The first Ann Arbor YMCA was established in 1858 by students at the University of Michigan and was the second YMCA in the state of Michigan. Cathi Duchon will discuss the YMCA's history in Ann Arbor from 1858-2008. Dan Maier, Vice President of Association Advancement, YMCA of Metropolitan Detroit, will also speak.

The story of Chrysler Corporation is an epic story of bold, ambitious men, horrible mismanagement, bad luck, gritty perseverance and the will to never say die. Local car historian Bob Elton presents a fascinating introduction to this once great company. In today's troubled times for the car business, it's a story worth hearing. This event is held in conjunction with the Main Street Area Association's July 11 Rolling Sculpture Car Show and cosponsored by the Main Street Area Association. Mr. Elton is one of the founders of the Rolling Sculpture Car Show.

Cokie Roberts covers Congress, politics and public policy for ABC News and serves as Senior News Analyst for National Public Radio, where she was the congressional correspondent for more than ten years. AADL is honored to host an evening with the award-winning journalist at the Michigan Theater, 603 East Liberty in Ann Arbor. In her best-selling book "Founding Mothers," Roberts paid homage to the women who helped establish our nation. In "Ladies of Liberty," (Morrow; on sale April 8, 2008) she continues the story of more remarkable women and their achievements in moving the fledgling nation forward, from 1796 to 1828. The event includes a book signing, with books for sale courtesy of Borders. There is no charge for admission. Cosponsored by Michigan Radio.In her more than thirty years in broadcasting, Ms. Roberts has won many awards, including two Emmys. She has been inducted into the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame, and was cited by the American Women in Radio and Television as one of the fifty greatest women in the history of broadcasting.

In commemoration of the 5th anniversary of 9/11 and in conjunction with the National Traveling Exhibit New York, September 11 by Magnum Photographers, this panel includes parents who all lost children on 9/1l. Adele Welty, John and Bev Titus, Pat Whalen, and Marilyn Rosenthal will reflect on the tragedy and its implications on their lives. Library Director Josie Parker will moderate.Adele Welty, of New York, is the mother of Firefighter Timothy Welty, lost in the line of duty on September 11, 2001.

During the past few years, two new slave manuscripts have surfaced. Each is an authentic, handwritten memoir of the escape to freedom of a young male slave during the Civil War. David Blight, Director of the Gilder Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance and Abolition at Yale University and the nation's leading expert on race during and after the Civil War, was commissioned to combine these narratives into his book, "A Slave No More." Blight will discuss his newly published groundbreaking work.

In 1905, trained in physics and mathematics, Albert Einstein took an office job because he could not find a teaching position. That year, he published three papers detailing revolutionary theories related to space and time, quantum mechanics, and the existence of atoms. The ideas would rock the foundations of science. Join Dr. Zurbuchen as he, through a fascinating audio-visual presentation, carries us back to 1905, when Einstein changed the scientific world forever.Prof. Zurbuchen has a PhD in Astrophysics from the University of Bern, Switzerland.

It's the 25th anniversary of the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum! In celebration, and in conjunction with the Library's Figure It Out summer reading program, AADL and AAHOM are hosting several science lectures at the downtown Library. In the first lecture, nationally-known Edison expert John Bowditch will discuss two great inventors of the 20th century. Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison are known not only for their inventions, but also for their intense rivalry. This event will be taped for future broadcast on Community Television Network. A 25th Anniversary Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum Historical Exhibit will be displayed in the lower level of the Library through July 21. John Bowditch is the current Director of Exhibits at the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum. He has also served as Curator of Industry at Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Village for 21 years and as the Director of the Lowell Museum in Lowell, Massachusetts. A published author, Bowditch has appeared on the BBC and History Channel as an expert on Thomas Edison. Additional science lectures in this series will take place in July.