STEM at the Library

by Jennifer Nicholson  Rowan Public Library

Most of us have heard of the acronym STEM, from teachers, leaders in education, scientists, to even presidents of the United States.  But what does that really mean?  STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics; another acronym that is sometimes used alternately is STEAM, which includes Art.  But what does this really mean, and why is STEM or STEAM so important?

In March 2015, then President Barack Obama said, "[Science] is more than a school subject, or the periodic table, or the properties of waves. It is an approach to the world, a critical way to understand and explore and engage with the world, and then have the capacity to change that world...".  STEM is not just studying these set subjects, but rather a different way of thinking.  The US Department of Education stated it best as, “In a world that’s becoming increasingly complex, where success is driven not only by what you know, but by what you can do with what you know, it’s more important than ever for our youth to be equipped with the knowledge and skills to solve tough problems, gather and evaluate evidence, and make sense of information.” STEM education is about critical thinking, observation, and creativity.

Projections done by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics for 2010-2020 predicts employment in STEM related fields to grow by 18.7%, while other career fields are predicted by 14.3%.  Meaning STEM is becoming the future, thus, the reason for the US Department of Education to create new initiatives to help recruit more teachers focused on STEM and improving STEM education in preschools and in elementary schools to help better prepare our children for the future.

However, this initiative is not only being seen in schools and preschools, but also after school care, extracurricular activities, and also within public libraries.  The Rowan Public Library has been making great strives this year in creating programs and finding resources that are STEM focused.  RPL has also been recipients of several grants this year, including one with the partnership of Catawba College Teacher Education Department, has helped create and boost our makerspace or “The Coop”, to include Makey-Makeys, Raspberry Pi, and a green screen for film making, to name just a few items.  Another grant was given to RPL from the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), which has allowed RPL to purchase several robots to help boost STEM and coding programing, for children as young as 4 years old and up to 11 years old.  RPL has been and will continue to host several events in which families and children can come, meet, and play with robots.  RPL will host a Preschool Robotics program on Saturday, April 7^th at 11:00 am at the East Branch, Rockwell location.  Children and families can come and meet Cubetto, a wooden robot, that requires no special device or screen technology to code.  Come join Cubetto has he goes on specialize adventures, with his own storybook and map!

RPL also this year has been a recipient of the Star Party kit part of the 2018 North Carolina Science Festival, which is supported from the North Carolina Space Grant and produced by UNC’s Morehead Planetarium and Science Center.  RPL is one of 37 sites to receive this kit, with this year being the first year that the NC Science Festival has included public libraries, making RPL one of 6 public libraries in the state to receive this kit.  RPL will be hosting the Star Party and celebrating everything space related on Friday, April 20^th from 7:30 pm-10:30 pm, at South Rowan Regional Library, China Grove.  For information or to find more science theme activities in North Carolina, please check out the NC Science Festival website at: https://www.ncsciencefestival.org/ or RPL’s website at www.rowanpubliclibrary.org.

Want to play with more robots?  What happens when robots meet Legos?  RPL will host a STEAM into Adventure: Robots and Legos event on Saturday, April 28^th at 11:00 am.  Children 5-11 years old, and families can come and play with Lego WeDo 2.0, Dash, and Cubelets, and see what happens if you mix them!  How well can robots and Legos get along?

For more information on upcoming STEM programs and other programs, please check out our website at www.rowanpubliclibrary.org.

Jennifer Nicholson

Library Notes

 by Amber Covington Rowan Public Library

Libraries are organizations that offer free or low cost resources to people in the community. At Rowan Public Library, there are many ways the community uses the three library branches in Rowan County. People gather together to hold monthly meetings of their social clubs, students of all ages gather to study or complete assignments, businesses host hiring events, families gather to attend storytimes, property owners research the history of their property, chairs and tables are filled with people using the wireless internet from a mobile device, computer terminals are used by people completing online applications, and avid readers roam the aisles for their next read.

Current users of the library are dedicated patrons that support the mission of the library to provide information to all and are the best way to promote the services provided at our branches. As our society and social norms change over time it is critical that libraries stay relevant and aware of its community. A powerful tool that can be utilized to share the services libraries provide is social media (I.e. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and blogs). Each platform provides a way for libraries to share its services to people globally. Anyone can search the Internet and locate a page created by Rowan Public Library to find out about upcoming storytimes, book club meetings, special events, pictures, and ways to get involved in activities at each library branch. Maintaining social media pages are low cost ways to share information with our digital, ever changing society.

Spread the word about upcoming events at our libraries: like and share the library’s social media accounts by following @rowanpubliclibrary on Facebook, @RPL_Adults on Twitter and Instagram, and subscribe to the Rowan Public Library’s channel on Youtube.

Library Notes

by Laurie Lyda Rowan Public Library

If you’ve wandered through the children’s department at any of Rowan Public Library’s branches (Headquarters in Salisbury, East in Rockwell, and South Rowan Regional in China Grove), then you know that displays are common. Children’s staff put a lot of time and energy into creating displays that accentuate areas of their collection.

Holiday displays are especially popular with patrons. For St. Patrick’s Day, South Rowan Regional’s children’s staff created a fun display with a variety of books about the history of the day and variations on the legends related to St. Patrick.

One of the books is “St. Patrick’s Day” by Gail Gibbons. This early reader book, originally published in 1994, addresses the holiday’s history, mentioning Patrick’s presumed birth in Britain in 380 CE, his work in the church, and his death on March 17, 461 CE and subsequent sainthood, bestowed by the Catholic Church. Gibbons also addresses the tradition of wearing green on March 17, the legends about leprechauns, and other ways people celebrate the day.

“Harp O’Gold,” written by Teresa Bateman and illustrated by Jill Weber, is also designed for early readers. The cautionary tale shares the story of Tom, an Irish minstrel, who trades his loved wooden harp for one of gold, only to learn that while the gold one (and its tinny music) brought riches and fame, it also cost his freedom. Will Tom learn his lesson? Will he be able to get his wooden harp back and live a life of warmth, happiness, and music?

There are also non-holiday books on display, as well. Gloria Houston’s “My Great-Aunt Arizona,” illustrated by Susan Condie Lamb, pays tribute to Houston’s great-aunt and to the impact and influence of teachers everywhere. Arizona was born in a log cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains, and while she never went to the “faraway places” that she dreamed of, she touched the lives of generations and, as Houston writes, “travels with me and with those of us whose lives she touched…She goes with us in our minds.”

Among my new favorites is “I Love It When You Smile,” written by Sam McBratney and illustrated by Charles Fuge. The tale of a grumpy little Roo who resists his mother’s efforts to cheer him up is adorable, and the illustrations complement the story well, with Fuge capturing Roo’s grumpiness perfectly. Roo’s mother finally makes him smile after an accident that involves a muddy hole and results in two mud-covered kangaroos. The book’s closing “I love it when you smile” sentiment leaves the reader with a smile, too.

Other children’s books guaranteed to make someone smile include the Pete the Cat series. Created by James Dean, many of the books are a collaboration between Kimberly and James Dean and Eric Litwin. Pete the Cat is a mellow feline, who stars in stories that teach early readers about moving along “because it’s all good” and how to make new friends when they’re very different from you.

A less mellow cat is the star of Nick Bruel’s Bad Kitty series, which I always find hilarious (perhaps because I’ve been guardian to a “bad kitty” more than once in my life). Bad Kitty wants to be Good Kitty, but life throws her curve balls (hair balls?) that waylay her efforts sometimes. Her adventures include a review of the alphabet that will be useful for early readers.

The next time you visit your nearest branch of RPL, take a moment to peruse the children’s department’s displays. Whether you’re reading for yourself, for a child, or for a classroom, there are plenty of fun titles to be enjoyed. For those who don’t have time for in-person perusals, visit the catalog via www.rowanpubliclibrary.org. If you have an RPL card in good standing, you can place books on hold and have them ready for pick-up at your nearest branch (you’ll receive a notification when they’re ready). You will need to know your four-digit pin number, so if you’ve forgotten that, call an RPL branch or stop by during business hours to reset it.