Summer Challenge Wrap Up
The Summer Challenge wraps up with grand prizes donated by local donors being distributed.
A Garden for a Rainy Day
YDL-Superior has a new rain garden to learn from.
Ypsi Stories Episode 27: From Here to There by Land and Water Part II – Railroads for Ypsilanti
Episode 27 of Ypsi Stories.
Spy a Sign, Score a Badge!
This summer, keep your eyes peeled. There’s a new way to earn badges in the YDL Summer Challenge! Spot a sign. Crack the code. Make your own.
Join YDL at Ypsilanti’s Annual Juneteenth Celebration
June 19 is Juneteenth, a now-federal holiday celebrating the end of slavery in the U.S.
Happy Pride Month from YDL!
YDL is celebrating Pride Month by including Pride book displays at each of our branches. Read on to find more information about Pride Month and how you can participate.
Finally Back on the Block!
Patrons and library staff can let out a collective breath as the downtown branch (finally) reopens.
How poetic!
We’re looking for the most creative poetry you can produce.
Room Reservations have a New Look
To avoid overbooking our available space, we ask that you please make a reservation to use a room.
2025 Family Read and the Spring Challenge
We are thrilled to announce The Puppets of Spelhorst as the 2025 Family Read.
The Bookmobile Has New Stops
Spring is the time of rebirth, so YDL is refreshing some of our Bookmobile routes. Since three of our stops have been unattended for some time, we’re breathing new life into those neighborhoods with brand-new ones! Starting Monday, March 3, we will no longer visit...
Black History Month 2025
February is Black History Month. This year’s theme is “Black Resistance,” which recognizes and celebrates the resistance of Black people, organizations, and institutions to racism in the past and present.
Library Social Work program coming to YDL
The Ypsilanti District Library is transforming how patrons can connect with social service resources in the community, thanks to a generous grant from Washtenaw County Community Mental Health. With funding from the Washtenaw County Mental Health and Public Safety...
Access the New York Times online
Read the New York Times online for free with your YDL card! YDL now has an online subscription to the New York Times. Get access to articles, recipes, games, and more with your library card. Create a free account, then visit ypsilibrary.org/download for a 24-hour...
Ypsi Stories Episode 26: Ypsi Experimental Space and the Ineffable Spirit of Community Creativity
Episode 26 of Ypsi Stories.
Fiscal Year 2024-25 Annual Budget Hearing
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING YPSILANTI DISTRICT LIBRARY County of Washtenaw, Michigan ON THE ADOPTION OF THE BUDGET FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2024-2025 TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS IN THE LIBRARY DISTRICT OF THE YPSILANTI DISTRICT LIBRARY PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the Ypsilanti...
Grant helps YDL Chess Club Level Up
Get ready for YDL’s own Queen’s Gambit! Over the next year, the Ypsilanti District Library’s Chess Club will have new ways for players to test their mettle—and inspire even more females and those from underrepresented groups to participate—thanks to...
A Macabre Challenge with YDL
We’re looking for the scariest two-sentence horror stories you can muster.
“Through Darkness to Light” exhibit on display Sept. 1 – Oct. 20
From September 1-October 20, an exhibit featuring photography related to the Underground Railroad will be on display at YDL-Whittaker.
Ypsi Stories Episode 25: The Parkridge Community Center and the Fight for Racial Equality
Episode 25 of Ypsi Stories.
New catalog coming soon
Upgrade coming! Catalog services unavailable August 13-21.
It’s Time for the Summer Challenge
YDL is ready to start the 2024 Summer Challenge. From June 15 until August 25, you can log your activities on your Summer Challenge account.
Happy Pride Month from YDL!
YDL is celebrating Pride Month by including Pride book displays at each of our branches. Read on to find more information about Pride Month and how you can participate.
YDL-Superior Permanent Art Collection Call for Artists 2024
Calling all artists: Submit a finished piece for consideration in the new Superior Branch’s art collection!
Ypsi Stories Episode 23: The Ypsi Farmers & Gardeners Oral History Project
Episode 23 of Ypsi Stories.
Celebrate National Library Week with YDL!
April 7-13 marks National Library Week 2024, a week dedicated to honoring libraries, library workers, and their impacts on their communities. This year’s theme is Ready, Set, Library!
Ypsi Stories Episode 22: President Roosevelt visits the Willow Run Bomber Plant
Episode 22 of Ypsi Stories.
YDL App is restored!
Hooray! The YDL app is back!
Get ready for the 2024 Family Read
We are thrilled to announce Little Monarchs by Jonathan Case as this year’s Family Read.
African American History Month Quiz
Through February 29, submit your answers to questions related to African American history for the chance to win prizes!
Oscar & Razzie Awards Contest
The entry with the most correct answers wins a movie prize pack.
Celebrate the Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Monday, January 16 is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, an annual celebration honoring Dr. King’s accomplishments for the Civil rights Movement.
Growing the YDL Oral History Collections
Passionate and influential local food growers are recording their stories in the Ypsilanti District Library’s oral history archives.
Ypsi Stories Episode 21: On the State of Medicine in 19th Century Ypsilanti
Episode 21 of Ypsi Stories.
Intergenerational connections
Make art, play chess, embroider, and connect with those from other generations
Celebrate “A Colorful Dream” — SEPTEMBER 1 – OCTOBER 20
View the Colorful Dream exhibit from September 1 – October 20 at the Whittaker Road branch!
Michigan Avenue branch closure updates
The evening of July 1st, downtown Ypsilanti was pummeled with torrential rains. Streets filled with standing water and cars were stranded. Our historic Michigan Avenue branch was flooded inside as the roof drains were overwhelmed.
Ypsi Stories Episode 20: Fighting for LGBTQ Rights in Ypsilanti: A Double Retrospective
Episode 20 of Ypsi Stories.
YDL receives Great Stories Club grant from the American Library Association
Grant will allow librarians to lead book clubs with underserved teens
Join YDL at Ypsilanti’s Annual Juneteenth Celebration
June 19 is Juneteenth, a now-federal holiday celebrating the end of slavery in the U.S.
YDL has developed a new strategic plan!
YDL has unveiled its new strategic plan for 2023-2025.
YDL receives $30,000 from Toyota to boost STEM learning
A $30,000 grant from Toyota will fund Project STEM@YDL which will bring more kits, activities, and talks from experts in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and math.
Celebrate AAPI Heritage Month with YDL!
May is Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month, which celebrates the achievements of Asian and Pacific-Islander Americans. Read on to learn more about the history of AAPI Heritage Month (including why it’s celebrated in May), as well as how you can...
Introducing: Recite Me!
The Recite Me toolbar offers a screen reader; translations into over 100 languages; color, font, and size customization; and reading aids.
Your favorite Superior mural design: REVEALED!
We asked, and you answered! Check out your choice for the new Superior mural.
Get excited for a Michigan Notable Books talk with Ghassan Zeineddine and Sally Howell!
Ghassan Zeineddine and Sally Howell, two of the editors for Hadha Baladuna: Arab American Narratives of Boundary and Belonging, will join us to read and discuss their work.
2023 Family Read brings virtual visit from national award-winning author
Lisa Yee, who has won multiple national awards for her writing, will pay a virtual visit in April to Ypsilanti as part of the 2023 Ypsilanti District Library Family Read activities.
Celebrate Women’s History Month with YDL!
March is Women’s history Month, a month dedicated to honoring the accomplishments of women in the past and present.
New titles are available in Libby!
Two new library consortia have been added to YDL’s Libby collection, which means you have access to more materials.
Do you know the history of Black History Month?
February is Black History Month. This year’s theme is “Black Resistance,” which recognizes and celebrates the resistance of Black people, organizations, and institutions to racism in the past and present.
RESCHEDULED YDL Board meeting – February 1
The January YDL Board meeting has been rescheduled for February 1 in the Whittaker Road Board Room at 6:30 PM. For public meeting guidelines and other information about our board meetings, visit our Board page.
Lend your creativity to the Play on the Ground Mural!
Calling all creatives: YDL needs your creative voice and vision!
The Ones Who Remember
The Ones Who Remember is an anthology of 16 different families grappling with the legacy of genocide and the inherited trauma of those who grew up in the shadow of their parents’ pain.
Celebrate MLK Jr. Day with YDL!
Monday, January 16 is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, an annual celebration honoring Dr. King’s accomplishments for the Civil rights Movement.
Prioritize Your Health in 2023!
YDL has resources available to help you prioritize your health and happiness in 2023.
Check out our favorite reads of 2022!
Kickstart your 2023 reading list with these staff book recommendations!
Winter Fun at YDL!
Winter has arrived and YDL has great family-friendly, seasonal events for all ages.
Michigan Avenue Branch Turns 60!
The library in Ypsilanti was founded over 150 years ago. For nearly half that time, the Michigan Avenue building has been part of its fabric.
Celebrate the Winter Season with YDL!
Winter has arrived and YDL has great family-friendly, seasonal events for all ages.
Get Ready to visit the New Superior Branch!
Opening week is here. Have fun visiting your new library!
It’s NaNoWriMo 2022!
November is approaching, and that means it’s almost time for NaNoWriMo! Are you ready to write the world’s next great novel?
A Superior Collection Update
In preparation for our move to the new Library location, access to the collection and holds at Superior will become unavailable until November 14. Here is what you need to know.
Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with YDL
Hispanic Heritage Month, which spans from September 15 to October 15, celebrates the achievements and contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans.
Discover what your YDL Card can do for you!
This September, celebrate National Library Card Sign-Up Month by checking out all the perks that come with a YDL card, including our brand new Library of Things Collection.
Join us for the Superior Library Book Brigade
October 8 is moving day for the collection at the current Superior branch!
Disinformation: Don’t be Fooled!
Identifying and combating disinformation is challenging, but you can learn how to spot and avoid it.
YDL Board Meeting – Strategic Planning Retreat (Sept. 14)
The YDL Board will attend a strategic planning retreat on Sept. 14, 2022 from 9am-4pm. These meetings are open to the public. For public meeting guidelines and other information about our board meetings, visit our Board page.
Voting Help
Find information about voting requirements, absentee voting, polling information, and YDL resources for voting.
Explore the A.P. Marshall African American History Archive
Have you checked out the A.P. Marshall African American Oral History Archive?
Exterior finishing and a generous grant
The exterior is taking shape, and we received a generous grant from the James L. and Faith Knight Foundation!
Introducing the Library of Things
Visit our Library of Things (LOT) collection to find tools for crafting, gardening, cooking, entertaining, and more.
Join YDL and the League of Women Voters at the Mayoral Candidates Forum
Join YDL and the League of Voters on Wednesday, June 22, at the Ypsilanti Senior Center for the Mayoral Candidates Forum.
Celebrate Juneteenth with YDL
June 19 is Juneteenth, a now-federal holiday celebrating the end of slavery in the U.S. Read on to learn more about Juneteenth.
Welcome to Fine-Free
Exciting news! Effective June 1, YDL will no longer charge fines for late materials.
Fireplace Installation Starts
The fireplace, a focal point of the library, has been installed.
Celebrate Pride Month with YDL
June is Pride Month, a celebration of LGBTQ+ individuals and their struggles and accomplishments. Learn about Pride Month and celebrate with YDL.
Read popular titles from YDL
A recent Book Riot article dug in to what books people around the country are reading the most–and you can find almost all of them at YDL!
Ceiling and walls underway
In the last month, the roof has been completed and crews are making fast progress on interior work. The concrete slab has been poured. The subceiling insulation is mostly in place, and drywall is being installed. The walls are being framed and windows are being...
YDL’s Senior Advisory Board keeps inspiring; seeks new members
YDL’s Senior Advisory Board has been supporting and inspiring Ypsilanti’s older population since 2015, and they’re looking for new members to join the mission.
It’s National Library Week 2022!
National Library Week is April 3-9! Celebrate with us by using our digital resources and sharing what you love about YDL.
Progress on roofing and underground plumbing
Construction work continues at a fast pace. In the last few weeks, crews have completed the installation of roof sheathing and shingles. Boxes for the solar panel circuitry are in place as well. Crews enclosed the building structure and heated the inside in order to...
Celebrate the Women Who Created YDL
In honor of March being Women’s History Month, we’re highlighting the women that built our local library.
2022 Oscars Contest
It’s time again for the YDL Oscars Contest! Through March 26, submit your picks for the Academy Award prizes. The entry with the most correct guesses wins a movie prize pack! Loading…
Winter construction continues
We are very excited, as construction of the new Superior building is now 35% complete, over a third of the way done! Construction crews have been able to keep working despite cold weather and snow. Structural masonry work is finished, the heating and cooling unit is...
MDHHS offering free access to the Get Set Up course catalog
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has teamed up with GetSetUp to provide hundreds of live online classes to keep you mentally, physically and socially active. Classes are interactive, easy to join, offered day and night and free for our community....
Ypsi Stories Episode 16: Red Lines and Racial Covenants: A Brief History of Housing Segregation in Ypsilanti and Beyond
Episode 16 of Ypsi Stories.
See Evicted: The latest travelling exhibit at YDL
Check out Evicted, the latest travelling exhibit at YDL-Whittaker.
Ypsi Stories Episode 15: Tracing your Ancestral Path with the Washtenaw County African American Genealogy Society
Episode 15 of Ypsi Stories.
Celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Learn about community events and YDL resources that commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy.
YDL’s New Superior Library, Summer Lunch Program recognized with Children’s Foundation Grant
The Children’s Foundation has generously awarded the Ypsilanti District Library $23,100 to help build the kitchenette at the new Superior Library branch (slated to open later in 2022).
Ypsi Stories Episode 14: Kiwanis Club of Ypsilanti’s 100 years
Episode 14 of Ypsi Stories.
Diversifying Play by Diversifying the Toy Box
Today it is easier than ever to find toys that physically represent a wide range of human experience, from skin color to differences in mobility. Read on to find some of the resources and companies YDL staff use when choosing toys for kits and play spaces.
One Year of Ypsi Stories
It has officially been one year since the first episode of the Ypsi Stories podcast.
Grants boost Superior progress
This is part of a series of updates about the new YDL library being constructed on North Harris Road in Superior Township. Find more information and updates at ypsilibrary.org/newlibrary. YDL received word of two grant awards for specific features of the building. The...
Ypsi Stories Episode 13: Milling Around the River – Industrialisation Comes to Ypsilanti
Episode 13 of Ypsi Stories.
Learn More About Our New Streaming Service, Kanopy
YDL has added Kanopy to our list of digital resources. This streaming service has nearly 30,000 movies and other videos that inspire, educate and entertain.
Double your donation to YDL’s Next Chapter Capital Campaign
The Ypsilanti District Library is turning the page to a bright future, launching the Next Chapter Capital Campaign to help build a new branch in Superior Township!
Observe the 20th Anniversary of 9/11 Through a Curated Poster Exhibit
As we observe the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks and the loss of 2977 lives, this curated exhibition presents the history of 9/11, its origins, and its ongoing implications.
Get Your Library Card This September
September is National Library Card Sign-Up Month
The 2nd Phase of the Next Chapter Capital Campaign
Thanks for making our $100,000 Young Family Challenge a success! For Phase 2 of our Next Chapter Campaign, help us double the size of our picture book collection for the new library.
We Did It…Thank You!
Thanks to all your generous donations, we have reached our Young Family Challenge goal!
More to See!
As you can see from these wonderful aerial photographs, the new library site is taking shape! Diversified Excavating prepared the base for the building’s foundation with crushed stone. Superior Township issued our building permit, so Diversified expects to begin...
Make online learning easy
Get help using our digital collections, research tools, and more!
Improving access to fresh food
A new pilot project aims to make it easier to use food assistance benefits, like SNAP, to get fresh produce.
Oscar Contest 2021
Fill in your ballot for YDL’s Oscar Awards contest!
Celebrate Black History Month with YDL
Black History Month is every month at YDL! Check out some ways you can celebrate in 2021.
A2SO Virtual KinderConcerts
Missing music time at the library with your children? Our friends with the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra have KinderConcerts videos!
NEH For All the World to See Virtual Tour
The virtual tour and accompanying activities for the NEH For All the World to See exhibit are ready to explore!
Final Site Plan Approval
At its meeting on December 16, the Superior Township Planning Commission approved the final site plan for the new library! Now our design work can be finalized and the construction can go out for bid.
Help YDL Prepare for Reopening
To welcome patrons back to the library safely, YDL wants to install air purification systems at Whittaker Road and Michigan Avenue. Read on to learn more, and visit our Donate Page to contribute to the project.
YpsiWrites Virtual Tutoring
Having a hard time with virtual learning? YpsiWrites is excited to offer both asynchronous and synchronous (real time) virtual writing support during this time of social distancing. With YpsiWrites, you can expect to receive focused feedback on your writing and...
Introducing Creativebug
Introducing Creativebug, where you can watch thousands of arts and craft video classes taught by recognized design experts and artists.
LET’S COMPLETE OUR HISTORY
In October, YDL will co-host a Wikipedia edit-a-thon of Ypsilanti and related pages. We want to engage our diverse community to paint a more complete picture within those articles.
Let Your Voice Be Heard
Everyone has a voice in our community and government. Make sure yours is heard!
YDL to Expand TALK Program with Prestigious IMLS Grant
The Ypsilanti District Library, with the Library of Michigan and the Midwest Collaborative Library, will expand our early literacy text messaging service, TALK: Text and Learn for Kindergarten, to reach parents of children birth through five years old across Michigan and Indiana.
OVERDUE FINE AMNESTY
The fine forgiveness initiative that the YDL Board approved last month has gone into affect!
YDL’s Update on Resuming Services
We’re excited to resume operations at YDL, and we appreciate everyone’s patience and perseverance. We plan to gradually phase in our services in a way that keeps our community, patrons, and staff safe. Please read on for more information about what to expect as we re-open responsibly.
Your Purchasing Has Power
Two great ways to support YDL by doing your regular shopping
The First Rule of Punk: Be Yourself!
We had lots of library activities planned to hep bring the book alive. But in our effort to help stop the spread of Covid-19, the library had to close. Instead, log into the Spring Challenge to earn two special badges. To earn the Family Read badge, visit the...
Have you tried the YDL App?
The YDL app available for Android and iPhone, allows you to manage your account, search the catalog, renew or reserve items, and download digital content.
See pictures from the Ypsi Family Read Cuban Arts Celebration!
This season we read Lucky Broken Girl, the 2018 Pura Belpré award winner by local author Ruth Behar. In the book, Ruthie Mizrahi and her family have recently emigrated from Castro’s Cuba to New York City. Just when she’s finally beginning to gain confidence in her...
Use Your Library Card to see the Detroit Red Wings!
Library card holders can buy discounted tickets to see the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena.
9 New Year’s Resolutions You Can Start at the Library
No matter what your goals are, the library can help you get started. We’ve listed a few unexpected ways the library might help you with your goals this year–and most of them won’t cost you a dime!
Health Insurance Marketplace: Hands-On Help Available
The Health Insurance Marketplace is open for enrollment through December 15, 2018. Staff from the Washtenaw Health Plan can help you find the right plan and apply.
150 years: letter from the director
In 1868 a group of enterprising women established what we now call the Ypsilanti District Library. There were 160 registered borrowers, a collection of 175 books, and a budget of $260. 150 years later, YDL remains a vital and vibrant information hub for our community!
Inside the Racial Justice Discussion series
Fully titled “Safely talking and learning about race and racism,” the series has brought hundreds of people to the library to watch films and hold open, honest conversations in a safe and supportive environment. What began as a short-term partnership between YDL and...Your Library Card Packs a Punch
Last September, YDL issued over 400 new library cards. This year, you can help us make National Library Card Sign-up Month even bigger! Since 1987, September has marked an annual effort to get a library card in as many hands as possible. This year, the American...
“Smeet” Ypsi’s Local Legend
Get ready for Smeet Fest, a celebration of Ypsilanti’s very own resident cryptid, the Smeet Frog! Throughout September, YDL is recognizing this beloved creature with a series of engaging programs at YDL-Michigan designed to bring the community together. For...August 25: New and On Order DVDs
40 Acres (2025. Fiction: Action. Director: R.T. Thorne) Starring: Danielle Deadwyler, Kataem O’connor, Michael Greyeyes, Milcania Diaz-Rojas, Leenah Robinson In a post-apocalyptic world with food scarcity, a Black family of Canadian farmers descended from...July 25: New and On Order DVDs
Basquiat (1996. Fiction: Drama. Director: Julian Schnabel) Starring: Jeffrey Wright, David Bowie, Dennis Hopper, Gary Oldman, Benicio Del Toro Julian Schnabel’s tribute to his friend and fellow painter Jean-Michel Basquiat is less a conventional biopic than...
Summer Starts With a Win!
Meet the First Winners of YDL’s Summer Challenge Weekly Raffle Prizes!
June 25: New and On Order DVDs
All We Imagine As Light (2024. Fiction: Foreign Language. Director: Payal Kapadia) Starring: Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha, Chhaya Kadam, Hridhu Haroon All We Imagine as Light follows three very different women working at the same hospital Prabha, Anu, and Parvathy...Reading Together Downtown
The Ypsilanti District Library will have super-charged storytimes downtown this summer, thanks to an initiative funded by the Ann Arbor Rotary Club. The $4,900 grant is is sponsoring YDL’s Reading Together Downtown initiative. Now that YDL-Michigan has reopened,...
Temporary text message disruption
On June 17, AT&T will discontinue its email-to-text and text-to-email service. This is part of a larger shift away from SMS text messaging by other providers. We are shifting to a new system for delivering YDL notices via text. However, this means there will be a...
Summer Challenge Kickoff Party!
YDL Celebrates the Start of Summer Challenge with an awesome Kickoff party!
May 25: New and On Order DVDs
Accountant 2 (2025. Fiction: Action. Director: Gavin O’Connor) Starring: Ben Affleck, Jon Bernthal, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, J.K. Simmons, Alison Wright, Daniella Pineda Christian Wolff has a talent for solving complex problems. When an old acquaintance is murdered,...April 25: New and On Order DVDs
A Working Man (2025. Fiction: Action. Director: David Ayer) Starring: Jason Statham, Jason Flemyng, Merab Ninidze, David Harbour, Michael Peña Levon Cade left his “profession” behind to live a simple life working construction and spending time with his...
New Lounge seating and Youth Storytime Room upgrades coming soon
Rendering and floor plan for the new lounge space at YDL-Whittaker. Click to enlarge the images. Get ready for space upgrades at the Whittaker branch! This summer, you’ll see a brand new lounge space where the Café used to be, and the Youth Storytime Room will...