In this edition of "Beyond Books," our partnership with the Ann Arbor District Library, WEMU's Lisa Barry talks with Rich Retyi, communications and marketing manager, and library director Josie Parker. They talk about how the library is open and available to everyone in the community and puts special effort into being open in extreme weather conditions to make sure everyone has a safe place to go.
What the AADL Does During Extreme Weather Days
The AAPS called schools once already this year, and you might recall a few multi-day closures in the early part of 2019, including a cold snap that shut much of Washtenaw County down completely.
Here's where the AADL comes in. During these snow days or times when it's dangerously cold outside, we're open with regular hours, welcoming anyone who needs to get out of the cold, parents, their kids, anyone!
It's not just cold. This summer, there were a number of power outages in neighborhoods during brutally hot days, and the AADL is working to make sure we can stay open for those days as well. The Library is looking to get back-up power to the branches most affected by intermittent power outages—not only to keep Library service going, but to serve those communities who could use wireless, electricity to charge things, warmth, or air conditioning when it's super hot out.
AADL'S Upcoming December Events:
WAPUR High School Robotics Competition (Sunday, December 8 12 PM-6:30 PM at U-M Sports Coliseum):Watch robots designed and built by Ann Arbor high school students compete against each other in U–M's huge Coliseum! WAPUR (Washtenaw Area Pickup Robotics) is a robotics league mini-season where High School Robotics teams have just a few weeks to design and build a robot to compete against robots from other schools! This year's game is 2 vs. 2 Volleyball with a huge yoga ball! Matches run throughout the day with finals starting near 5 PM.
Tiny Expo Indie Art & Craft Fair (Saturday, December 14 11AM-5:30 PM at the Downtown Library): Join us for Tiny Expo and shop 40+ artists and crafters selling handmade wares in a festive library space where you can shop local and handmade! It's a great way to support your community and find unique gifts. We'll also have several hands-on activities happening in the Secret Lab.
Desserts by Decade Series: The Fabulous 1950's (Monday, December 16 7 PM-8:30 PM at the AADL Westgate Branch): Learn about some hep recipes from the 1950s with Lakehouse owner/baker Keegan Rodgers and hear about national and local history from historian/writer Patti Smith. Get your rag tops out of the garage and burn rubber to get there early--this event is sure to be full of hip folks!
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— Lisa Barry is the host of All Things Considered on WEMU. You can contact Lisa at 734.487.3363, on Twitter @LisaWEMU, or email her at lbarryma@emich.edu
