Learn how to do something new at the Cherry Hill library’s how-to festival on Saturday, the library’s take on New Jersey Maker’s Day.
That annual state observance on the last Saturday of the month each year inspires libraries to showcase and highlight STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) and maker culture to enhance life-long learning.
“The whole point is to do this in conjunction with New Jersey Maker’s Day and to support maker culture and that kind of DIY (do-it-yourself) philosophy,” explained librarian Suzanne Fox. “So the craft supply swap kind of allows you to use or reuse supplies for your own maker purposes.”
Though the library has participated in Maker’s Day since 2015, its program was revamped last year and now goes by the title of a how-to festival to broaden the idea of making something. Anything.
The festival will run from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and feature a wide variety of speakers and programs for both kids and adults.
- 11 a.m. to noon: Shawn Milochic will lead a presentation on podcasting and audiobook narration. Registration is required.
- 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Students from Camden Catholic High School will demonstrate robots playing disc golf in the storytime and craft room
- Noon to 12:30 p.m.: Aunt Orphia’s Pound Cake Company will give a presentation on breaking into the baking business and will have pound cake samples available.
- Noon to 2 p.m.: The library will have its second annual craft supply swap, where artists can bring their own bags to pick up donated craft supplies that include fabric, yarn, beads, silk flowers and needlepoint kits.
- 1 to 2 p.m.: REI sporting goods in Marlton advises on how to extend the life of outdoor gear. REI’s Gerry Capistrano will explain how to care for and repair tents, sleeping bags, clothes, boots and backpacks.
- 2 to 4 p.m.: Kids can participate in different LEGO challenges every half hour in the children’s story and craft room.
- 2 to 3:30 p.m.: The Needlework Guild will showcase projects like knitting, crocheting and embroidery and more. Guests can bring their own projects and ask for advice.
- 3 to 4 p.m.: Join Gwenn Baile of Camden County Chickens – also known as the chicken lady – and learn how to raise the birds in backyards where they’re permitted.
No registration is required for the sessions except for those with Milochic and the pound cake company, though that is subject to change.
“It has grown a lot in its scope (since the rebrand),” Beth Cackowski, Youth Services librarian, said of the how-to event. “I think the previous stuff we used to do for Makers Day really was more geared towards children, and we were like, you know, adults want to learn how to do stuff too.
“ … I think that is the spirit of New Jersey Maker’s Day, that everybody gets to learn a little something.”
The library also supports Maker culture throughout the year. The Needlework Guild meets twice a month to work on its projects and lend assistance to members. The facility also has a musical instrument library that patrons can borrow from, and they can use the seed library that opened earlier this month.
“The sort of tagline for the whole library of things is try before you buy,” explained Erica Moon, Emerging TEchnologies librarian. “A lot of people don’t want to lay out a lot of money for these things before they know how to use them.”
To learn more about the how-to festival and library programs, visit chplnj.org.
