Observed from August 12-20 this year, National Science Week is an annual celebration established by the Australian government in 1997 to recognize the contributions made by Australian scientists and generate interest in science among the general public. While initially celebrated in May alongside the Australian Science Festival in Canberra, in 2002 the event was moved to be during August. National Science Week is supported financially by the Australian government and has continued support from the Australian Science Teachers Association and numerous volunteers. More than 300 science-based events are held throughout the country annually.
National Science Week, or its National Science Day counterpart, is also celebrated in other countries, with the dates of observance determined by each country. For example, India celebrates National Science Day on February 28 in honor of the discovery of the Raman Effect, and National Public Science Day is observed in the United States from February 17-19 each year to highlight the significance of scientific issues.
The library provides numerous resources for those interested in exploring a variety of categories of science. Tune in to Bill Nye the Science Guy for fun science segments, or take a trip with Ms. Frizzle on The Magic School Bus to learn more about science through adventure. Search the library catalog for many more science-based materials for all ages available for checkout. Alachua County residents with a library card can read about scientists through history with Gale in Context: Biographies and keep up with current scientific news with the New York Times.
Check out our STEM Kits for kids for hands-on learning, and step into the world of ornithology with our Birding Kits.
More digital databases:
- EBSCO and Reference eBooks
- Florida Electronic Library
- Issues & Controversies
- Learning Express
- MasterFILE Premier
- World Book
- Engineering Programs
Crafting with Cardboard
Wednesday, August 2, 2 p.m. at Tower Road BranchBring your imagination to create something with recycled cardboard.
The abundance of cardboard in our homes makes crafting with cardboard economical to explore the process of art. The 5 stages of the art process include inspiration, percolation, preparation, creation, and reflection.
We provide cardboard, markers, scissors, glue, tape, and BOOKS to inspire you.
TinkerSpace
Friday, August 4, 2 p.m. at Millhopper BranchJoin us in the kid's area for an exciting afternoon of hands-on STEAM exploration!
Put your building and engineering skills to the test with Rigmajig Jr. and Keva planks. You can use your imagination to complete building challenges or just have fun playing with the toys!
Bots and Blocks
Friday, August 14, 4 p.m. at Waldo BranchSTEAM program. Explore engineering, coding, and design with hands-on activities for teens and tweens.
- LEGO Programs
Lego at the Library
Wednesday, August 2, 9, 1 p.m. and August 16, 23, 30, 3 p.m. at Alachua BranchCalling all brick builders extraordinaire! Drop in every Wednesday this summer at the Alachua Branch and use our collection of LEGO bricks to bring your designs to life. Choose a wild card challenge or dream up your own LEGO creation. This program is suited for children ages 5-11.
LegoSpace
Wednesday, August 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, 3 p.m. at Headquarters LibraryCreate new LEGO masterpieces every week at the Headquarters Library.
LegoSpace
Tuesday, August 8 and 22, 3 p.m. at Millhopper BranchWe provide the Legos, and you provide the imagination. Come build awesome Lego structures with other kids in the library!
LegoSpace
Wednesday, August 9, 3:30 p.m. at High Springs BranchJoin us to make LEGO creations. Free creating and guided creating will be available. This program is designed for elementary-aged children. Younger children are welcome with a parent or caregiver.
Summer of Science: Kids STEAM Activities
Friday, August 4, 10:30 a.m. at Cone Park Branch
Join us for interactive science activities and experiments. Let's learn science all together now!
This program aims to reinforce K-6th Grade science education through interactive science experiments and activities. Science is everywhere, and we intend to explore that through an interdisciplinary use of technology, engineering, art, and math! Each week we'll watch an educational short video on a scientific process/subject, and then we'll conduct fun experiments or do activities to build on what we just learned.
ArtSpace: Paper-Making with Garden Plants
Thursday, August 10, 4 p.m. and Saturday, August 12, 2 p.m. at Waldo Branch
Join us for a STEAM program of Paper-making with Garden Plants. Arts and crafts for ages 5 and up in our unique Waldo ArtSpace.
Glow in the Dark Slime
Saturday, August 26, 2 p.m. at Micanopy Branch
Come by and make some slime! But not just any old slime; this slime will glow in the dark!
Getting Started with Local Foraging
Sunday, August 27, 1 p.m. at Headquarters Library
An introduction to some easy-to-identify wild edibles that grow in Gainesville.
Have you ever wondered what's edible in your backyard? Join educator, artist, and community organizer Kristin Powers for a fun and interactive introduction to some of the easy-to-identify wild edibles that grow in Gainesville. You'll learn to positively ID 10 wild items, including plants and mushrooms. A brief history of foraging, the ethics of foraging, and how to prepare your wild harvests will also be covered. Come hungry to learn!
What's the Buzz: Discover the Life of Bees
Tuesday, August 29, 3 p.m. at Hawthorne Branch
Bees are important members of the Florida environment and food chain system. Join us to find out how we can help bees do their essential work.
Super Science Encyclopedia
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The book examines the science behind everyday life -- how we power our homes, grow our food, and build machines that allow us to communicate with others and travel around the world. Featuring a wide range of scientific inventions and discoveries, from advances in modern medicine to groundbreaking ideas for saving the environment, SuperScience uncovers how science plays a part in every area of our lives.
Timelines of Science
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Packed with fascinating facts, amazing images, and some seriously staggering science, this science history book shows how thousands of years of human endeavor have expanded our knowledge and shaped our lives. Find out why the fruitless search for a potion of eternal life led to the birth to chemistry. See how the invention of magnifying lenses opened new windows into the cosmos and microcosmos. And learn how happy accidents led to the discovery of X-rays, batteries, pulsars, and even the big bang.
Citizen Science: How Anyone Can Contribute in Scientific Discovery
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Citizen science has opened up the world of scientific research to anybody and everybody. It is being done in all areas of science including zoology, biology, astronomy, chemistry, and more. Some projects involve going outside and observing nature while others revolve around data obtained and shared over the internet. And whether one has scientific training or not, the contributions being made by citizen scientists are making a difference.
Handmade: A Scientist's Search for Meaning Through Making
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From atomic structures to theories about magnetic forces, scientific progress has given us a good grasp on the properties of many different materials. However, most scientists cannot measure the temperature of steel just by looking at it, or sculpt stoneinto all kinds of shapes, or know how it feels to blow up a balloon of glass. Handmade is the story of materials through making and doing.
Author and material scientist Anna Ploszajski journeys into the domain of makers and craftspeople to comprehend howthe most popular materials really work. Anna has the fresh perspective of someone at the forefront of the field. Each chapter features her accounts of learning from masters of their respective crafts. Along the way, Anna builds a fuller picture of materials and their place in society, as well as how they have intersected with her own life experiences--from land racing on American salt flats to swimming the English Channel.