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    Gerald R. Ford Library

    3.9 (12 reviews)

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    Front of the building

    We visited the Gerald Ford Presidential Library, located in Ann Arbor, the same town as the U. of Michigan. It is pretty close to campus, on the north side, but not a comfortable walking distance. Of note, there is a Gerald Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan, which is 2 hours west of Ann Arbor. When we entered the building, there was only 1 security guard at a booth who didn't interact with us and 1 other visitor, so it was pretty quiet. The visitors part of the library is pretty small, it is essentially one large room. It took us about 1 hour to read everything and watch the video presentation. There is a replica of his office, as well as an outdoor patio with some seating behind the building. The parking lot and admission is free, which is nice. I saw there is a second floor area too, which I assume is for people to reserve if they are doing serious research and need access to historical files. There's panels all around the room with lot of interesting things to read. President Ford had many ties to the U. of Michigan, so it makes sense they opened the library here. There's also a few interesting artifacts in glass cases spaced around the room. Fun fact, he was a full time assistant football coach at Yale at the same time he attended law school there. Near the front is also a small section devoted to Betty Ford, his wife. My daughter and I enjoy history, so we liked the visit. It is fairly small, so I wouldn't necessarily suggest a special trip to Ann Arbor just to see it, but if you happen to be nearby it is a nice place to add to the itinerary. I've read that the Museum in Grand Rapids is much larger, but I haven't had time to go yet.

    A great little library.

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    Ann Arbor District Library - Art exhibit at Ann Arbor District Library

    Ann Arbor District Library

    4.7(38 reviews)
    1.9 miDowntown Ann Arbor

    This is my happy place. I love coming to the library to see what they have on their express shelf…read moreand to ask the kind, helpful librarians for recommendations. They also have miscellaneous cool stuff for checkout like board games, music instruments, even art. The website is easy to use in terms of reserving books. If you reserve a book and clear the wait list, they will pull it for you. I wish they had a method of deferring (eg if you clear the wait list when you're on vacation) so that you don't have to go back through the queue, but understand how this could be complicated. Their "shelf service" is amazing. You put in your reading preferences and they select a handful of books that fit. It's wild that this is something you can access for free. It's a nice physical space with plenty of bathrooms, reading areas, wifi, etc. I love this library and coming here makes me so grateful to live in AA

    I can't believe that I came here for the first time last weekend, even though it's been 8 years…read moresince I was a student in Ann Arbor! Ann Arbor offers an abundance of things -- not just books -- and it's one of the most impressive libraries I've been to because of that! I came here last weekend because I heard they had an art exhibit for Asian Pacific American Heritage Month of a collection of artwork made by various Taiwanese artists. As a Taiwanese American, I knew I had to check this out immediately! And while I came to see this collection (and was so impressed by it!), I stayed for all the other things the library had to offer! I perused it's rows of artwork (including the Taiwanese artwork!) that you could check out and display in your household for 2 months on end! What a ingenious idea, I thought, as someone who is constantly switching out the artwork I have hung around my house depending on my mood haha! I also perused their aisles of equipment you can check out for every reason under the sun - starting a podcast? need some hardware? lighting? DJing? hosting a big party and want some giant chess? want to try a new instrument? The list goes on and on and the opportunities are endless! It's a shame that I am neither an Ann Arbor resident nor work in the city, so unfortunately I can't get a free library membership (and a paid one costs $150 a year!), and the librarian I spoke too also mentioned that the University of Michigan doesn't collaborate with the AA District Library either, so I'm not entirely sure if you're able to even get a membership here as a student, if you don't change your address to something in Ann Arbor, which is a bit of a bummer! But if you live or work in Ann Arbor, definitely don't sleep on the district library and make sure to take FULL advantage of all this place has to offer!

    Photos
    Ann Arbor District Library - Artwork you can check out from Ann Arbor District Library

    Artwork you can check out from Ann Arbor District Library

    Ann Arbor District Library
    Ann Arbor District Library

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    Ann Arbor District Library - Traverwood Branch - Inside

    Ann Arbor District Library - Traverwood Branch

    4.8(20 reviews)
    1.4 mi

    This is a beautiful library! I loved all the light wood tones and natural light. This is my…read morebrother's family's local branch and they stopped by one evening to check out some books. I tagged along because even though I don't have an AADL card, I love libraries. I browsed the used book section up at the front, which had a lot of great titles and many looked brand new. Most of the books were $2 with some that I saw for $5. I ended up buying two books that caught my eye - luckily they take Apple Pay because I left my wallet in my backpack at their house. This was such a nice experience and I would love to come back to this branch in the future.

    Beautiful library - the architecture is gorgeous here! I love the tall birch tree trunks that frame…read morethe large, open windows and let in a lot of natural light for visitors trying to study and spend time here. Feels modern and comfortable. This library is also very child-friendly. There are small computer monitors on desks adjusted to children's heights they can use to play games on. I really appreciate how pro-public health AADL libraries are - the staff mask and there are free masks and tests provided for those who need them. There is ample parking next to the library. I also notice this library is next to a couple walkable neighborhoods - jealous of the residents here who can easily walk to and visit the library! There are open glass study rooms available at this location. If there is anything you want to borrow here that's normally located at another library branch, you can request a transfer of your desired item to this location and pick it up when it's ready to go. So convenient. Love this place, will definitely be back!

    Photos
    Ann Arbor District Library - Traverwood Branch - Inside - beautifully designed space

    Inside - beautifully designed space

    Ann Arbor District Library - Traverwood Branch - Exterior- very modern

    Exterior- very modern

    Ann Arbor District Library - Traverwood Branch - Exterior- Ann Arbor put some significant work and investment into updating the library branches about a decade ago!

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    Exterior- Ann Arbor put some significant work and investment into updating the library branches about a decade ago!

    Ann Arbor District Library - Westgate

    Ann Arbor District Library - Westgate

    4.5(26 reviews)
    3.7 mi

    As a former librarian and lifelong library user and advocate, I love visiting libraries in other…read morecities. Nate and I were in town for work and needed a spot to do some remote work, so we stopped by this branch of AADL. The website said they didn't open until 10 am, so I was surprised to see people walking around inside the library and using the study rooms well before 10 am. There is a Sweetwaters attached and it seems like they have an arrangement with the library for cafe visitors to use part of the library space even before the library officially opens. I originally chose this location due to its easy parking and study rooms, but we set up at one of the tables near the cafe as the study rooms were already full. They were like little fishbowls - just a glass room with no actual door. The front of the library got a little bit loud at times, but it worked okay for us. There were many people working and browsing the library while we were there. The library is a lot larger than I was expecting for a branch in a mall, and I had fun exploring the used books for sale as well as the records they had to check out. Towards the back of the library is a "reading room," which was a quieter space with a fireplace, bigger tables, and cozy chairs. That was a popular area and it filled up quickly. I'll definitely be coming back soon!

    Great space. Connected to a coffee/tea house. Easy to connect online. Definitely will visit again.read more

    Photos
    Ann Arbor District Library - Westgate - Reading room

    Reading room

    Ann Arbor District Library - Westgate - Ann Arbor District Library - Westgate

    Ann Arbor District Library - Westgate

    Ann Arbor District Library - Westgate - Ann Arbor District Library - Westgate

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    Ann Arbor District Library - Westgate

    Ann Arbor District Library--Malletts Creek Branch - The main inside

    Ann Arbor District Library--Malletts Creek Branch

    4.3(15 reviews)
    3.1 mi

    Plenty of parking and lots of seating inside the library…read more The employees were really friendly and one helped me find a book I was looking for! It's a pretty cool library with the arch shaped ceiling inside. Grateful for a nice library closeby!

    WHERE ARE THE OLD AND CONTROVERSIAL BOOKS? Fantastic place, though the selection feels limited, and…read morethe nonfiction seems catered toward one specific type of person with one specific type of opinion, as do most things in Ann Arbor... it's not so black and white--I'm not some Trump diehard either, I'm just not really the breed of socially and financially comfortable Democrat person Ann Arbor propagates, not really a "democrat" or a voter at all, and that dissonance between who I am and who Plum Market patrons would like me to be is as apparent here in this library the selection of books as it is in many other places in Ann Arbor. I'd give it two or three stars for that reason alone but I'm absolutely thrilled to see they give out free Narcan and fentanyl test strips at the front - we addicts do love books but myself and the others I know do tend toward the exact sort of things that are being overlooked or perhaps censored by this library--the older and more controversial books, occultism, crime etc. I barely saw anything from before the year 2010, which is pretty disheartening, and a lot of the nonfiction had one particular political angle. All in all a pretty decent library with an okay if slightly sterile selection of books. I found a cool one on the history of opium, and a few on true crime that were pretty interesting.

    Photos
    Ann Arbor District Library--Malletts Creek Branch - Outside entrance

    Outside entrance

    Ann Arbor District Library--Malletts Creek Branch - Conference rooms

    Conference rooms

    Ann Arbor District Library--Malletts Creek Branch - Photo courtesy of the Ann Arbor District Library's website

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    Photo courtesy of the Ann Arbor District Library's website

    Pittsfield Branch Library

    Pittsfield Branch Library

    3.9(14 reviews)
    4.2 mi

    If you want more of a social vs quite library experience this place is for you!…read more The staff may be louder than the guests themselves, there is zero attempt at trying to create a quite environment. It's airport type design amplifies the noise in this location horribly. Why would anyone design a quite space life this??

    My local AADL output! It is of course much smaller than the downtown branch, and with much fewer…read moreactivities/classes/events (though I'll admit I likely am not aware of all that the Pittsfield branch has to offer). I really enjoy the convenience of the Request books for pick up option, as they'll transport books/media that you would like to check out from other branches to this one (or any of them of your choosing). That is my most common use of the Pittsfield branch - picking up requests off the hold shelf and returning books. Plenty of convenient parking, free wifi, book/media return options inside and outside the building (so you can make returns at any time). A nice reading room, various bookable rooms, and some tables throughout to read, study, or work from. May not be the quietest place to work from if you have a lot of calls/video meetings. I also found out today that you can print up to 30 pages a day for free, and can print off your mobile device (connected to their WiFi and selecting their printers). Pretty cool! (Especially nice to know since my printer at home just apparently stopped working.)

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    Pittsfield Branch Library - Book shelves and a multi purpose room

    Book shelves and a multi purpose room

    Pittsfield Branch Library - Study rooms

    Study rooms

    Pittsfield Branch Library

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    University of Michigan Art & Architecture Library

    University of Michigan Art & Architecture Library

    4.5(4 reviews)
    0.3 mi

    I'm peeved at myself for not spending more time here but in a perfect world, at least once a week,…read moreI would come and sit in the new arrivals of the periodicals section, lounge out on the couches, and flip through the magazines for at least a couple hours, sipping on some tea or coffee from the little 'cafe' downstairs. This library has mixed spatial identities so it is up to you to find your nook. There are a variety of group areas versus quiet solo spaces versus my aforementioned favorite, the periodicals section in the atrium. It is a GIANT atrium and I love how the pleasant low hum of people talking throughout the building is softly absorbed by the silence of books. Of course the selection of books is astounding (one thing U of M has going for it) though a good deal of them are in the basement which is, let's just call it like it is, ugly as sin and depressing. The library also has a bunch of adjoining little "centers," one of which is this phenomenal media suite for editing, transferring, and doing whatever you want to whatever media you want. There is also a full-blown recording studio free for students to use. Damn you PhD for taking away all my time, energy, and creativity because otherwise, I'd be a rock star filmmaker by now. There's also a video game archive as well as special collections that has some crazy old architecture books like you wouldn't believe. Open 24-hours with plenty of computers. If you like artsy fartsy materials, this is your place.

    This library is awesome! The building structure is mostly glass and so there is a lot of natural…read morelight beaming into every corner. This library has so many amazing resources: hundreds of databases, a glorious collections of books, a beautiful contemporary reading area with art and architecture magazines, and we cannot forget the many wonders of the Duderstadt Center. There is actually a room with video games (PC and every console ever created), not to mention audio and video recording studios. Computers are everywhere. Eating is allowed. They have a cafe in the front of the library. Important note: the stapler is located on the first floor at the center desk.

    Photos
    University of Michigan Art & Architecture Library - This pond that sits next to Nuclear Engineering Laboratory &  Michigan Memorial Phoenix Memorial Project is next to Duderstadt Center

    This pond that sits next to Nuclear Engineering Laboratory & Michigan Memorial Phoenix Memorial Project is next to Duderstadt Center

    University of Michigan Art & Architecture Library - Entrance from fuller.

    Entrance from fuller.

    University of Michigan Art & Architecture Library - Basement moveable stacks. Follow the doors the the tornado signs

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    Basement moveable stacks. Follow the doors the the tornado signs

    Gerald R. Ford Library - libraries - Updated May 2026

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