“Is there life out there?” Some inquisitive youth utilize one of the many interactive exhibits that are stationed at the Nederland Community Library and at Wild Bear Nature Center. PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER KELLEY[/caption]

Have you visited your local library this summer? Nederland Community Library is the proud recipient of an exhibit on loan from Discovery. “Discover Exoplanets: The Search for Alien Worlds” is available to visit through the summer. A collaboration between NASA scientists, futurists, artists, the Exoplanet Exploration Program and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory have curated an abundance of colorful panels with huge amounts of scientific information as well as interactive kiosks.

In addition, the Nederland Library will be hosting a variety of speakers and events. Just before entering the library be sure to stop at the mural and use the QR code to download your very own Exoplanets coloring pages.

This exhibit’s focus is on Exoplanets; planets outside of our solar system. One of the questions that is mentioned on one of the panels is: Is there life out there? Upon reading the panels around the exhibit you will learn what NASA has discovered about exoplanets. You will also be able to understand why we cannot visit Exoplanets, what planets would possibly be able to support life, and about all the different kinds of Exoplanets.

The panels include photos, colorful artists’ rendering and interpretations as well as creative cartoon characters. Kiosks, set near some of the panels, engage visitors in the interactive portion of the exhibit. Using one of the kiosks, you can see some of the different Exoplanets that have already been discovered. At another kiosk you can test your knowledge against that of Hollywood, by previewing portions of movies tha have included information about extraterrestrials. At yet another kiosk you can stand in front of a green screen and pretend to be a reporter telecommunicating valuable information about planets and so much more! All of the installation is both amusing and educational for children and adults alike.

Educational programming for this exhibit also includes a list of speakers. Joining you at Nederland Community Library will be Jessica Howes, Kris Larsen, and Brian Hynek. On July 10, from 10:30 -11:30 a.m., Howes, a STEM lecturer at CU Boulder, will direct your attention to the planets that join Earth in orbiting our Sun. This presentation will be for younger elementary kids. Howes will also present the following day, July 11, from 10:30 - 11:30 a.m., to introduce how Newton’s three laws apply to a rocket ship. This presentation is geared toward older elementary ages and up.

On July 28 from 3 - 4 p.m., Larsen, a professional research assistant from CU Boulder and one of Nederland’s previous mayors, will be teaching about the Mars Rover trip. The last of these speakers is scheduled for August 6, from 3 - 4 p.m. Here you will be educated on rocks from outer space by Hynek, a professor in the Department of Geological Sciences and Research Scientist at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at CU Boulder.

A full list of these presentations and additional summer events can be found at the Nederland Community Library. Please note that some of these events have pre-registration, so you may want to double check prior to attending.

This year’s Summer Reading Program also follows the Exoplanet theme and is offered from June 2 through the end of August. Involvement is geared for Kindergarten age through adulthood.

If you participate in the Summer Reading Program you’ll receive a folder with instructions on how the program works, and an age appropriate bingo worksheet to complete. Some bingo section examples are: read for an age appropriate specified amount of time, visit the exhibits at Wild Bear Nature Center, or read a book where the main character is an animal. Also included in the folder is a list of events and the speaker schedule over the summer. This program also includes prizes and a raffle for a larger prize to conclude the program. You do not want to miss out!

Nederland Community Library is an amazing local library. It has many alluring opportunities for all ages. The Exoplanet exhibit and the Summer Reading Program are just a small part of the fun events that you and your family and friends could attend this summer. The library is also a meeting place for story times, and book clubs. On their website you can find new books that are available, library news, and new events to come to.

If you are interested in a closer look at the Nederland Library, you can find their website at: www.nedlib.org or visit the library. Nederland Community Library 200 Highway 72 N Nederland, Colorado. 80466.