Library hosts space lesson
The Butler Public Library concluded the second year of its Science Thursday program for children Thursday night.
Speakers from the Carnegie Science Center brought along demonstrations on comets, vacuums, life aboard the International Space Station and walking on the moon.
The “Space Encounters” demonstration was the third science presentation for kindergarten through eighth grade children the library has had in as many months.
Peter Bess, the library's Children and Youth Services librarian, said the Science Thursday program has been very successful, averaging about 50 children per session.
Bess believes the presentations are an exciting way for students to see real experiments of what they learn in the classroom.
“We want to give them the opportunity to do that stuff outside the classroom with people operating in those fields,” he said. “I think it's fun to dive into those topics outside the classroom.”
Bess said he hopes seeing professionals show experiments will inspire the children to explore possible career choices.
“It gives them an idea of what they can become when they grow up,” Bess said. “It becomes more than something they learn about. It becomes something they can do.”
Bess said the library attempts to maintain various educational programs for children in the area and that science is one of the fundamental topics to explore.“Science is so important right now in schools,” he said.Another key aspect of the program is it brings out-of-town resources to the community.“Not all kids get to drive down to the Carnegie Science Center,” Bess said. “This allows them to see different things at their local library.”The two previous programs this year were focused on engineering and biodiversity.Bess said he hopes to continue the program next year if there is money for it in the library's budget.
