LIBRARY GOES MAD FOR SCIENCE—Staff at McAlester Public Library have donned their lab coats, and grabbed test tubes and science books in preparation for a science-filled Summer Reading Program. Getting ready for special summer programs are (clockwise, from top) Ellen Barlow, Christopher Elliott, Erin Austin, Anita Ross, Candy Larkins, Kathy McGilberry, Forrest and (center) Janice Saaranen.
Science-Themed Summer
Will Fizz, Spark at Library
Librarians will transform into mad scientists, and programs for all ages will fizz, boom and spark, when McAlester Public Library focuses on a science theme during its annual Summer Reading Program.
Beginning June 1 and continuing until July 31, everything from a Mad Science show for kids to a stop-motion animation class for teens will be on the schedule. Special programs for adults and family groups will range from a special audience-participation movie to a stargazing night at the Expo Center with local astronomy experts.
The theme for all children’s programs is “Fizz, Boom, Read!” Teens will be urged to “Spark a Reaction” through reading. And for adults, the theme is “Literary Elements.” Calendars and catalogs are now available at the library with details of all the programs.
The library’s Facebook page and Twitter feed (@McAlestrLibrary) will have daily updates, and the website, www.mcalesterlibrary.net, will host additional information.
“We are combining science and literature in ways sure to pique anyone’s interest,” said Head Librarian Christine Sauro. “And this year, the library will sponsor a field trip to the Science Museum in Oklahoma City as well.”
The only requirement to make the trip is attendance at three children’s or teen library programs. Up to 10 teens and 25 children age nine or older—along with five adult chaperones—will receive free admission to the museum, free transportation and a free lunch. A bus and driver provided by Frink-Chambers School will leave the library at 9 a.m. Thursday, July 24 and return at approximately 6 p.m.
Registration for the trip will be first-come, first-serve. Any additional family groups wanting to attend will have to follow the bus in a caravan, and pay for their own admission and meals.
Beginning Monday, June 2, free lunches will be provided for anyone age 18 or younger each Monday-Thursday at noon, through the Summer Feeding Program. Those planning to take advantage of this program should note that Friday lunches are no longer being served.
CHILDREN’S PROGRAMS
The main weekly programs for children will be at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. each Wednesday. Tuesdays will feature Lap Sit Story Times at 10 and 11 a.m., and an afternoon children’s movie at 2 p.m. Thursdays will feature a 10 a.m. Story and Activity Time, and a 2 p.m. Game Time.
The children’s schedule is:
*June 4—Extreme Animals. Presenter Shana Schmidt said children will learn about animal habitats and get up close to exotic animals like a baby kangaroo, a lemur and more.
*June 11—Derick Brock’s “Ooh! Aah! Mad Science Show” will feature chemical reactions and even small, but safe, explosions.
*June 18—Joann McMillan’s show “Earth, Air, Fire and Water” will feature many different sizes and shapes of puppets representing the basics of life on earth, and will feature lots of audience participation.
*June 25—Monte Harper’s show “Songs from the Science Frontier” will feature songs like “What is the Shape of the Molecule?” “Super Scientist” and “Microbe Hunter.”
Programs in July will feature Susan Campbell’s “Science Safari;” Michael Corley’s “Science of Magic,” a series of magic effects in the form of science experiments; magician Steve Crawford and his “Doc Crawford’s Water Experiment;” and Native American storyteller Will Hill.
“Science is all around us,” said Children’s Librarian Anita Ross. “The plants, the animals, the way the sun hits the earth…it isn’t just test tubes.”
TEEN PROGRAMS
Teen programs are open to students in Sixth Grade through age 18. Teens can earn points by reading books and coming to programs, and each point gets them one entry into a drawing for an iPad Mini and other prizes to be given away at the end of summer.
The main weekly programs for teens will be on Wednesdays at 2 p.m. Other activities include weekly Game Times on Thursdays, 2-4 p.m.; Yu-Gi-Oh Clubs every other Tuesday, 2-4 p.m.; a monthly Teen Movie; and monthly Teen Challenges, with games like Minute to Minute and Charades.
The teen schedule is
*June 4—Kickoff Decorating Party, with snacks and drinks, as teens prepare their meeting room for summer.
*June 11—Make Your Own Lava Lamp activity;
*June 18—A Taste-Trippin’ Party, with taste surprises;
*June 25—Stop-Motion Animation Class;
*July 9—A creative exercise called “Wreck This Journal;”
*July 16, 18 and 23—Volcano creation;
*July 23—Diet Coke/Mentos experiments in the vacant lot north of the library off Second St.; *July 30—A Zombie Party, with a special movie, at which teens will come in Zombie costume, with a prize for Best Costume.
“Area teens are encouraged to participate in ‘Spark a Reaction’ activities,” said Teen Librarian Erin Austin. “We know they will find much to interest them.”
ADULT/FAMILY PROGRAMS
Adult/Family programs are open to everyone, and attendance at each movie, book discussion or presentation will give participants the chance to enter to win a Kindle Fire HD to be given away July 31. Special science-themed door prizes and incentives will be given away at other events.
The main weekly programs for adults and families will be on Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. Other activities will include Bookies, Light Readers and Night Readers book clubs; Socrates Café discussion group; monthly crafts group; the re-launching of the SteamPunk book group on Wednesday evenings; special science-themed movies; and a new nonfiction book group on Saturday mornings.
The adult/family schedule is:
*June 5—A summer-only Mystery Science Book Club reading the The Periodic Table Mysteries, beginning with The Hydrogen Murder by Camille Minichino, with a Periodic Table shower curtain as the prize;
*June 12—The Science of Storm Chasing, with Pittsburg County Emergency Management director Kevin Enloe;
*June 19—The Science of Ham Radio, with Pittsburg County Amateur Radio Club officer David Weeks;
*June 26—“What If…I DON’T Immunize My Child?,” a program by Lesa Curry and Melissa Locke of the Oklahoma State Department of Health, addressing the anti-vaccination movement;
*July 3—Mystery Science Book Club, discussing Camille Minichino’s The Helium Murder, with another Periodic Table shower curtain as a prize;
*July 10—A look at injection wells and their relationship to earthquakes, with Dr. Kyle Murray of the Oklahoma Geological Survey;
*July 17—The Science of Crime Scene Investigation, with OSBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jenny Virden;
*July 23—SteamPunk 101, a presentation by steampunk enthusiasts, in character as Dr. Henley Fenchurch, alchemist, and Vivian Tamsel, procurer of rare items;
*July 24—The Science of Agricultural Research, with Hugh Aljoe of the Noble Foundation; and
*July31—The Science of Astronomy, with Phillip Scott and Dr. Aaron Watkins, who will present “Finding Your Way Through the Night Sky” at the library, to be followed by an 8-9 p.m. free picnic dinner on the grounds of the Expo Center, and stargazing at dark, with telescopes provided by the presenters.
“We’ve mixed fun science activities with real-life science applications to show everyone how science affects their lives,” said Assistant Librarian Kathy McGilberry. “We hope everyone will find something to examine at the library this summer.”
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