Find us at the Rolling Sculpture Show!

Tue, 07/02/2013 - 11:21am by StoryLaura

This Friday, July 12 from 2 - 8 pm, drop by the AADL tent (on Liberty between Main and 4th Avenue) at the Rolling Sculpture Car Show to play Pictionary, get extra points for the Summer Game, and play with trucks in sand. We can tell you all about our programs and give you a rest before you take in more rolling sculptures!

Felt Ball Fun!

Tue, 07/02/2013 - 10:35am by wampishing

Monday July 22 | 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm | Pittsfield Branch | All Ages

What is a felt ball, besides fun? It can be whatever you like! A gift, a pet toy, a ball for baby, a smiley-faced friend - it's up to you. Meet us at Pittsfield, where local crafter Beth Battey will show you how to use your hands, wool, soapy water, and some patience to create your own felt ball!

This event is for adults, teens and youth (grade K and up), so bring the whole family!

Puppetry Around the World

Mon, 07/01/2013 - 11:27am by kidlit

Every culture throughout the world uses puppetry to tell its stories. Come to the Downtown Library on Tuesday, July 9th at 2:00 p.m. for a wonderful puppet show.
Eugene Clark, who has studied with the Jim Henson Company, will tell stories and show puppets from many different places.

For some ideas on doing your own puppet shows, look here.

Beginning Crochet Class

Mon, 07/01/2013 - 10:11am by wampishing

Thursday July 11 | 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm | Traverwood Branch | Grade 6 – Adult

Have you ever dreamed of turning yarn into something beautiful and exciting? Local crafter Beth Battey will get you started in the wonderful world of crochet with a basic beginners project. Get ready to sink your hooks into this fun form of stitching!

Make Your Own JunkBot Buggies

Mon, 07/01/2013 - 9:43am by wampishing

Sunday July 7 | 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm | Downtown Multi-Purpose Room | Grade 6 – Adult

Drop in and build an LED JunkBot out of scrap electronic parts and learn about electrical circuits in this SciTech workshop.

The activity will take about 30 minutes, and you can take your project home!

BADGE DROP: It's Friday's Fresh Batch!

Fri, 06/28/2013 - 5:58pm by mariah

Now we're REALLY going strong in the midst of the 2013 Summer Game!




Last weekend, Kids Read Comics was abuzz with activity, and it SHOWED in the amount of players who redeemed KRC codes and earned related badges. WAY TO GO!




Here we are at another Friday night... and so of course, we've got some FRESH BADGES TO DROP!

We've got PLENTY more in store, badge-wise -- with some upcoming player picks, more codes at branches and events, follow-ups in some of your fave series, and even some special surprises for outdoor explorers!




So, HAVE FUN with this week's badges, and keep on the lookout for MORE SOON!




THANKS FOR PLAYING!

Chat Away: Summer Game Superfan Families!

Fri, 06/28/2013 - 2:22pm by mariah

HAPPY BADGE DROP DAY, SUMMER GAME PLAYERS!

The chat thread idea seems to be working well, so we'll be starting a new one each Friday afternoon, so you can chatter in anticipation as we get our badges ready to officially drop later in the evening (around 6pm)!

We've got something pretty exciting to post about today -- Word on the SG street is that a local filmmaker will be making a short film about the Summer Game! Yes, indeed, this filmmaker's going to attempt to capture some of the action, drama, and heartwarming success of SG13!
PRETTY COOL, right?!

Here's where YOU might come in -- we'd like to choose a family or two to be filmed -- playing the game, sharing what they love about it, and maybe even explaining the game to people who haven't played before.
Could one of these families-to-be-filmed be YOURS?

Tell us here why you think your family might make a great poster family (errr... film-family?) for the AADL Summer Game!

A Little Book of Sloth: A great book if you startle easily

Wed, 06/26/2013 - 12:36pm by Enzy

Have you ever come across something so hideous it is adorable? That is how I feel about sloths. I love them. I love everything from their quiet and reserved nature to their fabulous hair (just look here to see what I’m talking about). So, when I stumbled across A Little Book of Sloth in the AADL catalog, I immediately knew I had to get my hands on it and once I did, it did not disappoint me. This book chronicles the efforts of the Sloth Sanctuary in Costa Rica, but mainly focuses on its inhabitants and their varying personalities. Highlighting the two different species of sloths, this book contains many fun little facts about these very, very slow creatures. For example, did you know that no one really knows how long a sloth can live? Or that the sloth has extra neck vertebrae so they can turn their heads up to 270 degrees? Amazing!

The author of this book is the zoologist Lucy Cooke who has a passion for those creatures that most people would not think of as cute or lovable. You can check out some of Lucy Cooke’s older blog posts at The Amphibian Avenger, which highlight some unlovable creatures she has worked with in the past, but be advised that she is writing for an adult audience so some of the content might not be appropriate for younger readers. If you want to follow her current adventures you can check out her Facebook page.

AADL's Summer Game Geocache

Tue, 06/25/2013 - 10:35am by skcramer

The Ann Arbor District Library is pleased to announce its Summer Game Geocache! Use a GPS-enabled devise to visit coordinates at four library locations and collect clues to calculate the final location of the geocache. A game code and a small treasure are yours if you find it. You can sign up for a free account at www.geocaching.com and learn more with their Geocaching 101 guide.

If you’re new to geocaching, we’ll also be hosting an Introduction to Geocaching event on July 13th where you can learn more about this popular activity. You can check out the geocaching resources in our collection, and kids may also be interested to learn more about geocaching through The Boxcar Children mystery, The Box That Watch Found.

Today: Happy Birthday, America!

Sun, 06/23/2013 - 11:05am by kidlit

Let's make decorations for America's birthday party. Come to the Pittsfield Branch on Wednesday, July 3 at 3:00 p.m. for some star-spangled fun. We'll be making red, white and blue wreaths and other festive things in celebration of this national holiday. This is for preschoolers - grade 5 but everybody is welcome. All supplies will be provided.

For materials on this holiday, click here.