How to STEM

f you are considering developing a STEM program for your library, this book is an excellent place to start. Through this useful guide, the editors show how librarians are avidly involved in the national STEM education movement. The editors have organized 25 chapters into 8 parts, covering an array of STEM activities for libraries. The authors guide you through their projects, how they got started, and what choices they made. Drawing upon their first-hand experiences, they communicate both successes and pitfalls encountered along the way. . . .The book presents constructive ideas and methods to integrate quality STEM programs in an effective way. Librarians are featured as creators, innovators, and mentors in learning environments centered on creativity. This how-to resource is highly recommended for a wide audience of librarians who are sure to motivate future scientists, computer professionals, engineers, and mathematicians. * Technical Services Quarterly *
Edited by Carol Smallwood, a prolific editor of works, in conjunction with Vera Gubnitskaia, a manager at the Orange County Library System, Florida, this work brings together 25 chapters organized into 8 sections: Range and Scope; Teaching; Information Literacy and Educational Support; Collection Development; Research and Publishing; Outreach; Partnerships; and Funding. Thirty-four public and academic librarians from the United States share their experiences and knowledge on how libraries can engage youth in science, technology, engineering, and math. The work provides exciting ideas to encourage engagement from preschoolers to college students. The chapters provides practical ideas that are completed with instructions, supply lists, related educational standards, and reading lists. Activity ideas include science activities for preschoolers, partnership programs featuring LEGO, and animation workshops for teens. Students and practitioners alike will benefit from these tips and tales from the trenches. * American Reference Books Annual *
From pre-school to college, programs to funding, this timely collection of how to articles has something helpful for libraries of all kinds. It offers inspiration and ideas even for those not fully versed in STEM. -- Su Epstein, library director, Saxton B. Little Free Library, Columbia, Connecticut
Best practice examples and constructive advice will inspire and support STEM in any library, helping to embed the librarian as an indispensible cog in this nationwide initiative. -- Leigh Woznick, library media specialist, Bridgewater-Raritan Middle School, Bridgewater, New Jersey
The very comprehensive grant writing chapters for STEM grants are informative, enlightening, and useful in so many ways. -- Ann Paietta, director of Essex Free Library, Essex, Vermont
Busy librarians will appreciate this timely idea book, which offers many solutions for helping patrons of all ages and experience levels to engage in science, technology, engineering and math at their libraries–even better, there are ideas here for every librarian's budget, no matter how tiny! -- Beth Neiman, youth services librarian, Carlsbad Public Library, Carlsbad, New Mexico
A great resource for public and academic librarians who wish to incorporate STEM in their information literacy classes, library programming, events, and outreach. -- Mark Aaron Polger, instruction/reference librarian and information literacy instructor, College of Staten Island, CUNY, New York, New York
From preschool through high school to providing support in project planning and grant writing, this anthology presents relevant chapters covering the broad spectrum of just about everything the librarian needs to know about STEM. -- Anna Ercoli Schnitzer, disability issues librarian, Taubman Health Sciences Library, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) is now a staple of educational planning and program evaluation. This book provides an excellent resource for teachers and librarians interested in the standards, applications, trick, traps, and assumptions of this education standard. -- Jonathan Frater, technical services librarian, Metropolitan College of New York
I highly recommend this down to earth treatment of the subject. -- Sharon Britton, library director, Bowling Green State University-Firelands, Huron, Ohio
Valuable insights from academic and public library practitioners on ways to make our hard and applied sciences collections more relevant to patrons of all ages. -- James B. Casey, retired director of Oak Lawn Public Library, Oak Lawn, Illinois