Expanding beyond the usual short Nerd Nite talks, Annie Rauwerda, creator of @DepthsofWikipedia on Instagram, will guide us through the deepest, strangest, and silliest Wikipedia pages out there. Revel at the strangeness, laugh, maybe learn a bit and DEFINITELY have fun.

Gather ‘round for an evening of informed and informal talks from a friendly neighborhood expert! We’ll have three speakers, each presenting on a different topic and sharing interesting facts that you never knew you never knew! Past Nerd Nite speakers have led deep dives into topics from the legacy of Louis Pasteur, to the origin of elements, to how a trumpet works, to a dissection of romance novel tropes. So bring a friend, grab a drink, and enjoy an evening among fellow nerds. Be there and be square!

Unsettled Lives documents the history of Iraqi migration to metro Detroit in the wake of the 1991 Persian Gulf War. Attracted by Dearborn’s many Arabic speakers, mosques, and service organizations, as well as the affordable housing of Detroit, roughly 10,000 Iraqis have settled in Wayne County since the 1990s. Many of the Iraqis interviewed spent the years immediately following the war in the large refugee camp in Rafha, Saudi Arabia, which was set up in the aftermath of the failed uprising against Saddam Hussein.

About the artwork: 

Pandemica Driveway Band is a small local musical ensemble consisting of clarinet, French horn, tuba, drum set, guitar, and vocals, which began performing in driveways and backyards shortly after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Miss Gloria's Music Circle features traditional and modern children's music sung by engaging vocalist Miss Gloria Wilson.

Shannon Gibney, author and class of 1993 graduate of Community High School, will read from and discuss her new genre-bending book The Girl I Am, Was, and Never Will Be: A Speculative Memoir of Transracial Adoption.

Following the Ann Arbor District Library's Call for Artists in 2020, the Ann Arbor District Library celebrates the works of local Black artists in this lobby exhibit. Artists include: T'onna Clemons, Cheyenne Fletcher, Nick Pizana, Alfield Reeves, Jaleesa 'Jah Rosario, Bryan Shelmon, and Avery Williamson. 

Works are available for sale. For purchase inquiries email exhibits@aadl.org.

Join a cohort of undergraduate students from University of Michigan as they share musical compositions inspired by images from the AADL Archives. Each student selected one image to inspire them to score a piece of music. View the selected images and listen to each of these original pieces of music created in the fall of 2022. 

This event is in conjunction with the Scoring the Archive Exhibit on display in the Downtown Lower Level from December 8–January 31.

Join us for stories performed by the Ann Arbor Storytellers' Guild, many with audience participation!

Join us for stories with Ann Arbor storyteller La'Ron Williams, intermixed with vignettes from his life. They represent the best, most inspiring, and most powerful lessons he has to share after nearly forty years of listening to stories from his point of view as a professional storyteller, an African American man, and as an advocate for peace and social justice.