Library Sparks

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Pflugerville Library in Texas held their event last month, and here are guidelines they provided to participants:

• You will receive tickets by staff based on the value of the items you bring.
  • Bring items that are gently used or new only.
  • If items have been exposed to smoke or pet hair, they need to be labeled as such.
  • Please keep small items, like buttons and beads, or sets of items, like markers and pencils, bagged.
  • Small tools are welcome, but please avoid bringing expensive and/or large machinery (sewing machines, die cutters, etc.)
• Once you have received your tickets, your items will be grouped with similar items at our different stations.
• “Shopping” for items with your tickets will begin promptly at 6:30 p.m.
• If you have items left at the end of the swap, you may take them with your or leave them with staff to be used at the library or donated to Goodwill.

Holding a swap can support recycling, re-inspire local crafters, and bring new people into your library.

And don't forget to create displays of crafting books for attendees to check out!

Resources:
• Pflugerville Library's Facebook event
• calendar event that includes all their guidelines and full details
• photos of the swap

Hat tip: WebJunction's Social Library, Volume 127
Image credit: Pflugerville Library's Facebook post

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Because the 2019 Summer Library Program theme is space, here's a sample of activities they provide on the topics of astronomy, space sciences and exploration, and planetary science that you could try at your library this summer:

• Blue Sky: discover why the sky is blue and the sunset is red
• CD Spectroscope: turn an old CD into a tool to reveal the wavelengths of light that mix together to create the colors you see
• Earth and Moon: create a scale model of the earth-moon system using spheres of different sizes
• Glue Stick Sunset: model the scattering of light by the atmosphere, which makes the sky appear blue and our sunsets red
• Handy Measuring Tool: use just your hand and a ratio to estimate sizes or distance
• Height Sight: build an inclinometer to measure the height of a distant object, like a flying paper rocket or the North Star
• Self-Centered Globe: make the pattern of sunlight and shadow on an Earth globe match the pattern of day and night on our planet
• Size and Distance: trick your brain into thinking that two similar objects of different sizes are really the same size, by removing clues to the actual size and distance of an object
• Tide-O-Matic: build a simple model to explore the influence of the sun and moon on our tides

Hat tip: Three Good Places to Find Hands-on STEM Activities
Image source: Pixabay