STEM Archives – Spokane County Library District

15 Minutes of Community Science Can Make a World of Difference

Posted in Explore and Discover, News on February 2, 2023 at 7:00 am

When you hear someone say that that something is “for the birds,” they mean it is foolish and not to be taken too seriously. This month, the Great Backyard Bird Count on February 17–20 invites everyone to do something for the birds that isn’t foolish, is in fact helpful, and could be quite fascinating... […]

Space Exploration You Can Do, Inspired by Amazing Images from the Webb Telescope

Posted in Explore and Discover on August 17, 2022 at 6:00 am

By Caitlin Wheeler On July 12, 2022, NASA released its first images from the James Webb Space Telescope, and they are both breathtaking and groundbreaking in their ability to detect infrared light at a high resolution. The telescope operates with two cameras: NIRCam (near infrared camera), which looks at the shortest infrared wavelengths, and MIRI […]

Time for STEAM: Exploring the Great Outdoors & Trying New Activities for All Ages

Posted in Explore and Discover on March 9, 2022 at 6:00 am

By Alison Johnson Spring is just a few weeks away! I am looking forward to getting outside and enjoying some sunshine. If, for you, spring is all about sunshine and projects, the library has some great STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) resources and programs to get the whole family learning and creating both […]

Pleasant Day Hikes & Easy Walking Adventures in South Spokane County

Posted in Explore and Discover on May 12, 2021 at 6:00 am

BY CAITLIN WHEELER In 2018, I started working at the Otis Orchards Library just as I was also desperately trying to fit exercise into a routine laden with reading books, making art, and crafting. My drive to Otis Orchards took me over the Harvard Road Bridge, where a Centennial Trailhead happened to sit just three […]

New STEM Explorer Kits offer hands-on activities for students in grades K–5

Posted in News on February 22, 2021 at 6:00 am

BY GWENDOLYN HALEY You may have already checked out the Ready for School with STEM kits for younger children (ages 3–5) from the library. Or perhaps you’ve borrowed our Snap Circuits set for elementary school students. We have heard positive reviews from library customers for both of these kits. In response, we are pleased to […]

A peek into EnviroKids’ Club: Q&A with two partner agencies

Posted in Explore and Discover on August 19, 2020 at 6:00 am

By Erin Dodge Next week, we’re hosting three EnviroKids’ Club programs (sign up before they fill up!), each showing kids and their families different ways that they can champion the environment and take action to make changes at home and in their neighborhoods. In case you missed the announcement, here are those three programs: EnviroKids’ […]

STEM at home: Learning anywhere and everywhere

Posted in kids, News, Parents and Teachers on May 19, 2020 at 6:00 am

By Alison Johnson The DIY approach to learning fun activities at home can be a great boredom buster. We miss having your kids and families at our in-person library programs. You are what make those programs so enjoyable and interesting for us! And you can continue to explore STEM at home. Here, I share the […]

Creative spaces for you: The Lab & The Studio

Posted in News on January 17, 2020 at 6:00 am

For the past three years, The Lab at North Spokane and The Studio at Spokane Valley have been creative places for you to explore and express your creative side. The Lab is host to art programs, STEM workshops, and a large variety of hands-on activities. With the addition of the Glowforge 3D laser printer, there […]

Tags: audio, film, glowforge, lab, photography, pi day, pie, STEM, studio, video

Day in the life of a librarian

Posted in Explore and Discover on May 16, 2019 at 6:00 am

By Dana Mannino When kids tour the library, I like to ask them what they think a librarian does. Usually I get answers like “You tell us not to run.” I think to myself, “If I wanted to do that, I would have become a life guard!” I don’t think kids are the only ones […]

It’s electrifying: Digital resources and staff picks for student scientists

Posted in News on February 14, 2019 at 6:00 am

Discover the many ways electricity and electrical circuits are part of our lives. No matter a student’s grade level, our digital resources offer videos and articles for engaged learning. Plus the books in our collection provide new scientific experiments kids can do at home and for school science fairs. SIRS Discoverer Find magazine articles, […]

TAG: STEM