Clearinghouse Activities with Homeschoolers
At the Arlington Heights Memorial Library, I host a monthly homeschool program for homeschool families ages 5 and up. It’s a very general program: drop…
Explaining Eclipses for Little Kids
There are so many activities for the eclipse out there, but a lot of them can be targeted to the older age crowd. I combed…
Keep the fun going with passive programs
I am always on the lookout for more passive programs to serve my community. A passive program is something prepared in advance, that patrons can…
Adding Space to Summer Reading
As summer reading comes to a close, it’s also a good time to reflect and think about the next year. I am waiting patiently for…
Program in a Post: Tiny Coders
With technology becoming more and more prevalent in day-to-day life, kids are introduced to technology earlier and earlier. There are varying ideas about how old…
Portal to the Past: Make Your Own Eclipse History Exhibit
by guest blogger David Baron, author of American Eclipse: A Nation’s Epic Race to Catch the Shadow of the Moon and Win the Glory of…
Getting started with SEAL? Find eclipse and Solar Eclipse Activities for Libraries resources here!
We’ve put together a list of links and resources relevant to the Solar Eclipse Activities for Libraries project below. We’ll be updating this post with…
Join us for two great SEAL Virtual Training webinars in September!
The countdown clock is ticking down to the annular eclipse on October 14 2023! As part of the Solar Activities for Libraries (SEAL) project, STAR…
Meet the authors of eclipse books at our SEAL Virtual Training!
It’s time for another webinar in our SEAL Virtual Training series! To prepare librarians for the October ’23 and April ’24 eclipses, we’re hosting a…
Virtual Visits and Star System Symphonies
I was puttering along yesterday doing my chores…when I realized that it’s August! August! When I was in school, the beginning of August was always…
Skylab’s 50th Anniversary! What Did We Learn?
I had the opportunity to listen to a fantastic webinar recently about Skylab. It was hosted by the Intrepid Air and Space Museum, and you…
Come Play at the PLIX Play Cafe
Who doesn’t like to get goodies in the mail? How about free surprises to play with? This summer PLIX – the Public Library Innovation Exchange…
Creasing Paper, Making Magic: Exploring Hyperbolic Paraboloids
I’m a member of an international online origami group. We meet on Zoom every month. Usually, like in most webinars, everyone has their supplies ready…
Cartography Fun: Make a Map and Create a World
When I was a teenager, back in the Dark Ages before cell phones, home computers, internet, and televisions in every room, I found myself confined…
The Quest for the NASA Moon Trees
Did you know that trees have been into space? They have! Well, not exactly trees, but tree seeds. Back in January of 1971, the Apollo…
Recent Space Reads for Kids
Books about space are frequent and not so far between. Sometimes so many pass over my desk, that I groan “not another book about space.”…
Learn about the SEAL collection on the STEM Activity Clearinghouse at our virtual unboxing webinar!
As part of the Solar Activities for Libraries (SEAL) project, STAR Net has put together a whole collection of solar science and eclipse focused STEM…
Professional Development, Conferences and Resources
The Summer months bring special programming at the library. The annual Summer Reading Program, take & make kits, special performers, and for me a few…
STEAM Engines at Skokie Library: Laws of Motion
One of my favorite things about science is the way it so frequently looks like magic. From bubbling concoctions acidic and basic to the wizardry…
JWST Anniversary Activities
An amazing space telescope, that is rewriting astronomy books, has a big anniversary coming up! July 12, 2023 will be the 1-year anniversary of the…
LEGO Challenge: SEL and STEAM at Skokie Library
One thing that will never cease to amaze me is kids’ capacity for endless creative LEGO building. I love LEGO, but free building is not…
Artemis II, More Than Just the Moon
The Artemis program is now moving beyond the years of testing hardware and systems, and with the successful completion of the un-crewed Artemis 1 mission…
A PASSPORT TO THE UNIVERSE
by Martha Saladino at NASA’s Universe of Learning Seward is a scenic town in south central Alaska. Typical activities in the area include wandering in…
Celebrating Water this Earth Day
Earth Day is an annual event that takes place on April 22nd in over 190 countries to celebrate and take action for a healthier planet.…
The Sparkly Magic of Crystals!
The kids and I were at one of my very favorite places in Chicago: the Museum of Science and Industry when we noticed one of…
Graphics, Flyers, and Illustrations for the SEAL Project
As part of the Solar Eclipse Activities for Libraries (SEAL) project, our team has developed a series of graphics that can be used by both…
NASA Inspires Futures for Tomorrow’s Youth (NIFTY) Application Announcement!
STAR Net is looking for 15 libraries from Tennessee, California, Minnesota, and Arizona, to take part in the NIFTY Project to connect youth (ages 9-14)…
Make Your Own Image of the Pillars of Creation with NASA’s Astrophoto Challenge.
Join NASA’s Universe of Learning for an exciting opportunity to use real astronomical data and tools to create your own images of the iconic Pillars…
Discover Exoplanets: The Search for Alien Worlds Exhibit Opportunity Now Open
The Space Science Institute is pleased to announce a free NASA exhibit for public libraries. The next tour of ‘Discover Exoplanets: The Search for Alien…
Solar Eclipse Activities for Libraries Invites you to Register for Eclipse Glasses!
For all public library staff! It’s eclipse time again! Two Solar Eclipses Coming to North America! An Annular Eclipse in 2023 and a…
Fostering Belonging in Neurodiverse Teams
By Jessica Santascoy (SSI) The NASA@ My Library team, along with a consultant from Happily Autistic recently provided a presentation to other NASA Science Activation groups…
STEAM Strategy Videos
By Christine Shupla, The Lunar and Planetary Institute NASA@ My Library has produced a series of short professional development videos as a resource to library…
Gathering Feedback from Patrons
This blog post was written for STAR Net by NASA@ My Library Mentor Atlas Logan Having worked in a public library setting for quite some…
How to Retain Customer Interest in STEAM Programs
This blog post was written for STAR Net by NASA@ My Library Mentor Valerie Marshall About the Author I have been offering Science, Technology, Engineering,…
How to Turn a STEM Experiment into a Library Public Program
Written by Valerie Marshall, Community Library Manager, Broward County Library I have been offering Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) related programs to the general…
Building a Science-Focused Reading Challenge? Check Out These Great Resources!
Reading challenges are a great way to engage patrons and encourage learners of all ages to read. Reading challenges vary from participating in a national…
Best Practices for Take & Make Activities
Tips & Tricks for Take & Makes to Compliment Virtual Programming By Atlas Logan, Gwinnett Public Library Many libraries have turned to Take & Make…
Volunteers and Choosing Them Intentionally
By Kevin Tolley, Solano County Library When thinking about finding volunteers for STEM programming, there are two kinds of groups to consider: Subject Matter Experts…
Look Up! Mission to Space Board Game
Celebrate the upcoming launch of NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope using a new Toolkit of five interactive activities. This month’s featured activity is Mission to…