Schoharie Library Notes for Wednesday, April 13, 2022

— Photo from Jennie Mosher

Zoey Barra creates a spaghetti-and-marshmallow structure at the Schoharie Library as part of Maker Monday: STEM Edition.
 

Schoharie

Yvonne Keller-Baker

The Schoharie Free Library celebrated National Library Week, April 3 to 9, with daily events and showcases at the library.

The events kicked off on Monday, April 4, with Maker Monday: STEM Edition.  Families came in to enjoy a few hours and the numerous stations with science, technology, engineering, and math challenges. 

Many of the participants enjoyed their first experience with coding using the Code & Go Mouse, while others enjoyed the traditional marshmallow engineering challenge — to build the tallest structure they could using dry spaghetti noodles, string, and masking tape — hosted by our friend, Mary Carrier, the technology and growth specialist from Mohawk Valley Library system.

The STEM stations will be here throughout Spring Break - come check them out!

On Monday evening, the Schoharie Library Writing Club virtually hosted author Jana Laiz to talk about writing, publishing, and her experiences as an award-winning author, in a workshop titled “I’ve Got to Write.” This event was funded in part by Poets & Writers with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts with support of the Office of the Governor and New York State Legislature.

On Tuesday, the Writing Club gathered, both at the library and virtually, to read from their writing to an appreciative audience. Presenters were Chris Keefer, Suzanne Walsh, Connie Spanhake, Rebecca Schmid, Kathryn Prada, and Jennie Mosher.

Samples of books or writing by Writing Club members were on display during the week. Refreshments were enjoyed by all. We ended the event with thank you gifts, presented to Program Director Jennie Mosher and Clerk Kimberly Charboneau in celebration of National Library Workers’ Day.

Thursday was a quiet Teen Thursday, like most weeks, when teens gather to create with the library’s makerspace materials, camping out on the Yogibo bean-bag chairs and singing along with Spotify.

Friday night, the library saw families gather again for game night and kids enjoyed revisiting the STEM stations. Many families went home with a game borrowed from the new game collection and available for loan.

The Schoharie Library events wrapped up on Saturday afternoon when author Jana Laiz visited us from her home in the Berkshires. Jana read from her children’s titles “A Free Woman on God’s Earth,” the true story of Elizabeth “Mumbet” Freeman, the enslaved woman who won her freedom in court, and “Billy Budd in the Breadbox,” the story of Herman Melville and his granddaughter, written from the Herman Melville home where Jana Laiz is the Writer-in-Residence Emeritus.

As the director of the Schoharie Library, I invite the community to come see the changes in the library and visit the library’s website, www.schoharielibrary.com, and Facebook page for upcoming events and programs.