Middle-schooler Hadyn typed her name into a computer. Hooked up to a laser cutter, the equipment made a whirring sound, and she saw her name materialize into a stone. Hadyn thought it was cool seeing her design come to life.
She was at the Norman Public Library Central.
“I loved seeing my rock etched, and just designing something kind of like that is awesome,” she said.
Hadyn, who likes science, is one of many students who use the Pioneer Library System to learn and have fun. But not all students have the opportunity.
In Oklahoma, there are rural areas that lack such community resources. For the larger areas in Oklahoma that have enough resources, many factors prevent students from attending summer programs.
The Pioneer Library System is made up of libraries in three counties in Oklahoma: Cleveland, McClain and Pottawatomie.
Residents of these counties pay a property tax that supports the libraries. However, in some parts of Oklahoma, they do not have access to a library system.
Steven Streetman, an outreach specialist, said rural residents should have libraries but do not have an adequate amount of people to keep one operating.
Two years ago, the Pioneer Library System staff invented a way of providing outreach to these rural areas.
The staff’s idea was to create a Maker Mobile, an interactive STEM-based center on wheels, which allows the library system to take the services beyond the walls of their centers.
They also visit schools and incorporate their lessons with the school curriculum.
“We can teach lessons or expose these students to technology that they wouldn’t maybe otherwise be able to experiment with or even be aware exists because their own school can’t afford to buy that kind of thing,” Streetman said.
This year at the Norman Public Library Central, summer programs were affected by several factors.
Librarian Rebecca Spence suggested the factors include the July heat, the school year being extended, which may have impacted vacation plans, and teens who lack transportation.
For the ones who lack transportation, the Maker Mobile is an easy fix.
“It allows the library system to be in places where the teenagers are rather than forcing the teenagers to come to us,” Spence said.
As technology continues to improve, more students are being exposed to learning resources needed to continue education.
The Maker Mobile is constantly changing as well and has now doubled in the equipment they offer.
With innovative technology, the Pioneer Library System can provide learning services to students across the state, no matter their limitations.
