HILLSDALE—The Hillsdale Free Public Library celebrates creativity and craft on New Jersey Makers Day, Saturday, March 22. The Friends of the Library sponsors this event, which runs, overall, March 21–23. Prizes of $50 are offered in the categories of best use of recycled materials, best electric thing, best thing that makes sound, best thing that can be worn, best moving thing, best thing made by a youth aged 9 or under, and “surprise us.”
Entry forms are available at the library or may be downloaded from the library’s website, hfpl.org. Forms must be submitted by March 14.
“This is always a fun day at the library but it is entirely dependent upon community participation,” according to Dave Franz, the library director. “If you knit, crochet, sew, build, join, turn, paint, sculpt, bake, code, solder, construct or otherwise invent, we’d love to see what you do.”
This will be the 12th annual such event hosted by the Hillsdale Free Public Library and is part of the ongoing Think It, Make It, Share It campaign for creativity launched in 2011.
New Jersey Makers Day says on its website, njmakersday.org, that New Jersey Makers Day “inspires and activates libraries to showcase and highlight STEM and maker culture, enhancing life-long learning.”
“Work on the idea of New Jersey Makers Day began in 2014 with an initial grant from LibraryLinkNJ. The goal was to enhance community engagement and develop connections among New Jersey residents by collaborating with multi-type libraries, museums, small businesses and others to promote and explore new opportunities for entrepreneurship, innovation and hands-on learning experiences.
“The first New Jersey Makers Day annual event in 2015 was organized by a group of public librarians including Doug Baldwin, Ralph Bingham, Mo Donohue, Dave Franz, Kate Jaggers, James Keehbler, and Allen McGinley.
“In September 2016, New Jersey Makers Day was incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, with financial support from charitable donations, and governed by an independent nine-member Executive Board.”
For more information contact director Dave Franz at dave@hfpl.org.
Separately at HFPL, on Feb. 6 at 7 p.m., guitarist and vocalist Fred Scholl performs acoustic blues and ragtime guitar. On Feb. 8 at 2 p.m., Master Gardener Liz Scholl leads a Winter Sowing Workshop, teaching attendees to start seeds in cold weather.