The Taubman Health Sciences Library at the University of Michigan will host the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s traveling exhibition, Deadly Medicine: Creating the Master Race. The exhibition illustrates how Nazi leadership enlisted people in professions traditionally charged with healing and the public good, to legitimize persecution, murder and, ultimately, genocide.

My Right Self will be on display at the Michigan Union from November 14 - 20 and at the Hatcher Graduate Library December 2 - January 2. The exhibit reveals transgender issues and rights that are particularly relevant to contemporary questions of social justice and human rights. These images and accompanying text are meant to confront and dispel myths and misperceptions around marginalized and disenfranchised communities. For more information please contact thl-outreach@umich.edu.

Of the 1,582 entries at this year's ARTPRIZE (see blog), 10 winners were voted in and among them is Ann Arbor artist Lynda Cole.

Taking 3rd place, her 3-D kinetic sculpture entitled Rain consists of 7600 squares of silver leaf on polyester film, and is suspended by aluminum monofilament within a 10 ft. cube of space and move with ambient air currents.

This photo at left represents one module. The Art Prize entry comprised of 25 modules. To see all of them, go to the artist's website or blog.

As our commitment to showcase and support local artists, The Ann Arbor District Library is proud to include two of Lynda Cole's work in our circulating art print collection , entitled Winter and Explore. Now you too, could live with great art.

Curious about the field of medical illustration? Want to learn about a variety of medical illustration tools and techniques? Don't miss this free medical illustration workshop! Meet a few of the local artists that have contributed work to the Max to Macs exhibit and participate in hands-on demonstrations of pen and ink, carbon dust, watercolor, and digital tools. This event will take place on the 4th floor of the Taubman Health Sciences Library on Thursday, September 15 from 6pm to 8pm.

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!

firefighter ben“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” -Ben Franklin

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” -Ben Franklin

“In the first Place, as an Ounce of Prevention is worth a Pound of Cure, I would advise 'em to take care how they suffer living Coals in a full Shovel, to be carried out of one Room into another, or up or down Stairs, unless in a Warmingpan shut; for Scraps of Fire may fall into Chinks and make no Appearance until Midnight; when your Stairs being in Flames, you may be forced, (as I once was) to leap out of your Windows, and hazard your Necks to avoid being oven-roasted.”--Ben Franklin.

In the 18th century, fire prevention was a serious issue. Fire codes as we know them now didn’t exist and many buildings were made of wood. In a visit to Washington DC, Franklin realized that DC was far more prepared for a fire than his home, Philadelphia. A man of action, Franklin began to investigate what improvements could be made in Philadelphia. As a part of his plan, Franklin undertook efforts to raise public awareness of how fires were being fought in Philadelphia. At the time, volunteers fought fires. Franklin insisted that this was not enough, and made the public aware of the measures cities such as Boston were taking to fight fighting fire. In December of 1736, the Union Fire Company was formed. As more men became interested in joining the fire company, they were encouraged to form their own organizations, increasing the fire coverage in Philadelphia. Thanks to Franklin’s initiative, Philadelphia became one of the safest cities in the world in terms of fire prevention.

Twenty-three miles off the coast of North Carolina, living in Onslow Bay, is a temperate reef named after Ben Franklin. It seems slightly odd that a coral reef would bear Ben Franklin’s name; however, there is a good explanation. The Ben Franklin Temperate Reef is frequently under the influence of the Gulf Stream – which was originally charted by… Benjamin Franklin.

According to Barbara Tuchman in The First Salute, “American captains, advised by whales, understood the location of the Gulf Stream and crossed over it, instead of running against it for days.” This allowed American merchant ships to make the crossing much faster than English mail ships. As Postmaster General, Benjamin Franklin became aware of this trend and conducted experiments of his own to test the track of the stream. Franklin offered this information to Anthony Todd, Secretary of the British Post Office, but as this was in 1770, (before the war) the English opted to ignore the American advice. “Ben Franklin’s report on the Gulf Stream was withheld until after the war, when it could no longer help the British,” adds Tuchman.

As is the case with his other more famous discoveries (such as electricity) Ben Franklin brought attention to a natural phenomenon which continues to aid and enhance modern life. For that achievement, a temperate reef named in Ben Franklin's honor seems very fitting.

To learn other exciting details about Benjamin Franklin, visit Ben Franklin: In Search of a Better World, on display through July 8th.

Gift of Money Let's continue the story of the Benjamin Franklin bequest to Philadelphia and Boston. One of the outcomes of the Boston bequest was the establishment of the Franklin Institute of Boston, which is known today as the Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology. It's interesting to learn about American history. Read more about Benjamin Franklin and other famous Americans using the Biography and Genealogy Master Index. Like Russel Crowe, are you curious about local history? Check out the "The Making of Ann Arbor" or "Ypsilanti Gleanings".