Calling all anime- and manga-loving teens! Join other like-minded teens the last Wednesday of every month (subject to change) at HCLS Miller Branch for Anime & Manga Club.
What will you be doing there? Glad you asked! Come and enjoy a hangout especially for teens where you can enjoy anime-related programming, a craft or two, and discussions of the latest mangas and animes to hit the scene. You also have the opportunity to get recommendations from staff and your peers for what to read or watch next.
Also learn how you can access anime and manga using your library card through online resources such as Libby, Cloud Library, and Hoopla.
The next meeting of Miller’s Anime & Manga Club takes place Wednesday, November 30 at 6 pm. We hope to see you there!
よろしく!
Peter is an Instructor and Research Specialist at the Miller Branch who desperately hoped that the digital world and Digimon were real when he was a kid, and still remembers seeing the first Pokémon movie in theaters and crying with Pikachu when Ash “died.“
When was the last time you read a book to a young child? Maybe it was a title you’ve read dozens of times, and the child was even saying some of the words along with you. You might be hoping they will get excited about something different soon. Perhaps it was a book you hadn’t read before, and you enjoyed discovering it along with them. Either way, you were helping that child’s brain develop just by reading to them.
We all want our children to be successful. While there may be a range of opinions on what that looks like and which tools are most helpful to support said success, research provides a few clear answers. One of those is that reading with children, from birth onward, sets them up for academic and later life success. Numerous studies have shown that reading with children from early in life encourages language development, as well as overall brain development. Children who are read to every day during their early childhood may enter Kindergarten having been exposed to over one million more words than their peers who were never read to. This increased vocabulary sets up those from a literacy-rich home for success from the start of their school careers.
Thankfully, you can find plenty of high-quality children’s books to borrow for free at any of our HCLS branches. If you bring a young child to one of our classes, you can even get a break from being the reader! Feel free to ask any of our staff for recommendations for books to read with your children. And don’t be afraid to let little ones choose some for themselves. For more suggested activities and materials to help children develop literacy skills, check out one of our Literacy Activity Kits. Or perhaps select a toy to borrow and act out a story you’ve read or created on your own. Whatever books or materials you select, read early and often with young children to set them up for success in school and beyond.
Eliana is aChildren’s Research Specialist and Instructor at HCLS Elkridge Branch. She loves reading, even if she’s slow at it, and especially enjoys helping people find books that make them light up. She also loves being outside and spending time with friends and family (when it’s safe).
Do you love the fair? Deep fried everything? Rides? Awards for livestock and hand-crafts? What’s not to love?
This year, as you come in the front gates, look for Howard County Library System’s new STEAM Machine. Stop by to participate in a STEAM-related activity, watch a demo, or take a tour of our new (air conditioned!) mobile unit. The 33’ Farber diesel bus features a climate-controlled classroom that seats twelve students. It is equipped with Wi-Fi, laptop computers, two 49” LED TVs, sound system, video production equipment, materials, and supplies, including science kits to conduct experiments and complete projects. A 55” LCD monitor and two awnings allow classes to be taught and activities conducted outside.
As the mobile classroom goes out into our community, students can borrow books and other materials on STEAM subjects. Our goal is to transform students into scientists investigating new phenomena and engineers designing solutions to real-world problems.
Tonya Aikens, President & CEO of HCLS, notes, “Howard County Library System is coordinating with community partners to schedule STEAM Machine classes across the county. Our goal is to bring opportunities for hands-on STEAM education to students from under-resourced communities and families who, for an array of reasons, are often unable to come to our branches.”
HCLS instructors will teach most classes with contributions from scientists and engineers from the Maryland STEAM community, who will be recruited for special events. HCLS is collaborating with community partners to determine student aspirations and needs, identify community locations for STEAM Machine visits, and schedule classes and events.
The STEAM Machine is funded in part by an American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Grant through the Institute of Museum and Library Services and administered by the Maryland State Library Agency.
What are your plans this summer? Hopefully, they include the library and all the wonderful summer reading fun that begins June 1.
Readers of every age (yes, every age) play the same game and track their progress on a gameboard or online. Gameboards are available at all branches and to print on demand in English, Spanish, Korean, and simplified Chinese at hclibrary.org/summer.
READ BOOKS, including eBooks, audiobooks, graphic novels, and more. Reading can be substituted for any activity. We have book lists available for every age group from pre-K through adults.
DO ACTIVITIES, chosen from the list provided on the gameboard and online via ReadSquared. All activities can be repeated.
WIN PRIZES! Visit hclibrary.org/summer to find out how your age group wins prizes.
Once you complete any combination of reading and activities, you are eligible for prizes (which differ for various ages). Summer reading is sponsored by Friends & Foundation of HCLS, and it’s part of the A+ Partnership with Howard County Public School System.
Visit our branches! Have you visited all six locations, each with its own individual specialty:
Makerspace and new children’s area, Glenwood Branch
Equity Resource Center, Central Branch
New flowers and other plants at the Enchanted Garden, Miller Branch
Teen area and classroom, East Columbia Branch
DIY tools and classes, Elkridge Branch
Recording booth and study rooms, Savage Branch
We have books and resources to make you swoon in beautiful buildings that stay cool as the temperatures pick up. Make regular visits part of your summer routine and summer memories.
Classes, activities, and events happen all summer! We offer a full complement of fun classes and events for babies and kids, teens, and adults! Great group classes are available every day! Visit hclibrary.org > classes & events to find all the terrific choices. We’re planning outdoor classes, hands-on, creative activities, and STEM classes for all ages. And, look for community celebrations happening at our branches throughout the summer. Check hclibrary.org/summer for details, coming soon.
Just for fun (because summer readers like to have fun!), check out this video:
Join us for a reindeer craft on Stress Free STEAM evening!
By Holly L.
One person’s trash….is another person’s CRAFT!
Holidays have you feeling stressed? Relieve some of that tension and join us for Stress Free STEAM for Adults on Thursday December 2 at 7 pm at HCLS Miller Branch. We will be making easy, seasonal upcycled crafts using everyday materials. Try your hand at some dazzling wall art, paper pillow boxes (perfect for small gifts), or a festive paper tree.
Paper pillow boxes like these made from recycled cardboard are the perfect container for small gifts.
All abilities welcome. Beginners and the non-crafty are encouraged to come. Materials provided.
Registration required. Register here or call 410.313.1950.
Also, did you know that you can access several crafty magazines such as HGTV,Simply Knitting, and Family Handyman online for free using your library card? Visit Overdrive to browse our complete collection.
Holly L. is an Instructor and Research Specialist at the Miller Branch. She enjoys knitting and appreciates an audiobook with a good narrator.
Does the prospect of a second pandemic holiday season already have you on edge? Did you feel a pang of sadness when your kids aged out of the family craft classes? Would you like to unwind in a relaxed setting with some calming hands-on fun? Are these questions getting tedious?
If you answered yes to any of the above, please join us on at the Miller Branch on Thursday, November 4 at 7 pm for Stress-Free S.T.E.A.M. for adults. We will provide materials for three fun fall-themed crafts, including a terrific turkey pin, an awesome autumn leaf placemat, and a brilliant beaded harvest corncob.
Focus on one project or make a few, it’s up to you! No prior craft experience needed and all abilities welcome.
Registration required. Please register by clicking here or call 410.313.1950.
Holly L. is an Instructor and Research Specialist at the Miller Branch. She enjoys knitting and appreciates an audiobook with a good narrator.
September is around the bend, bringing refrigerators adorned with leaf collages, stink bugs, and virtual football parties with snacks of imaginary calories. It also catapults middle and high school students into the vast expanse that is the National History Day Project, a year-long exploration of an historical topic where students analyze the topic’s immediate and long term impact and its connection to the annual theme, then create a structured presentation model showcasing their extensive research and conclusions in a national competition for grades, glory, and potential monetary awards. Piece of cake.
Parents, do not hit the liquor cabinet! We are here to help! Seriously, it is not cheating for students to get research and analysis assistance. Teachers and parents are frequently tapped, but there is a local, free, natural habitat for history and research nerds eager to help search for buried sources… Howard County Library System.
This year’s theme is Communication in History: The Key to Understanding. How do people exchange information and interact with each other? Think of the act of communicating, the motivation for the communication, the who or what the communication affects. Think of how we struggle with conveying meaning today, even without Zoom calls.
Our virtual classes such as Topic Development and Maximize Your History Day Research offer insights into these questions and others relating to the theme. In October, the NHDThesis Workshop is a safe mosh pit for students to deconstruct, reconstruct, and beat the heck out of their arguments until they are honed enough to substitute as historical reenactment weapons. Well, maybe not that sharp. Our classes, databases, and collection resources are also not cheats. National History Day encourages students to create a reliquary of history-hunting tools.
Also, these classes are not exclusive to NHD students! We welcome parents and teachers and all teens interested in upgrading their critical thinking skills. In addition, we will host a complement of news literacy performance training. Beware aged opinions. Ideas and thinking can stagnate, even ideas originally based on empirical evidence. Have there been new discoveries? Is there new data? Healthy, critical thinking requires stimuli and exercise, and we coach students through bias obstacles and teach strategies to combat fallacies and fear of opposing viewpoints.
In the next few weeks, somewhere in the county, a child will be assigned a NHD project. There is hope! Our mission, aside from mixing as many metaphors as possible in this blog post, is to help students achieve their academic potential. A small donation of the student’s time rewards them with research guidance and alleviates a librarian suffering from an overabundance of historical minutia. So, go online or call to register for one of our fall NHD classes as soon as they open.
Remember, it’s not cheating.
Deborah B. is a triple threat nerd of books, history, and actual triplets.
HCLS is pleased to launch a new online calendar that provides an easy-to-use, snapshot view of all of our upcoming classes and events. The calendar can be accessed here, or by going to hclibrary.org and clicking on “Classes & Events.”
This user-friendly and easy-to-navigate tool allows customers to search and register for classes and events quickly and easily. Hovering above a title brings up a preview sidebar, and clicking on that title will take you to the full details and registration page. It is important to register with an email address so that you receive the automatic confirmation email and the link to join the online class.
You can search for classes in many ways through the Filters menu. The calendar has a basic keyword search. For example, typing in ‘STEAM’ will display all of the upcoming STEAM classes. You can also search by subject by using the “Program Type” list on the left-hand sidebar.
The feature I find most useful is that all the classes are color coded by age group! I just select Ages 14-17 (High School) to look for classes for my teenager, and interesting classes like Science Lab, Digital Design Lab and Food Truck Entrepreneur pop up! Click “reset” to search again with a different filter.
Play around and explore this new online calendar, and discover classes and events for everyone! If you love literature, I suggest searching for Staff Picks & Book Chat (scheduled for this Friday, June 26th, at 11am) and register – you will love how speedy and simple this process is!
If you have any questions, we can be reached at Ask HCLS.
Rohini is the Adult Curriculum Specialist with HCLS. She loves literature and rainy days.
CHAPTER CHATS 