Defeat

The postmortem of the Ann Arbor District Library's campaign for a new downtown library began early Tuesday night, as soon as election results showed the proposal failing in key precincts. Supporters of the Our New Downtown Library committee who gathered at the Real Seafood Co. acknowledged their message obviously didn't resonate with voters. By the end of the night, they had accepted defeat, but they weren't budging on their position that a new downtown library is needed. Read the story.

One For The Books

The downtown Ann Arbor library opened at the corner of Fifth Avenue and William Street in 1958. An expansion doubling its size was completed in the 1970s. A third addition was completed in 1991, again doubling its size. Hoping to cement the public library's future in the downtown, the Ann Arbor District Library is asking voters on Nov. 6 to approve a $65 million bond proposal for construction of a new library. Read the story.

Options

A patron browses the movie section on the first floor of the downtown Ann Arbor library. Talks are picking up again about the future of the library, three years after library officials put the brakes on a redevelopment project due to a bad economy. Read the story.

Photos From Hell Part I

Hipsters in Bay City are celebrating "five years of hell" this weekend with it being the Fifth Annual Hell's Half Mile Film & Music Festival. I'm in half-photographer mode, half-festival-goer mode, and half-catching-up-with-old-friends mode (and half bad at math) so, photo-wise, I'll get what I get and I'm not going all out. Here are a few takes from opening night on Thursday, which included a block party downtown and a screening of the opening night film Cherry. The lead actress and producer were on hand. In my opinion, this festival is the coolest thing about Bay City and it runs through Sunday with lots of great indie films and music at multiple venues. Hope to see you in hell.

Black Nerd

Detroit native and University of Michigan graduate David Alan Grier shared a moment with an old childhood friend after his book reading Sunday afternoon at the Ann Arbor District Library. Grier said he and his friend were "blerds" growing up in Detroit, a.k.a. "black nerds." He recalled a time they tried joining the Black Panthers at age 15 but were turned away because they didn't exactly fit the profile. Grier's new book, "Barack Like Me," touches on politics, culture and race as it relates to his own life.