Blog Post
Bob Babbitt, Funk Brothers bassist, has died
by sernabad
Bob Babbitt rockin' bass player for the Funk Brothers, THE studio band for Motown's heaviest hitters, died Monday In Nashville, TN.
Babbitt moved to Detroit in the 1950s while still in his teens. Then from 1959 until Motown relocated to Los Angeles in 1972, the Funk Brothers backed up every megawatt performer from Stevie Wonder to the Temptations to Marvin Gaye to Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, to name just a few.
A 2002 documentary, Standing in the Shadows of Motown brought the Funk Brothers out of obscurity, especially after the group received a Lifetime Achievement award at the 2004 Grammys.
In 2008, the Funk Brothers packed the house at a concert which was part of the Ann Arbor Summer Festival.
Mr. Babbitt, who was 74, died of an inoperable brain tumor.
Blog Post
Caregiver Burden: The Sandwich Generation
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.
Blog Post
Reconstructing Life Stories
by iralax
People write for many reasons: pleasure, self-knowledge, education, memory, creativity, or as a legacy for family. These six workshops for people age fifty and over are a great way to learn the skills and confidence to write your memoir in your own style. Participants will have the chance to read some of their writing to the group, then reflect and reminisce about it. Bring your writing materials on April 3 at give it a try. An elevator is available in the parking lot below the library entered from Huron Parkway.
Tuesdays -- April 3,10,24; May 1,8,15 -- 6:30 - 8:30 pm -- Traverwood Branch
Blog Post
Harley Heaven!
by StoryLaura
Back by popular demand, the stellar Bill Harley returns for a library sponsored event at The Ark this Sunday, March 11 at 2:00 pm. We are hosting this grammy award winning musician and storyteller for a free family show at The Ark for ages five and up. Now is your chance to catch one of the best, and if you have enjoyed Bill in the past, we know we will see you there again! When Bill came through town last year I invited all my friends to the grown-up evening performance and they loved it so much they are all returning this Sunday at 7:30 pm.
Blog Post
Bibles Available for Downloading & Large Print!
by Beth Manuel
Eligible patrons can now download bibles from Audio Bibles for the Blind, a division of Aurora Ministries. Certification is required by completing and submitting this form. If you do not have a computer to download books to, remember our Assistive Technology Lab is here for you along with technical support.
Another option is to purchase an NLS Cartridge from any of our circulation desks, or your own blank USB drive, and mail it to Aurora Ministries as Free Matter for the Blind. Aurora Ministries will then download a bible for you! There are Old & New Testament versions as well as bibles in many languages including Arabic, Bulgarian, Czech, German, and Farsi. Are you able to read Large Print? If so, Lutheran Braille Workers, Inc is an option for Braille, Large Print & some religious materials in Spanish.
Blog Post
Milosz Made in America
by calmesa
On Thursday, September 22, 2011 the University of Michigan will be hosting a tribute to Czeslaw Milosz (1911-2004), award winning author, poet, and Nobel Prize Recipient. The Nobel laureate had very close ties with the University of Michigan and his first major collection of poetry to appear in North America was published by Michigan Slavic Publications in 1976.
This event will consist of a film showing, entitled, "The Magic Mountain: An American Portrait of Czeslaw Milosz," which is a documentary directed by Maria Zmarz-Koczanowicz in English and Polish. The film is approximately 60 minutes long. Immediately following the film showing, there will be a public reception beginning at 6:00pm and then a symposium at 7:00pm.
This event is part of the Annual Copernicus Lecture in the Zell Visiting Writers Series and it will take place on Thursday, September 22, 2011 in the Rackham Auditorium, which is located at 915 E. Washington St.
There will be conversation with Robert Hass, poet and Distinguished Chair of Poetry and Poetics from the University of California, Berkeley as well as with Robert Pinsky, writer, poetry editor, Slate, and professor of creative writing from Boston University among others!
Blog Post
Lecture by Angelina Godoy: “CAFTA, Intellectual Property, and Transnational Mobilization for Access to Medicines in Central America”
by calmesa
Angelina Godoy, Director of the University of Washington’s Center for Human Rights; Adjunct Assistant Professor and Assistant Professor of Law, Societies, and Justice at the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Washington, along with a commentary by Shobita Parthasarathy, Associate Professor of Public Policy at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy will be presenting at the University of Michigan on Monday, September 19, 2011 from 4:00pm until 5:30pm. Andelina Godoy will be discussing the application of intellectual property to pharmaceutical products and the controversy surrounding it in many different contexts throughout the world.
The presentation will take place at the:
Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy
Betty Ford Classroom
735 S. State Street
Ann Arbor, MI, United States
48109
Phone:734-615-6942
The event will take place on:
Monday, September 19, 2011 4:00-5:30pm
This event is co-sponsored by the Center for Global Health and the Center for Latin American & Caribbean Studies.
More information about this event can be found at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan's website.
Blog Post
Do You Have Royal Wedding FEVER?!
by erin
If you're looking for a FUN way to view and celebrate the upcoming British Royal Wedding than be sure to join us at the Downtown Library this Friday @ 6:00 PM on the 4th Floor! We'll be televising the wedding itself - in case you missed it earlier in the day or want to re-watch - we will be serving tea, cookies and Wedding Cake! Come dressed in your Royal Best and you will have a chance to win Gift Certificates for best costume! Attendees will also have a chance to win a special floral arrangement created by Sweet Pea Floral.
Blog Post
"Lastingness: The Art of Old Age"
by hamiltonb
Authors Nicholas Delbanco and Keith Taylor will discuss their book "Lastingness: The Art of Old Age" at the University of Michigan's Hatcher Graduate Library on March 9th, 5:00-7:00pm as part of the University's ongoing Author's Forum.
Library Journal's 2010 review of "Lastingness" describes the book as a "study of geniuses-as they aged-in the fields of literature, music, and the visual arts. Delbanco focuses on the fascinating question of why some people's creative talents flourish with age, while others' fade. He explores and explains our general societal conflict about our elders and the question of when to expect them to step aside. His profiles include Claude Monet, Giuseppe Verdi, W.B. Yeats, and Alice Neal, among others, all of whom lived until 70 or older and remained productive."
Nicholas Delbanco is a Professor of English Language and Literature at the University of Michigan. Keith Taylor is a writer and poet and coordinates the undergraduate creative writing program at U of M. The discussion is free and open to the public, and will be followed by a book sale and signing. The event will take place in the Gallery in Room 100 at the Hatcher Graduate Library.
Blog Post
Great Reminiscences
by iralax
The Library has just the thing to generate lively conversations at your next group or family gathering. Bi-Folkal Kits come in an attractive navy and yellow bag and provide a multi-media approach to a variety of topics for reminiscence, such as pets, the seasons, school days, African American lives, and fashion. Besides a full slide show on DVD, each kit contains twenty-five large print songbooks with a sing-along CD, a true crowd-pleaser! An instruction manual is also included to lead you through the many suggested activities, for the different interests and capabilities of participants. With a little planning, it offers a fun atmosphere for older adults, inter-generational groups, or people with dementia. The kits may be borrowed for two weeks.