Thelma Parker Library Hosting Engineering Bash

Engineers Week is Feb. 18 through 23, and Thelma Parker Memorial Public and School Library of the Hawai‘i State Public Library System is celebrating with an Engineering Bash from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 23. The free, family-friendly NASA@My Library event is being presented in collaboration with Canada-France-Hawai‘i Telescope, North Hawai‘i STEM Alliance, Pōhakuloa Training Area, and the W.M. Keck Observatory.

Thelma Parker Libary is hosting an engineering bash on Feb. 23. Courtesy photo.

Meet some of the island’s most talented engineers and discover the amazing world of engineering through indoor and outdoor hands-on experiments, demonstrations and displays

Event highlights include an air rocket design challenge, Alka Seltzer rocket making and rocket launching, a “Blasting into Orbit” activity, hydrostatic bearing demonstration, an infrared light demonstration; a mobile, solar-powered trailer capable of powering a home and operations center, and more.

“Engineers Week is a great time to celebrate how engineers make a difference in our community, and in our world,” said Pam Akao, Thelma Parker Memorial Public and School Library branch manager. “We are grateful to Canada-France-Hawai‘i Telescope, North Hawai‘i STEM Alliance, Pōhakuloa Training Area, and W.M. Keck Observatory for partnering with us to spotlight the innovative contributions of engineers to our lives.”

The Thelma Parker Memorial Public and School Library also will offer other free Engineering Week activities, including special children and family screenings of engineering-themed movies on Wednesday, Feb. 20. The animated science fiction adventure, Ratchet & Clank, will play at 1:30 p.m., and Dwayne Johnson’s action film, Skyscraper, will play at 5 p.m.

Ashley Spencer, youth services librarian, will present an engineering-themed Preschool Story Time at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 21, and will lead a related engineering activity.

NASA@My Library is an initiative to engage public audiences nationwide in informal and lifelong learning with the excitement of NASA exploration and discovery.

Thelma Parker Libary is hosting an engineering bash on Feb. 23. Courtesy photo.

Thelma Parker Memorial Public and School Library is proud to be one of 75 public libraries (and the only library in the state of Hawai‘i) chosen to be part of NASA@ My Library, led by the National Center for Interactive Learning at the Space Science Institute in partnership with the American Library Association (ALA) Public Programs Office, the Pacific Science Center, Cornerstones of Science and the Education Development Center. This program is made possible through the support of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Science Mission Directorate as part of its STEM Activation Program.

For more information, call (808) 887-6067. The Thelma Parker Memorial Public and School Library, located at 67-1209 Mamalahoa Highway, is open from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and from 12:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday.