Library to explore space with help from NASA grant
Homewood Public Library already has a history of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) programs for their children and teen visitors, but a recent grant from NASA will help those programs blast off.
Earlier this spring, the Homewood library found out it was one of just 75 libraries across the country, and the only one in Alabama, to receive a NASA @ My Library grant. The grants are given to support more STEM programming for children and young adults, particularly for traditionally underserved demographics such as girls and minorities. The library’s background in activities like Girls Who Code and a middle school robotics club helped it stand out from the crowd of applicants.
“If you’re 5 [years old] or 100, you know NASA, and so I think it’s really cool that we can say we’re doing this with NASA,” teen librarian Judith Wright said.
The grant gives the library two NASA STEM Facilitation Kits to help create hands-on activities related to space and science, as well as a tablet that comes with apps and educational games. Head of Children’s Services Laura Tucker noted one of the apps, to be paired with a green screen, lets children to digitally put themselves on the moon.
NASA @ My Library also provides $500 to offset the cost of new STEM programming that the library outlined in its grant proposal.
Wright and Library Director Deborah Fout said Tucker is responsible for many of the new things coming to the library as a result of the grant.
“This woman right here is like a programming madwoman,” Wright said of Tucker. “She’s like the MacGyver of children’s programming.”
Some of their plans for the two-year grant include space-themed storytime, a Hubble film screening, STEM in space, a visit from local meteorologist James Spann and a STEM career fair. Tucker and Wright both said they were excited for the STEM career fair and a Women in STEM day for children to find out more about careers in those fields even beyond coding and robotics.
“There’re lots of other aspects of science and all that, that they might not be aware of,” Wright said.
At the end of two years, Homewood library will be evaluated with the possibility of extending the grant another two years. Wright said their goal is to make science, math and space exploration accessible to everyone who comes in the library — no matter their age — and the library will probably continue many of these programs even after the grant is finished.
“I’ve always said that we’re a ‘Yes’ library. If someone has an idea, we like to encourage it and say yes,” Wright said.
Upcoming programs funded by the NASA @ My Library grant include:
► Design Squad Global: Thursdays, through July 20, 2 p.m., Round Auditorium. Open to rising grades 4-8. Online registration required.
► Storytime in Space: Aug. 17, 24 and 31, 9:30 and 10:30 a.m., Round Auditorium
► Sensory Storytime: Aug. 19, 10:30 a.m., Round Auditorium. This month’s story will feature a space theme.
► Solar Eclipse @ My Library: Aug. 21, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The library will provide viewing glasses and activities.
► Paper Bag Book Club: Sept. 5, 3:30 p.m., Round Auditorium. Open to grades 3-5, no registration required. Participants bring their favorite space-themed book in a paper bag and give a “bookmercial” for others to guess which book they chose.
► STEM in Space: Sept. 11, 3:30 p.m., Round Auditorium. Open to grades K-5. Learn about what it takes to go to space.
► Hubble Film Screening: Sept. 14, 3:30 p.m., Large Auditorium.
► STEM in Space: Oct. 2, 3:30 p.m., Round Auditorium. Open to grades K-5. Learn about what it takes to go to space.
► Teen Space Art: Oct. 12, 4 p.m., Room 116. Open to grades 6-12.
► James Spann @ My Library: Nov. 9, 7:15 p.m., Large Auditorium.
► STEM in Space: Nov. 13, 3:30 p.m., Round Auditorium. Open to grades K-5. Learn about what it takes to go to space.
► Shred It! Recycle It!: Nov. 17, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., back parking lot. Securely shred old documents and recycle electronics, batteries, appliances, ink cartridges and other items. No TVs or monitors accepted. Secure hard drive destruction will also be available onsite for $10.
► Today’s Women in STEM: March 2018.
► STEM Career Fair: April 2018.
► Student STEM Fair: October 2018.
Visit homewoodpubliclibrary.orgfor a complete listing of library events.