Thursday, November 30, 2017

A True Gem - The Ann Arbor District Library

We are truly lucky to have such a vibrant library system in Ann Arbor. The AADL is actually not just one library, but composed of the Downtown Library and the four branch libraries: Malletts Creek (which we sometimes refer to as "our" branch), Traverwood, Westgate, and Pittsfield. All have unique qualities and all are worth visiting. You can check out so much more than books, music, and movies too - did you know you can borrow art prints, chess sets, microscopes, science kits, skeletons, globes, telescopes,  and so much more? No wonder 73% of people recently surveyed were frequent AADL visitors.

Today we visited Westgate, which is one of two branches that offer yearly tours to all 2nd graders who go to school in Ann Arbor. The visit consists of a short tour and description of what the library has to offer, library cards if children have filled out the paperwork beforehand, and a story read by our host librarian. We then get to explore the children's section a bit, as well as check out a couple of books. A gift of a snazzy black library tote, flashlight, and two "smelly" scratch and sniff bookmarks made our visit even more memorable.






There are so many events held at the library branches, for both children and adults. Inside your child's tote bag, you should find a catalog that lists some of the special programs for the winter months. These may come in very handy, especially during the upcoming winter break! On the AADL website, you can also find lots of things to do on their events page. For instance, this weekend, your child can make a pompom bookmark at 1:00 pm at Traverwood on Saturday or learn how origami and engineering can combine at 2:00 pm at the Downtown Branch. On Sunday, there is a drawing workshop called Winter Wonders at 1:00 pm at Westgate, or (for 3rd grade and up, I don't know how picky they will be), there is a Minecraft programming event at 2:00 pm Downtown. At 3:00 pm, move on to the Pittsfield Branch for some 3D sculpture fun. So many choices, all free - all in one weekend!


No comments: