'STEAM' Challenge Mondays Comes to Goodnow Library

From Goodnow Library:

In his first six weeks at the Goodnow Library, Robert Carter prepared a series of summer programs, presided over the popular Teen Study Week, and met with an architect to help design a new MakerSpace.

Was it a lot for a new hire to handle? Carter said recently he’s “still recovering” from study week, which featured 11 pm closings, free pizza and stress-reducing sessions with a therapy dog. Despite the initial hectic pace, though, he insists his job is the challenge he’s been waiting for.

Carter is Goodnow’s Teen librarian. He came to Sudbury in May from the Winchester Public Library, where he was a Children’s librarian. In his new role, Carter will oversee collection development, selecting all books and materials for the second-floor Teen space. He also will develop programs to engage and educate middle- and high-school students.

This summer, he is teaming with Children’s librarians Megan Statza Warren and Amy Stimac to host STEAM Challenge Mondays. Held in the Community Room Mondays from 3:30 to 5 pm, the program offers youngsters elementary- and middle-school-age a chance to play with STEAM toys, and to participate in hands-on projects such as engineering baking soda cars and water-bottle rockets.

For teens, Carter has scheduled Tuesday events. On tap is everything from “Snark Attack” movie screenings to gaming sessions, plus a series of workshops that include yoga, hula hoops, even Wudang two-person sword training (times vary). He hopes to beef up Teen offerings in STEAM areas, including Arduino programing, computer-aided design for Goodnow’s vinyl cutter, and computer coding.

New Teen Area, Maker Space

Goodnow’s focus on STEAM drew Carter to Sudbury. He’d heard the library was renovating its second floor to expand the Teen area and create a new MakerSpace, among other improvements. Over the next year Carter will work with the Goodnow Library Foundation, which has secured a major donation to support the renovation effort. The MakerSpace portion of the project will cap the foundation’s multi-year commitment to improve Goodnow’s science, technology and art offerings.

“The idea of having a MakerSpace and being involved in designing it was irresistible,” Carter said.

“I’m meeting with the architect. I hope to have a fair amount of input. I’ve been asked what I need for the programs I am conducting. I’ve been putting together information on that, and on what kind of storage needs we have. I’ve also looked into things like venting.”

The foundation selected Kevin Latady of Latady Design in Lexington to draw up plans for the reconfigured second floor. The renovated space will include an expanded Teen area, new MakerSpace, a new Reference area, and added offices. The plans should be finished by the end of July. Work will begin this fall.

Carter has a wish list for the Maker Space. It includes a 3D printer (which the Goodnow Library Foundation has agreed to purchase); a laser cutter; a wood carving machine; and Raspberry Pi, a credit-card size computer that plugs into a monitor. He also has looked into robotics. Carter said that if teens show interest, he would like to try to get a group to learn robotics programming from scratch.

“I’ve always liked working with things, making things,” Carter said. “I’ve also always been interested in design.” In fact, being a librarian is Carter’s third career; his resume lists work as a long-time stay-at-home dad, interactive designer and graphic artist. He also won two American Film Institute video awards.

“I would love to do video here for the Teens Only programs. I volunteered with Sudbury TV and helped film the high school graduation. If I get enough teens interested we could do a show.” Carter hopes to get equipment at Goodnow to tape shows on varied topics—“for example, fictional story telling”—and show them on public access television or YouTube.

Not all MakerSpace activities will require expensive equipment. Carter would like to see knitters who come to Goodnow use the MakerSpace. He notes there likely will be sewing machines, so patrons of all ages can learn a practical skill. The space could function as a crafts center as well as a tech mecca.

“I can see a program like ‘Survival Skills for Kids Going to College.’ Or one on bicycle repair,” Carter said. “We are bringing in Girls Who Code. We are working with a homeschool girl who launched Girls Who Code at two other libraries. We want to have teenagers teach others to do things. We are providing a space and equipment. And it’s a safe space for kids to hang out.”

Carter strongly believes libraries can teach skills in a way that’s different from schools. Libraries are open after school, on nights and weekends. “Kids and adults can come here and learn at their own pace. In some sense, they can create their own curriculum at the library.”

Getting to Know Teens

Getting to know Sudbury’s teens is one of the biggest challenges ahead. Even though Carter has two children ages 14 and 16, “working with kids not your own is different.”

“I haven’t been here long enough to know the teens. Younger children are more accepting; with teens, you don’t expect to become their best friend right away. I’m hoping during the summer I will begin to establish a rapport. I’m starting to assemble a Teen advisory board. I hope to have a core group of kids I can talk to and they can talk to me.” Carter wants teens to drive the development of programs in the future.

Even though he is committed to STEAM teaching as a major focus of his work, Carter does not ignore the more traditional aspects of libraries.

“Our most important function is still lending books. We don’t want to get away from that. It will always be a primary function,” Carter said. “Maybe the books will be on Kindle or audiobooks, but libraries still function as a repository of information in every community.”

Image via Goodnow Library