Blog Post
Now Filming
by RiponGood
The movie adaptation of C.S. Lewis' Prince Caspian is schedule to come out on May 16, 2008. Be sure to check out our wide selection of Narnia books as you get ready for next year's movie release.
Blog Post
Sol LeWitt, American Artist
by muffy
Sol LeWitt, 78, sculptor and muralist died April 8th, 2007 in New York.
Most often associated with his early sculptures Incomplete Open Cubes (image) seen in museums all over the world, LeWitt will be remembered for his dry humor (see New York Times Obituary} and his efforts to usher in Conceptualism and Minimalism as dominant art movements of the postwar era.
In 2000, a retrospective organized by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, which traveled to the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago showcased a new direction for LeWitt with newly colorful wall drawings that critics called "eye candy".
“A life in art is an unimaginable and unpredictable experience.”~ Sol LeWitt
Blog Post
Spring Break Tourneys: Guitar Hero, DDR, Wii Sports and More!
by eli
It's spring break in Ann Arbor, although you sure wouldn't know it by looking outside. Avoid feeling depressed about the miserable weather this week by sequestering yourself in a windowless room filled with noise and flashing lights as we set up our gaming kit for a week of Open Play and Tournaments!
The action starts with three afternoons full of Open Play and DS Fest for all Ages, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, 4/11-4/13, from 1-4 PM in the Multipurpose room of the Downtown Library. Come play Mario Kart, DDR, Wario Ware, Monkey Ball, Retro Collections, and more, or bring your own Gameboy or DS and square off against your friends on your favorite games.
Then, we've got a tournament-filled weekend, starting with a Guitar Hero 2 tournament Friday Night, 4/13, from 6-8:30 PM. We'll provide the guitars and the big screen, so show up and be ready to shred...
On Saturday, 4/14, from 1-4 PM, we'll have an All-Ages DDR Tournament, including a special prize for the best Adult/Child team, plus more open play.
We'll wind up the weekend with our first ever Wii Sports Tournament on Sunday, 4/15, from 1-4 PM, for Adult/Child Teams! We'll start with Tennis, and the winners will advance to Baseball or Bowling if time allows... so find an adult and drag them in to expose them firsthand to the Wii phenomenon. Bring your Wiimote with your Mii loaded if you've got one!
It's a busy gaming weekend at AADL... hope to see you all there!
Blog Post
What would we do without them?
by Maxine
Did you know that on April 10, 1849, Walter Hunt, also the inventor of the sewing machine, patented the safety pin? Thinking it wasn't worth much, he sold the patent for $400. What would we do about torn hems and missing buttons without them?
For some interesting reading on objects we take for granted, information on patents and some wacky inventions, try these titles from our collection:
The Evolution of Useful Things by Henry Petroski
Inventor's Guide to Trademarks and Patents by Craig Fellenstein and
Big Bento Book of Unuseless Japanese Inventions by Kenji Kawakami.
Blog Post
Believe It's Spring!
by kidlit
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For a few brief moments, we thought spring was here. That's not the case now, but we must believe that it will be here very shortly. After all, the Ann Arbor Public Schools are on Spring Break next week.
Spring means flowers. Let's make some. If you are at least 3 years old or older, come to the Northeast Branch on Tuesday, April 10th, any time between 2:00 and 4:00 p.m.
We'll be making flowers, many kinds of flowers. All materials will be provided. Just bring your creative ideas.
Blog Post
Learn to Play the Guitar for Free Online!
by emilyas
Are you interested in learning to play guitar but you don't have the time or money to take lessons? Why not try taking a few video lessons? Several guitar teachers have posted a series of instructional videos on to YouTube. Check out this article on NPR for more information. And if you are interested in further resources check out the library's DVDs and books on learning to play guitar.
Blog Post
More on poetry...
by Maxine
To follow up on the previous blog on poetry, the Academy of American Poets is the sponsoring organization for National Poetry Month. Their website features search capabilities on both poets and poems. So if you want to retrieve a favorite poem, there's a good chance you'll find it here. Also included is a daily poem and a chance to sign up for a "Poem-A-Day" which is e-mailed to you every day during April. To sign up for a poem every day of the year, go to the Poetry Daily site. The Library also has a Poetry Daily of the same name if you'd like to see, in print form, what was selected for your or another's birthday.
Also, check out some of the Library's new poetry collections including This Clumsy Thing by former local poet, Bob Hicok and for the younger set, Casey Back at Bat by Don Gutman and Bronzeville Boys and Girls by Gwendolyn Brooks.
Blog Post
John Himmelfarb, Chicago Artist
by muffy
Harvard educated, Chicago artist John Himmelfarb will give an artist talk on Saturday, April 7, 4 p.m. at the River Gallery (120 S. Main Street, Chelsea, Michigan) in conjunction with his one-man show (through May 19th).
Son of Samuel and Eleanor Himmelfarb, both accomplished painters, John Himmelfarb’s work has appeared in numerous galleries nationally and internationally, and has installed public works at such places as Boston Logan Airport and Chicago Transport Authority.
This exhibition will include paintings, drawings, prints, cast bronze sculpture, urns, and a tapestry of a canvas, hand woven in Peru. For more information, contact the Gallery at 734.433.0826.
Blog Post
Team Moon
by anned
Most people have seen the historic footage of Neil Armstrong's first step on the moon (July 20, 1969) and are familiar with the crew of Apollo 11:Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins. But not many have heard of Eleanor Foracker who was a seamstress for ILC Dover, the company that made the spacesuits, or Richard Ellis who tested the suits. Neil “Fox” Mason worked the Parkes Radio Telescope in Australia, Kirby Hinson worked on the parachute recovery systems, and Joe Gavin was vice president of Grumman Aerospace Corporation. Thousands of people worked long, hard hours and most never received recognition even though they also played a vital role in one of the greatest projects of the 20th century. Meet some of them in Team Moon: How 400,000 People Landed Apollo 11 on the Moon by Catherine Thimmesh.
Blog Post
A long journey home
by Maxine
On March 23, 1806, Lewis and Clark began their journey back from the Pacific coast to the East to report on their expedition. The winter had been brutally cold and wet. They had traveled about 4,000 miles from St. Louis and had been gone almost two years.
Lewis and Clark thought they could avoid the trip back over land by getting on a merchant ship but there were none to be found. And so, without much food or supplies, they began the trek back. In six months, they arrived in St. Louis.