Celebrate women and girls in science at Shreve Memorial Library
Did you know that February 11 is the International Day of Women and Girls in Science? It is, and it celebrated each year as a way to recognize the critical roles that women and girls play in science and technology. If you have not heard of the holiday before, International Day of Women and Girls in Science is a joint effort of UNESCO and UN-Women, along with collaboration from institutions and civil society partners. The observance is not only a way to recognize women and girls in science, but also an opportunity to promote full and equal access to and participation in the fields of science and technology.
While the official holiday takes place on February 11, Shreve Memorial Library will be celebrating International Day of Women and Girls in Science all weeklong, February 5 through February 13. Library patrons are encouraged to visit their favorite Shreve Memorial Library branch and participate in a wide variety of STEAM and STEM-based programs, designed to educate and inspire. Programs will take place throughout Caddo Parish and are designed for children and teens, but everyone is welcome to attend.
At Shreve Memorial Library, participants can learn about the stories of women such as Maria Mitchell, the first female astronomer in the United States, Katherine Johnson, one of the first African American women to work as a NASA scientist, and Mae Jemison, the first African American woman in space, among others. Other programs will aim to inspire future generations to consider ways they will leave their marks on science and technology.
Perhaps my favorite part of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science celebration at Shreve Memorial Library is the plethora of hands-on activities and science experiments that will be available for kids to do at the library. Children can make tie-dye slime, rainbow fireworks or galaxies in a jar, bouncy balls, lava lamps, and chemical reactions at the library, while also learning how to code, engineering basics, how DNA strands works, and what is chromatography – a process for separating components of a mixture (I know… I had to look that one up myself).
The best part is that all of these programs are free and open to all, as are all Shreve Memorial Library programs. You can find a complete list of programs and events online at www.shreve-lib.org. Let’s celebrate the accomplishments of everyone in science, especially women and girls, and encourage everyone to continually dream, discover, do.
What’s New at the Library
Wellmania: Extreme Misadventures in the Search for Wellness by Brigid Delaney (non-fiction)
Cold-pressed juices, “clean” eating, colonic vacations, mindfulness apps, and Paleo: health-care trends and miracle diets seem to be more plentiful each year. But do any of these tactics actually work? What does “wellness” even mean? In Wellmania, longtime journalist Brigid Delaney tackles the good, the bad, and the just-a-little-ridiculous of the wellness industry, using herself as the guinea pig. Starting with a brutal 101-day fast, she leaves behind her thirty-something-year-old lifestyle of late-night parties and all-day hangovers to test the things that are supposed to make us healthy and whole: yoga classes, meditation, CBT, Balinese healing, silent retreats, group psychotherapy, and more. Writing with self-deprecating wit and refreshing honesty, she sorts through the fads and expensive hype to find out what actually works, while asking, What does all this say about us? Is total wellness even possible? And why do you start to smell so bad when you haven’t eaten in seven days? According to comedian Judith Lucy, the result is “a bloody entertaining read that leaves you wondering whether you want to do yoga or get mindlessly drunk and despair at the state of the world.”
Random in Death by J.D. Robb (fiction)
Jenna’s parents had finally given in, and there she was, at a New York club with her best friends, watching the legendary band Avenue A, carrying her demo in hopes of slipping it to the guitarist, Jake Kincade. Then, from the stage, Jake catches her eye, and smiles. It’s the best night of her life. It’s the last night of her life. Minutes later, Jake’s in the alley getting some fresh air, and the girl from the dance floor comes stumbling out, sick and confused and deathly pale. He tries to help, but it’s no use. He doesn’t know that someone in the crowd has jabbed her with a needle – and when his girlfriend Nadine arrives, she knows the only thing left to do for the girl is call her friend, Lieutenant Eve Dallas. After everyone on the scene is interviewed, lab results show a toxic mix of substances in the victim’s body – and for an extra touch of viciousness, the needle was teeming with infectious agents. Dallas searches for a pattern: Had any boys been harassing Jenna? Was she engaging in risky behavior or caught up in something shady? But there are no obvious clues why this levelheaded sixteen-year-old, passionate about her music, would be targeted. And that worries Dallas. Because if Jenna wasn’t targeted, if she was just the random, unlucky victim of a madman consumed by hatred, there are likely more deaths to come.
Pandora: A Novel in Three Parts by Susan Stokes-Chapman (fiction)
Steeped in mystery and rich in imagination, an exhilarating historical novel set in Georgian London where the discovery of a mysterious ancient Greek vase sets in motion conspiracies, revelations, and romance. London, 1799. Dora Blake, an aspiring jewelry artist, lives with her odious uncle atop her late parents’ once-famed shop of antiquities. After a mysterious Greek vase is delivered, her uncle begins to act suspiciously, keeping the vase locked in the store’s basement, away from prying eyes – including Dora’s. Intrigued by her uncle’s peculiar behavior, Dora turns to young, ambitious antiquarian scholar Edward Lawrence who eagerly agrees to help. Edward believes the ancient vase is the key that will unlock his academic future; Dora sees it as a chance to establish her own name. But what Edward discovers about the vase has Dora questioning everything she has believed about her life, her family, and the world as she knows it. As Dora uncovers the truth, she comes to understand that some doors are locked and some mysteries are buried for a reason, while others are closer to the surface than they appear. A story of myth and mystery, secrets and deception, fate and hope, Pandora is an enchanting work of historical fiction as captivating and evocative as The Song of Achilles, The Essex Serpent, and The Miniaturist.
About Shreve Memorial Library
Shreve Memorial Library transforms Caddo Parish lives with resources, services and support to create a better world by focusing on developing young readers, sparking imaginations, encouraging curiosity, fostering connection, and providing comfortable places. Shreve Memorial Library’s 21-branch system is maintained by a parish-wide property tax millage to support the informational, educational and recreational needs of its constituents. For more information, visit www.shreve-lib.org, and like, follow and subscribe on social media channels including Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, Pinterest and YouTube. Dream, discover, do – Shreve Memorial Library and you!
This article originally appeared on Monroe News-Star: Celebrate women and girls in science at Shreve Memorial Library
