Do-it-yourself Website

Thu, 05/09/2013 - 9:04am by Stewart

Wednesday May 29, 2013: 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm -- Downtown Library: Multi-Purpose Room

T.J. Smith, of the local web design firm Boxcar Studio, presents a lecture and demonstration on do-it-yourself websites using third-party commercial and open source solutions, including WordPress and Squarespace. These sites make creating and maintaining a website very straightforward, even for the novice.

May is National Bike Month!

Thu, 05/02/2013 - 12:12pm by yugure

What better way to celebrate the return of warm weather than hopping on your bike and going somewhere? May is National Bike Month, so get your tires checked and peddle away!

Not sure where to go? Check out Washtenaw County Bike Rides : A Guide to Road Rides In and Around Ann Arbor for local trips. If you're a bicycle commuter, it's important to keep up with maintenance for those daily treks. Essential Bicycle Maintenance & Repair or The Urban Biking Handbook : The DIY Guide to Building, Rebuilding, Tinkering with, and Repairing Your Bicycle for City Living can help you with that. Looking for something comprehensive, covering maintenance, skill, and rules of the road? Try Effective Cycling. For the serious cyclist, take a look at Fifty Places to Bike Before You Die : Biking Experts Share the World's Greatest Destinations.

Commuters, don't forget to get involved with Ann Arbor's getDowntown program!

Mosaic Jewelry Workshop

Thu, 05/02/2013 - 9:40am by hillary dorwart

Sunday May 12, 2013: 12:30 pm to 2:30 pm OR 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm -- Downtown Library: Multi-Purpose Room

Learn how to make delicate and creative mosaic pieces to be worn as jewelry! Shannon Kuchera of mosaicgeek.com will share her talent at this unique workshop. All supplies will be provided.

This event (which is repeated at 3:30 pm - please attend only one of these sessions) is for adults and teens (grade 6 and up)

TinkerHub Webcast - Backyard Brains

Fri, 04/19/2013 - 12:36pm by dubaym

TinkerHub Webcast: Backyard Brains

TinkerHub is a webcast collaboration between Ann Arbor District Library and All Hands Active, Ann Arbor’s Makerspace. Recorded in Downtown Ann Arbor, TinkerHub webcasts connect learning, technology, and the Ann Arbor community.

In this episode of TinkerHub, Josh and Terence talk to Tim Marzullo about his company Backyard Brains. Co-founded here in Ann Arbor, Backyard Brains helps make tangible how electricity helps control the body, all using inventions that can then be carried around in their pockets! Tune in as Josh watches the messages that he sends to make his muscles twitch.

Links mentioned in the episode:

• All Hands Active website
• Backyard Brains
• Backyard Brains TED talk
• Instructables

Library resources mentioned:

• Savage Garden: Cultivating Carnivorous Plants by Peter D'Amato
• Makers by Cory Doctorow
• Rapture of the Nerds by Cory Doctorow
• The Boy Mechanic by the editors of Popular Mechanics

Past AADL-All Hands Active Events

• 3d Printing
• Introduction to Game Programming
• Seeing Electricity
• Maker Music
• Line-Following Robots

Totally Cool Totes!

Thu, 04/04/2013 - 12:40pm by manz

Wednesday, April 17 | 7:00-8:00pm | Pittsfield Branch | 6th - Adult

It's National Library Week! Let's celebrate the DIY way.

Stencil up a plain canvas tote bag any way you’d like! We'll have the totes, the paint, and stencil supplies, you bring the design ideas. We'll be exploring freezer paper and contact paper methods. It’ll be totes fun. (Feel free to bring a drawing or a print of a design you think would work as a stencil to put on a tote.)

DIY Instruments

Thu, 03/21/2013 - 8:45pm by Caser

Friday, April 5 | 1 - 2 pm | Downtown Library | Grade 3 - 8

Learn how to make musical instruments out of household items, such as a Bee Buzzer out of popsicle sticks and rubber bands and a Brazilian Laughing Cup (aka Cuica) out of a paper cup and a paper clip. Also try making a didgeridoo, a sound sandwich, and a straw oboe!

There will be several items from the AADL's new Music Tools collection available for playing as well as for checkout.

This event is for grades 3 - 8.

March is National Craft Month

Sat, 03/02/2013 - 1:45pm by yugure

If the bleak winter so far hasn't already had you dusting off your knitting needles or roaming the local craft stores looking for something to do, now's a good time to start! March is National Craft Month, and the Ann Arbor District Library is a great resource for books on sewing, crocheting, scrapbooking, woodworking, and a whole lot more. Dive deeper into your favorite craft or pick up a new one!

Here's some titles from our collection to get you started:
Sewn By Hand: Two Dozen Projects Stitched with Needle and Thread
Knitting Off the Axis: Projects & Techniques for Sideways Knitting
The Weekend Woodworker's Project Collection : 40 Projects for the Time-Challenged Craftsman
Weekend Handmade : More than 40 Projects + Ideas for Inspired Crafting
Home, Paper, Scissors: Decorative Paper Accessories for the Home

AADL's Logo Remix Contest Workshop!

Fri, 02/22/2013 - 12:09pm by nicole

It's the debut of AADL's Logo Remix Contest! Make your own video-animated "remix" of the AADL logo and enter it to win prizes! We'll host open workshops in early March with our computers and software available for you to get started building your entry! A few selected animations will be projected above AADL's activity area during the Ann Arbor FoolMoon event. Get the contest guidelines starting Friday, February 22nd at aadl.org or have staff print them out for you.

Workshops will be held on Thursday, March 7, 2013 at 7:00pm - 8:30pm and Saturday, March 16, 2013 at 10:00am - 12:00pm in the Downtown Library, Training Center on the 3rd Floor. The contest entry deadline is Monday, March 25.

Click on the links to get a copy of the AADL logo image file in both PNG and JPEG formats!

Have questions? Call the Downtown Youth Desk, visit our contests page, or send an email to remix@aadl.org! Want to know more about FoolMoon? Go to festifools.org.

Make Bows and Flowers with Ribbon

Mon, 02/18/2013 - 10:58am by skcramer

Sunday, March 3 | 2:30 - 4 pm | Pittsfield Branch Program Room | Teen to Adult

Looking for new craft ideas? How about ribbon crafts!

Come learn how to make beautiful bows and flowers out of ribbon. We’ll be trying four crafts out of The Complete Photo Guide to Ribbon Crafts, including a ribbon rose and a five-pedaled flower. They're perfect for hair accessories or brooches or even decorating gifts. All materials will be provided. Some crafts will require simple sewing.

Washi Tape Greeting Cards

Fri, 02/15/2013 - 3:29pm by Caser

Wednesday, February 20 | 1 - 2 pm | Downtown Library Multi-Purpose Room | Grade 3 - Adult

Washi tape is a popular, decorative, Japanese paper tape used in craft projects. We have a variety of colors and patterns of washi tape, along with various colors of card stock and other patterned paper available for you to make greeting card images and other inspired crafts.

If you have never heard of washi tape, check out this Pinterest pinboard for great project ideas. You could also bring an item from home to decorate, and feel free to bring a your own roll(s) of washi tape to use along with ours to create your greeting card, if you like!

This event is for youth (Grade 3 and up), teens, and adults.