Art Club: Leather Feather

So for this Art Club, we went to nature for inspiration! I had some leftover scraps of leather from making a dream catcher and so decided to make a leather feather ( yes, it rhymes) from the scraps and use it as a key chain. I had been rocking this feather on my backpack for a bit, and then I thought hmmm..maybe the teens would like to make one of these! The idea was approved as cool, so we proceeded to use some leather from coats and pants and make feathers! (Great way to get rid of that totally 80's jacket or those pants for that costume you wore once) I brought in some of my personal feather collection for inspiration for the teens and let them pick a feather to model their leather one after. The teens even painted their feathers to reflect some from fantastical birds, such as the Phoenix. It was really interesting to see what they made with it, here are some pictures showing their work!
Email me for the list of materials needed for this! dstates@yorklibraries.org
Dawn states: I kept accidentally calling the Phoenix the Firebird, which is my favorite ballet!

Open Write Night

The teens and I had the awesome experience of hearing and speaking to Elijah Cross, local singer/songwriter for our program Open Write Night. Elijah is a truly talented person and was kind enough to come share his experiences as a sing and songwriter with the teens. He talked about what made him start writing songs, how perseverance and hard work are important, and how to always be yourself. Not only was this a great message for the teens, he was also able to provide practical information to them on how to record their own songs, write music, and go out there and get noticed.
Programs like this are good for teens who are already interested in music but maybe just need some extra direction, or for teens that are not interested in music but just need to hear something positive in their day. Music is a universal thing, and it is not always something that teens get exposed to on a firsthand level like this. Providing this can really help a teen decide if they want to pursue music to another level. Look around your community, what local musicians might be there who would be willing to share their time, talent, and experience with the next group of rising musicians? Reach out and see who you can connect with! It will be a cool event for both you and the teens.
Dawn states: Here is Elijah's Facebook page! Check it out! Listen to his songs! Super awesome! https://www.facebook.com/ElijahCrossOfficial
Email me for any questions or additional information! dstates@yorklibraries.org

Stuffed Animal Sleepover

A unique way to get teens involved with the rest of the library and a fun way for them to volunteer is to have them assist with the implementation of children's programs! While it is necessary and fun for them to be involved with planning their own programs and parties, it is nice when the opportunity arises to present them with helping in other areas. The Stuffed Animal Sleepover was a great crossover for this type of involvement and it was cool and amusing for the teens to help with this!

The Children's Department at the Library was hosting the Stuffed Animal Sleepover and relied on the teens to implement it. Children dropped off their stuffed animals and were given name tags with information for each child's animal. Each animal kept the name tags on during the program, ensuring no lost animals, and in the morning the children return to pick up their animals and have breakfast and watch a slideshow of what their stuffed animals did during their sleepover in the library.  This is the part the teens got to help out with: placing the stuffed animals in various places of the library and making them do various activities and then taking pictures of the stuffed animals. Each teen picked two animals to pose and this made sure that every animal got equal attention. The results were really epic and the teens had a great time helping with the Stuffed Animal Sleepover. Here are some pics!

Dawn states: My favorite stuffed animal growing up was a pink flamingo! What was yours? Leave a comment!

The animals wave at each other across the building. 

Diva Kitty

Good Friends

Piano time!

Perry, in the chandelier. 

Puppet show! 

Hanging out in the house! 

Perry in time out.

Nap time with a bedtime story

Fish tank! 

Saying hello to the cow!

Fishes! 

Jam time! 

Outside! 

Not stuffed animals. Librarians. 

Video games! 

Food Science: Pickles

For our most recent food science, we got ourselves in a pickle....literally! Pickling food is a very ancient and scientific process of food preservation. To do this, we firstly made a simple pickle recipe. This included various vegetables and a salt and vinegar solution. We then talked about the scientific process of pickling and how it is a fermentation process, in addition to being a chemical process. It is also a process that encourages good bacteria to grow while keeping the bad bacteria at bay. During pickling, the vegetables trade their water with the pickling solution through a process of osmosis. During this exchange, the vegetables experience chemical changes and they also produce lactic acid. The osmosis causes the change in the texture of the pickles and the lactic acid causes the changes in the taste. It is a really fascinating scientific pickle process!
To do this, you just need some vegetables, various kitchen equipment, a stove, and  a few ingredients. It is not hard at all! For recipes, links, pickle experiment sheet, or a supply list email me at dstates@yorklibraries.org
Dawn states: I am pickle pumped!