New exhibit at DeKalb Library focuses on importance of technology

DeKalb County Public Library is hosting a hands-on exhibit about the impact engineers and technology have on our lives to educate both, children and adults. Explore Tech: Engineers Make a World of Difference will be on display Aug. 27 through Oct. 18, at the Hairston Crossing Library, 4911 Redan Road, Stone Mountain.

The exhibit includes multimedia components to show how engineers come up with solutions to meet human needs, develop innovations for the future, and create new technologies to solve problems. It includes a touchscreen computer kiosk that contains games that are fun and that educate the public about the challenges engineers are facing in the 21^st century. Another exhibit area is designed to teach visitors about the fundamental principles of energy and its importance in modern society.

“We are very pleased that our library was chosen as one of the 14 sites for this new exhibit,” said Library Director Alison Weissinger. “Among other things, we think it will make our patrons more aware of the global issues facing our planet and what engineers are doing to address them.”

In conjunction with the exhibit, the Library is sponsoring special events at branches throughout the county. Attend a program and learn to use 3D printing to make objects, play with robots and learn concepts of physics, and find out how a wedge can be used to move objects. For the complete list of events, pick up an exhibit brochure at your local branch or visit dekalblibrary.org/events/?series=123.

Explore Tech: Engineers Make a World of Difference was organized by Space Science Institute’s National Center for Interactive Learning, the American Library Association’s Public Programs Office, the Lunar and Planetary Institute and the Afterschool Alliance. This project was made possible through the support of a grant from the National Science Foundation.