Kids can learn to make and program something they make

This is the Ann Arbor District Library’s fifteenth year to receive an America Star Libraries rating.

Tonight on Local 4 -- we’ve got two primetime specials coming your way, starting at 8 p.m. Both are available on TV and streaming online.

Local 4 is hosting its second-annual Capuchin Soup Kitchen Telethon on Tuesday (Oct. 5) to help provide meals and programs to people struggling to cover their basic needs.

Learn Python with this 10-course online learning bundle

New programming is coming to the Gallup Park Canoe Livery for seniors and individuals with disabilities.

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 city of Ann Arbor has announced that outdoor programming can resume at Leslie Science & Nature Center after a complete environmental investigation and soil remediation. In 2019, staff at LSNC asked the city to analyze soil found near an area it had planned to construct a Nature Playscape after noticing an unnatural depression in the ground. Out of an abundance of caution, LSNC staff installed a fence around the area and moved all programming offsite. “I’m thrilled to report that the soil remediation project at Leslie Science & Nature Center has successfully been completed,” Derek Delacourt, City of Ann Arbor Community Service Area administrator, said in a statement. “Now, LSNC staff can focus on planning fall outdoor programming adventures for their families and campers.”✉ Like what you’re reading?

ANN ARBOR Wild Swan Theater has announced a new initiative titled Wild Swan in the Wings to help families with children bring fun, creative activities to their homes while schools are closed. The activities are designed for independent play or for children and adults to engage together at home, with the help of an occasional prop of common household objects. Throughout its 40-year history, Wild Swan offers lively, participatory theater workshops that provide fun ways for participants to develop imagination and creativity in a group setting. Most activities are designed to be enjoyed both indoors and outdoors -- away from screens. Every few weeks, Wild Swan will be releasing new theater games, video clips of past productions, playwriting activities and activities for kids with special needs.