Tag Archives: library

Mar5

warmth.

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after yet another unique and powerful winter storm

with lots and lots and lots of

heavy, wet, beautiful, pure white snow

i woke up early to a power outage

spending my morning in the library

with coffee, power bars, and locals

powering up, reading, talking, and writing

watching as a lovely grandmother

kneels down to her young grandson’s level

as she very patiently and quietly

teaches him and then lets him

check out each of his very own books

one by one

gently guiding him as he goes

only when he needs it

 when he proudly finishes his work

he loads each into his own little backpack

she helps him

put on each woolen mitten and zips up his coat

he holds onto her leg as she slowly stands

 they very naturally cradle their hands together

as they make their way out of the library

 back out into the world with beautiful white snow

what a simple yet powerful act of love

that warms me

more than this comfortable and welcoming building ever will

it’s always the people within who do that.

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“if a family has an old person in it, it possesses a jewel.”

-chinese proverb

Oct6

they have made me.

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The library in Puebla, Mexico has grown from 5,000 volumes in 1646 to more than 40,000 volumes now,

the majority of which date from before Mexico’s independence and is the oldest in the Americas.

 

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“i cannot remember the books i’ve read any more than the meals i have eaten; even so, they have made me.”

-ralph waldo emerson

 

 

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in honor of international book month

Apr23

seed sampler.

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what a wonderful collaboration between the library and local seed organizations

once again showing how important a library is to a community

“inside every seed is the potential for an incredible harvest.”

-farrah gray

 

Jul13

when books fly.

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thanks to artist david zinn, for his lovely sidewalk chalk ode to the library 

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the day has arrived at last

the library has reopened

after what seemed like such a long, long time

our community couldn’t be happier

it has been so greatly missed by so many. 

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‘Libraries: The medicine chest of the soul.’

—Library at Thebes, inscription over the door

Jul2

you say cicada, i say cicado.

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it’s been 17 years and they’re back!

they been sitting around underground

patiently waiting

for a dramatic return

no reason to stress

instead

our library has created a city-wide bingo game in their honor

what could be more fun?

and i’ve already got my free spot filled.

 

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Cicada Summer

Brood X has ARRIV- er, EMERGED from the depths to see YOU!!!! 

But have YOU seen THEM? HEARD them?? READ ABOUT THEM??? FOUND THEIR SHELLS???? 

If you have, you may have one or more boxes checked off on our CICADA SUMMER BINGO!!! 

From your friends at the Ann Arbor Public Libraries

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“i work even in the middle of the day, in the full sunshine, and i enjoy it like a cicada.”

-vincent van gogh

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source and photo credits: ann arbor district library, cicada@aadl.org

Aug25

off to see the wizard.

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(picture me as the one in the dress without braids, sparkly shoes, or little dog)

when going to the library

to pick up books i had ordered

i walked into the lobby

to grab them off the shelf

 the rest of the library was still closed

it was dead silent

no other people were around

but i swear that i heard someone talking to me

i looked in all directions and didn’t see anyone

i heard someone speak once again

 looked up to see a giant head on a screen

 asking if i was there for a book

my eyes got huge (and i possibly jumped a bit)

so unexpected – talking to a head on a screen

i then knew how dorothy must have felt in the wizard of oz

when she saw the wizard’s head projected on the big curtain

i thanked the giant head, grabbed my books, and walked down the street

thinking about how much i love being surprised by life.

—

happy 81st anniversary to the wizard of oz

(i now have a new appreciation for it)

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“be unprepared, that’s my motto. let life surprise you.”

-marty rubin

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image credit: metro goldwyn mayer

Mar14

book therapy.

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a wonderful note during these challenging times, from our local library:

ann arbor district library

Today, you checked out 30,622 items from the AADL.
Last Friday, that number was 5,067.

NOW PLEASE, DON’T BRING ANY OF IT BACK!
NONE OF IT!
NO JOKE!

Seriously, please keep everything until we ask for it back.

We promise, we’ll let you know when.

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More information on our system-wide closure: https://aadl.org/covidclosure

 

“the only thing that you absolutely have to know, is the location of the library.”

― albert einstein

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credits: robert mccloskly, illustrator (blueberries for sal, make way for ducklings),aadl.org

Jan26

get ahead.

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“libraries literally aren’t just places to obtain books for free.

they’re one of the few public spaces left in our society

where you’re allowed to exist without spending any money.”

-a. killian

 

 

 

 

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image credit: ala (american library archives poster, circa 1921)

Jan30

treasure trove.

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Turkish Garbage Collectors Open Library Full of Discarded Books

Turkish garbage collectors in the country’s capital city of Ankara have opened a public library that is full of books that were originally destined to be put into landfill. The workers began collecting discarded books and opened the new library in the Çankaya district of Ankara. News of the library has spread and now people have begun donating books directly to the library, rather than throwing them away.

As CNN reports, the library was originally created for the use of the employees friends and family but, as it grew in size, the library was officially opened to the public in September of last year. “We started to discuss the idea of creating a library from these books. And when everyone supported it, this project happened,” said Çankaya Mayor Alper Tasdelen, whose local government spearheaded the opening of the library.

The library now has over 6,000 fiction and non-fiction books and includes a children’s section, an area dedicated to scientific research books, and a number of English and French language books for those who are bilingual. The library building itself used to be a brick factory and is located at the sanitation department HQ. The building featured long corridors and an aged brick facade and transformed perfectly into a library.

Books can be withdrawn for two weeks at a time, with an extension available if required. The library’s collection has now become so vast that it loans many of the books to schools, educational programs, and even prisons.“Village schoolteachers from all over Turkey are requesting books,” Tasdelen said. The library has also created new job opportunities as it requires full time staff to run and support it.

The library has proven to be a huge hit with the community. Children of the employees often enjoy reading there and local school children visit to study. Local cyclists who pedal through the nearby valley often take a break there and enjoy the lounge area and chess boards. “Before, I wished that I had a library in my house. Now we have a library here,” Serhat Baytemur, a 32-year-old garbage collector, told state media.

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“ours is a culture and a time immensely rich in trash as it is in treasures.”
― ray bradbury, Zen in the Art of Writing

 

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credits: kerrytown bookfest, forreadingaddicts.co.uk,cnn