If you have been thinking about writing your memoir, and are fifty or above, this is the time! Register now by calling 327-4560 for the free 8-week workshop, Reconstructing Life Stories, starting Jan. 17 at 1:00-3:00 (Group 1) or 3:00-5:00 (Group 2). Past participants praise social work librarian Sally Lawler for creating a comfortable atmosphere, where they feel safe to read their thoughts to the small group and to receive helpful suggestions and encouragement. AADL has several books that can help you start keeping a journal and learn more about how to write your life story.

vinology

Looking to get your career off the ground? Michigan Works! and ETCS have teamed up with Ann Arbor Spark in association with the Mega Partnership to produce Hot Shots—a series of opportunities for job seekers to meet up with employers from across the country. Attendees can view a sampling of available positions ahead of time, and browse the list of participating companies. The next Hot Shots event will be held at Vinology on Wednesday, November 28, from 5-7pm. Participants should register ahead of time at the Ann Arbor Spark website.

vote

Polls open at 7:00 a.m. on Tuesday, November 4th. Remember, this election you'll need to show valid I.D. when voting. Visit the Michigan Votes website and you'll get answer to these questions and more: Am I registered to vote? Where do I vote? How do I get there? What type of voting equipment is available? Who is my city/township clerk? Am I eligible to vote absentee? Need to review the candidates and proposals? Visit the Washtenaw County Elections website and scroll down to the November election.

MAP Logo 2

The AADL in a first-of-its-kind partnership with Greater Detroit Macy’s, the Library of Michigan Foundation, Detroit metro area libraries and the Cultural Alliance of Southeastern Michigan is pleased to announce the launch of “Museum Adventure Pass,” presented by Macy’s.

The program is a partnership between 162 metro area libraries and 25 local arts and cultural organizations, and provides Greater Detroit area library card holders free passes to local museums, cultural centers and historical sites. It is designed to enhance the learning experience for people of all ages through books and other library materials, while at the same time provide access to arts and cultural organizations.

Beginning October 25th, AADL library card holders can receive free admission for either 2 or 4 people to 25 of Southeast Michigan’s world-class arts and cultural institutions. Passes are limited to one at a time per card holder. A limited number of passes are available at any given time at each AADL location and they’re available on a first-come, first-served basis only.

For a full listing of participating institutions and for check-out guidelines, go online to www.detroitadventurepass.org, where you will also find a list of suggested readings, tapes and DVDs to complement your museum experience.

hoax2

Find Strange Fruit in the ocean. Discover a ghost at the Michigan League. Visit Cube Hall. These are just a few of the hoax photos that were created by teens during our Photo Hoax workshop. See them on exhibit at the Ann Arbor District Library MySpace branch in our photo gallery. Did your gallery visit leave you hungry for more? Check out the latest entries in digital hoax contests on line. Or, learn more about the history of digital art in Art of the Digital Age. Whatever you do, get hoaxed!

Latino encyclopedia

Dovetailing off Hispanic Heritage Month is Latino AIDS Awareness Day Monday October 15, 2007. To mark this day, the Washtenaw County Public Health department is providing free AIDS testing for adults or young people over 13 years old. While Latinos only make up about 14% of the U.S. population, they account for 19% of the AIDS cases in the U.S. since the start of the epidemic. In 2004, Latinos accounted for 20% of the new AIDS cases in the U.S. To read more about the impact of AIDS look for Aids in America by Susan Hunter.

What do you do on a football Saturday in Ann Arbor when you’re not interested in the game? Find a book, a new CD or a hot DVD in our catalog a day or two before the game, put a hold on it, and have it sent to a library branch near your home. Then you don’t have to travel far from home through traffic to find something you too can enjoy.

This month Proyecto Avance: Latino Mentoring Association, or PALMA, will once again begin holding English language tutoring sessions at the Downtown Library. PALMA is the brainchild of Cristhian Espinoza, a Spanish professor at the University of Michigan’s Residential College. The organization pairs UM students with native Spanish speakers in the community who are interested in learning English. Participants range in age from infants and preschoolers to adults, and many attend as families.

While PALMA currently has a waiting list, the library has lots of materials for patrons looking to learn English, from DVDs and CDs to books written specifically for adult English learners.

Please join us in welcoming PALMA back to the Ann Arbor District Library!

The Food Stamp Challenge in Michigan has made our community much more aware of how far family food budgets can be stretched. If you want to know more about nutritional assistance programs, hunger in the United States or world hunger, go to the Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center listed in our Resource Databases. This social issues series published by Greenhaven Press, as well as core reference content from other Gale and Macmillan Reference USA sources, provides a complete one-stop source for information on social issues. Or, let the Library help satisfy your hunger for knowlege by borrowing a book such as Toward an End To Hunger In America.

Don’t let physical limitations prevent you from gardening. Make your garden grow using new methods. You have lots of options to consider such as window boxes, raised beds and vertical gardens. Check out our selection of books on accessible gardening including The Able Gardener, The Enabling Garden: Creating Barrier-free Gardens and Accessible Gardening For People With Physical Disabilities.

If you don’t have the ability or desire to create your own accessible garden, consider participating in the Discovery Garden, a part of Project Grow, where accessible gardens are available for use by seniors and wheelchair-bound gardeners.