Submitted by Sarah Brubaker
Check out these highlights from some of the unique offerings patrons enjoyed systemwide June 26–July 2, 2025.
Happy Hula Hoops at Sharon Forks Library (6/27)
101 children, 60 adults (over 2 programs)
“Today Ms.Robbie entertained the audience with her amazing hula hoop performance and educational lesson. She had the different age groups of children come up front to volunteer and try it out. This inspired the audience to step up and try out the activity. The show ended with Ms.Robbie's performance with LED hoop dance, and the audience spontaneously clapped to keep the rhythm. Lots of people continued to stay much after the performance was over to try the hula hoop technique taught by Ms. Robbie. Ms. Robbie patiently taught all the tips and tricks of hula hooping. It was a lovely program that inspired many minds to try hula hoop as an activity.” - hosted by Anu Murari
101 children, 60 adults (over 2 programs)
“Today Ms.Robbie entertained the audience with her amazing hula hoop performance and educational lesson. She had the different age groups of children come up front to volunteer and try it out. This inspired the audience to step up and try out the activity. The show ended with Ms.Robbie's performance with LED hoop dance, and the audience spontaneously clapped to keep the rhythm. Lots of people continued to stay much after the performance was over to try the hula hoop technique taught by Ms. Robbie. Ms. Robbie patiently taught all the tips and tricks of hula hooping. It was a lovely program that inspired many minds to try hula hoop as an activity.” - hosted by Anu Murari
Teen Filmmaking Workshop at Sharon Forks Library (6/26)
24 teens
“Our teens learned all about filmmaking today! I presented a slideshow all about the different stages to film development, from storyboarding to post-production. I showed them our greenscreen, lights, microphones, and film slate. We offered five stations: create your own storyboard, practice screenwriting, take a picture with a real film camera, practice different camera angles, and research free film resources. So many of the teens told me how much they learned! One girl is going to create a YouTube channel and another said she's making a short fan film with her friend. I loved seeing them get inspired! The best part was watching a group of teens use our lights and tripod to create a short film with different shadows and props. I think this kind of program would be great as a series!” - hosted by Stephani Lindsey
24 teens
“Our teens learned all about filmmaking today! I presented a slideshow all about the different stages to film development, from storyboarding to post-production. I showed them our greenscreen, lights, microphones, and film slate. We offered five stations: create your own storyboard, practice screenwriting, take a picture with a real film camera, practice different camera angles, and research free film resources. So many of the teens told me how much they learned! One girl is going to create a YouTube channel and another said she's making a short fan film with her friend. I loved seeing them get inspired! The best part was watching a group of teens use our lights and tripod to create a short film with different shadows and props. I think this kind of program would be great as a series!” - hosted by Stephani Lindsey
Children’s Movie Maker Day at Cumming Library (6/28)
31 children, 15 adults
“Our second Children’s Movie Maker day was another rousing success. We started off the event by giving the kids a brief presentation about stop motion, showed them how to use the app, record audio, and save their films. After this, our budding filmmakers got to work. One of the coolest aspects of the program is to see how creative and unique the kids’ ideas are. This year, we had kids make movies about eggs, Mufasa, an evil monkey, Bluey, Hanaman, and much, much more. After the kids finished making their movies, they could record their audio in the sound studio. Children and caregivers really enjoyed this program. Many children collaborated with their parents to make their films, and they were all immensely proud of their work. Many also expressed a desire to keep making more movies at home, and many took the handout with the app link and steps involved. You can see the completed movies here! Every filmmaker also got an exclusive button to add to their lanyard for participating in the film festival.” - hosted by Kaity Bowers and Signe Madson
Family Flicks: The Wild Robot at Post Road Library (6/30)
30 children, 19 adults
“We watched The Wild Robot today! I had a few copies of the book available for patrons to look at and/or check out. Then for crafts, I had two stations set up. For the younger kids, they had materials provided to them to make their own Wild Robot out of toilet paper rolls and pre-cut paper arms, legs, and heads. For the older kids, they could use paper, straws, and strings to build their own robot hand.” - hosted by Jaime Adams
Introduction to Crochet for Teens and Tweens at Hampton Park Library (7/1)
23 teens, 7 adults
“We had such a fun night learning how to crochet at Hampton Park! A large group of teens and tweens showed up excited and ready to learn from our fantastic teen presenter, Rebecca. We had a variety of yarn colors and crochet tools available for participants to explore, and Rebecca did an incredible job guiding everyone through the basics, making great use of our IPEVO visualizer to help everyone follow along. She was a patient and thoughtful teacher, taking time to pause, repeat steps, and answer questions along the way. We were also lucky to have a great group of VolunTEENs assisting throughout the evening. Rebecca had brought them all together ahead of time to teach basic stitches in preparation for the event. How cool! With so many teens in attendance, it was wonderful to have multiple people available to offer one-on-one support, especially for those needing extra help with certain steps. Everyone was able to begin their coaster project and left with at least a partial piece and instructions on how to finish it at home. I saw so many proud smiles as teens walked out the door, including a few who had struggled early on. It was inspiring to see each participant leave with a new skill and a real sense of accomplishment. We received lots of positive feedback from both teens and parents who are already hoping for more crochet programs in the future!” - hosted by Chase Truran
Forsyth Creates: Printmaking at Denmark Library (7/1)
28 adults, 4 children
“Wow, did we have a great turnout for Forsyth Creates at Denmark this month!! I had prepared enough supplies for 24 patrons based off of recent Forsyth Creates attendance numbers; we had 28 adults participate and we had to turn away 3 more due to the limited amount of supplies. Once we had closed the program due to too many people, I made an announcement at the beginning asking for those under 18 to please observe due to the limited amount of supplies and the sharp tools being used. The kids seemed fine to observe, and those old enough ventured out into the library while their parents participated. This month's craft was printmaking, linocut, print blocks, or ‘make your own stamp.’ Patrons stenciled their design into rubber blocks then carved the "white" space to make their stamp. I supplied templates of designs for people to use, or they could draw their own with the supplied paper and pencils. Once they had their design imprinted on their block, they began to carve. Overall, everyone seemed pleased with the craft as they became more used to it. A few mentioned it was therapeutic to carve away the rubber. Others mentioned how they appreciated a ‘more complicated’ craft that required some skill. I overheard one patron exclaim that she will use her block for cardmaking. I thought they all did a wonderful job with their end products!” - hosted by Jessica Dillard
28 adults, 4 children
“Wow, did we have a great turnout for Forsyth Creates at Denmark this month!! I had prepared enough supplies for 24 patrons based off of recent Forsyth Creates attendance numbers; we had 28 adults participate and we had to turn away 3 more due to the limited amount of supplies. Once we had closed the program due to too many people, I made an announcement at the beginning asking for those under 18 to please observe due to the limited amount of supplies and the sharp tools being used. The kids seemed fine to observe, and those old enough ventured out into the library while their parents participated. This month's craft was printmaking, linocut, print blocks, or ‘make your own stamp.’ Patrons stenciled their design into rubber blocks then carved the "white" space to make their stamp. I supplied templates of designs for people to use, or they could draw their own with the supplied paper and pencils. Once they had their design imprinted on their block, they began to carve. Overall, everyone seemed pleased with the craft as they became more used to it. A few mentioned it was therapeutic to carve away the rubber. Others mentioned how they appreciated a ‘more complicated’ craft that required some skill. I overheard one patron exclaim that she will use her block for cardmaking. I thought they all did a wonderful job with their end products!” - hosted by Jessica Dillard
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