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Blog Post

Summer Game is STILL GOING STRONG with new items, and NEW BADGES!

by eli

ZOUNDS! Fall is coming up fast! But Summer Game 2013 is STILL GOING STRONG with over 42 MILLION points earned, and still 3 FULL WEEKS TO GO! Yes, that's right; other Summer Activities might close up shop or take a sabbatical or something in August, but not at YOUR LIBRARY! We keep it real right up until you're shopping for school supplies. AND SPEAKING OF SHOPPING, there's a surprise new item in the Summer Game Shop! If you attended Superhero or our Joust Tent at Top of the Park, you might have gotten one; but now's your chance to ILLUMINATE your night with an AADL Logo! Find it in the Summer Game Shop for more details!




But that's not all. Of course, it's FRIDAY NIGHT, and that means your weekly delivery of entertainment, challenge, wordplay, and slightly janky graphic design that is a BADGE DROP!



Summer Game 2013 Badge Drop #9
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Would you look at that? Player picks, Domo-kun, List Mastery, and so much more; and 3 badge drops yet to come, including our final drop on the last day of the game on August 30. Yes, all good things must come to an end, and Summer Game 2013 will end sharply at midnight on Friday, August 30, 2013! No worries about that last badge drop; as it has been in years past, the final badge drop will recognize achievements you've already completed in new ways, and won't be dropping new puzzles on you with only hours to go.


Then, after scoring ends, the Summer Game Shop will stay open through Sunday, September 15th for final orders, which must then be picked up by Sunday, October 12. Don't miss your order; after Sunday October 12, orders not yet picked up will be returned to stock. BUT SHEESH, we're nearly talking about HALLOWEEN and it's not even LABOR DAY yet! So get cracking on these Fresh New Badges, find that cool new item in the shop, and stay tuned... there's still more surprises yet to come! And as always....



THANKS FOR PLAYING!

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Blog Post

Take a Hike @ Dolph and Lakewood Nature Areas

by K.C.

Thursday, August 15 | 7:00-8:30 PM | Dolph Nature Area | All Ages

Go on a nature walk with a staff naturalist from Natural Area Preservation (City of Ann Arbor) that will loop through both Dolph Nature Area and Lakewood.

Learn about native plants and trees, invasive plants, ecological restoration, and volunteer activities in Ann Arbor Parks.

Dress comfortably to walk and enjoy nature! Meet in the parking lot off Wagner Road, between Jackson Road and Liberty Street. This event is for all ages.

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Blog Post

BADGE DROP: New Badges and SWEET News!

by mariah

SHAZAM! Here's a fresh batch o' badges to top off your week!




We're pleased to be dropping several Player Picks (Bluth Bonanza and an Operation Park Explorer: Bandemer badge) and continuing the fun with lots of our ongoing series -- more mythological creatures, AADL sites (two more JUMP badges), fab felines, local sports, and high-flying fun -- just to start!




Some of you have already discovered that this week's contributor badges involve commenting, and we've seen both FUN and FUNNY exchanges going on -- HEAR, HEAR!



Summer Game 2013 Badge Drop #8
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MY GOODNESS that's a sweet bunch of badges! But that's not all, faithful SG Players, after weeks of waiting, it's TIME FOR CHOCOLATE!.... and COFFEE!




2013 SUMMER GAME GIGA CHOCOLATE VICTORY PACKAGES!







Yes, yes! One of our hit prizes from last year is BACK. Whether your tastebuds prefer milk chocolate or dark, we encourage you to HOP TO IT and order quickly, as there are only 200 of each, and we won't be restocking. So, cocoa-fiends, ORDER YOURS NOW, before it's too late!




.... and that's NOT ALL! Another smash hit item from last summer's shop is back.. the COFFEE COMBO! Featuring fresh Lobster Butter Love Coffee Beans from our friends at ROOS ROAST, you can't beat this combo of fresh means and an AADL Travel Mug!







So, sweet (or wired?) players, jump in, earn your points, order your chocolate or your coffee, and as always...




THANKS FOR PLAYING!

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Blog Post

BADGE DROP: Rev Up Your Reviews, Recruit Your Friends, & Explore!

by mariah

It's HERE! Your weekly FRIDAY SUMMER GAME BADGE DROP! We can feel the excitement as we unveil some new batches o'badges, including a brand new shop item and our first ever TOUCHABLE BADGES in the form of our brand-new 2013 SUMMER GAME BADGE BUTTON SET!





Yes! It's true! Badges you can actually HOLD IN YOUR HAND and PUT ON YOUR BAG but please DO NOT EAT! Hit up the SUMMER GAME SHOP to get these new items and keep an eye out for some comestibles yet to come. PLUS, if you've just been itching to tell the world what you think of all of the fantastic (and maybe not-so-fantastic) things you've been reading, watching and listening to throughout the summer, NOW is the time to REV UP YOUR REVIEWING, as we drop 5 levels of REVIEW MASTER badges!




If you feel like rallying all your friends to play the Summer Game, then the RECRUITMENT MASTER badges might be for you, and if you're the curious, exploring type, you may want to take a trip around town to see all of the MEGA-CUTE Mochimochi installations and scenes.



Summer Game 2013 Badge Drop #7
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And... what if you've been busy with your hands, making cool stuff at all the SUPER-FUN AADL PROGRAMS this summer? Well, now we have the I MADE IT badge for sharing snapshots of your creations, too!




Of course, as usual, you still get all kinds of points just for keeping track of your READING, LISTENING and WATCHING, and we've got badges in some of your favorite themes too -- from the adorable to the silly. Stay tuned as always for more shop item reveals (the really good stuff is yet to come!) and more badges as summer HITS THE HOME STRETCH!




THANKS FOR PLAYING!

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Blog Post

Comic Con 2013!

by wampishing

San Diego Comic Con, arguably the biggest event in comics, is in full swing and if like us, you couldn't make it this year, that can be quite the bummer! While we can't send you there or replicate the experience, you can still get a little taste of Comic Con here at AADL. If you've never been and want a look at the kinds of events, costumes, celebrities and creators that come to SDCC, check out Comic Con: Episode IV: A Fan's Hope. Or, while we wait for this year's winners to be announced, you can read some of the past years' winners.

This year, SDCC has a lot of artists' spotlights, ranging from relative newcomers like Faith Erin Hicks and Vera Brosgol, to favorites like Chris Samnee and J.H. Williams III, to legends like Jeff Smith and Neil Gaiman. Give their work a look in our graphic novel collection!

And if all the news coming from the convention has put you in a creative mood, why not come out to the Super Comics Challenge and make some comics of your own? Like SDCC, the Super Comics Challenge involves the possibility of prizes and freebies, including Summer Game codes!

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Blog Post

BADGE DROP! Tags away and BEYOND!

by eli




SUPER WOW, PLAYERS! We've hit the midpoint of SUMMER GAME 2013, and with over 3000 players, 26 MILLION points earned, and over 24,000 badges earned, there's still more badges, more points, more prizes, and more CHALLENGE yet to come! But first, what you've all been sitting eagerly at your computer awaiting... this week's BADGE DROP!



Summer Game 2013 Badge Drop #6
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While you may have missed your chance to earn the SUPER PUBLIC SPEAKER badge at last week's Library Board Meeting, you can pick up some extra points if you find the Ann Arbor Chronicle's coverage of the meeting, featuring commentary from some of your FELLOW GAME PLAYERS! Seek and ye shall find... you might come out of it with 1000 points if you look carefully! Also don't miss our upcoming Townie Trivia Night next Thursday and your chance to flex your brain muscles, have a great time with Summer Game staff, and earn a great badge!




Next week we'll start unveiling new prizes, and there are still some other new challenges and suprises yet to come... so stay tuned, and as always....




THANKS FOR PLAYING!

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Blog Post

Get ready to STAR IT UP; it's another BADGE DROP!

by eli




5 weeks down, 7 weeks to go, and SUMMER GAME just KEEPS ON GETTING BIGGER! Now with over 20 MILLION points and 18,000 badges earned by 2800+ players, we're just hitting our stride; so we've prepared yet another amazing BADGE DROP for you this week!




Featuring the first set of CONTRIBUTOR'S TROPHIES for this Summer with the STAR GIVER series, you can now get badges and big points the more items you give star ratings to in the AADL catalog! So get starring and get POINTS!




We're also thrilled to announce that today, we're launching an ALL-NEW section of aadl.org just for Parents of young kids: you've surely heard of our JUMP events brochure, so say hello to JUMP.AADL.ORG! We've pulled together all the information for Parents about great stuff for kids at your library, and made it easier than ever for you to find great stuff to see, do, find, and get at your libraries! To help welcome everybody into this new section, we've got 4 new JUMP-THEMED BADGES to help you find your way around! So take a look, and please let us know what you think!




And don't forget MOCHI MOCHI MADNESS with artist Anna Hrachovec this Sunday at 2 PM Downtown, plus you can still get MEGA BEAUCOUP POINTS by finding Josie's Catfish or making a public comment to the AADL Board of Trustees at the July 15th, 7pm Board Meeting at Pittsfield! There are still more shop items yet to be revealed and more surprises yet to come as SUMMER GAME 2013 keeps on rolling, so STAY TUNED and as always.....




THANKS FOR PLAYING!



Summer Game 2013 Badge Drop #5
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Blog Post

Free Health Screenings!

by iralax

The Mobil Health Fair with activities for children and families will take place on Thusday, August 1, 2013, 10 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church of Ypsilanti, 300 N. Washington St. Cost: Free. Health Care Screenings will include blood pressure, BMI, vision, hearing, oral, glucose, skin cancer, lice, and HIV. There will also be Health Care Education Stations, Health Kits to take home, and you will receive a list of area providers if there is a need to follow up. For more information call Lily Guzman at 734-544-2983.

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Blog Post

Chat: Update on Summer Game Shop Orders and Tips for New Players

by mariah

MY, MY, MY! Summer Gamers are off and running with the Summer Game Shop orders!



We've had OVER 640 ORDERS just in the less-than-a-week since the SG Shop opened! You're spending those points on everything from FLYING DISCS to CATNIP to SG PUPPYPANTS AND MORE!



In fact, the level of orders has been SO OVER THE TOP, that SG staff are sweating behind the scenes just to keep up with fulfillment!



So, here's an IMPORTANT NOTE -- not all orders placed this past week will be filled by tomorrow. This means you'll want to be SURE that you've gotten an EMAIL CONFIRMATION that your order is ready for pickup. Once you have that confirmation, you're golden, and you should be able to pick up your SG Shop prizes at the location you've specified.



We know that you're VERY eagerly anticipating getting your prizes in your hot little hands, so NEVER FEAR, they are COMING SOON! Just remember that the confirmation email is KEY!



...and speaking of KEYS AND TREASURES, some of you are now seasoned treasure-hunters and Summer Game players. Of course, you can chat about whatever you like on this week's chat thread, but we're going to start you off with a question:



If you are a player who's been around SG for awhile, what would be your three top tips that you would give to brand new Summer Gamers?


...and, if you're newer to the game, do you have already have some words of wisdom that you'd pass on to folks who've never played the game or might feel unsure of where/how to start?




Chime in!

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Blog Post

Described Video Service/DVS

by Beth Manuel

AADL continues to grow its collection of films that have a Descriptive Video Service or DVS feature. More films are being produced for children and adults that are Described Video Recordings for L Card users to borrow. There are comedies, action, animation, horror and science fiction films available. Many can be sent by mail to our WLBPD patrons as Free Matter for the Blind. If there's a member of your family who has been missing out on movies due to low-vision, look at our list of described videos that you can watch together!