Cliffnotes Workshop

Before the end of the year, we held a Cliffnotes workshop to help students get a jump start on any required winter break reading! Students were reminded that Cliffnotes is a supplementary database of online study guides aimed at improving reading comprehension. Children learned various aspects of Cliffnotes including:

– Signing up for a free account to save books and study guides

– SAT, ACT, GRE study guides

– Word of the Week

– Character analysis and plot summaries

This workshop is one of many workshops where librarians will introduce and discuss particular databases listed on our Research & Homework Help page of our city website at ssf.net/library.

Hack Your Homework is everyday from 3pm until closing where students can ask our librarians for research tips and tricks to help students finish homework faster!

3Doodler Ornaments recap

Both our 3Doodler Ornaments programs at Main and Grand Ave library had talented artists successfully create with 3Doodler pens! 3Doodlers are very similar to our 3D printers. Both the 3D printers and pens heat up to around 400 degrees Fahrenheit in order to melt PLA and ABS plastic down into a more liquefied state; which allows for 3D drawing! But because of these extremely hot temperatures, adult supervision is always required for younger artists wanting to use 3Doodler pens.

With 3Doodlers, it is important to be patient as the small device takes longer for filament to extrude compared to a 3D printer. Here’s some basics on 3D pen usage:

– Single press of the bottom button will extrude filament for a short period of time.

– Double pressing the bottom button enables auto-feeding of filament for drawings longer than 30 seconds.

– Single press of the top button retracts filament out of the pen to create clean stops. Multiple presses of the top button may be required if a user would like to change filament colors in the middle of a design.

– Be sure to grip the pen above the buttons to ensure your hand is out of the burn zone!

Similarly to how 3D printers can not print in mid-air, a strong foundation is also needed when drawing with a 3D pen. 3D Drawings should start out as 2 dimensional and then fused together to create 3D designs. As stated on our 3Doodler page, there are tons of project resources from the3doodler.com! Be sure to follow us on Instagram @ssflibrary for more program photos including the following:

 

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Giant Makey Makey Piano

We’ve constructed a giant Makey Makey Piano at Main library! Come play the piano, learn about music, Makey Makey, and Scratch programming!

The piano took our team a couple weeks to complete. Special thanks to Jennyjean8675309 for creating an awesome tutorial on Instructables: http://www.instructables.com/id/Floor-Piano/

 

 

The piano keys are made from two pieces of cardboard with foil on one side of each. The foil sides are facing each other and separated by foam. When a user steps onto the key, the foam compresses allowing the foil pieces to touch. The pieces of foil are individually wired to the Makey Makey. When the foil pieces touch, a circuit is closed that the Makey Makey reads as an input. The Scratch program plays the piano note as an output through speakers.

Once all the keys were cut, foiled, lined with foam, and wired to the Makey Makey, a piano cover was created. A Scratch program was remixed to fit our piano. And although the black keys are not functional, it is still pretty fun to play around on! Nice work everyone!

 

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Note: Piano has been re-configured after posting the above video in order to reflect a more realistic piano!

Winter Technology & Makerspace Classes

Our lineup for winter 2018 is available now! Check out our digital trifold below:

Are there any workshops that you’re excited to attend? Any classes that you’d like us to offer? Leave us a comment or send a message to any of our social media accounts including Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram!

 

 

ALA International Games Week Recap

International Games Week was from Sunday, October 29th through Saturday, November 4th! Here’s what South San Francisco Public Library had lined up:

Sunday: Board Games brought classic games for patrons to play with like Monopoly, Guess Who, Mouse Trap, Trouble and Jenga!

Monday: Google Cardboard was a hit with many young learners interested in the world of virtual reality.  These youngsters were able to play the drive simulator and ride through the roller coaster app along with other fun things available for free on Android and iOS smart phones.  Families enjoyed learning about the low cost entry into VR and are looking forward to SSFPL’s Oculus Rift and HTC touch demonstrations next month.

Tuesday: Console Games brought nostalgia for some and for others a newfound appreciation for crisp graphics. We had a Sega Genesis, Wii U, and an X-box on hand for patrons to take on library staff in a friendly competition of hand and eye coordination.

Wednesday: International Games had everything set out from Mancala, Chinese Checkers, Chess, Dominoes, Guess Who, Mouse Trap, Scrabble, Minion Memory, and Mahjong! Patrons appreciated the welcoming atmosphere for making new friends, learning new games, and a relaxing break after a long day at school.

Thursday: Laptop Computer Games was a smash hit with participants!  With the growing popularity of laptops and video games, it was no surprise that the combination of the two would be a success.

Friday: Escape Room Our Escape Room received a warm welcome with all three sessions being completely booked!

Will players have enough time to find all the keys and make an escape?

Teams were allotted 60 minutes to solve our five rooms of challenging and creative puzzle mysteries where teamwork and communication were keys to success!

Saturday: Dash Racing and Card Games was a hit with all of the kids! Participants connected iPads to each Dash robot and raced around the room like there was no tomorrow.  Competition filled the room and excitement was in the air.

Overall, it was a fantastic week! Thank you to all those that came to participate and we look forward to having another fun filled games week next year!

Junior Engineers Build at the Library!

Yesterday at our Junior Engineers programs held at both the West Orange Library and the Grand Branch, children were able to let their imaginations run free. They were able to build like architects using Keva Planks, think like circuit design engineers using Snap Circuits and explore their creative side using ShapeMags. In addition to the equipment they utilized to design and create, they were able to build a welcoming community of makers! We welcome youth of all ages to explore the Makerspaces over at our West Orange and Grand locations.

True or Fake News? How to Tell the Difference

Welcome to the era of technology and information. With easy access to tons of information and resources, it’s hard to determine what is credible and what isn’t. This development presents a dangerous threat to our society as individuals hear and believe false stories. We’re here to help!  Come to the course and learn how to recognize fake news when you see it.

Thursday, June 29 at 6PM – Main Library

Going Digital – June courses for Adults

Free Computer Classes in the TLC!

Technology can be intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be! This summer, learn the skills you need to use a computer safely and effectively, with free computer classes from the library.  As you gain new skills, you will earn digital badges, or online certifications, that you can add to your resume.

Going Digital Series:

How to Reserve the Library’s Newest Books and Movies

This summer, learn new skills with free computer classes from the library. In this session, you will learn how to use the library’s catalog to place holds on new movies and books. Be one of the first in line to read and watch the latest and greatest!

Monday, June 12, 10 am – Main library

Monday, June 12, 2 pm – Grand library

Friday, June 16, 10 am – Main library

How to Download Books and Audio-books to Your Phone or Tablet

In this session, you will learn how to download books and audiobooks for free, using the library’s Overdrive collection.

Monday, June 19, 10 am – Main library

Monday, June 19, 2 pm – Grand library

How to Download Magazines to Your Phone or Tablet

In this session, you will learn how to download magazines for free, using the library’s subscription to Zinio.

Monday, June 26, 10 am – Main library

Monday, June 26, 2 pm – Grand library

Saturday, July 1, 10 am – Main library