Recap of Recaps: October 17–23

Submitted by Sarah Brubaker

Check out these highlights from some of the unique offerings that patrons enjoyed systemwide between October 17–23.

DIY Mason Jar Lid Pumpkins at Cumming Library

“This craft program was a part of our HollowFest series celebrating The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving. We made decorative pumpkins out of mason jar lids with cinnamon stick stems and burlap ribbon leaves. Fifteen crafters attended and could have stayed for much longer than our allotted hour and a half. It was wonderful to see friends working together and people of different ages chatting together as they crafted.” -submitted by Melissa Gunter

 

Diwali Crafts and Demonstrations at Cumming Library

“This program is one of my favorites! Every year, I try to add another fun element. This year, we began the program with a short video that explained Diwali, then I had two dancers perform and explain their classical dance and the story behind it. Next, I brought out the Rangoli demonstrators. One of the organizers, Indra, explained the history and purpose of Rangoli. We then allowed the crowd to participate in five crafts that represented the five days of Diwali. While they crafted, the Rangoli artists began their work. As patrons went from station to station, they watched the beautiful sand pieces come together. We made paper lanterns, painted Diyas, allowed the kids to try their own mini rangolis, created Henna hands, and, of course, firework poppers. So many people were appreciative and expressed gratitude for helping them celebrate Diwali in such a thoughtful way. I even had one family offer to buy me a traditional dress so I could wear it next year.” -hosted by Sariah Homan

Burial and Aftercare Options at Hampton Park Library

"We had a good turnout for this program, considering the topic. Mandy Richardson with McDonald and Son Funeral Homes came out today to talk about after-death alternatives to standard cemetery burials or urn storage. She started by saying that those in the funeral home and aftercare business focus on ecological sustainability, cultural sensitivity, and technological integration. She discussed the following options: cryonics, aquamation, plastination, green burial, coral reef burial, sea burial, space burial, living urns, tree pod burial, sea scattering, memorial diamonds and gems, glass keepsakes, oil painting, vinyl records, 3D printed urns, cremation fireworks, and traditional ash scattering. There were a lot of great questions at the end and everyone seemed very happy with the program." -hosted by Jennifer Forbes

Bookmobile Visit to Fowler Park

“We parked at the playground at Fowler Park, and the people flocked to us. We had a total of 26 people, plus 2 new cards, in 2 hours. We put out the corn hole game and the sidewalk chalk, and did they ever love that! We had to tell them that we had another stop to go to, because they did not want to leave. The most exciting thing about Fowler Park was that we had a little girl and her mother who were from Mexico, and it was their first library visit ever! The mother wanted to get a card for her little girl, and she was overjoyed when I told her about all of the programs that the Forsyth County library offers. I showed her how to look up the events for children on our website, and she said that she was going to the one at Cumming that afternoon! They were all smiles and could not wait to visit our other library branches. They had never seen anything like the bookmobile; I would love to have seen their faces when they saw the branch at Cumming!” -submitted by Jeanine Thompson

Spooky Science at Cumming Library

"Spooky science today was a graveyard smash! We started by talking about air pressure, and the kids had fun making 'ghosts' sink and float back up. After, we talked about forces and made 'franken-poppers' to demonstrate Newton’s three laws using pom-poms. We then talked about PH and chemical reactions. After this we began our last experiment, blowing up pumpkin heads. I drew faces on orange balloons, and we used the reaction between vinegar and baking soda to blow them up. This was a very fun program. The kids came in costumes and were excited to learn about spooky science. When the program was done, the caregivers complimented the program and said it was very approachable and planned well for this age group. I had one grandmother shake my hand and thank me for the day. They left excited about the experiments and wanted to make a few of them for themselves at home." -submitted by Signe Madson