Recently, the New York Public Library launched a new pilot series in select library branches across three boroughs. Community Conversations encourages open dialogue where everyone’s voice can be heard.Â
When you, as a resident, participate in Community Conversations, you can expect to:
Wonder Time is an engaging program that encourages curiosity and self-expression. Children discover that learning is fun!
Each Tuesday from 4 to 6 p.m., kids have an opportunity to “wonder” about something. The program is geared toward (but not limited to) children ages 6 to 14.
Builder’s Club: Tween Edition is a hands-on, collaborative STEAM program for children ages 9 to 14. During each session, a library facilitator introduces a new topic for tweens to explore and practice.
Talking Truth was initiated in fall 2015 to support and build on understanding of climate disruption. Our experiential workshops employ storytelling, reflective writing, discussions and mindfulness exercises that foster a world that is socially transforming.
It’s all fun and games until someone loses an eye. Or an axle. Or a 24-tooth crown gear. Or all of them in one sitting.
That was the challenge we faced here at Mid-Continent Public Library as we planned to make LEGO WeDo kits available for programs at our 31 branches. How do you circulate 40 kits throughout the system without losing most of the pieces — and your mind?
“STEM is intimidating. Some teens think it’s a subject geared for students that already make straight A’s or already know that they want to go to college,” says Analiza Perez-Gomez, librarian at the Laredo Public Library in Texas. “But libraries level the playing ground. There are no obstacles to STEM here. Here, teens can try out STEM concepts for the first time with no added pressure.”
ALA invites applications from public libraries in the United States and territories interested in hosting the traveling exhibition World on the Move: 250,000 Years of Human Migration, developed by the American Anthropological Association and the Smithsonian’s Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage.
ALA, in collaboration with the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History’s (NMNH) Human Origins Program, invites applications from public libraries interested in hosting the traveling exhibition Exploring Human Origins: Promoting a National Conversation on Human Evolution.
Staff at the St. Louis County Public Library in Missouri have incorporated STEAM into their library programming for years. Desiree Schumann, project coordinator, youth services, says that the library knew from early on that STEAM would be a priority.
On December 22, 2021, the James Webb Space Telescope will launch into space! Using revolutionary and advanced technology, the infrared telescope will study every phase of cosmic history. Will the greatest questions on the origins of our universe finally be solved?
Get ready for this historic event at your library by directing curious patrons to reliable information. The launch also serves as the perfect opportunity to plan some fun STEAM programming virtually or in-person!
Public and tribal libraries are invited to apply for NASA@ My Library, a STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) education initiative that will increase and enhance STEAM learning opportunities for library patrons throughout the nation, including geographic areas and populations currently underrepresented in STEAM education.
Bringing an Earth or space scientist or engineer into your library can provide an eye-opening experience for anyone who’s ever looked up at the stars in wonder. But finding a scientist — let alone the right scientist, a skilled presenter with research that your patrons will be interested in — can feel like a galaxy-sized challenge.
In this webinar, attendees gain new ideas and understanding of how to offer culturally responsive programming to Latinx communities and build relationships safely during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Science @ Home! is a weekly program that demonstrates simple science projects with everyday objects that children can do at home, combined with an explanation of how the science behind the project works. The program debuted on April 6, 2020, and is tentatively scheduled to run through the end of August.
The idea for Science @ Home! came just after the library closed to the public. Staff had filmed a couple of virtual storytimes the day before staff was sent home, so we had about a week of virtual programs ready.
As a child, I was very curious, annoying my family with my constant questions. In adulthood, that curiosity led me to librarianship. I am constantly trying to learn new things.
Libraries are key to expanding people’s curiosity, not just about the world, but about each other. For your library to truly be open to all, a place where everyone is welcome to learn about each other, you need to engage all segments of your community — not just those that you are intrinsically a part of.
In September 2016, our library learned that Laurens County would be in the path of totality for the solar eclipse on August 21, 2017, and that a program from the Space Science Institute (SSI) and NASA was offering free eclipse glasses for libraries to distribute to their patrons. Our director thought it might be good to plan an event, especially since we have plenty of parking and a large lawn.
Our How to Make Slime program gave students the opportunity to use common household ingredients to create their own slime.
They practiced skills including reading recipes, measuring, mixing colors and trial and error to make a colorful, slimy substance that they then played with and took home.
Science in St. Louis is an ongoing program series held at St. Louis County Library (SLCL). This program features local scientists and their research projects. While many of the topics discussed can be quite complex, the goal of this program is to present science in a fun and informal manner that encourages children and adults to become interested in science.
Since starting in 2015, there have been 16 programs with an average of 82 attendees per program. Topics have included Missouri’s Ozark dinosaurs, forensics at the St. Louis County Crime Lab, and 3D printing in medicine.
Public libraries are invited to apply for NASA@ My Library, a STEM education initiative that will increase and enhance STEM learning opportunities for library patrons throughout the nation, including geographic areas and populations currently underserved in STEM education.
The Oceanside Library Science Café is a monthly series in which a scientist presents informally on a current science topic for approximately 10 minutes, followed by discussion and questions from patrons. We use the format created by NOVA, which focuses on presenting science topics in a relatable and engaging way, and in an informal setting. (We also serve coffee and really good cookies.) No PowerPoint or other formal presentation materials are used.
