Nicola's Books Hosts Panel of Fantasy/Sci-Fi Authors

Fri, 07/22/2011 - 12:00pm by karaelise

Are you a fan of fantasy or sci-fi? Maybe you're even a fan of both! If so, you will want to be at Nicola's Books on Tuesday, July 26th at 7:00 p.m., when the local book store will be hosting authors , Jim Hines, and Sarah Zettel. Jacqueline Carey is the author of the national bestselling series, Kushiel's Legacy, while Jim Hines is the author of the Goblin Trilogy and Princess Series, in which classic fairy tale princesses are given a new twist. Sarah Zettel is the author of the fantasy series Isavalta, and has also written five sci-fi novels that have garnered wide critical acclaim. These three authors will be discussing current trends for books in the fantasy and sci-fi genres at this free event.

Nicola's Books is located at the Westgate Shopping Center:
2513 Jackson Ave.
Ann Arbor, MI 48103

Magdalen Fossum for Traveling Tunes and Tales

Tue, 07/19/2011 - 12:07pm by StoryLaura

A couple of weeks ago Magdalen Fossum was invited to open for Buffy Sainte-Marie at the amazing Blissfest in northern Michigan. Now she will be performing at the Downtown Library on Thursday, July 28th at 7:00 pm for the first time! Magdalen is a talented 10 year old ukelele player and singer who will mix it up with stories and even a tandem tale. This should be fun for all music and story fans that are 5 years old and up!

The Caterpillars Have Molted (again!) -- New Summer Game Code Now Available.

Fri, 07/15/2011 - 11:04am by Employee 37

Most of the Cecropia Moth caterpillars at the Traverwood Branch have once again molted (though there are still a few little orange ones hanging around), passing into the developmental cycle scientifically known as "Green Pulsating Terror." To celebrate we've created a new Summer Game code, worth 500 points. Stop by the Traverwood Branch library to visit the caterpillars, which are on loan from the Leslie Science and Nature Center, and find the code to earn your points. Then redeem 'em for cool stuff in the Summer Game Shop!

Copyright Camp is Back!

Thu, 07/14/2011 - 4:29pm by amy

Don't miss Copyright Camp at the University of Michigan's Hatcher Library, from 1-5 p.m. on July 29th. Co-sponsored by the U-M Library's MPublishing office and the Open.Michigan Initiative, this unconference-style event will provide a forum to discuss copyright and how it affects you on a daily basis.

After the opening plenary there will be a large board with open time slots for any attendee to add any topic they want to facilitate, or you can submit your suggestions in advance on their website. There will also be an Antiques Roadshow style "Open Content Roadshow" where you can bring an "item" (like a presentation, publication, photo or other copyrightable material) for the panel of experts to review and make recommendations for making this item open and adaptable.

This event will take place on July 29th, 2011 from 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Location: Hatcher Graduate Library, Library Gallery (Room 100)

For more Info and to Register (no charge): http://copyrightcamp.org/

Children's Art Fair

Tue, 07/12/2011 - 6:05pm by evelyn

Do you have creative children in your life? Or are you a creative youth in the community? Then the EWMA Children's Art Fair wants you!

This art fair will take place in the Eastern Washtenaw Multicultural Academy gymnasium on Saturday, July 23rd (the last day of the Ann Arbor Art Fair), from 12pm-4pm. There will be art workshops for children as young as 3 and as old as 8th grade. There will also be informational workshops for the entire family. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Artists aged 10-25 are invited to submit art to display and sell at the art fair. If you are interested in this opportunity, you may contact pyenor.ewma@gmail.com.

For more information, check out the EWMA's website. And if you want help starting on some summer art projects, we have a great selection of How to Draw books.

Story Collider is Back This Friday with Fluctuations

Mon, 07/11/2011 - 3:08pm by andrewjmac

Join us at the Downtown Library this Friday, July 15 at 7pm for the second Story Collider event to hit Ann Arbor. We loved what we heard at the last event so much we had to ask more storytellers in for stories about science in people's lives. This time around, listen to storytellers Ibrahima Bah, Allison Downey, Yvonne Healy, Jonathan Schwartz, Brian Wecht, and Brook Williams tell stories about "Fluctuations: Unexpected Turns and Curious Bumps."

If you want to learn more about Story Collider and how it came about, check out our podcast interview with host and co-creator Brian Wecht. And if you missed it in March, you can watch the last Story Collider event from AADL in our Video on Demand collection.

Story Collider: Fluctuations -- Friday, July 15 -- 7pm -- Downtown Library: Multi-Purpose Room

The Caterpillars Have Molted -- New Summer Game Code Now Available At Traverwood Branch.

Wed, 07/06/2011 - 1:14pm by Employee 37

If you haven't yet visited the display of live Cecropia Moth caterpillars at the Traverwood branch library, then now's a great time to do so. The caterpillars, currently on loan from the Leslie Science & Nature Center, have recently molted (most of them anyway) and are starting to display some vivid color. To celebrate this monumentous event, we've created a new Summer Game code, and bumped the points up to 450, so be sure to look for the new code when you visit the display at Traverwood. The caterpillars will stick around until they construct their cocoons, probably in another 3 or 4 weeks. Soon after they will return to the Science Center, where they'll spend the winter before emerging as North America's largest native moths next spring.

Updated 7/14: The caterpillars have molted! New game code info at https://aadl.org/node/41218

Learning About the Night Sky

Tue, 07/05/2011 - 10:37pm by karaelise

Would you like to learn more about the nighttime sky? Does summer conjure up images of stargazing and picking out constellations? Then the University of Michigan Exhibit Museum of Natural History’s “The Sky Tonight: Star Talk” may be just what you're looking for! Venture into the planetarium for a live talk that will cover what is currently in the night sky, including stars, constellations, telescopic objects, and the planets. This program runs throughout July and August. Admission is $5 for seniors, adults, and children.
Exhibit Museum of Natural History web site

Monday-Friday: 11:30, 1:30
Saturdays: 11:30, 1:30, 3:30
Sundays: 1:30, 3:30

Write a Song for a Kid in Need

Thu, 06/30/2011 - 4:04pm by iralax

The Songs of Love Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing personalized songs for children and teens currently facing tough medical, physical or emotional challenges, free of charge.They’re looking for volunteer songwriters (must be professional quality) to write and record songs for children and teens facing tough medical, physical, or emotional challenges. Over 15 years these efforts have produced 22,000 songs, a truly remarkable gift to these families.

Here’s how it works: You are sent a child’s profile sheet filled out by a parent or other caregiver that describes special interests, hobbies, favorite things, family members, friends, pets, favorite music style(s), and such. This profile sheet also spells all names phonetically so you are assured of getting them just right. You write a great song that has the child’s name featured in the chorus and that mentions all the items on the profile sheet. You make a tasty recording of the song and email an mp3 and lyric sheet to Songs of Love Foundation within 21 days. Songs of Love makes a CD with a nice label and an insert with the lyrics and mails it to the family. That’s the only use of the song unless Songs of Love chooses to use the song for promotional or fundraising purposes later. The song and sound recording belong to Songs of Love. What you get is the immense satisfaction of doing a really good deed.

Ginormous Mutant Caterpillars Conquer Traverwood Branch Library.

Tue, 06/28/2011 - 3:11pm by Employee 37

More Summer Game fun everyone! Stop by the Traverwood Branch Library to view a temporary exhibit of live Cecropia Moth caterpillars. The Cecropia Moth, the largest native North American moth, reproduces by laying eggs that hatch into caterpillars. Over the next month they will put on quite a show as they progress through their 6-stage life cycle.

The caterpillars, on loan from the Leslie Science and Nature Center, will remain until they complete their cocoons in early August. They will then return home, to overwinter on the grounds of the Science Center, where they will emerge as moths next spring.

When you visit the caterpillars make sure and find the code to earn 400 Summer Game Points, which you can enter at play.aadl.org and redeem for prizes at the online Summer Game Shop. Want to visit the caterpillars more than once? You sound like a savvy gamer. We'll generate a new code each time the critters molt, and we'll announce that in this thread. Will the points increase in accordance with the caterpillars girth? Possibly.

Updated 7/6: The caterpillars have molted. New game code info at https://aadl.org/node/41137