It may be winter everywhere else, but it’s summer for me and my colleagues in the Community Programming Department here at Mid-Continent Public Library.Â
Build a Better World with Magna-Tiles was one session of our STEAM and community engagement-focused summer reading program. This session used Magna-Tiles (clear plastic 2-D geometric shapes that are lined with magnets and can be combined to create 2- and 3-D designs) in a hands-on, student-led program.Â
Libraries know all about the “summer slide.” We’ve addressed summer learning loss with reading clubs and other educational programs for decades. As a matter of fact, some families have come to view libraries as a sort of summer school or educational camp during the longest, hottest days of the year. Whoever thinks summers are slow at a library has never visited a youth department in June, July or August!
Well, it's been a busy few weeks at my library with our summer and summer reading programs, as well as our Lunch at the Library program all starting at the same time. This year, we decided to have craft programs for tweens and teens after the lunch program, and we ended up with a very big crowd.