Gail Borden Public Library notes
Blast off with "SPACE: Dare to Dream" at the Gail Borden Public Library, 270 N. Grove Ave. in Elgin. Due to a $150,000 grant from the Grand Victoria Foundation, visitors can experience the library as never before.
The Evergreen Exhibitions display was created to ignite the desire for discovery, sparking imaginations and inspiring new generations of explorers to dream of the possibilities that lie ahead.
Created in collaboration with NASA and funded by General Motors and Lockheed Martin, this exhibit has inspired audiences at Pacific Science Center in Seattle, Washington, the Cincinnati Museum Center, and other major cities around the country.
The educational exhibit consists of elements such as Forest of Dreams, a multimedia presentation where the night sky inspires dreams. Galileo's studio will allow visitors to meet a costumed Galileo and look through Galileo's telescope.
The mammoth Saturn V will allow young and mature alike to experience the rumble and pulsing of a pre-launch rocket, simulating a view from hundreds of feet above the ground. Ancient Cosmology invites people to step back in time to see how early civilizations viewed our place in the universe.
The multimedia Space Exploration and Mission to Moon timelines educate through stunning graphics and enticing video. A moon rock collected during a 1972 Apollo 16 mission will be on display in the second floor adult area.
The library will collaborate with Sci-Tech, Adler Planetarium, NASA, Fermilab, Planetary Foundation, Lizzadro Museum of Lapidary Art, and Orbit Elgin cultural institutions to provide supportive programming for all ages.
•On Sept. 4, Fermilab's educator Robert Peterson will speak on "Cosmic Rays" for those in ninth grade to adults from 7 to 8 p.m. in the community rooms. Use a scintillation detector to measure the daily barrage of cosmic rays, then access a Web portal with QuarkNet to connect to a network of detectors scattered around the country. Registration is required.
•On Sept. 6, NASA researcher Donald Palac will offer "Vision for Space Exploration" at 7 p.m. in the community rooms. Catch a glimpse of the future with NASA engineer and strategist from the John Glenn Center in Ohio. In spite of high flying ideas, this extraordinary presentation appeals to the curious minds of all ages. Registration is required.
•On Sept. 13, join in a "Mission to Saturn with Jet Propulsion Lab Solar Systems Ambassadors Jim Kovac and John Vitallo" from 7 to 8 p.m. Sept. 13 in the Community Rooms. Investigate the mysteries of Saturn, a descent to the surface of Saturn's giant moon Titan, and the amazing system of rings through images from the Cassini-Huygens spacecraft and Huygens Probe. Registration is required.
•On Sept. 17, author and Fermilab scientist Don Lincoln will speak on "Understanding the Universe: from Quarks to Cosmos" from 7 to 8 p.m. Sept. 17 in Community Rooms A & B. How does the universe re-create itself 10,000,000 times a second? Discover the forces that hold it all together. Book sales and signings will be held before and after program. Registration is required.
•On Sept. 22, join in the "SPACE: Dare to Dream Parade," led by Toya Randall from the Grand Victoria Foundation, from 2 to 3 p.m. starting in the lobby. Dress up like an astronaut, a Martian, a moon rock, a planet, star, or anything from outer space and join the parade. Prizes will be awarded.
To register for these programs, call (847) 429-4680, e-mail mlytle@gailborden.info or go online to the Event Calendar at www.gailborden.info. Or stop by the adult service information desk.