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Author: Sam Killian

Author: Sam Killian

Check out our Best/Worst/Forgotten Movies Series!

Published: August 22, 2022

Join us for a new movie series at YDL: The Best/Worst/Forgotten Movies. Join us each season to watch the best, worst, and forgotten movies of an actor, decade, or year. This fall, we’re travelling back to the ’80s. Join us to watch any (or all) of these three movies from this decade. Snacks and drinks will be provided. September 7: “The Worst” Chief Brody’s widow believes that her family is deliberately being targeted by another shark in search of revenge. October 05: “The Forgotten”  An American oil company has plans for a new refinery and sends someone to Scotland to …

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Vote for the 2023 Washtenaw Reads Title!

Published: August 9, 2022

The Washtenaw Reads Screening Committee has selected 3 titles for consideration as this year’s Washtenaw Reads book. Discover each title and vote for your favorite.

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Dramatic progress inside and out

Published: August 3, 2022

The most dramatic addition to the exterior has been the installation of the solar panels on the south side of the building.

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YDL Board Meeting – Strategic Planning Retreat (Sept. 14)

Published: August 2, 2022

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.

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Voting Help

Published: August 2, 2022

Find information about voting requirements, absentee voting, polling information, and YDL resources for voting.

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Explore the A.P. Marshall African American History Archive

Published: July 15, 2022

Have you checked out the A.P. Marshall African American Oral History Archive?

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Exterior finishing and a generous grant

Published: July 1, 2022

The exterior is taking shape, and we received a generous grant from the James L. and Faith Knight Foundation!

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Ypsi Stories Episode 17: Back to Ypsilanti with Lee Osler

Published: June 28, 2022

Episode 17 of Ypsi Stories.

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Introducing the Library of Things

Published: June 27, 2022

Visit our Library of Things (LOT) collection to find tools for crafting, gardening, cooking, entertaining, and more.

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Join YDL and the League of Women Voters at the Mayoral Candidates Forum

Published: June 9, 2022

Join YDL and the League of Voters on Wednesday, June 22, at the Ypsilanti Senior Center for the Mayoral Candidates Forum.

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Celebrate Juneteenth with YDL

Published: June 8, 2022

June 19 is Juneteenth, a now-federal holiday celebrating the end of slavery in the U.S. Read on to learn more about Juneteenth.

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Welcome to Fine-Free

Published: May 31, 2022

Exciting news! Effective June 1, YDL will no longer charge fines for late materials.

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Fireplace Installation Starts

Published: May 31, 2022

The fireplace, a focal point of the library, has been installed.

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Celebrate Pride Month with YDL

Published: May 31, 2022

June is Pride Month, a celebration of LGBTQ+ individuals and their struggles and accomplishments. Learn about Pride Month and celebrate with YDL.

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Read popular titles from YDL

Published: May 19, 2022

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!

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YDL’s Senior Advisory Board keeps inspiring; seeks new members

Published: April 13, 2022

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. 

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It’s National Library Week 2022!

Published: April 1, 2022

National Library Week is April 3-9! Celebrate with us by using our digital resources and sharing what you love about YDL.

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2022 Oscars Contest

Published: March 1, 2022

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…

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Have you tried Libby? Meet the OverDrive app!

Published: February 25, 2022

Meet Libby, the OverDrive app.

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MDHHS offering free access to the Get Set Up course catalog

Published: February 4, 2022

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. Visit the site to find classes on anything from tech tips to boosting your mental health.

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See Evicted: The latest travelling exhibit at YDL

Published: February 1, 2022

Check out Evicted, the latest travelling exhibit at YDL-Whittaker.

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Celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Published: January 12, 2022

Learn about community events and YDL resources that commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy.

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YDL’s New Superior Library, Summer Lunch Program recognized with Children’s Foundation Grant

Published: December 10, 2021

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).

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Ypsi Stories Episode 14: Kiwanis Club of Ypsilanti’s 100 years

Published: December 2, 2021

Episode 14 of Ypsi Stories.

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One Year of Ypsi Stories

Published: November 24, 2021

It has officially been one year since the first episode of the Ypsi Stories podcast.

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Grants boost Superior progress

Published: November 24, 2021

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 Humane Society of the United States awarded YDL a $2,000 grant toward bird-friendly glass. The Children’s Foundation awarded the library $23,100 toward the new library’s kitchenette, making the free summer lunch program possible. To see the latest on the capital campaign, visit, ypsilibrary.org/nextchapter.     The construction team continues to make visible progress on the new library. The …

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Ypsi Stories Episode 13: Milling Around the River – Industrialisation Comes to Ypsilanti

Published: November 5, 2021

Episode 13 of Ypsi Stories.

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Ypsi Stories Episode 12: Highland Cemetery – Place of Peace & Rest

Published: October 28, 2021

Episode 12 of Ypsi Stories.

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Learn More About Our New Streaming Service, Kanopy

Published: October 6, 2021

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.

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Double your donation to YDL’s Next Chapter Capital Campaign

Published: October 1, 2021

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!

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Observe the 20th Anniversary of 9/11 Through a Curated Poster Exhibit

Published: September 10, 2021

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. 

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Ypsi Stories Episode 11: The Union Comes to Town – A Labor History of Willow Run

Published: September 1, 2021

Episode 11 of Ypsi Stories.

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Get Your Library Card This September

Published: September 1, 2021

September is National Library Card Sign-Up Month

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The 2nd Phase of the Next Chapter Capital Campaign

Published: August 6, 2021

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.

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Ypsi Stories Episode 10: From Here To There By Land And Water

Published: August 4, 2021

Episode 10 of Ypsi Stories.

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We Did It…Thank You!

Published: July 29, 2021

Thanks to all your generous donations, we have reached our Young Family Challenge goal!

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More to See!

Published: July 26, 2021

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 pouring concrete next week.  Harris Road will be widened in conjunction with the new library construction.  The Library, Superior Township, and our respective engineering teams are partnering to make sure the process goes smoothly and efficiently, with the least disruption possible to neighborhood traffic. Act fast!  The Young Family Next Chapter Challenge runs through July 31. Visit ypsilibrary.org/nextchapter before the challenge …

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Ypsi Stories Episode 9: Why Do We Call It Ypsilanti?

Published: July 7, 2021

Episode 9 of Ypsi Stories.

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Ypsi Stories Episode 8: Ypsilanti’s Black Civil War Experience

Published: June 1, 2021

Episode 8 of Ypsi Stories.

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Launching YDL’s Next Chapter Capital Campaign

Published: May 18, 2021

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!

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Make online learning easy

Published: May 14, 2021

Get help using our digital collections, research tools, and more!

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Ypsi Stories Episode 7: Ypsilanti’s Water Street Sculpture Garden

Published: May 5, 2021

Episode 7 of Ypsi Stories.

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Improving access to fresh food

Published: April 29, 2021

A new pilot project aims to make it easier to use food assistance benefits, like SNAP, to get fresh produce.

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Online classes for older adults

Published: April 25, 2021

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and GetSetup-Michigan have online classes for older adults where you can get computer, fitness, and other help.

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Ypsi Stories Episode 6: The Information Age before the Information Age

Published: April 6, 2021

Episode 6 of Ypsi Stories.

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MeLCat Update

Published: March 30, 2021

MeLCat borrowing has resumed as of 4/5/2021.

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The Making of YpsiWrites

Published: March 24, 2021

Do you ever wonder about the work that went in to creating YpsiWrites? This partnership with 826michigan, Eastern Michigan University’s Office of Campus and Community Writing, and the Ypsilanti District Library took a lot of planning, and requires a lot of effort to keep it going. In the latest issue of Teaching/Writing: The Journal of Writing Teacher Education, Catherine Calabro Cavin from 826michigan, Cathy Fleischer and Ann Blakeslee, from Eastern Michigan University and Mary Garboden from YDL talk about how they created and sustain YpsiWrites, a community writing center that supports youth and adults. In the article “Extending Literacy Work …

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Groundbreaking celebration for new Superior Library Branch: YDL’s Next Chapter

Published: March 16, 2021

The Ypsilanti District Library is hosting an outdoor, socially distanced community celebration for the groundbreaking of the new Superior Library building!

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Oscar Contest 2021

Published: March 15, 2021

Fill in your ballot for YDL’s Oscar Awards contest!

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Ypsi Stories Episode 5: Ypsilanti’s Palm Leaf Club

Published: March 3, 2021

Episode 5 of Ypsi Stories.

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TAKE A WALK ON MARS

Published: March 1, 2021

Take a walk on Mars for this week’s Saturday Afternoon Adventure!

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Ypsi Stories Episode 4: A Tale of Two Ypsis

Published: February 3, 2021

Episode 4 of Ypsi Stories.

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A2SO Virtual KinderConcerts

Published: January 28, 2021

Missing music time at the library with your children? Our friends with the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra have KinderConcerts videos!

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Ypsi Stories Episode 3: Ypsi March for Love, Resilience & Action

Published: January 6, 2021

Episode 3 of Ypsi Stories.

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Committing to Compassion

Published: December 29, 2020

Last year brought challenges. It also brought opportunities for compassion, community, and patience. In addition to the pandemic, racial unrest throughout the country forced us to think about how we make a community work for everyone. This year, renew your commitment to personal and community growth. In the spirit of spreading knowledge, here are some tools and tips for achieving your resolutions and becoming a more informed and engaged citizen. Talk to your family about race Research from the American Psychological Association shows some preschoolers may have already developed racist beliefs well before adults start talking about race with them. …

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NEH For All the World to See Virtual Tour

Published: December 22, 2020

The virtual tour and accompanying activities for the NEH For All the World to See exhibit are ready to explore!

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Final Site Plan Approval

Published: December 17, 2020

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.

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Ypsi Stories Episode 2: Urban Renewal on Ypsilanti’s Southside

Published: December 2, 2020

Hear Chapter 1 of Look Both Ways!

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Help YDL Prepare for Reopening

Published: December 1, 2020

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.

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Ypsi Stories Episode 1: Lucius Lyon and the Land Speculators

Published: November 4, 2020

Hear Chapter 1 of Look Both Ways!

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Grab an ypsiGLOW poster kit!

Published: October 12, 2020

Feeling artistic for the Fall season? Grab an ypsiGLOW Social Justice poster kit.

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Introducing Creativebug

Published: September 29, 2020

Introducing Creativebug, where you can watch thousands of arts and craft video classes taught by recognized design experts and artists.

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LET’S COMPLETE OUR HISTORY

Published: September 24, 2020

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.

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YDL to Expand TALK Program with Prestigious IMLS Grant

Published: July 27, 2020

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.

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OVERDUE FINE AMNESTY

Published: July 23, 2020

The fine forgiveness initiative that the YDL Board approved last month has gone into affect!

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Powerful Films on Race Relations in YDL Collection

Published: July 3, 2020

Powerful Films on Race Relations YDL owns copies of all but one of these films: reserve your copy today The Color Purple (1985) PG-13 Fiction: Based on the novel by Alice Walker Do The Right Thing (1989)  R Fiction Get Out (2017) R Fiction: Horror Django Unchained (2013) R Fiction-Western Harriet (2019) PG-13 Fiction: Biographical: Harriet Tubman 13th (2016) Documentary about 13th Amendment & Mass Incarceration No DVD release; streaming only on www.Netflix.com Birth of a Nation (2016) R Fiction: Biographical: Nat Turner Note: For historical purposes, YDL also owns a copy of the original film called Birth of a …

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YDL’s Update on Resuming Services

Published: June 2, 2020

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.

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Explore Hoopla for Non-English Movies, Music, Books+

Published: April 29, 2020

Access Hoopla by clicking on YDL’s Digital Collections link. Download items to your PC, laptop, or phone. Use Hoopla’s Advanced Search feature to access thousands of Movies, Audiobooks, eBooks, Music, Television, and Comics in over 80 non-English languages, including Spanish, German, French, Chinese, Arabic, Portuguese, Italian, Russian, Japanese, Hindi, Korean (currently 26 languages with over 100 titles each in multiple formats).

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Internet Service Assistance During Covid-19

Published: April 17, 2020

Links to Covid-19 health, mental health, and health insurance information.

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Movies for Everyone to Enjoy!

Published: March 13, 2020

Frozen II (Nov 22) A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (Nov 22) Abominable (Dec 3) Jumanji: The Next Level (Dec 13) Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (Dec 20) Little Women (Dec 25) Spies in Disguise (Dec 25) Weathering With You (Jan 15, 2020) Doolittle (Jan 17, 2020) Sonic The Hedgehog (Feb 14, 2020) Call of the Wild (Feb 21, 2020) Dream Horse (May 1, 2020) Onward (Mar 6, 2020) Trolls World Tour (April 10, 2020) Scoob! (May 15, 2020) Soul (June 19, 2020) The Sponge Bob Movie: Sponge On The Run (Jul 31, 2020) Mulan (Jul 24, 2020) Jungle …

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Best Films of 2019

Published: March 10, 2020

Best Films of 2019* Film Comment’s best films issue (Jan-Feb 2020) ranks these 20 films as the best of 2019 (in a poll conducted among the magazine’s contributors and staff.)  Do you agree?  Visit filmcomment.com/survey to send your own ranked list of the year’s 20 best films (plus your comments). [Note: some films on this list have not yet been released on DVD]   Parasite (Bong Joon Ho, South Korea) The Irishman (Martin Scorsese, USA) Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood (Quentin Tarantino, USA/UK/China) Transit (Christian Petzold, Germany/France) Atlantics (Mati Diop, France/Senegal/Belgium) The Souvenir (Joanna Hogg, UK/USA) High Life (Claire Denis, …

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Information on YDL-Michigan’s Closing on 3/4/2020

Published: March 4, 2020

We are set to reopen our downtown branch on Thursday, March 5.

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58th Ann Arbor Film Festival March 24-29

Published: March 3, 2020

AAFF MISSION The mission of the Ann Arbor Film Festival is to promote bold, visionary filmmakers through the advancement of film and new media art, and to engage communities with remarkable cinematic experiences. AWARDS AND SUBMISSIONS The Ann Arbor Film Festival receives more than 3,000 submissions annually from more than 65 countries and serves as one of a handful of Academy Award®-qualifying festivals in the United States. Our awards program presents more than $22,000 in cash and film stock/services to filmmakers. FULL SCHEDULE This year, due to the coronavirus, the festival is being live streamed! https://www.aafilmfest.org/live-stream-schedule  

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How graphic novels are helping doctors and patients

Published: March 2, 2020

“Something remarkable and game changing is being sparked in the alliance between comics and medicine. It’s becoming clear that these graphic narratives can deepen understanding, not only of facts but of feelings, between patients, family, and professionals. A spoonful of comics really does help the medicine go down.” – Paul Gravett, author of Comics Art and the editor of 1001 Comics You Must Read Before You Die Graphic Medicine is the use of comics in medical education and patient care. Graphic novels related to illness, aging, and other difficult topics are emerging as a robust and widely varied sub-genre of …

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Your Purchasing Has Power

Published: February 20, 2020

Two great ways to support YDL by doing your regular shopping

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Tom Hanks Is Mister Rodgers

Published: October 30, 2019

“Tom Hanks portrays Mister Rogers in A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, a timely story of kindness triumphing over cynicism, based on the true story of a real-life friendship between Fred Rogers and journalist Tom Junod. After a jaded magazine writer (Emmy winner Matthew Rhys) is assigned a profile of Fred Rogers, he overcomes his skepticism, learning about empathy, kindness, and decency from America’s most beloved neighbor.” -Rotten Tomatoes profile. Director: Marielle Heller (TriStar Pictures November 22)  

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Zombies

Published: October 17, 2019

    TOP-RATED ZOMBIE FILMS Dawn of the Dead (1979) Night of the Living Dead (1968) Shaun of the Dead (2004) 28 Days Later (2003) Train to Busan (2016) The Return of the Living Dead (1985) Zombieland (2009) Re-Animator (1985) Dead Alive (1993) [REC] (2007)

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Sandhill Crane Film & Tour

Published: October 17, 2019

Oct. 27: Join Bill Wells for Sandhill Crane film and tour On Sunday, Oct. 27 at 2 p.m., join local expert Bill Wells, who will show a film about Sandhill Cranes and then lead a driving tour to view them around the Waterloo Recreation Area at the Eddy Discovery Center. Visitors can expect to see large flocks of these magnificent birds at close range. Bring binoculars and cameras. The cost is $2 per person or $5 for a family. The Gerald E. Eddy Discovery Center is located at 17030 Bush Road in Sylvan Township.

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Cannes Film Festival 2019 Winners

Published: May 30, 2019

Palme d’Or: “Parasite,” Bong Joon-ho Grand Prix: “Atlantics,” Mati Diop Jury Prize (tie): “Les Miserables” (Ladj Ly) and “Bacurau” (Kleber Mendonca Filho, Juliano Dornelles) Best Actress: Emily Beecham, “Little Joe” Best Actor: Antonio Banderas, “Pain & Glory” Best Director: Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne, “The Young Ahmed” Best Screenplay: “Portrait of a Lady on Fire”, Celine Sciamma Special Mention of the Jury: “It Must Be Heaven,” Elia Suleiman Camera d’Or: “Our Mothers,” Cesar Diaz Short Film Palme d’Or: “The Distance Between Us And The Sky,” Vasilis Kekatos Special Mention of the Jury: “Monstruo Dios,” Agustina San Queer Palm (Feature): “Portrait of …

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We Can’t Wait! New Films May-December 2019

Published: May 5, 2019

Rocketman May 31 Dark Phoenix June 7 Secret Life of Pets 2 June 7 Late Night June 7 MIB International June 14 Last Black Man in San Francisco June 14 Toy Story 4 June 21 Shaft June 14 Spiderman: Far From Home July 2 The Lion King July 19 Once Upon a Time in Hollywood July 26 Where’d You Go, Bernadette? August 6 It Chapter Two September 6 Downton Abbey September 20 Gemini Man October 4 Joker October 4 Zombieland: Double Tap October 4 The Goldfinch October 11 Malificent: Mistress of Evil October 18 A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood …

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FREEP FILM FESTIVAL

Published: March 3, 2019

Detroit Does Documentaries The 6th Annual Freep Film Festival is coming up April 10-14. Tickets to all events are on sale now. Read about the full lineup of over 70 events here.

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Armchair traveling: experience the world through these books

Published: March 12, 2018

From close to home to across the world, all without leaving your comfy chair.

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