A Recap of Recaps

Submitted by Lindsey Allison 

Here is a sampling of recaps from June 30 through July 6: 

Saving Earth Together at HP 
52 children, 26 adults
“Jasmine from Talewise came to the library to present today and it was incredible! She wowed kids and families with cool science experiments that all tied into an overarching story. She was awesome at keeping everyone engaged and used interactive storytelling to explain basic scientific concepts in a fun way. The audience had to use science to help the heroes of our story defeat an evil super-polluter and save Earth, so the stakes were high. To complete her mission, Jasmine was able to suspend a giant eyeball in mid air with a leaf blower, turn liquids into solids, make a cloud appear inside an empty bottle, and create fast chain reactions.” – Chase Truran

Becoming a Global Citizen: Discussions on International Issues at SF
22 adults
“Some patrons' comments on the Becoming a Global Citizen series and about the library: "I feel like my brain is coming out of hibernation!", "Is there a chance this series can become a permanent one?", "This library system is superior compared to every other library I've visited. I love how diverse your programs are, from the storytimes for the little ones to programs like this for old people like me. You guys are awesome! Kudos to you! We love what you are doing here!" (This same patron raved about CU's "Summer of Jane Austen" series. She loved how CU presented info on Jane Austen in such a creative way.)” – Jessica Doss

Mathsters Club at CU
36 children, 22 adults
“This week we focused on measuring distances. First we made a Classic Dart paper airplane and a Ninja Star. We talked about the different geometric shapes our folds created as we made our star. I'm glad I had 6 VolunTEENs. Even though I chose simple designs, many of the kids needed lots of help. After they labeled their airplanes and stars, the kids took turns measuring how far they could throw, recording the distances of their best 3 trials. This took the bulk of the program. Again, the teens were a great help with the measuring. We have lots of tape measures, so multiple kids could be measuring at the same time. Lastly, we gathered together and discussed their results. Some of the kids wanted to demonstrate their very talented throwing skills!” – Julie Boyd

Laundromat Displays with Outreach 
“Today at the laundromats I had the opportunity to share about the library with some Forsyth County residents. At The Wash Pot I said "Buenos días" to a young Hispanic man and that led to a conversation about the library and the services we offer. While sharing about the Conversational English classes, another lady overheard us talking and she too was interested in the classes. I gave them both Conversational English bookmarks and directions to the Post Road Library. My second stop was at City Laundromats where I met Mrs. Sherry. She shared with me how she used to go to the library but now she doesn't have much time. She mentioned that she used a paid app to listen to books. I took this as my opportunity to let her know about Libby. I issued her a library card on the spot. She was planning to visit the library to use a computer. When I told her that the library had Chromebooks that she could check out, she looked at me very surprised and said "Do you believe in God? You are a Godsend!" She went on to share how she and her husband were in a car accident last year and that her husband is now disabled. She said a laptop is all they needed. Experiences like these fill my heart with joy.” – Kandy de Martin

Way Back Wednesdays at PR
27 children, 13 adults
“There were a few kids who enjoyed interacting with "Ben" before the program started. As before, I used a slideshow to introduce each center: Quill Pens, Calligraphy, and Make-Your-Own "Quill Pen"; Potato Printing (and examination of some movable type from a printing press); Invisible Ink; Codes and Ciphers; Telephones (with phone etiquette) and STEM (cup and string phones); Letter Writing, Envelope addressing, Stamp-Designing, and Wax Seals. I also showed a brief clip of someone playing the armonica, a glass-bowl instrument Ben invented; there are compositions for the instrument written by Mozart and Beethoven! As in the first program, the teens were amazing. They interact with the kids with patience and grace. Two kids left notes on the letter-writing table to thank the teens and me for the program!” – Jane Elizabeth Sewell

Photo of the Week:

Way Back Wednesdays, Post Road Library 
(Photo/Tina Pearson)