Feb 4, 2017
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seen from United States
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The Stoughton Public Library received the LSTA Science is Everywhere grant in 2014 and the LSTA Full Steam Ahead grant in 2015. With these grants, the library was able to provide exciting programs for school-age and preschool children based on STEM and STEAM topics. School-aged children ages 7-11 attended monthly programs on a wide variety of topics including Physics, Engineering, Animal Life, Weather, Chemistry, Makey-Makeys and more. These programs centered on a topic and always started with a K-W-L chart, where children were asked what they knew and wanted to know about the topic, then ended with what they learned. After a particular topic was introduced, children would perform an experiment, challenge or activity based upon the lesson for the day. They worked together in groups and had the opportunity to observe, test and modify their projects. Parent attendance was not required with this age group, yet facilitators found that parents had a large impact on the participants’ prior knowledge and interest of these science topics.
Preschool children and their parents attended the STEAM programs at the library, where a topic would be introduced and a brief discussion would generate what children knew or wanted to know about the specific topic that day. A storytime followed based on the subject and the program would end with several activity stations where children could explore the subject further. This grant included a program about bats where Stellaluna by Janell Cannon was read, a program on spiders where The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle was featured and more topics including magnetism, wind, fossils and more.
These two grants were so popular with library patrons that we have continued them in our regular programming despite the grants expiring. They provided the seed money for us to begin a new line of programming that has exceeded our expectations as far as attendance and interest. There is often a waiting list! The library is in its second year of independent STEM programming for ages 7-11 and the first year of independent STEAM programming for ages 3-6. The programs are provided monthly for each age group by the two Children’s Librarians on staff, Barbara Pally and Amy Dean. We found that parent participation in the programs for preschool-aged children helped educate both parent and child on various science topics. Our hope is that this interest will be fostered at home and continues to generate interest as children age and attend the STEM programs for school-aged children.
Space Camp
March was space-themed at the Fowler Branch of the Concord Free Public Library. For our Space Camp program, we talked about how astronauts prepare for living and work in space and had a series of learning stations set up where children could practice walking on a moving surface like astronauts exercising in space, how to conduct experiments with gloves, and how to prepare meals in space. We even got to sample an MRE (meals ready-to-eat) like soldiers and astronauts might eat.
littleBits & Lego
littleBits, magnetic circuits, were added to the monthy Lego program at the Fowler Branch of the Concord Free Public Library. Children can create whatever they like using the tools provided. Several created objects based on the littleBits Gizmos and Gadget kit while others designed original projects.
The Magic of Magnets
Properties of magnetic materials were demonstrated and a series of experiments were conducted to test how to use magnets in various situations. The audience then had the opportunity to come up and test the magnets themselves. A kit of magnets and suggested experiments is now being circulated at the Fowler Branch of the Concord Free Public Library. One mother told us that her 4 and 5 year old children spent the next week testing everything in the house for magnetic properties.
Dinosaur Dig
After receiving LSTA funds to increase preschool STEAM programming, the Fowler Branch of the Concord Free Public Library hosted a program on dinosaurs. After discussing how bones turn into fossils, participants practiced their excavation skills by extracting chocolate chips from cookies with a toothpick, searched through a fake excavation site for bones, and had the chance to make their own fossils with clay, molds, and imagination.
Springfield Technical Community College created a Pop-Up Library cart using LSTA funds that was put on display during the Library Legislative Day at the State House. State Representative Carlos Gonzalez stopped by to say hello and learn more about what the traveling library cart can do!
Forbes Library has been working on improving access to library services and programs through a two-year LSTA grant called "Serving Patrons with Disabilities". Among its many facts this grant has allowed the library to offer assisted listening technology in its meeting rooms and screen reading software on its public computers. During this second year, Forbes Library is offering a range of programs of special interest to patrons with disabilities including a series of tech classes for blind and low vision patrons.