Get Your Library Ready for the Total Solar Eclipse — August 21, 2017

Are you ready for the celestial event of the century? In just over a year from now (August 21, 2017), the shadow of the moon will sweep across the United States from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean in a spectacle that hasn’t occurred in 99 years! The National Center for Interactive Learning (NCIL) at the Space Science Institute has recently been awarded a grant for its NASA@ My Library program. Partners include NASA, ALA, The Girl Scouts, SETI, and many other organizations. The STAR Library Education Network (STAR_Net) is managed by NCIL. The STAR_Net team wants to work with your library and thousands of others to participate in this national event. Some fortunate libraries will be able to experience a total solar eclipse though every library in the country will observe at least a partial eclipse.

So jump on the eclipse train!

Go to: Eclipse Registration to register your library.

We will, in turn, let you know how to access the following valuable resources:

· Vetted Multimedia for Programming/Promotion (Images, Video, Animations, Artwork)

· Media Template Package (Press Release, PSA, Community Letter, Media Alert)

· Private Eclipse Forum (registered libraries)

· Inclusion in Special Eclipse Promotions (Social Media, Blogs, Newsletters, etc.)

· Enrollment in STAR_Net’s Eclipse Newsletter

When your eclipse event is planned, you can share your press release, flyer, website link, or like material with us to receive 50 free Solar Shades for your patrons to watch along with us! (shades are available on a first come, first serve basis).

The STAR Library Education Network (STAR_Net) is supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation and other funders. STAR stands for Science-Technology Activities and Resources. This ground-breaking program includes a traveling STEM exhibition program, the development of STEM activities for public libraries, a comprehensive training program that includes in-person workshops and webinars, the development of the STAR_Net Online Community, and a research and evaluation program. STAR_Net is led by the Space Science Institute’s National Center for Interactive Learning. Partners include the American Library Association, Lunar and Planetary Institute, and the Afterschool Alliance along with many other organizations. www.starnetlibraries.org