ANN ARBOR DISTRICT LIBRARY

Pick up free Narcan and first aid kits at two community pop-ups.

WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI – Washtenaw County reported the highest number of opioid-related deaths in 2021 since 2018, according to health officials. In total, 78 people died of an opioid-related overdose in Washtenaw County in 2021, an increase of 28 percent compared to previous years, according to a notice from the Washtenaw County Health Department. Related: Number of opioid-related overdoses climbed in Washtenaw County in 2021The yearly statistics were drawn from data pooled from the Washtenaw County Medical Examiner, Michigan Electronic Death Registration System and the county health department. In total, 78 people died of an opioid-related overdose in Washtenaw County in 2021, an increase of 28 percent compared to previous years, according to a notice from the Washtenaw County Health Department. “Most opioid-related deaths involve fentanyl, additional substances, or other drugs added to illicit opioids,” said Jimena Loveluck, Washtenaw County Health Department health officer.

All ages are welcome at the city's Autumn Nature Walk.

Here are four ways to celebrate the unofficial bookworm holiday in Tree Town.

Join other nature lovers on a stroll through Buttonbush Nature Area later this month.

Starting at 11 a.m. Ann Arbor Comic Arts Festival Mini (A2CAF) will take over the library’s first-floor lobby and the multi-purpose room.

A vending machine at the downtown Ann Arbor library offers free naloxone kits to reverse opioid overdoses on April 4, 2022. The Ann Arbor District Library is partnering with Home of New Vision to provide the Narcan nasal spray. The machine is the same at the Ypsilanti location.Ryan Stanton | The Ann Arbor News

David Zinn will be doing a live demo on Sunday at Ann Arbor Summer Festival.

The fun begins on June 10.

ANN ARBOR, MI – Library cards can get you a free weekend ride on TheRide in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti this summer. The Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority, TheRide, is partnering with the Ann Arbor District Library and Ypsilanti District Library to offer free local fixed route rides for library cardholders every Saturday and Sunday from June 11 to Aug. 28. Passengers simply need to show the driver their library cards.

AADL card holders can ride TheRide buses for free this summer.

Musicians, podcasters and audiophiles around Tree Town can now submit their project ideas to Ann Arbor District Library’s new audio service.

Celebrate all things cycling at a downtown event with the DDA.

WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI - Opioid-related overdose deaths rose 16% in 2021 from the year prior, reaching levels not seen since before the COVID-19 pandemic, recently released Washtenaw County Health Department figures show. The overdose deaths reached their highest level in a 10-year span in 2018, when 81 residents died in incidents involving opioid overdoses, the figures show. A chart published by the Washtenaw County Health Department shows yearly opioid-related overdose deaths between 2011 and 2021 among Washtenaw County residents.Washtenaw County Health DepartmentThe 2021 bump comes against a national backdrop of more dramatic increases in fatal overdoses. Some local groups are also taking steps to distribute naloxone, a potentially life-saving medication that can reverse opioid overdoses in emergency situations. The Ann Arbor District Library has a new vending machine dispensing usage instructions and free kits with naloxone, known by its brand name Narcan, at its downtown Ann Arbor location on Fifth Avenue.

Each kit contains two doses of Naloxone and instructions on how to use them. Community members can access the machine from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. when the library is open.

ANN ARBOR, MI — Ann Arbor has OK’d plans for the 25th-annual African American Downtown Festival. City Council voted this week to approve street closures on Ann Street and Fourth Avenue in Kerrytown for the event taking place 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, June 4. “It’s a free event, so we invite people to bring their lawn chairs, come down, have some great food and enjoy some great entertainment,” she said. “There’s entertainment for all ages.”The festival is happening with support from Zingerman’s and the Ann Arbor District Library, which is donating some of its oversize games, including a huge chess board. City Council also recently approved plans for the Green Fair happening downtown on Friday, June 10, six days after the African-American Downtown Festival.

ANN ARBOR, MI — The Ann Arbor District Library is taking an extra step to help fight the opioid epidemic. A new vending machine in the lobby of the downtown library on Fifth Avenue is now dispensing free naloxone kits, AADL Director Eli Neiburger announced via Twitter on April 1. “Each kit contains instructions and two doses that can save a life from an opioid overdose. Naloxone, known by the brand name Narcan, is a medication that can rapidly reverse opioid overdoses in emergency situations. There were 550 opioid overdose deaths among Washtenaw County residents from 2011 to 2020.Washtenaw County Health DepartmentThere were 550 opioid overdose deaths among Washtenaw County residents from 2011 to 2020, including another 61 in 2020, the health department reported.

On Tuesday, Eli Neiburger was named as the library system’s new director after it conducted a nationwide search.

ANN ARBOR, MI — After a national search, the Ann Arbor District Library has found its next director under its own roof. Eli Neiburger, AADL deputy director, will take over as head of the library system starting April 1, the library board of trustees announced Tuesday night, March 22.

Aaron Mason, Cleveland Public Library director of community engagement. Kristin Shelley, East Lansing Public Library director. Duimstra has a master’s degree in library and information science from the University of Michigan and has been Lansing’s library director for the last 17 years. Shelley has been East Lansing’s library director the last 11 years and previously spent three years as Worthington Libraries deputy director and 18 years as Columbus Metropolitan Library manager. The AADL board is seeking a replacement for Josie Parker, who retired this week after over 20 years as library director.

ANN ARBOR, MI — Twenty-eight people applied to be the Ann Arbor District Library’s next director and the library board has chosen to move forward with four finalists. At its meeting Monday, Feb. 28, the library board voted to select four finalists, who have not been publicly identified yet. There’s no single person serving as acting director right now and library administrative duties have been spread out among AADL’s administration, spokesman Rich Retyi said. MORE FROM THE ANN ARBOR NEWS:Ann Arbor gives retiring library director proper sendoff at storytelling eventHow has the Ann Arbor library adapted during the pandemic? We talked to the associate directorAnn Arbor seeks public feedback on Main Street road dietAnn Arbor affordable housing tax could help fund 5 projects in the next yearOptional or required?

ANN ARBOR, MI — When Josie Parker took the helm of the Ann Arbor District Library over 20 years ago, there were three old library branches in addition to the downtown library. “And it didn’t diminish the use of the downtown library, which was the fear that was held in the community,” she said. “We are so lucky to have had Josie in charge, creating avenues for the future of the Ann Arbor District Library.”Former Ann Arbor District Library board member J.D. Lindeberg speaks about retiring AADL Director Josie Parker during a sendoff for Parker at the downtown library on Feb. 27, 2022.Ryan Stanton | The Ann Arbor NewsFormer library board members J.D. “It’ll show itself.”MORE FROM THE ANN ARBOR NEWS:Ann Arbor seeks to protect another 246 acres of farmland outside cityHow they voted: Ann Arbor City Council vote breakdown for February 2022Ann Arbor neighborhood officially repeals 1947 whites-only policyAnn Arbor hasn’t had a Black council member in 15 years.

Several organizations including the Ann Arbor District Library and Ann Arbor YMCA have put together events in recognition of the month.

Michigan artists can submit an artist’s statement and examples of previous work for a chance to be commissioned for the covers.

ANN ARBOR, MI - Carl Luckenbach, a prolific architect whose projects included the Pontiac Silverdome and buildings that still adorn the University of Michigan’s campus, has died at 86. One morning in 2017, his daughter Elizabeth Luckenbach awoke to thunder under clear skies – what turned out to be the failed first attempt at demolishing the stadium, which withstood the blast. A 1957 alumnus of the University of Michigan’s College of Architecture and Design, Luckenbach remained a fierce lifelong supporter of the Wolverine football team. His firm, Luckenbach Ziegelman Architects, designed UM’s Sam Wyly Hall, a major addition to the Randall Laboratory, and took on a slew of other projects for the university. More from The Ann Arbor News:University of Michigan students, activists call on Ann Arbor to ditch DTE EnergyAnn Arbor council votes to condemn synagogue protests, antisemitismUniversity of Michigan students find humor, shame in Mark Schlissel’s firing

On Monday, the Ann Arbor District Library will release a series of videos celebrating the life and impact of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

ANN ARBOR, MI - Even before she started working for the Ann Arbor District Library, Sherlonya Turner saw the public library as an essential resource for everyone from the voracious reader to those who were simply looking for something to do. Working as an AmeriCorps VISTA for Washtenaw Literacy at the Ypsilanti District Library, Turner said reading was so important in her own life that she couldn’t fathom anyone not being able to have access to it.

ANN ARBOR, MI – Three men walked out of the Ann Arbor District Library downtown Wednesday afternoon with minor injuries and civil citations after a disagreement in the library’s public computer section escalated into a full-on brawl, police say. Police were called at 1:34 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 29, to the Ann Arbor District Library downtown, 343 S. Fifth Ave., for a report of a large fight happening on the second floor of the building in the public computer area, according to the Ann Arbor Police Department. Police arrived to find three men -- 39, 35 and 48 -- each suffering minor injuries during a fight between the trio, police said. Officers discovered one man got upset with another man and hit him, leading the man to hit him back. At one point in the brawl, one of the men picked up a library chair and threw it, police said.

Here's where you can ring in the new year around Ann Arbor.

ANN ARBOR, MI — The Ann Arbor District Library has been recognized as a five-star library -- again. Only three Michigan public libraries made Library Journal’s national list, officials said. While AADL earned five stars, West Bloomfield Township Public Library and Kent District Library earned three-star rankings. To see the full list of star-rated public libraries, visit here. MORE FROM THE ANN ARBOR NEWS:Where and when to find a free, hot Christmas dinner in the Ann Arbor areaLatest look at Ann Arbor’s plan for blighted site across from YMCATesla dealership could replace longtime Ann Arbor-area bowling alleyRon Weiser donates $30 million to establish University of Michigan prostate cancer center

AADL receives its 14th five-star rating from Library Journal.

ANN ARBOR, MI — Dharma Akmon, an Ann Arbor District Library trustee and University of Michigan assistant research scientist, has announced she’s running for City Council. “I’d also like to see us build on what has made Ann Arbor such a desirable place to live: its rich cultural legacy and comparative ease of getting around by foot, bike, and bus,” she added. Ann Arbor mayor’s seat could be up for grabs in 2022Akmon said she’s been an Ann Arbor resident almost 20 years, including 16 years in the 4th Ward, and has volunteered for Project Grow, 826Michigan, the League of Women Voters and the Ann Arbor Ethics Bowl. She also thinks too many people who work in Ann Arbor can’t afford to live here and wants to ensure people from all walks of life can call Ann Arbor home. Nelson’s website is A2ElNel.comMORE FROM THE ANN ARBOR NEWS:Ann Arbor landlords finding ways around new renter rights law, some argueNot all Ann Arborites think city’s new limits on holiday lights are a bright ideaAnn Arbor reaches 96% compliance on COVID vaccine mandate for city workersAnn Arbor’s Linda Diane Feldt remembered as ‘resident advocate of the highest order’‘There is an acute safety issue.’ Ann Arbor considering solutions for Liberty Plaza

Two events are coming to local libraries to celebrate literacy.

ANN ARBOR, MI — The Ann Arbor District Library’s annual used equipment sale is back. The library system has announced what it describes as the long-awaited return of the event from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 20, at 265 Parkland Plaza off Jackson Road.

ANN ARBOR, MI — From the Black-owned businesses that lined Ann Street to the Dunbar Community Center and Colored Welfare League on Fourth Avenue, what’s known today as downtown’s Kerrytown district was once a major hub of life for Ann Arbor’s Black community. In partnership with the African American Cultural and Historical Museum of Washtenaw County, the Ann Arbor District Library is now offering the public a chance to take a trip back in time with a walking tour of the historically Black neighborhood. There’s also a broader map of both historical Black neighborhood areas now known as Kerrytown and Water Hill, where Black populations have significantly declined as the areas have gentrified. Ann Arbor’s neighborhoods were largely racially segregated until the 1960s, the walking tour pamphlet notes. MORE FROM THE ANN ARBOR NEWS:A look back at the Ann Arbor Community Center over the yearsMore multiracial people in Washtenaw County, per census updateResearchers map Ann Arbor’s racist history of housing discriminationThe story of Albert Wheeler, Ann Arbor’s first and only Black mayorHow they voted: Ann Arbor City Council vote breakdown for September 2021

Exciting changes are taking place at the Ann Arbor District Library including more movies for streaming, longer hours of operation and early access to the Westgate branch.

ANN ARBOR, MI — The Ann Arbor District Library’s director is stepping down after twenty years of service. “It has been a joy and a privilege to serve the Ann Arbor community as Library Director for 20 years,” Parker said in the press release. She initially worked at the Chelsea Library and Ypsilanti District Library before finding her home with Ann Arbor District Library in 1999. Along with serving as a director, Parker was a board member for the Michigan Library Consortium, the Public Library Association, and the Michigan Library Association, where she also served as president in 2008. The project is an ongoing collection of interviews, photos and articles that help illustrate what African American life was historically like in the Ann Arbor area.

Parker will retire on February 28, 2022, nearly 22 years after she started at the library system.

ANN ARBOR, MI -- Two Ypsilanti women are bringing spooky stories filled with specters to Michigan listeners with their paranormal podcast. The pair first started the podcast after Gray considered restarting a blog about paranormal activity she first ran around 10 years ago. With equipment from Coburn’s husband’s podcast and some instruction from library resources, Gray and Coburn launched “Haunted Mitten” on Halloween 2019. Although both women believe in the paranormal to some extent, their podcast has recently drifted toward debunking legends of Michigan, due to the pair’s extensive research away from the podcast mics. They currently record in home studios, but have plans to return to the studio at the Ann Arbor District Library, where they recorded pre-pandemic.

AADL is taking over from Pioneer High with new relief stations for those without power.

The public can vote on winning designs in three categories; K-5, 6-8, and 9-12.

The beloved Ann Arbor District Library is turning the big 2-0-0 in 2024 and needs community help to prepare.

ANN ARBOR, MI — It’s been almost 200 years since John Allen and Elisha Rumsey founded Ann Arbor, naming the territory in honor of their wives and the area’s plentiful bur oaks. With the city’s bicentennial year only a few years away now, the Ann Arbor District Library is making plans to celebrate it with a new local history project called Ann Arbor 200. “Some will be informative, some will be whimsical, some will be experimental,” AADL stated in its Ann Arbor 200 announcement on Tuesday, July 27. “Now is the time to get those stories heard and get those questions answered.”Community members can email annarbor200@aadl.org to contribute suggestions and learn more at annarbor200.org. Historical compilations from The Ann Arbor News:The story of Albert Wheeler, Ann Arbor’s first and only Black mayorAnn Arbor’s West Park kicked out the jams in the 1960s — then the city shut it downTake a fly-through tour of Ann Arbor circa 1880A history of Ann Arbor’s iconic State Theatre going back to 1940Remembering how Ann Arbor saved the Michigan Theater 40 years agoA history of Hash Bash and marijuana activism in Ann ArborSee historical photos of Ann Arbor’s parks going back to the 1930sVintage photos showcase downtown Ann Arbor’s historical charm100 historical photos of Ann Arbor from a century agoSee photos of Ann Arbor’s Nickels Arcade over the last 100 years1960s building boom introduced Ann Arbor to high-rise controversy50 years later, 26-story Tower Plaza still Ann Arbor’s tallest buildingHistorical photos of Fingerle Lumber in Ann Arbor over the decadesHow Ann Arbor lost its historic train depot and why some want it backHistoric photos: Ann Arbor Farmers Market turns 100See how People’s Food Co-op in Ann Arbor has evolved in its 48-year historyHistorical photos show Firestone’s longevity in downtown Ann ArborRemembering a tense standoff with police at the 1996 Hash Bash

Books can be dropped off at the Ann Arbor District Library’s Traverwood branch between noon and 8 p.m. during the week until July 31.

Outdoor Storytimes will launch on July 20.

A book that was checked out at the Ann Arbor District Library more than 70 years ago has finally been returned.

ANN ARBOR, MI -- The Ann Arbor District Library’s drop box revealed a surprise to staff in late May -- a book that had been overdue for more than 80 years. The book, titled ‘Social Studies in the Public Schools of Ann Arbor, Michigan,’ was checked out by Mary Rowland Fisher and due back by the fall of 1938. Magill and her husband, George Fisher, live in the same Ann Arbor home as George’s parents. George Fisher thought the book was a fun thing to find, as his mother and father were both educators in the Ann Arbor area. The book now will find a home in the Ann Arbor District Library’s archives, MacLaren said.

Some books are never returned to the library, but one book in Ann Arbor made its way back after decades.

More than 20 family-friendly in-person and virtual events are scheduled from June 1-6 to commemorate the event, highlight sustainability and educate the community.

Happy Friday!

ANN ARBOR, MI - The Ann Arbor District Library is slated to fully reopen all five of its locations on July 12. The library announced the decision to reopen at noon on Monday, July 12, with plans to fully reopen the system with as few restrictions as possible. Library staff are working to transition library spaces back to a browsing configuration, and preparing collections, services and software for the July reopening. Leading up to the reopening, all Library locations will be closed from Friday, July 9 through Sunday, July 11 to remove contactless lobby pickup shelves and infrastructure. MORE FROM THE ANN ARBOR NEWS:Ann Arbor officials aim to ban race-based hair discriminationRule changes may open door to more home-based businesses in Ann Arbor$15M hotel planned in downtown Ann Arbor up for approval

AADL will reopen all five of its locations on July 12.

On Friday, a Black Lives Matter mural was installed right outside the downtown branch of the Ann Arbor District Library (AADL).

ANN ARBOR, MI — From celebrations of song and dance to somber reflections on racism and police brutality, a new mural outside the downtown Ann Arbor library depicts a wide range of experiences and interpretations of Black Lives Matter. One of the panels features images of Black people whose deaths have fueled the Black Lives Matter movement, including George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and others, with a seemingly never-ending scroll of names of those killed. Three-dimensional letters spelling out Black Lives Matter are inspired by text in historical images of moments and places significant to local Black history over the last 50-60 years. And I just really wanted the residue and the texture of all the lives that have been lived here to try to show up, because I don’t think about Black Lives Matter for me personally as tied to any specific year or time. MORE FROM THE ANN ARBOR NEWS:The story of Albert Wheeler, Ann Arbor’s first and only Black mayorAnn Arbor officials aim to ban race-based hair discriminationAnn Arbor to hire diversity officer with goal of more equitable, antiracist communityAnn Arbor police oversight group hosting forum on anniversary of George Floyd killing30-foot ‘Black Lives Matter’ mural painted in Ann Arbor’s Graffiti Alley

Two University of Michigan professors partnered with the 'nose of Ann Arbor' to bring students innovative, scent-based programming.

De-stress while supporting Ann Arbor businesses and organizations at the same time.

ANN ARBOR – Here’s a ranking that doesn’t surprise us. TravelMag recently released its 30 Most Charming Small Cities in the USA list and Ann Arbor appears along other famed small cities -- and college towns -- like Annapolis, Maryland, Charleston, South Carolina and Bloomington, Indiana. “Home to the University of Michigan, it has long been a seat of higher education, forward-thinking, technology and progressive ideas,” wrote TravelMag. “You can see echoes of these elements everywhere, including at the numerous annual events held in the city, including expos, airshows, and the annual film festival that has been running for decades. “In the city’s lively dining scene, this same balance of tradition and modernity is reflected by Ann Arbor mainstays such as Zingerman’s Deli, right through to the trendy international cuisine from across five continents.”AdWith the award-winning Ann Arbor District Library, 161 beautiful public parks and educational and cultural events abound, it certainly is a wonderful place to live.

ANN ARBOR – The Washtenaw Reads program is an initiative by local public libraries to encourage reading and civic dialogue. One book is selected each year and participating libraries include Ann Arbor, Chelsea, Dexter, Milan, Salem-South Lyon, Saline and Ypsilanti. This year’s Washtenaw Read is “All American Boys” by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely. For more information about the book, to see the authors’ websites and to discover related titles for people of all ages, click here. According to the Ann Arbor District Library’s website, Washtenaw Reads books should meet the following criteria:

ANN ARBOR – 2020 was certainly a year for the books -- and many, many other things at Ann Arbor District Library. Each year, the library releases its most requested items and it’s always interesting to see what people sought out the most. I personally enjoy seeing which tools were checked out the most. Below are the top five items requested in each category. FictionNon-FictionMoviesTV and MiniseriesMusicToolsArt PrintsTo see the full list of AADL’s most requested items for 2020, click here.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The Ann Arbor District Library has announced the return of its online community game platform, but with a new name and a few twists. Through the Winter Game, players create an account, solve puzzles, collect codes and earn points all from the comfort of home. Points players accrue during the Winter Game will roll over to the AADL’s 2021 Summer Game 2021, the AADL said. New content will be released until March 12 but players can continue playing until the end of the 2021 Summer Game, according to the AADL. Read: Ann Arbor District Library named five star library for 13th consecutive year𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚆𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝙶𝚊𝚖𝚎 𝚒𝚜 𝙲𝚘𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚐!

ANN ARBOR – The Ann Arbor District Library earned five stars in Library Journal’s annual national ratings of public libraries for the 13th year in a row. Library Journal has been releasing its America Star Libraries ratings since 2008. Total scores and star ratings for 2020 were determined based on the following factors:Circulation of physical materialsCirculation of electronic materialsLibrary visitsLibrary program attendancePublic internet usersWiFi sessionsE-retrievals (usage of online content like databases)To develop its ratings, Library Journal sources FY18 data on per capita output measures from the Institute of Museum and Library Services Public Library Survey. Kent District Library joined AADL on this year’s list with a four star rating. See Library Journal’s full list of rankings here.

ANN ARBOR — The Ann Arbor District Library, in partnership with the University of Michigan Depression Center, held a virtual forum Thursday evening addressing how systemic racism exacerbates the inequities that exist within public health. The economic and social effects of the pandemic has drawn attention to what public health experts, cities and counties have been declaring about structural racism and public health — the existence of systemic racism is a public health crisis. Fulkerson compared two different communities in Washtenaw County: Ypsilanti Township’s Sugarbrook community and Scio Township, west of Ann Arbor. People interested in watching the event can click the following link to be directed to the Ann Arbor District Library website. READ MORE ON THE ANN ARBOR NEWS:‘Political pressure’ won’t drive Ann Arbor schools to return to classroom, board saysAnn Arbor man accused of molesting child in his care pleads guilty to abuseSt. Joseph Mercy Hospital near Ann Arbor receives 975 doses of COVID-19 vaccine

ANN ARBOR, MI – The Ann Arbor District Library will resume contactless pickup service at noon Dec. 9, officials said Friday. Library lobbies will remain open from noon to 8 p.m. seven days a week for contactless pickup services, with contactless locker pickup also an option at four AADL branches, according to Rich Retyi, AADL communication and marketing manager. Items that were on pickup shelves when AADL closed Nov. 15 will be available for pickup until Dec. 16, the website states. Some services will be temporarily suspended in December, Retyi said, including MeLCat borrowing and shelf service. READ MORE:All Ann Arbor District Library locations closed due to coronavirus cases among staffFormer Whitmore Lake school board member tackles new challenge as township supervisorTwo dead in Thanksgiving night shooting at Ypsilanti-area apartment complex

(A4)✋ Five new Ann Arbor City Councilmembers were sworn in last Friday in a socially distanced, outdoor ceremony. (MLive)🏠 On Nov. 3, Ann Arbor residents approved the Prop C affordable housing millage with roughly 73% of the vote. (A4)Good to know:❤️️ The downtown Ann Arbor area associations launched a new campaign called “Show Your Love A2″ to boost support for local businesses. (A4)♻️ Recycle Ann Arbor will reopen with a new state-of-the-art facility thanks to recent investments by the beverage industry and the state of Michigan. All About Ann Arbor is powered by ClickOnDetroit/WDIV.

ANN ARBOR – All Ann Arbor District Library locations closed on Sunday after some staff members tested positive for COVID-19. This means that all lobbies will be closed and all scheduled pick ups have been canceled. While AADL’s outdoor drop boxes are still open, library staff will not be checking in materials at this time. “No fees are being charged,” wrote Parker. “Don’t worry if you picked up items from the library recently; there was no exposure risk related to contactless pickups,” wrote Parker.

ANN ARBOR, MI — The Ann Arbor District Library announced it is closing to the public for at least two weeks, due to positive coronavirus cases among library staff and family. All AADL locations closed Sunday, Nov. 15, and pickups are not available, the library said in a statement on its website. All scheduled pickups are being canceled and the public will be able to reschedule them after the library reopens. The public can still place requests, but library officials said they will not fill any requests until the libraries reopen. Those who picked up materials from a library should not be concerned, as there was no exposure risk related to contactless pickups, library officials said.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Already trying to find the perfect present? Ann Arbor District Library can help. Every year the library system holds its annual Tiny Expo in the lobby of its downtown branch. Starting on Monday, the indie handcraft online expo will bring together more than 50 artists who have sold their wares at the expo previously. Check out crafters representing various arts and disciplines including:apparelfiber artshealth and beautyceramicshome goodsjewelrypaper goodssewn goodstoys and kids itemsLearn more about the handicraft expo through the Tiny Expo website or Facebook page.

The Michigan Theater will reopen on Sunday, and the theaters will only be showing one film a day to allow for cleaning. The two iconic Ann Arbor establishments have been closed since mid-March. (A4)Feature interview of the week:“The hard part in a town like Ann Arbor, that just has so much to offer, was to narrow it down to 100.”- Patricia Majher, author of “100 Things To Do In Ann Arbor Before You Die”✉️ Have something to share? Know someone who loves Ann Arbor? All About Ann Arbor is powered by ClickOnDetroit/WDIV.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The Ann Arbor District Library is expanding its public services during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Although it’s closed to in-person book browsing, the library system has been offering contactless services, digital community events and virtual services over the past months. Bookable Zoom Meeting RoomsNo Zoom account? The AADL is now offering bookable Zoom meeting rooms so meetings don’t have to be cut short. The library system will also resume using the MeLCat service which brings in books from other libraries in Michigan.

ANN ARBOR – Michigan’s AI lab is partnering with the Ann Arbor District Library to present “AI to Address Misinformation and Fake News” on Friday. With the upcoming federal elections and ongoing coronavirus pandemic, misinformation is flooding social media feeds, blogs and news outlets. The event’s speakers will discuss how Artificial Intelligence can be used to identify and potentially curb the spread of misinformation and fake news. Her research interests lie in the area of computational social science. Her research interests are in computational linguistics, with a focus on lexical semantics, multilingual natural language processing, and computational social sciences.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. Missed Ann Arbor Summer Festivals Not Too Close summer concerts? At 8 p.m. from Thursday, Aug. 20, to Saturday, Aug. 22, A2SF will broadcast three concerts on its social media pages. Each performance has been recorded and edited by the Ann Arbor District Library. In an email, A2SF said that concerts from the Aug. 13 Not Too Close events will be broadcast next week but details have not been announced. In July, A2SF announced that it would host a series of limited capacity outdoor events at different locations around Ann Arbor.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. The University of Michigan Librarys Book Arts Studio and the Ann Arbor District Library are asking community members for art. The project will act as a physical artifact of the current times by capturing community experiences and feelings about the pandemic or recent events. Mail art is typically sent between artists but the Book Arts Studio and AADL are asking community members to submit their postcard-sized works of art that will be turned into a digital exhibit. Community members should explore their emotions and create art based on how they currently experience the world around them. Submit art to the Ann Arbor District Library by Sept. 30.

A new round of free events have been announced by the Ann Arbor Summer Festival as part of its Not Too Close event series. The series kicked off at the end of July and offers socially distanced concerts and movies at locations around Ann Arbor. Heres what is scheduled so far:Concerts3 p.m. on Aug. 13 -- LaRon Williams5:30 p.m. on Aug. 13 -- Sumkali7:30 p.m. on Aug. 13 -- Dani DarlingMovies10.p.m. Participants at Not Too Close events are required to wear masks unless in their assigned area. The Not Too Close events are offered as part of the Ann Arbor District Librarys Summer Game and sponsored by KLA.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. The Ann Arbor District Library announced on Thursday that its downtown Ann Arbor branch would be closed between Friday, July 31, and Aug. 13. The library branch is closing so that staff can quarantine for two weeks after a downtown library staff member tested positive for COVID-19, according to a statement released by AADL Director Josie Parker. Items scheduled for pickup at the branch will be unavailable during the two-week closure. Items cannot be moved to other branches and will become available again once the downtown branch reopens. The four other AADL branches will remain open for contactless pickup for library items.

ANN ARBOR Its usual roster of events may have been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic but the Ann Arbor Summer Festival is kicking off live summer concerts and movies on Thursday. Working with the City of Ann Arbor Parks and Recreation Department, AASF is introducing its limited capacity Not Too Close events. Each event is limited to 100 people who will be socially distanced. The Not Too Close live concerts and movies are offered as part of the Ann Arbor District Librarys Summer Game. Learn more about the Not Too Close events here.