LIBRARY AS MAKERSPACE

Hour of Code, an international collaboration to promote computer science to kids and families of all ages begins on Monday December 8th and continues throughout the week. Using hourofcode.com , companies around the world offer tutorials for students to experiment with many coding programs and languages such as Scratch, Python, and more. Learn how to code JAVA, make an app video game, or an interactive Christmas card quickly and easily. Students who complete one hour of coding that week will receive a certificate (and in our library get a chance to enter a raffle for a free Game Stop gift card).  Kids can sign up for a free hour of code account to keep track of their time from year to year but it's not mandatory.  This week is a great opportunity for libraries to provide a drop-in exploratory program without the stress of learning or prepping all these platforms. There are multiple video tutorials on the site.  It is also a great collaboration between local schools and...

Just in time for the release of the new movie The Boxtrolls , done entirely in claymation stop motion, we finished up a month long after school Lego stop motion program on Tuesdays for students in Gr. 6-8. Ellen thought it would be a good idea to talk about the structure of the program and some tips we have learned along the way. Material Must Haves: iStopMotion ($5.99), iMovie ($9.99), and DropBox (free) app iPads Bins of Legos and figures *Note: This can also be done though the camera in a phone or tablet (regular camera phone app that comes free) and downloaded into iMove for a Mac or Windows Movie Maker for a PC (bearing in mind you have laptops or free computers handy) if you are on a shoestring budget. It's just less streamlined that way.  The key to stopmotion is FRAMES PER SECOND which can be changed in any of these editing programs as long as the students have taken enough photos. Preparation Tip : Make sure to separate out weapons, costumes, and Lego f...

I was overjoyed this morning when I counted 57 entries in our 2nd Annual Lego Contest. The Lego Contest is one of the easiest program we've had all summer and by far, my favorite.  Participants of all ages (up to 12) create a scene from their unique Lego World at home, write a story about it, and bring it in. We host a week of bringing in entries and a week of displaying them all over the children's room while our staff judges deliberate. Judging is based on good stories, creativity, and attention to detail. The size requirements is no bigger than 11 X 14 inches and it cannot be a set built from instructions. Those are the only guidelines I give. e try to keep entries as close to the front desk as possible and pictures are taken just in case anything gets knocked over. Entries ranged from a working gumball machine to a futuristic civil war to a drive-in movie theater. It was great to see so many girls participate this year. I hate to admit it, but I think the pink Lego frie...