Discover Science at Your Library

April is National Science Month, and libraries in Macon, Jackson, and Swain Counties are focusing on the topic with displays, programs, hands-on activities, and more. From workshops on vegetable gardening, animal habitats and building robots, to viewing the stars in a portable planetarium, STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) takes center stage during the month of April at all Fontana Regional Library locations.

Libraries are increasingly becoming STEM education centers in their communities, supplementing what children learn in their classrooms and helping the public of all ages experience science first-hand.

As part of the North Carolina Science Festival held throughout the state April 7-23, Jackson County Public Library and Macon County Public Library will host official Festival events focusing on science and technology. At the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva on April 11, children will use recycled materials to design and build a container to protect a raw egg from a high fall, as well as build catapults to launch marshmallow Peeps. At the Macon County Public Library in Franklin on April 20, families and the public of all ages can visit the portable planetarium and participate in hands-on science activities during a Family Science Night.