The Royal Oak Public Library is very excited about establishing a butterfly-friendly garden on their grounds to provide educational opportunities and enjoyment for the community.

Documents

• April 13th presentation
• Royal Oak Public Library's host and nectar plant list

What exactly is a butterfly garden?

A butterfly garden is a haven or sanctuary that includes plants that are inviting to butterflies. A butterfly garden contains plants that meet the butterfly's needs during all four life stages: the egg; caterpillar; chrysalis; and adult. A butterfly garden includes plants necessary for butterflies to lay their eggs (host plants) and plants that will provide nourishment for the butterflies (nectar plants).

Meet the Author: Steve Luxenberg. On Thursday, April 15, Steve Luxenberg will discuss his book Annie’s Ghosts: A Journey Into A Family Secret. Described as part detective story, part social history, and part memoir, the book revolves around his mother’s decision to hide the existence of a disabled sister, Annie. Luxenberg, a Washington Post editor and Detroit native, pieces together the story of his mother’s motivations, his aunt’s unknown life, and the times in which the two women lived. His search takes him to imperial Russia and Depression-era Detroit, through the Holocaust in the Ukraine and the Philippine war zone, and back to the large mental institutions where Annie and many others were lost to memory.

We have been answering your email questions for some time. Now we added a "chat" or "instant message" service to our website. If you are on your computer or another browser enabled device, and have a quick question for us, just look for the green Online button in the right column of www.ropl.org. You are promised a real-time response from our professional library staff. If for some reason we are not available and you see the red Offline, don't hesitate to e-mail your question to us. We will respond as soon as possible. And as always, let us know what you think.

ROPL is now accepting credit card payment for overdue fines, replacement fees, auditorium rentals, and the sale of ear buds, computer discs and other equipment. Cards bearing the Visa or MasterCard logo are accepted.

ROPL has converted to a new and improved library card. From four design details in the stairway mural the community selected one card design. Of 1104 votes, the "Butterfly Book" design detail was selected with 450 votes. Treasure Chest was a close second at 440 votes.

The Royal Oak Public Library mural is complete and 250 individuals were on hand for a viewing reception on April 17, 2009 honoring mural artist, Kate Paul of Paul Studios and area students whose art was included in the first Royal Oak Public Schools student art exhibit which concluded.

Playaway is a simple way to listen to audio on the go. Each Playaway is an MP3 player with the audio book pre-loaded on it. No cassettes, no CDs, no downloads. Each ultra-portable Playaway weighs only two ounces and has a universal jack that works with almost any type of headphone or mobility accessory. Just add a AAA battery, plug in your earbuds, and enjoy.