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eli.aadl.org
eli neiburger
@eli.aadl.org
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Director of your Ann Arbor District Library!

~ follow the library on bluesky @aadl.org ~
~ call or text 734-327-4200 ~
~ on the world wide web at https://aadl.org ~
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eli.aadl.org
Collections department pumpkin coming in hot!
A dramatic tombstone painted on a pumpkin surrounded by roses and flower petals set against a dramatic black background. The epitaph reads R.I.P. BAKER & TAYLOR 1828-2025
October 30, 2025 at 2:08 AM
eli.aadl.org
Stugo is my favorite new cartoon to come along in years. So of course I knew who AADL deputy director Sherlonya and I would be for Halloween: Mad Scientist Dr. Lullah and her loyal mutant dog henchman Mr. Okay. Thanks to @gillizama.bsky.social @wolfhard.bsky.social and crew for such a great show!
Eli dressed up as mutant dog Mr. Okay, including waders, galoshes, furry ears and a dog beard, while Sherlonya is the inimical Dr. Lullah in a white lab coat with gold trim and pink goggles. A screenshot from Stugo showing Mr. Okay and Dr. Lullah in their cartoon form.
October 26, 2025 at 7:33 PM
eli.aadl.org
LEGENDARY SUCCESS
October 12, 2025 at 3:47 PM
eli.aadl.org
Akako G. Shins posing for a tintype portrait at Dead Media Day, just another day @aadl.org!
October 12, 2025 at 3:33 PM
eli.aadl.org
It’s gonna be a fun day at the Downtown Library! Join us for Dead Media Day from 11-3 Sunday and enjoy the vintage arcade. No tokens required!
vintage arcade cabinets in the downtown library’s 4th floor meeting room. galaga, centipede, ms. pac man, qbert, and space invaders are visible.
October 12, 2025 at 1:47 PM
eli.aadl.org
We have a packed weekend planned @aadl.org!

SATURDAY: Ann Arbor Comic Arts Festival Small & Indie Press edition, 11 AM - 5 PM Downtown

SUNDAY: Dead Media Day, 11 AM - 3 PM Downtown; 16mm films, tin types, arcade games &c.

Plus the Friends' Fall Bag Sale at 265 Parkland Plaza, Sat 10 AM - 2 PM!
Poster for A2CAF Small & Indie Press with a drawing of a comic book labeled COMICS! October 11th 11:00 AM 0 5:00 PM featuring CAROLINE CASH (but remotely) LISA HANAWALT JULIA WERTZ and the url AADL.ORG/a2cafsip A muted, mondrian-style image of vhs tapes, typewriters, floppy disks, reel to reel recorders, labeled Dead Media Day, Downtown Library, 11 AM - 3 PM, Sunday October 12. An image reading: Friends of the Ann Arbor District Library Fall Bag Sale! Saturday Oct 11 10AM - 2PM at the AALF (265 Parkland Plaza) faadl.org Just $5 a bag!
October 10, 2025 at 7:05 PM
eli.aadl.org
Here are some photos from my visits to Gangdong Libraries. I was invited to read a story to kids at the opening of the new Gangdong Central Library, so I read Chico Chews a Tale, from AADL's own Fifth Avenue Press!
Eli posing with a copy of Chico Chews a Tale, published by Fifth Avenue Press, and Korean children that have just heard him read the book, along with Gangdong-gu Mayor Lee Soo-hee. The science book display wall at the Gangdong Forest Library, featuring science books donated by a scholar. A shelf of books from AADL now available to Gangdong Library Patrons, including a handwritten note from Eli that says: "Congratulations on the opening of the Gangdong Central Library! Such a beautiful place for the people of Gangdong-gu. Thank you for inviting me to be a part of it!" An Akako G. Shins sticker is next to my signature. The "Smiling Book Small Library", a small community library next to a playground.
August 30, 2025 at 11:53 PM
eli.aadl.org
Today Mayor Lee Soo-Hee of Gangdong-gu and I signed a partnership agreement bringing collaboration, and exchange of ideas and materials between Gangdong in Seoul and AADL!

Thank you to the team here in Gangdong-gu for making me feel so welcome in Seoul!

n.news.naver.com/article/001/...
Eli is wearing a black suit! And he is standing next to Mayor Lee Soo-hee of Gangdong, an autonomous district in Seoul. They are holding copies of the partnership agreement, in front of a sign reading "Gangdonggu - The Ann Arbor District Library Partnership Ceremony" in Korean and English.
August 29, 2025 at 11:46 PM
eli.aadl.org
I’m visiting Seoul this week as a guest of Gangdong-gu government, to participate in the opening ceremony for their new Central Library, and to celebrate a new partnership between Gangdong-gu and AADL. More photos of Gangdong-gu libraries to come!
view of morning over Lotte World, Lotte Tower, and Lotte World Fantasy Forest me in the airport holding the banner my Korean colleagues brought to welcome to me! It reads Welcome to Korea Eli Neiburger!
August 27, 2025 at 9:57 PM
eli.aadl.org
At the Game Over Gala we welcomed a new friend and AADL staffer: our new costumed mascot Akako G. Shins!

Akakojiishiins means "Little Groundhog" in Ojibwe, and while they're not exactly little, they'll be making a big impression at AADL festivals and expos!

aadl.org/akakogshins
An enormous furry costumed groundhog mascot wearing glasses, a blue puffer vest, a mustard yellow beanie, hiking boots, and an AADL staff badge, standing in front of an AADL Summer Game banner in the lobby of the Downtown Library with AADL Communications & Marketing Manager Rich Retyi and Library Director Eli!
August 26, 2025 at 3:48 PM
eli.aadl.org
Thank you to Ann Arbor for this huge vote of confidence in your library! We can't wait to get started on making everyone's dreams come true; we are up to the challenge and ready to create something truly special. Thanks to all our staff and supporters, and everyone who helped make this happen!
A crayon drawing of a library shaped like a colorful stack of books labeled THE Greatest Of All Time LIBRARY. Hearts bubble from the top as a happy sun wearing sunglasses looks on.
August 6, 2025 at 5:28 PM
eli.aadl.org
Silky Grooves is NOW OPEN in the lobby of the Downtown Library through our Lobby Shops incubator program!

Check out records, vintage clothes and housewares, games, movies, decor and more. Open most Fri-Sun, see aadl.org/lobbyshops for their schedule. More to come!
The silky grooves logo, a colorful unicorn over a vinyl record that turns into a rainbow. A shot of Silky Grooves inventory, showing 2 crates of records, 2 shelves of DVDs, and a stack of books, board games and puzzles. An ernie puzzle is visible and a board game about farts called “Gas Out” the vintage clothing racks at silky grooves. colorful dresses, shirts, gowns and funky tops. A shelf of vintage cookie jars and ceramic decor at Silky Grooves. A teddy bear, witch, dark blue alligator, ducks, dogs, and a brown elephant are featured.
August 2, 2025 at 7:20 PM
eli.aadl.org
I hadn’t wanted to spoil it for those who had not yet SQUONKED, but here is the unbelievable climax of their show BROUHAHA. When i said don’t miss it, I meant it! Thank you to SQUONK for sharing your incredible creativity, vision, and SQUONKCORDION with the people of Ann Arbor!
June 22, 2025 at 11:27 PM
eli.aadl.org
Tonight at Ann Arbor Summerfest at 5:45 and 8 PM, @aadl.org is SO EXCITED to copresent: SQUONK. This setup is already legendary. Also two HOT shows Saturday and Sunday. Don’t miss this, Ann Arbor!
a stage with large accordion like bellows on front spelling out SQUONK. One can see Moogs, a drum set, trumpet and sousaphone bells, a gong… this is sure to be something else!
June 20, 2025 at 9:21 PM
eli.aadl.org
#summergame at @aadl.org is off to a RIP-ROARIN' start! It's only day 3, and we've already had over 500 lawn or library codes created. You've got all summer to find me & the 1000-point code on my shirt: aadl.org/findingeli This summer is already shaping up to be the biggest yet. THANKS FOR PLAYING!
A map of Ann Arbor showing red pins marking locations of lawn codes. They are absolutely everywhere, you can hardly see the map for the codes!
June 13, 2025 at 5:27 PM
eli.aadl.org
On August 5th, Ann Arbor will decide if @aadl.org adds the surface of the lot next door to its project to bring a new Downtown Library with housing above to the community.

This summer, we want to see Your Dream Library on both sites. It just takes 4 LEGO plates to get started:

aadl.org/node/642536
A rendering of four flat LEGO plates forming a microscale model of the sites of the Downtown Library and the surface of the Library Lane parking garage next door. A 2x4 plate, a 1x4 plate, and two 3x2 plates are all you need to get started.
May 27, 2025 at 3:44 PM
eli.aadl.org
AADL is proud to announce a new opportunity for the community. Applications are now open for the Downtown Library Lobby Shops: small, short-term, very inexpensive downtown retail space inside one of the busiest buildings in Downtown Ann Arbor. Apply by 6/1!

More info here: aadl.org/lobbyshops
Green graphic with a sign hanging saying "AADL Lobby Shops, Applications Now Open" with the url aadl.org/lobbyshops
May 7, 2025 at 6:13 PM
eli.aadl.org
one more from the Threepios: “Droids Don’t Fly”
May 4, 2025 at 6:18 PM
eli.aadl.org
Star Wars Day @aadl.org in full effect! The Threepios present: Wicket. WICKET GOOD
May 4, 2025 at 6:15 PM
eli.aadl.org
This is Walter, he comes with pre-installed handlebar streamers.
a closeup of a small black dog with a wide pitty face and a white jabot running from chin to belly. he’s sitting nicely and looking right at the camera. strange hairs extend from the ends of his ears, making him look a little like a schwinn. ancient oak floors beneath, beat up white baseboard to the right, patterned grey ikea chair to the left. he is a good boy
March 29, 2025 at 2:20 AM
eli.aadl.org
With what's happening at IMLS, we've been getting some questions about how this might impact AADL. While we don't receive any direct federal funding, once I started writing about all the good that IMLS does, I couldn't stop. So here's 2500 words on what IMLS does for us all. aadl.org/whatIMLSdoes
A 4-part image. The top left has an illustration of a bear carrying a rock past trees and mountains in the background, with a blue sky above, while the old AADL and Exhibit Museum Logos hover overhead. The top right shows an illustrated grid of dirt labeled the dig with squares dug to different depths. An object is partially revealed in one of the squares as a brush removes dirt. The bottom left is labeled "Plate Puzzle" and has the tectonic plates of the world off a map they can be dragged onto. The bottom right has a 3d version of a map with a fault running through it, with buildings and trees that can be placed on a map as a timer counts down to an earthquake. 4-part image. The top left reads "The Village" showing graphics and sound quality settings, 4 simple cartoon faces, and a button labeled "begin", the top right features a close up of one face with a word balloon saying "Welcome to the forest, eli. I'm one of the village elders" and a button labeled go on... The bottom left shows an interface screen listing 8 starting villagers, each with their wellness, nutrition, health, and happiness meters, and their talent. The bottom right shows the village's inventory, with places for meat, bones, pelts, logs, sticks, boulders, stones, and more.
March 26, 2025 at 8:20 PM
eli.aadl.org
I'm looking forward to giving a talk this Wednesday night at Evening with OLLI (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute) about what's going on @aadl.org. The short answer is A LOT! but I'm going to try to cover a hearty slice.

mmcommunityprograms.med.umich.edu/umich/course...
White text on a black background reading: "More than you can imagine!"
February 18, 2025 at 8:28 PM
eli.aadl.org
The Kids Area at the Downtown Library has closed for about 8 weeks of updates and reorganization! In the meantime, we’ve got a temporary Kids Room set up in the Lobby.

Read all about it on my blog:
aadl.org/node/636931
The Kids Room in the Lobby. Doors stand open with a sign that reads “kids room (it’s just temporary!) Some kids books, toys and seating are available. A toddler toddles by. AADL staff hard at work relabeling some of the 50,000 books that will be relabeled and reahelved during the closure. 8 relabeling stations fill the story corner with carts of books and supplies everywhere!
January 10, 2025 at 9:45 PM
eli.aadl.org
2025 seems like a great time to start a blog. So, I'm restarting the AADL Director's Blog! For my first post, I look back over our massive Bicentennial Project and highlight my favorites. But, there are so many of them! So, here are my Top 100 of the Ann Arbor 200: aadl.org/aa200top100 Enjoy!
The Ann Arbor 200 Logo, white on a black background, showing the river, the Native trails that became Miller, Huron, and Liberty, and the street grid that followed. Text reads Ann Arbor 200: 1824-2024 Bicentennial.
January 2, 2025 at 5:20 PM
eli.aadl.org
Hugely excited to release a new single from Athletic Mic League as part of our Ann Arbor 200 bicentennial project. Big thanks to Jamall Bufford and company for producing this track about their history. Download it now: aadl.org/madehistory
December 12, 2024 at 4:40 PM