The picture depicts a group of children on stage in front of an audience. Two are in wheelchairs and one uses a crutch; they are all holding hands and surrounding a microphone, with the words "Every Voice Matters!" in a thought bubble above their heads. The viewer is seeing them from the perspective of the audience; we can also see the backs of the heads of a row of audience members.

Together We’re Better: Every Voice Matters

April 21, 2025May 1, 2025Admin Leave a comment

The illustration depicts two young people with their arms extended to make a circle; this circle is a picture window into an outdoor scene that encompasses several children holding hands and a school building, with green grass and white clouds against a blue sky. The children are of a variety of genders and ethnicities and several of them have physical disabilities (crutches, a wheelchair).

The black and white illustration depicts a student using a wheelchair on a skateboard ramp, with the words "Every Voice Matters" on a billboard on the sidelines, and a large audience behind the barrier on the sidelines. A boom box is in the foreground and the words "Be Loud!" are in the sky above the young person's head.

By Nancy T.

On view through April 30, 2025

Howard County Library System is thrilled to showcase a selection of student artwork at HCLS Miller Branch as part of the “Every Voice Matters” traveling exhibit—the first stop on a statewide tour running through August.

This powerful display celebrates inclusion, creativity, and the unique voices of students from across Maryland. This year’s theme, “Every Voice Matters,” echoes the fundamental belief that every individual has a unique perspective and contributes meaningfully to their school communities. More than 125 students from across the state submitted entries. Artwork was selected for recognition based on inclusive messaging, use of medium, and alignment with the contest theme. Special congratulations to this year’s first place winners in the elementary and high school categories—both from Howard County: Ananya K (Veterans Elementary School) and Annabel M (Glenelg High School).

The photograph depicts a selection of the student artwork from the "Every Voice Matters" student exhibit in the Miller Branch display cases.

The “Together We’re Better” program has been promoting meaningful inclusion in Maryland schools for more than 20 years. In addition to the diversity celebration toolkit and school assemblies, the Artwork and Drawing Contests allow elementary, middle, and high school students in Maryland to show their creative sides through artwork promoting acceptance and appreciation of the diverse abilities and talents of all classmates. The pen and ink drawings created by high school students are being transformed into pages of a Children’s Coloring Book, to be published later this spring and made available at public venues, including libraries.

The artwork on display at HCLS Miller Branch represents a sampling of this year’s entries, as part of the 2024-2025 “Together We’re Better” Inclusive Education Campaign Artwork and Drawing Contests, a long-running annual program from The Arc Maryland in partnership with the Maryland State Department of Education, the Maryland Department of Disabilities, and the Maryland Developmental Disabilities Council.

In Partnership with The Arc of Howard County

The Arc Maryland is the largest statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to the rights and quality of life of persons with I/DD and their families. They do this through public policy, advocacy, public awareness, and training and membership support. The Arc Maryland is a membership-based organization of 8,000 members. Their local network of chapters provides a wide range of human services and other supports to people with I/DD and their family members, including individual and public policy advocacy, residential, educational, and vocational services, employment, family supports and early intervention that promote people with I/DD to participate and be included in their communities.

We invite you to visit the display at HCLS Miller Branch to experience these extraordinary student artworks and reflect on how we can all help build inclusive communities—where every voice truly matters. HCLS is grateful to Natalie (Dohner) Brooks, Director of Education Initiatives and Partnerships at The Arc Maryland, for organizing and installing this insightful exhibit celebrating inclusion, creativity, and the unique voices of students from across Maryland.

To learn more about the “Together We’re Better” inclusive education campaign , visit The Arc Maryland’s website: https://thearcmd.org/programs/twb/.

Nancy T. is an instructor and research specialist and the display coordinator at Miller Branch. When she’s not in the branch, you’ll find her in the swimming pool, sitting with her cat, or out walking in the fresh air.

The image shows four pairs of brightly colored drop earrings suspended in midair from silver hooks, against a hazy pink background.

Upcycling and Sustainability with The Clarksville Youth Care Group

February 21, 2025February 22, 2025Admin Leave a comment

The image shows two handmade wrapped packages with beaded drop earring of green, beige, and blue, above a bracelet with the same colors of beads.

By Nancy T.

The Clarksville Youth Care Group (CYCG), a student-run nonprofit in Howard County, is showcasing creative artwork made from recycled household items by talented local students. The display will run through the end of February in the display cases at HCLS Miller Branch. With support from a Howard County Youth Engagement Programming (YEP) Grant, CYCG has been actively promoting environmental sustainability, indoor composting, and upcycling throughout the county.

The display features more than 70 pieces of artwork crafted from everyday recycled materials, such as toilet paper rolls, egg cartons, eggshells, milk cartons, glass bottles, cans, scrap paper, paper cups, socks, sunflower seed shells, fruit nets, and more. Students have transformed glass bottles into vases or night lights, repurposed egg cartons and toilet paper rolls into animal sculptures and flowers, turned milk cartons into desk organizers, and fashioned scrap paper into jewelry. Old socks have even been upcycled into pumpkins!

Upcycling has become an increasingly popular part of the sustainability movement, allowing people to transform waste into new products while reducing environmental impact. This creative display hopes to inspire more people to explore upcycling, showing that all it takes is a little imagination and perseverance to create something beautiful.

CYCG President and Co-Founder Amanda Wang expressed her appreciation for Howard County Library System for the opportunity to share student-created upcycled artwork. Amanda said, “We hope to inspire more people to start upcycling, which is easy and fun with just a little bit of imagination and creativity.”

The image shows papercrafted mini-parasols in shades of red and yellow, above three bracelets, one gift-wrapped package, and four cards which each have a set of drop earrings attached to them.

To complement the display, HCLS, in partnership with CYCG, is hosting a hands-on Upcycled Art class on Saturday, February 22 from 2:30–4:00 PM at HCLS Miller Branch.

Join us for this exciting workshop where we explore the art of upcycling through creative paper projects. Learn how to repurpose old magazines, gift wrap, and newspapers into stylish bracelets, earrings, and home décor. All materials will be provided—just bring your imagination!

Fuel Creativity, Find Wellbeing

January 6, 2025jeanboone1 Leave a comment

The photograph depicts a tray of colorful watercolors next to two paintbrushes and a pile of painted papers, against a background of golden twinkle lights.

by Jean B.
January is a time for new beginnings, offering both promise and uncertainty. It’s appropriate that we mark International Creativity Month in January because creating something new can simultaneously revitalize us and relieve stress. Research shows that engaging in creative activity enhances both mental and physical health, boosting our immune systems, countering depression, expanding brain connections, and reducing anxiety. When you immerse yourself in a creative task — whether it’s art, music, dance, writing, crafting, woodworking, needle arts, puzzling —your emotions find release, self-esteem grows, worries can fade. An act of creation provides a sense of control, accomplishment, joy, and optimism.

Are you ready to try something new? Do you have a creative impulse but need some ideas, support, tools, instruction? HCLS has resources you can use by yourself at home, or alongside others in our six lively branches. Spark your creativity in the New Year!

Unwind and Align
For adults. Register at bit.ly/wellness_mil
Sat, Jan 18 | 1 – 3 pm
HCLS Miller Branch
Experience seated Qigong breathwork, guided meditation and mindfulness, sound healing, and Reiki energy in an informal, open setting. Facilitated by Janice B. Wellness & Friends.

Two people, wearing white safety goggles, peer into the laser cutter at HCLS Glewood Branch. — 12/18/24 – Creative customers make individual snowflake ornaments at HCLS Glenwood Branch + Makerspace.

CREATE AT THE LIBRARY

Reserve the recording booth at the Glenwood Branch makerspace and sing your heart out! Or use the laser engraver and 3D printer to create personalized objects (materials must be purchased).
In the Builders Barn, a variety of materials invite children to create.
Visit the DIY Center at the Elkridge Branch for instruction in all kinds of arts, from sewing machine skills to painting to woodworking.
Join groups at various branches for crocheting, knitting, coloring, crafting and camaraderie. Look out for occasional craft supply swaps at Central Branch if you’re changing hobbies to clean out the old and stock up for something new.
Dance, sing, play and experiment at every branch with the children in your life when you attend one of our many children’s classes.

BORROW FROM THE LIBRARY

Ukuleles! Borrow a kit that includes an ukulele, tuner, and case. (Then take online lessons through Artistworks, described below.)
How-to-books! Want to try out drawing Manga? Origami? Cooking? Woodcarving? You’ll find help on our shelves.
Framed works of art! Get inspiration for your own masterpiece by borrowing art from the Central and Glenwood branches.

LEARN ONLINE at hclibrary.org:

Explore ArtistWorks, a vast library of free self-paced online video classes, taught by Grammy Award-winning musicians. Among the many options: country vocals, jazz drums, flute, clarinet, bluegrass guitar – and of course, ukulele!
Discover HCLS’ YouTube channel featuring your favorite library staff as they demonstrate how to make stuff from DIY crafts, to children’s projects, to art techniques.

Jean is a Children’s Instructor and Research Specialist at HCLS Central Branch. She loves talking about books with people of all ages, but especially enjoys leading the Heavy Medals book club for fourth and fifth graders, exploring award-winning books of all genres.

A photo of children around a table at the Builders Barn, each busy with a craft project.

Builders Barn at Glenwood Branch

December 20, 2024December 20, 2024Admin Leave a comment

A photo of children around a table at the Builders Barn, each busy with a craft

by Kaitlyn and Kristy

Have you or your child visited our Builders Barn at HCLS Glenwood Branch? This unique space was created for younger learners to mirror the newly added Makerspace during Glenwood’s renovation. (For more information about Glenwood’s Makerspace, visit https://hclibrary.org/maker-space/ to learn more.)

The Builders Barn provides children with a spot to invent, build, and create with many hands-on materials. This exploration encourages and supports experiential learning, STEAM concepts, early literacy skills, and collaboration, to name a few. Children are welcome to take their creations home or display them within the room.

The Builders Barn has become a well-loved space that many look forward to using each time they visit the library. When watching families creating together in the Builders Barn, the adults are having as much fun creating as the kids! One family even shared that they created a “Builders Barn at home” in their dining room, so the fun could continue outside the library.

The Builders Barn has become a community endeavor, with (most of) the materials donated by the families that use the Builders Barn.

If you want to help by donating materials, they can be brought to HCLS Glenwood Branch.

Favorite donated materials are…

tape

glue sticks

leftover craft supplies

paper

ribbon

egg cartons

corks

cereal, tissue, and pasta boxes

unused paper goods (paper plates, coffee filters, etc.)

Are you looking for some reading suggestions related to the Builders’ Barn? Here are some staff favorites:

Too Much Glue

Not a Box

Be a Maker

Craftily Ever After series

Cardboard Box Engineering

Maker Comics

Kaitlyn M. has worked as a Children’s Instructor and Research Specialist for HCLS for three years. When she is not at work, you can find her with family, reading, crafting, or spending time outdoors.

Kristy G. has worked as a Children’s Instructor and Research Specialist for HCLS for 24 years at both the Miller and Glenwood Branches. The Builders’ Barn is one of her favorite places at the library. She has her own style of ‘Builders’ Barn” at home.

Signs advertising a 3D printer and laser cutter engraver, with examples of projects created by them on the shelves beneath, including keepsake ornaments and 3D printed flowers.

Expressing Your Creativity

January 29, 2024sahanacallahan Leave a comment

by Sahana C.

With the start of the new year comes the chance to start afresh, to explore new interests or hone old skills, and to follow through on resolutions that allow you to unlock your creativity. What better place to get inspired than the library? Across our branches, we’ve got innovative technology and tools to make your creative visions come to life. From the Makerspace at Glenwood Branch to the DIY Education Center at Elkridge Branch all the way to the A/V Lab at Savage Branch, there’s plenty to inspire your imagination.

The Makerspace at Glenwood is a one-stop shop for all things design. With tinker bins, there’s opportunity for crafting and inventing in all sorts of innovative ways. The 3D printer is a professional grade machine and with a Glowforge, Cricut, large-format printer, a digital memory station, and a recording booth, there’s plenty to explore. The Makerspace area serves people ages eight and up, but for younger folks, the Builder’s Barn is a great place to bring designs into life. While some of the Makerspace products have associated costs for materials, you can design from start to finish. You can take Makerspace classes at Glenwood Branch. If you don’t have time to make your project, though, the Maker-To-Order system allows for HCLS staff to print or cut your fully designed files.

The photograph centers the customer service desk at the Elkridge branch's makerspace, with a wheelbarrow, ladders, and an array of books and tools to the left and behind, and a dolly and other equipment to the right. — The DIY Education Center at HCLS Elkridge Branch.

The DIY Education Center boasts a vast collection of tools for all ages, ranging from baking, biking, camping, crafts, gardening, or home improvement. The instructors are always excited to help those interested in engaging with the available tools at DIY classes held at Elkridge. The DIY Education Center even has a studio, a “mess-friendly” classroom, and a workspace. To borrow from the DIY collection, you must have a DIY library card, available to those 21 and older, who live, work, or attend school in Maryland.

Library customers stand outside a recording booth, which contains a microphone and a set of headphones draped over the mic stand. — Recording booth in the A/V Lab at HCLS Savage Branch.

The A/V Lab at Savage Branch also boasts a recording booth and 3D printer. During regular A/V Lab hours, a staff member can answer basic questions about the computer software. You can use the instruments in place, and as always, classes cans help familiarize you with each tool. Schedule a one-on-one appointment at the Savage Branch & STEM Education Center page on hclibrary.org.
If you want to find out more about how to unlock your creativity at the library this year, check out our classes, and visit us at the Makerspace, the DIY Education Center, or the A/V Lab.

Craft Works
For adults. Register here.
Let your creativity shine in a relaxed and welcoming environment. Each month, learn about different art media and explore new techniques.
Classic Book Flowers
Tue Feb 8 2-3:30 pm Central Branch.

A/V Lab
For teens and adults. Registration preferred here.
Drop-in to use the equipment in the A/V Studio. Record and mix music or create and edit movies with the help of a HiTech instructor. Walk-ins welcome.
Every Wednesday 5 – 7 pm Savage Branch.

Book Earrings and Charms
For teens & adults. Register here.
Make unique jewelry inspired by your favorite books.
Tue Feb 27 7 – 8:30 pm Elkridge Branch.

Sahana is an Instructor and Research Specialist at the Savage Branch. They enjoy adding books to their “want to read” list despite having a mountain of books waiting for them already.

a collage of the five winning bookmarks from last week.

Bring Your Art Skills: Bookmark Contest 2023

June 9, 2023Admin Leave a comment

A collage of the five winning bookmarks from 2022. — 2022 HCLS winning bookmarks

We want to see what you can imagine! Draw anything that you love and want to share that uses the given space in interesting ways, and maybe brings a smile to someone’s face. There are no required themes. Our contest runs from May 31 through July 31. Winning bookmarks will be available at all HCLS branches in the fall.

All children in grades K – 12 who live or attend school (or homeschool) in Howard County may enter.

One winner in each category (five total) will be chosen to be printed:
Kindergarten & Grade 1, Grades 2 & 3, Grades 4 & 5, Grades 6 – 8, and Grades 9 – 12

Forms are available at HCLS branches and printable on demand from hclibrary.org.

Some tips include:

Please don’t trace or use copyrighted images (such as from favorite TV shows, movies, or books) or include computer- or AI-generated art. If you include words, check for correct spelling and legibility. Keep text away from edges. In fact, keep all important design details away from the line around the box.

Consider what medium works best for you. Sparkle crayons, gel pens, and neon colors don’t reproduce well and probably won’t be chosen. Make sure that your design is well defined, not sketchy or pale.

Dear adults: This contest is for students, please don’t “help” with anything other than the form.

Best of luck! We look forward to seeing the results of your artistry, creativity, and imagination.

January is International Creativity Month

January 6, 2023jeanboone1 Leave a comment

by Jean B.

Are you ready to stir up your creative juices, push your comfort zone, and generate some innovation in your life?

Experts agree: creativity is in all of us. It’s something you can boost and develop at any age. The ways we encourage creativity in children — with open-ended exploration, unstructured time, stories and story-telling, and playful experiences — are strategies available to all of us.

But where to begin? It may feel risky to commit to an unfamiliar activity and expensive to invest in all the necessary equipment and supplies. Don’t worry – just look to your library! Not only are our buildings filled with books about everything under the sun (including how to be creative), but HCLS also offers instructors, speakers, experiences, tools, facilities, and spaces that alleviate the cost of trying something new.

You might start by changing your environment. Make your imagination soar by putting a Picasso on your wall or streaming music you’ve never heard before. At our Central and Glenwood branches, you can borrow new, inspiring art every six weeks, then attend art classes at the Elkridge DIY center to create a personal masterpiece. Borrow a ukulele, then join a jam session of the Savage Ukes or use a recording booth at Glenwood to stretch those creative muscles even further. Once you are inspired by the masters, you may find it easier to produce something yourself.

If your imagination produces more than your home equipment can support, come to HCLS for maker tools and machinery. At Elkridge Branch’s DIY Center you might borrow a sewing and embroidery machine and create beautiful textiles. At Glenwood Branch’s Makerspace, access a 3D printer and laser cutter engraver, or just play around with building toys like LEGOS, K’nex, and planks. If you get inspiration from sharing with others, you can join fellow makers at a Pins and Needle Arts class at Central Branch or Miller Branch, where conversation fuels creativity and learning.

Young creators can get inspired at the library, too! Borrow some puppets from the HCLS toy collection to retell familiar stories and produce original tales. Visit the Glenwood Branch Builders Barn, where children enter a material-rich space to explore, discover, and create. Check out the children’s and teen’s class schedules to find art, engineering, music, and technology offerings to feed every kind of passion.

Happy Creative New Year!

Papermaking Lab!
Monday, January 9, 6 – 7:30 pm
HCLS Miller Branch
Ages 11-18.
DECLUTTER then CREATE! Shred, blend, and mix to transform those old notebooks and paper into beautiful new papers! (We’ll have recycled paper, too). Experiment by adding seeds for plantable paper or denim scrap. Come back during the Wednesday Wellness class (drop-in, no registration required) on Wednesday, January 11 from 4 – 5 pm to turn your paper into a gratitude journal.

Registration suggested, drop-ins allowed if space permits. Register here.

Get to “Snow” the Laser Cutter Engraver
Wednesday, January 11, 6 – 8 pm
HCLS Glenwood Branch
Step up your craftiness with the Makerspace! Using the laser cutter engraver, create custom snowflakes. Learn the basics of Adobe Illustrator, then send your project to be cut. Absolute beginners welcome; all materials supplied.

Ages 11 and up welcome; any participant under 18 years of age must have a parent/guardian present. Register here.

Artapalooza!
Wednesday, January 18, 2 – 4 pm
HCLS Miller Branch
Ages 11-18.
Spend your early dismissal day creating! Let your creativity soar in an open studio art space. We provide the supplies, you bring the imagination.

Registration preferred, drop-ins allowed if space permits. Register here (registration opens Monday, January 11 at 2 pm).

Goal Setting With Vision Boards
Wednesday, January 18, 1 – 3 pm
HCLS Savage Branch
Ages 11-18.
Start 2023 off right with some personal goal setting. We discuss and share different areas we’d like to improve in as well as areas that we are doing well in, then create vision boards.

Drop-in.

Ingenious Inventions!
Wednesday, January 25, 7 – 7:45 pm
HCLS Miller Branch
Ages 6-10.
Don’t let history be a mystery – learn about some inventions. Includes stories, activities, and a craft.

Ticket required. Tickets available at the children’s desk 15 minutes before class.

Slime Cafe
Monday, January 23, 3:30 – 4:15 pm
HCLS Central Branch
Ages 6-10.
Read a yucky story and learn how to combine different ingredients with a basic slime recipe to create your own unique slimes. Materials provided (unscented shampoo, corn starch, and food coloring). Dress for mess.

Registration required. Register here (registration opens Monday, January 16 at 3:30 pm).

A black and white photo of a paper snowflake in a window, overlooking benches, trees, and garden beds in the Enchanted Garden of the Miller Branch at HCLS.

Stress Free Steam

December 28, 2022Holly Leave a comment

Feeling stressed? Relieve some of that tension and join us for Stress Free STEAM. In this low-key, hands-on monthly series, commune with other adults while exploring various topics in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math.

Each class session focuses on a different subject and features an engaging and creative hands-on project. Among other inventive projects, previous creative customer favorites have included miniature cabinets of curiosity, Japanese Gyotaku fish prints, and Fibonacci spiral paper sunflowers.

On Thursday, January 5 we will examine the science of snowflakes. Learn why no two snowflakes are alike, among other fascinating facts, before making a unique paper snowflake.

All abilities welcome. Beginners and the non-crafty are encouraged to come. Materials provided.

Stress Free Steam for Adults meets at the Miller Branch on the first Thursday of the month. Register here.

Holly is an Instructor and Research Specialist at the Miller Branch. She enjoys knitting, preferably with a strong cup of tea and Downton Abbey in the queue.

The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative

March 15, 2021Nina L. 2 Comments

By Nina L.

Finding ways to increase our well-being during the pandemic has taken on greater significance than ever. Spending time outdoors, one of the few pastimes still available to us, may actually have greater benefits than we realize, according to The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative. Author Florence Wiliams, a contributing editor to Outside magazine and transplant to Washington, DC from Boulder, CO, felt depressed, irritable, and unable to focus after the move. Realizing that she missed the mountains and easy access to nature, Williams began asking, “…how much nature do we need to fix ourselves?” and, “What is it about nature that people seem to need?” Williams embarked on a two-year research project to learn the answers from scientists around the world.

Williams buoys up the factual and data-heavy text with sprinkles of humor evident in chapters titled, “How Many Neuro-Specialists Does It Take to Find the Stinking Milk Vetch?” and, “Squat Down and Touch the Plant.” She subjected herself to wearing an EEG device strapped around her head while viewing the San Juan River, went on a kayaking trip with veterans suffering from PTSD, and visited countries including Japan, South Korea, Scotland, and Finland to understand what we can learn from other nations.

Many countries make access to and immersion in nature a national priority. In Japan, the practice of forest-bathing, or shinrin yoku, has been found to have quantifiable effects on health. The practice involves slowing down in order to open up to the sights, scents, textures, sounds, and even tastes of nature. Williams’ initiation into forest-bathing started with a warm cup of “mountain-grown, wasabi-root and bark flavored tea.” Later in the day she inhaled the scent of sugi pines, stretched out on a mossy boulder, and listened to the quacking of ducks. Afterwards, not surprisingly, her blood pressure measured several points lower.

Subsequent chapters fully explore the individual senses of smell, hearing, and sight. The hinoki cypress forests found in South Korea are full of beneficial phytoncides, a chemical released by plants. Beyond just smelling good, phytoncides boost the immune system, reduce blood pressure, lower cortisol, and improve concentration. The Korean Forest Agency offers guided trips through the forests to help cancer patients, children with allergies, and prenatal women, among others.

Similarly, just listening to a trickling stream can have a positive impact on our brain. Even as we tune them out, industrial sounds affect us negatively — traffic, planes, electric saws, and leaf blowers can all raise stress levels and deter alpha waves, while the opposite holds true of the sounds of nature. Enjoying beautiful scenery also activates “happy molecules.” Visual artist and physicist, Richard Taylor, studies fractal patterns found in nature such as in clouds, coastlines, and plant leaves. Exposure to fractal patterns activates brain regions that regulate emotions and reduces stress up to 60 percent by increasing alpha waves.

The Finns have found that a mere five hours a month spent in nature improves physical and emotional health. Recommendations for time outdoors can be compared to the food pyramid: short walks during the week, a weekend away once a month, and every year or two aspiring to spend a few weeks in a natural setting. Beyond benefits on an individual level, the increasing scientific evidence of how nature improves health can shape public policy decisions, such as how educators approach school recess, city planners provide urban green space, and architects design hospitals.

The wealth of evidence in The Nature Fix supports what many of us already know, that nature is good for us. Yet taking a deep dive into understanding the scientific research helped me override the temptation to stay on the couch and choose instead to find time in my day, even if just a little, to enjoy the rich and renewing effects of nature.

The Nature Fix is also available from HCLS as an ebook and an eaudiobook via Libby/OverDrive.

Nina L. is a Customer Service Specialist at the Miller Branch of HCLS. She loves art, yoga, dogs, cats, and reading horizontally.

The photograph depicts a jumbled, colorful pile of Lego blocks and figurines.

All things LEGO!

March 10, 2021Kimberly J 1 Comment

Did you know that there are more than 100 LEGO pieces per person on the planet? The word Lego comes from an abbreviation of the Danish words leg and godt, which mean play well. Lego was founded in 1932, and since then their “play well” philosophy continues to inspire citizens the world over. This universal building block connects generations and bridges language barriers – anyone can build Lego. Here are just a few resources from HCLS to inspire Lego fans of all ages – whether you’re an AFOL (adult fan of Lego), TFOL (teen fan of Lego), or KFOL (kid fan of Lego), here are some finds to get you in the mood to build!

A Lego Brickumentary is a fun and fact-filled foray into the fandom that is Lego. In a documentary that the whole family can watch together, animated Lego scenes are interspersed with interviews and awe-inspiring Lego builds. It explores the history and evolution of the world’s second biggest toy company and how it has become a catalyst for innovation. I was inspired through the artists, master builders, designers, architects, and therapists that have utilized this simple building brick to transform ideas and imagination into reality. This film runs 1 hour and 35 minutes, is rated G, and is available on DVD from HCLS.

Beautiful Lego is a full color portfolio of Lego artworks from 77 different contributors and a compendium of so many fantastical designs – from minimalism to monsters. This gorgeous book boasts more than 200 pages of inspiration. I loved the incredibly detailed model of an imaginary extraterrestrial city – the same one featured on the cover art. The book features unusual usage of different types of bricks in creating textures, expressions, and models of everyday objects. For fans of art, fans of Lego, and fans of both.

100 Ways to Rebuild the World is a children’s book full of ideas of how to encourage kindness, positivity, community, and responsibility. It features fun bright Lego illustrations and issues challenges to inspire kids to care about themselves, others, and the planet. My favorite challenges were “Start a chain of creativity” and “Step into their shoes.” It is a great resource for parents who are looking for ways to help their children connect with the community and the world around them.

The collage includes the Lego creations participants in the Lego Engineering Challenge class, including elephants, a dump truck, an arrow, windmills, and other vehicles. — A collage of the creative work of participants in the Lego Engineering Challenge class.

Lego Engineering Challenge is a biweekly prerecorded class produced by Ms. Julie. She issues four unique challenges in every class – encouraging children in grades K-8 to use their imagination and problem solving skills to complete fun tasks. After each session, Ms Julie compiles participants’ submissions and shares them to encourage budding engineers and artists. Pictured are just a few submissions from past classes. It is always fun to see so many creative solutions to the same challenge. Find the next class by clicking here, then register to receive a link to the next session.

Brick by Brick: How Lego Rewrote the Rules of Innovation and Conquered the Global Toy Industry is an eAudiobook available on Cloud Library. It explores the business management and innovation practices of the Lego Group through anecdotes and case studies. This book was written to be an inspiration for business owners as a model of how innovation practices evolved at the Lego Group, and how the company used their 2003 brush with bankruptcy to realign, reconnect, and reemerge as a leader in the toy industry.

Inspired to create your own Lego masterpieces? Share them with the world through the Lego Ideas website. This is one of the Lego Group’s most successful innovations. A crowd-sourced idea generator, it began in 2008 as Lego Cuusoo (Cuusoo means “imagination” or “wish” in Japanese, and it still available as an archive here). On the Lego Ideas website, you can submit your own proposals for new Lego sets, vote on global submissions, and participate in activities and contests with other Lego lovers.

Kimberly J is a DIY Instructor and Research Specialist at the HCLS Elkridge Branch. She enjoys reading, photography, creating, crafting, and baking.

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