daylight: the Curious and Contentious Story of Daylight Saving Time by David Prerau, published in 2005.

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The Ann Arbor Senior Center Task Force will hold a second public meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 6:30 ~ 8:30 p.m. at the Senior Center, 1320 Baldwin Avenue, adjacent to Burns Park, to discuss options for the future of the Ann Arbor Senior Center. As outlined in the Ann Arbor Chronicle article, City budget constraints will require a re-evaluation of the services offered at the Senior Center. Public input and comments will be greatly appreciated at the meeting. If you have further questions, please call Facility Manager Pam Simmons at 734.794.6250.

Signal of Liberty issue

Take a step back to the 1840s when a cord of hickory wood or "produce of every description" assured Ann Arborites a year's subscription to The Signal of Liberty--the voice of the Liberty Party in Michigan and the state's most prominent antislavery newspaper. Published in Ann Arbor above a shop on Broadway by Theodore Foster and Reverend Guy Beckley, whose home on Pontiac Trail was an important stop on the Underground Railroad, The Signal of Liberty brought Ann Arborites seven years of emotionally charged news from the many stories of slavery's outrages to the speeches of great statesmen and important national issues of the day, to more sobering local news, notices, and advertisements for dubious health cures. You can now browse The Signal of Liberty or search the full text online.

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The experts from the Genealogical Society of Washtenaw County will be on hand Sunday, Sept. 20, 2:00 ~ 3:30 p.m., at the Traverwood Branch to help you with your family history research. Following a short presentation on the resources available to you at the GSWC Library and the Ann Arbor District Library including Ancestry Library Edition and HeritageQuest, society members will work one-on-one with you whatever stage you're at in your quest to fill in the family tree.

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City staff prepared a 32-page Report briefing City Council on the options to consider in responding to the order by the Michigan Dept. of Environmental Quality regarding Argo Dam. City Council reviewed the report at a Sept. 8 public work session. The session will be replayed tonight Friday, Sept. 11 at 7:30 p.m. on CTN Channel 16.

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The City of Ann Arbor has released the Income Tax Feasibility Study and FAQ prepared July, 2009 by Plante, Moran. Print copies for citizen review are available in the Downtown Branch reference collection as well as two previous studies, the Income Tax Feasibility Summary prepared in 2004 by Plante, Moran and the Revenue Impacts of a City Income Tax for Ann Arbor prepared by the University of Michigan School of Public Policy in 1997.

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Tune in to CitiTV 19 on Wednesday, July 22, 7:45 p.m., for the Ann Arbor City Council Candidate Forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters of the Ann Arbor Area. Candidates for the 3rd and 5th ward council seats will answer questions from the League. You can submit forum questions online to the League. The primary will be held on Tuesday, August 4th. Please call the City Clerk at 734-794-6140 for more information or to check the status of your voter registration in the City.

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While testing the recipes in Ann Arbor Cooks you can savor an extra slice of Ann Arbor history: Several recipes, particularly within the 1899 Ann Arbor Cookbook, bear the names of prominent Ann Arbor citizens. On your next visit to Allmendinger Park you can take along Miss E. C. Allmendinger's Quince Tents; or you can enjoy Mrs. W. B. Hinsdale's Cream Puffs at the Broadway Park near the former intersection of 19th century Indian trails mentioned in her husband's book, The Indians of Washtenaw County. Mrs. Junius Beal probably whipped up her Marguerites at her home on the corner of 5th Avenue and William St., now the site of the Downtown library. Mrs. Samuel W. Beakes, whose husband wrote The Past and Present of Washtenaw County, baked Excellent Cocoanut Cookies, and Mrs. Frank Kelsey actually makes Prune Pudding sound...ok.

The names Allmendinger, Hinsdale, Beal, Beakes and Kelsey are frequently cited within the text and image collections of The Ann Arbor Observer: Then & Now, Ann Arbor Founders, The Downtown Ann Arbor Historical Street Exhibit and The Making of Ann Arbor.