Library to Host STEAM Book Club

Children ages 8-12 are invited to explore science, technology, engineering, art and math through lively book discussions and hands-on activities during Tompkins County Public Library’s monthly STEAM Book Club.

Continuing June 28 with a discussion of “The Mechanical Mind of John Coggin” by Elinor Teele, the STEAM Book Club is designed to encourage area students to improve their understanding of current core competencies through critical thinking and book-related activities.

John Coggin spends his days reluctantly building coffins for the family business, but when the tools of the trade are put away, the real construction begins as he gets to work on an invention that could change the world—or at least make life a little better for him and his younger sister.

The Club will meet in the Library’s Thaler/Howell Programming Room at 3:45 p.m. for discussion and refreshments. This month’s meeting will feature special guest, Nev Singhota, educational programs director for the Cornell Center for Materials Research.

Free copies of “The Mechanical Mind of John Coggin” are available for new and returning Club members at the Youth Services Reference Desk.

For more information, contact Kate DeVoe at (607) 272-4557 extension 277 or kdevoe@tcpl.org.

The STEAM Book Club is made possible with the support of the Michael Kammen Children's Fund of the Tompkins County Public Library Foundation. 

Library to Host Summer Baby Storytime

Tompkins County Public Library has announced the return of its weekly Baby Storytime for children up to 24-months-old and their caregivers

Beginning June 16, Baby Storytime programs will be held each Friday from 10:30 to 11 a.m. in the Library’s Thaler/Howell Programming Room.

These fun filled programs will include stories, songs, rhymes, baby sign language and early literacy tips.

Baby Storytime sessions will be immediately followed by an hour-long Baby and Toddler Playtime, designed to encouraged socialization and hands-on learning through informal free-play.

Baby Storytime will run through Friday, August 25. For more information, contact the Library’s Youth Services Department at (607) 272-4557 extension 275.

Library to Offer Family Science Program

Tompkins County Public Library and Cornell University’s Center for Materials Research will host “Colorful Kinetics,” Saturday, June 10 from 1-2 p.m. in the Library’s Thaler/Howell Programming Room.

Families will explore the colorful world of chemistry and chemical reactions by completing a fun-filled activity using different types of food dye.

Families Learning Science Together programs are designed to help children develop an early love of science through hands-on participation. These programs are offered at the Library on the second Saturday of each month.

Families Learning Science Together programs are free and open to the public, but space is limited. To register, email ccmr_outreach@cornell.edu. Please include the name and age of all children in the email. 

More information about Families Learning Science Together workshops can be found at http://www.ccmr.cornell.edu/education/community-programs/families-learning-science-together/.