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Makers Create at the Library

About Blog Post Mar 1, 2017 by Pressroom

Makers Create at the Library

2017 marks the third annual New Jersey Makers Day

(Somerset County, NJ: March 1, 2017) To celebrate making and maker culture, residents throughout New Jersey will come together on Friday, March 24 and Saturday, March 25 in libraries, schools, museums, colleges, makerspaces, businesses and other community locations for the third annual New Jersey Makers Day. NJ Makers Day is designed to be a statewide event that celebrates, promotes, and in many cases may introduce maker culture, as well as the values associated with making, tinkering and STEM-based learning. In 2016, NJ Makers Day drew over 40,000 individual attendees to more than 230 participating sites across all 21 counties in the state. Participating locations included public and academic libraries, schools, museums, commercial makerspaces, and AC Moore stores, as well as sponsorship from such organizations as LibraryLinkNJ, littleBits Electronics, and ManufactureNJ. This year, Somerset County Library System of New Jersey’s 10 library branches will have a wide variety of New Jersey Makers Day programs for the community to enjoy. On Friday, March 24:

The Three Little Pigs: Maker Day Edition (2-6 years old) At SCLSNJ’s Hillsborough Library branch, located at 379 S. Branch Rd. in Hillsborough 10-11 a.m. First we’ll read the story of The Three Little Pigs. Then we’ll create houses made of straw, sticks, and bricks (Legos) to see if they can withstand the “Big Bad Wolf” from blowing them down.

S.T.E.A.M.* Weekend (all ages) At SCLSNJ’s Mary Jacobs Memorial Library branch, located at 64 Washington St. in Rocky Hill 10-11 a.m. This program will include a robot-themed Storytime followed by a Drone demonstration, crafts, and button making. No registration required. March 25, 10:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. Drop in to engage in S.T.E.A.M.* fun! Make Geometric Structures and code a Sphero to complete a maze. Learn new skills and earn prizes. No registration required. Business Maker Day (adults) At SCLSNJ’s Warren Twp. Library branch located at 42 Mountain Blvd. in Warren Twp. 9:45 a.m. - 2 p.m. This year’s professional mini-conference for small business owners, entrepreneurs, and leaders will focus on social media: why it’s important and how to do it well. Learn to increase the visibility of your business, connect with your customers and community for free. Pooja Krishna of Career Networking for Women will present Social Media Effectively, a fast-paced session of tips and tricks to get you started. Diane Thieke of Simply Talk Media will cover how to create high quality content on a variety of social media platforms. SCLSNJ staff will discuss how the library can be your business partner. There will be ample time for networking and you can set up one-on-one appointments for specific help or tutoring. A continental breakfast and lunch will be provided. On Saturday, March 25: You Can Publish an eBook (adults) At SCLSNJ’s Hillsborough Library branch, located at 379 S. Branch Rd. in Hillsborough 10-11 a.m. Have you thought about publishing an eBook, but didn't know where to start? Learn the process for setting up and publishing an eBook on Amazon for Kindle. Topics covered will include tools for file creation and tips for proper formatting for a seamless upload. 4-H Robotics Club Demonstration (all ages) At SCLSNJ’s Bridgewater Library branch, located at 1 Vogt Dr. in Bridgewater 10 a.m. - noon Drop in to watch as members of the 4-H Robotics Club demonstrate their Lego Mindstorms EV3 robots and programs. No registration required. Create an Altered Book (all ages) At SCLSNJ’s Bridgewater Library branch, located at 1 Vogt Dr. in Bridgewater 10 a.m. - noon Drop in to learn what an altered book is and make your own with our materials and your creativity. No registration required. Family Makers Day (all ages) At SCLSNJ’s Bound Brook Memorial Library branch, located at 402 E. High St. in Bound Brook 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Drop in to test your skills as you work your way through all four of our maker stations. No registration required. Makers Day Saturday Story and Craft (3-5 years old) At SCLSNJ’s Somerville Library branch, located at 35 W. End Ave. in Somerville 10:30-11 a.m. Celebrate Makers Day with building and construction themed stories, songs, and a craft. Makers Day for Adults (ages 12+) At SCLSNJ’s Mary Jacobs Memorial Library branch, located at 64 Washington St. in Rocky Hill 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Even if a spa day is out of your price range, you can still enjoy custom pampering treats. Make several indulgent bath products using inexpensive, easy-to-find ingredients. Bring home your samples. Origami and a Magic Ring (grades 4+) At SCLSNJ’s Somerville Library branch, located at 35 W. End Ave. in Somerville 11 a.m. - noon An opportunity to create 3-dimensional objects using origami, the art of paper folding. Learn how to construct a magic ring. Family Makers Fair Fun (all ages) At SCLSNJ’s Warren Twp. Library branch located at 42 Mountain Blvd. in Warren Twp. 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Drop in for no-tech to high-tech activities and demonstrations for people of all ages including origami, jewelry making, tissue paper flowers, basket weaving, a marshmallow tower challenge and gingerbread house challenge, a 3D Printer Demo, and Arduino & Raspberry Pi demonstrations. No registration required. Robotics Demonstration (all ages) At SCLSNJ’s Bound Brook Memorial Library branch, located at 402 E. High St. in Bound Brook 1-1:45 p.m. Meet and greet members of Bound Brook High School's FIRST Robotics Team and enjoy a presentation of their robot Robbe. No registration required. Straight from the Heart: Raising Self-esteem One Accessory at a Time (teens & adults) At SCLSNJ’s Watchung Library branch, located at 12 Stirling Rd. in Watchung 1-2 p.m. Danae Churchill will teach you how to make simple DIY accessories such as bags, scarves, hats, vests and headbands. The accessories will be donated to teen girls in New Jersey. Bring your own new or gently used adult large t-shirts and/or sweaters, and/or size 6 yarn to make the crafts. The more you bring, the more you can make. This is Girl Scout Gold Award project. Makers Day Fair (all ages) At SCLSNJ’s Hillsborough Library branch, located at 379 S. Branch Rd. in Hillsborough 1-3 p.m. Drop in for no-tech to high-tech activities for people of all ages including: a marshmallow tower challenge, optical illusion art, DIY phone speaker stand, snap circuits, and a community loom. There will also be demonstrations of a RoboRaiders robot, Scratch, ebook creation, vegan cooking, and more! Plus meet Edith Tolchin, author of Secrets of Successful Inventing: From Concept to Commerce, to learn more about the process of inventing and how to get a patent. No registration required. Rain Garden Design Appointments (adults) At SCLSNJ’s Hillsborough Library branch 1-3 p.m. Work with the Rutgers Cooperative Extension team to develop a rain garden design suited for your property. Contact Pat Rector to schedule an appointment: (973) 285-8303 or rector@njaes.rutgers.edu. Drop-ins will be helped if time is available. F.A.S.T. Crafts (all ages) At SCLSNJ’s Manville Library branch, located at 100 S. 10th Ave. in Manville 1-5 p.m. Manville Library is celebrating Makers Day with activities featuring Fabrics, Art, Science, and Technology (F.A.S.T.). Explore one or all stations. No registration required.
  • Fabric Basket: By using cotton clothesline, makers will wind, wrap and sew fabric strips to create unique storage containers. This is a group project and the final results will be raffled amongst participants.
  • Geometric Artwork: Makers will use a spirograph to spin their way to beautiful geometric-based artwork.
  • Paper Circuitry: Makers will use copper tape and surface-mount LEDs to build their own paper circuits creations.
  • Animation Creation: Makers will bring their original stories to life through stop-motion animation and Stikbots.
Make Your Own LED Pop-Up Card (all ages) At SCLSNJ’s Peapack & Gladstone Library branch, located at the Municipal Complex on School St. in Peapack 1-3 p.m. Participants can make their own LED Pop-Up card for any occasion. This project combines high-tech and low-tech materials incorporating all the elements of S.T.E.A.M.* and will allow “makers” to learn about circuits while being creative! Amigurumi Bunny (teens & adults) At SCLSNJ’s Somerville Library branch, located at 35 W. End Ave. in Somerville 1-3 p.m. Amigurumi is the Japanese art of crochet or knit stuffed creations. Create your own bunny. Prior crochet knowledge recommended but not required. Robotics Workshop (grades 3+) At SCLSNJ’s Bound Brook Memorial Library branch, located at 402 E. High St. in Bound Brook 2-3 p.m. Members of Bound Brook High School's FIRST Robotics Team will lead a special building workshop. No registration required. Introduction to Craft Foam Cosplay Armor Making (teens & adults) At SCLSNJ’s North Plainfield Memorial Library branch, located at 6 Rockview Ave. in North Plainfield 2-4 p.m. Learn the basics on how to turn inexpensive craft foam into cool cosplay armor. Participants can choose to construct either a cosplay armor bracer (for beginners) or gauntlet (for advanced) to take home after the program.   Additional Maker programs at SCLSNJ this March: Makers Afternoon (all ages) At SCLSNJ’s Peapack & Gladstone Library branch, located at the Municipal Complex on School St. in Peapack March 15, 1-4 p.m. School’s out early, so drop into the Library to participate in a variety of maker stations. Use your imagination to design, build, and create. No registration required. You Can Have a Rain Garden (adults) At SCLSNJ’s Hillsborough Library branch, located at 379 South Branch Road in Hillsborough March 23, 7-8 p.m. Rain Gardens are a beautiful landscaping technique. They are also an innovative, practical solution to control stormwater runoff. Pat Rector, Toby Horton, and Chris Obropta from the Rutgers Cooperative Extension, with other colleagues, installed the rain garden in front of the Hillsborough Municipal Building. Now, Pat will share how rain gardens work and how you can have one in your yard. Little Builders (1-5 years old) At SCLSNJ’s Peapack & Gladstone Library branch, located at the Municipal Complex on School St. in Peapack March 31, 10:30-11 a.m. Toddlers will enjoy a story followed by free play with an assortment of building sets. No registration required. *S.T.E.A.M. = science and technology interpreted through engineering and the arts, all based in mathematical elements. Registration is required to attend these programs unless otherwise indicated. To register, visit SCLSNJ.org or contact your local SCLSNJ library branch. About Somerset County Library System of New Jersey Somerset County Library System of New Jersey (SCLSNJ) partners with you to connect, to explore, to share and to discover. Together we enrich lives, expand knowledge and strengthen communities. SCLSNJ branches can be found in Bridgewater, Bound Brook, Hillsborough,  Manville, North Plainfield, Peapack & Gladstone, Rocky Hill at Mary Jacobs Memorial Library, Somerville, Warren Township, and Watchung. Additionally, there are two SCLSNJ reading stations in Branchburg and Washington Valley. Visit SCLSNJ.org for further information about library services offered at SCLSNJ.

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