In response to the needs of library staff and their patrons who are practicing self-isolation and social distancing during the Coronavirus Pandemic, STAR Net is developing a special collection of resources through a new "STEAM Ahead @ Home" initiative. This initiative will disseminate a variety of STEAM content (via a newsletter format) that library staff can incorporate into their current online programming.

In order to provide the most effective resources, we have created a short survey to collect input on how your library is currently functioning and what your needs are during this time. Please take a few moments to complete this important survey so we can determine how to best serve your library and its community during this unprecedented time.

Survey link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2DKBYG5

In the meantime, we have put together an initial collection of online resources that library staff can review and distribute to their patrons.

Use this featured resource to add easy, hands-on STEAM activities (using common household materials) to your online Story Time programs. Note: Book recommendations are included.

Virtual Program: Sky Heroes

Participants celebrate their heroes by creating connect-the-dot star patterns to represent them.

Below is a set of resources that can be provided directly to families without the need of facilitation by library staff.

Hands-on Activity: Daylight in a Bottle

Celebrate Earth Day at home by harnessing the power of natural resources! This family guide explores how you can read a secret message from a friend or light up a room with just two things: free, clean energy from the Sun and a water bottle.

The activity has a how-to video (below) as well as a short, four minute video, "A Liter of LIght @ Night", showing how this technology has been used practically in other countries. 

How-to Video: Daylight in a Bottle

This how-to video demonstrates how patrons can experiment with radiant energy and the concept of refraction to develop a lighting system made out of recycled materials. Water bottle-based systems like the ones created in this activity are used in some impoverished areas.

Digital App: Star Maze

Light can take tens of thousands of years to get from the fusion core of a star to its surface. Can you do better? Steer the photon through the maze, collect letters, and build a phrase to help you escape. The game includes twenty seven different mazes corresponding to stars ranging from red dwarfs to blue supergiants!

Available on smartphones and tablets!

Keep your skills sharp by revisiting these professional development resources.

Webinar: Imagine Your Story... with a STEAM Twist!

Join the STAR Net team and Luke Kralik, Organizational Coordinator for CSLP, in this recorded webinar to learn all about this year’s theme and exciting, hands-on STEAM activities that will help you bring it to life at your library. We’ll discuss programming ideas, useful resources, and tips for engaging your community!

Activity Guide: Edible Destruction

Patrons create a simple structure (6 inches or taller) that stays standing in an “earthquake.”

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The STAR Library Network (STAR Net) is a hands-on learning network for libraries and their communities across the country. STAR Net focuses on helping library professionals build their STEM skills by providing “science-technology activities and resources” (STAR) and training to use those resources. Plus, engage public audiences nationwide in informal and lifelong learning with the excitement of exploration and discovery through STAR Net's NASA@ My Library program!

STAR Net is built upon a strong network of collaborators and partners, led by the Space Science Institute’s (SSI) National Center for Interactive Learning (NCIL). Partners include the American Library Association’s Public Programs Office, Collaborative Summer Library Program, Chief officers of State Library Agencies, Lunar and Planetary Institute, Afterschool Alliance, Education Development Center, American Society of Civil Engineers, and Cornerstones of Science. Major funding is provided by the National Science Foundation, NASA Science Mission Directorate, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services.