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.”
Everyone loves tamales! Telescopes and Tamales was a community-centered program featuring an outdoor tamale dinner, presentations and videos on the upcoming James Webb Telescope launch, and STEAM crafts for kids. The program was topped off with a chance for participants to look through a telescope and view stars and planets on a clear, beautiful night.
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!
The Oceanside Library Brain Builder Backpacks are a circulable collection filled with material to facilitate at-home learning of various STEAM subjects for children.
Each backpack covers a different topic ranging from music to the human body to engineering and contains a book, a worksheet, and a hands-on activity to act as a fun and engaging at-home continuation of programs offered at the library. Backpacks vary in subject and age group (generally for ages 3-12). Patrons can check out the backpacks for 2 weeks at a time.
Families were invited to the library for an afternoon science program that explored the topic of light. Activities included making a spectroscope, color mixing, lasers, playing with convex and concave lenses, and exploring the law of reflection.
On Saturday, July 20, 2019, a multinational crew of space travelers, including NASA astronaut Andrew Morgan, arrived at the International Space Station. Their arrival marked the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11’s historic landing on the moon. NASA provided live coverage of the crew’s launch and arrival on their NASA TV YouTube page.
Provide a half-day STEM camp where the kids really get involved and inspired.
Using STEM learning tools you already have, you can go deeper into a subject to reinforce knowledge that the students may have already been introduced to. Campers will have time to think about their tasks and fire up their minds and imaginations.
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.
Girls in Engineering, Math and Science (GEMS) is a weekly STEM workshop series for teenage girls offered at five of our library system’s locations during the month of June. Participants get to meet influential women in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields, learn about STEM opportunities and get hands-on experience with STEM technologies.
Each two-hour session consists of a presentation from a female professional in a STEM field, followed by a one-hour activity that explores and builds STEM skills among the participants.
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.
