From Friday, December 20th through Wednesday, January 1st, Sutro Library will be closed.
On Tuesday, December 24th, all State Library Reading Rooms will close at 1:00 pm and remain closed through Wednesday, December 25th in observance of Christmas Day.
On Wednesday, January 1st, all State Library Reading Rooms will be closed in observance of New Year's Day.
NASA@ My Library is a national STAR Library Network (STAR Net) initiative that connects NASA, public libraries, state libraries, and their communities. Through the resources below, we hope to increase STEM learning opportunities for millions of library patrons nationwide, particularly those under-served in STEM education.
I. NASA STEM Kits Overview
Through the NASA@ My Library project, there are two types of STEM toolkits provided: Sun-Earth-Moon Connections and Be a NASA Detective: Expanding Your Senses. These kits were designed to be easy programming activities for all ages (children, teens, adults, and families) at the library and to increase STEM learning opportunities for library patrons. The resources on this web site are available to any public library to download, use as reference, or replicate activities.
Developed by STAR Net’s NASA@ My Library team, these kits assist library staff in facilitating programs around exciting NASA science mission topics. NASA@ My Library is based upon work funded by NASA under cooperative agreement No. NNX16AE30A. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the NASA@ My Library initiative and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
II. Kit Resources
Kit 1: Sun-Earth-Moon Connections
The Sun-Earth-Moon Connections kit focuses on activities and experiences that help patrons understand their place in space and how the sun and moon impact our planet. Major content areas in this kit include modeling both lunar and solar eclipses with easy to use tools; detecting ultraviolet light in a creative way; using sorting cards to explore concepts related to size, distance, and temperature; and an experiential activity designed to increase understanding of the vast scale of our solar system.
Library patrons interacting with this kit will increase their understanding of the following three key concepts:
Models help us understand scale and concepts pertaining to our vast universe
The sun and moon affect Earth in different ways
Scientific tools enable us to make more insightful observations
The Be a NASA Detective: Expanding Your Senses kit focuses on activities and experiences that help patrons (and library staff!) be more comfortable using tools of science and making predictions based on their observations. This kit focuses on things we cannot see with our normal vision or sense with our normal senses.
Library patrons interacting with this kit will increase their understanding of the following key concepts:
Model the vast distances in our solar system using a fun paper-folding activity
Create the shapes of the moon’s phases with some “tasty” resources
Explore art as science and science as art through planetary images
Investigate the insides of planets using hands-on objects and detecting tools
Use scientific tools such as a telescope and infrared thermometer to observe properties of objects that are difficult to see with our eyes
In the STEM Activity Clearinghouse, librarians and library staff can find high quality, vetted STEM activities that are appropriate for library use. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math.
The Clearinghouse can be searched by audience, content level, and level of difficulty, among other search terms. Many of the activities in the clearinghouse have pictures or videos of real libraries doing these activities. Activities developed outside the STAR Net project will include tips and tricks for how to implement the activity in your library and will have a link to the original source content so you can explore more.
Astronomy outreach brings the wonders of the universe to people everywhere. The Night Sky Network program is dedicated to helping astronomy clubs in their outreach efforts in communities across the USA. Here we’ve compiled some of our activity videos, tips for club members, and videos that can help your understanding of the night sky, as well as recordings of our monthly webinars with NASA astronomers.
The Night Sky Network is sponsored and supported by NASA/JPL and the Astronomical Society of the Pacific.
The National Girls Collaborative Project (NGCP) is a network of networks. It brings together organizations committed to informing and encouraging girls to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). NGCP supports and creates STEM experiences that are as diverse as the world we live in.
Transforming STEM is at the core of NGCP’s initiatives and partner programs. NGCP works with, and provide resources for, nonprofits, K-12 formal and informal educators, higher education faculty, and leaders in industry and government. NGCP’s diverse efforts range from helping organizations scale and deliver content and programs to managing digital tools that increase representation, showcase inspiring female role models, and connect youth to STEAM opportunities.
The Make-HER program at the Sunnyvale Public Library is all about women. It is designed to give girls ages 8–12 and their moms the opportunity to work side by side, applying their creativity both to the use of existing tools and the invention of new ones. Led by a superstar team of LadyMakers, girls and their mothers (or other adult female mentors) carry out project-based, hands-on STEM learning in a series of two-hour workshops.
Those who do not attend the workshops are welcome to follow the Sunnyvale Make-HERs blog posts. Lesson plans and supply lists are posted for many of the workshops, so you can try the project at home. While some Make-HER projects require special materials (most of which are relatively inexpensive to purchase), other projects use common household items and art supplies.
