It's not about us... focusing on sharing the enthusiasm for making things.

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Collaborating between the teen and children's departments, we had fun bringing many of our newly experienced maker projects to a wider (and younger) audience. On Saturday, August 17th, we held a Cardboard Carnival indoors and on the adjacent tennis court. It featured Stomp Rockets, an Angry Birds Catapult, and more.

A Take-Apart Room held many broken mechanical and electrical devices on tables with tools available to all who cared to gently unscrew covers, lift out hard drives, remove batteries, separate components. One of our summer friends, Linnea, who comes down from Vermont every summer and who participated in our weekly Do-It-Yourself Club, the PHILS, supervised. She's 11 years old.

Another PHILS member, Stephen, with the help of our Children's Librarian, Jessica Lamarre, showed people how a Makey Makey microprocessor works with metallic tape and the human body to recreate a form of Dance Dance Revolution. He also built a cardboard mini golf course that challenged all who played.

Quinn, Ben, and Andrew helped younger children make paper rockets to shoot off with the Stomp Rocket launchers we built in the Spring with Chris Connors direction. The Angry Birds Catapult and the Hunger Games - inspired archery contest were additions that required no explanation.

We're hoping to use this activity as an after school experience and share it out with other town agencies, if they are interested. Thanks to the three dedicated parents who helped us manage the separate activities!

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LIBRARY AS MAKERSPACE

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