107.7 FM RADIO BROADCAST
INTERVIEW WITH LIBRARY DIRECTOR REBECCA BASSICH When Becky Hansen from KLOVE and Air1 Radio came all the way from Alaska to visit our library and sit down for an interview with yours truly for a story on the Malvern Public Library, I was feeling pretty tickled that she thought to ask me, of all people and, quite honestly, a bit nervous! I had never heard the sound of my own voice come streaming out of any radioset before, and the prospect of that happening over locally broadcast airwaves was indeed a weighty one. Still, my curiosity got the best of me, and I agreed to the interview with just a trace of hesitation. Yes, there really is a first time for everything! As it turned out, I really enjoyed the process of interviewing for 107.7 FM. Becky is not just a casual passersby in the area, either, by any means. We had a wonderful conversation leading up to our interview during which she hit upon her love of Malvern and the Midwest as a whole. This was not her first time in Malvern, but it was to be her last for the foreseeable future. I learned that our library was her final stop along the way on her trip back home to Alaska. Wow - Alaska?! Could we trade places?, I thought. At least for just a couple of days! All in all, we ended up really enjoying our time spent getting to know one another. I was so happy to be able to share about all of the latest events in the library and to expound upon the many services we provide for the general public over the air. I especially appreciated Becky’s interest in our library, its patrons (she even stopped in to make friendly conversation with one of our genealogy researchers) and the enthusiasm she had for the wide range of services being offered here to our community. I am so grateful for the people who make this library the wonderful place that it is. SUMMER READING PROGRAM 2019: UNFOLDING “A UNIVERSE OF STORIES” The whole process of preparing for LIFTOFF on that first night of the summer reading program, for me, went off with a bit of a BANG -- I thought about taking an astronomy class to prepare myself for it all, but I knew I would just be taking up SPACE! So, how does one organize a space party that is both educational and fun for all ages? You PLANET! And, well, how can I say this? This year, everyone had a BLAST! I know, I know, knock it off with the bad puns already. Seriously, though? Between the awesome families who came out to be part of it all, the true-to-life recreation of the moon surface and everyone’s love of space and storytelling, there was simply no shortage of fun and excitement to be had. The week kicked off with time spent around a campfire on the moon, telling stories and sharing some of our favorite space memories, learning facts about our universe and even exploring those “what if” questions about life on other planets. Could humanity colonize the moon and other worlds? What could space exploration mean for future generations on earth? These are just a few of the questions our youth tackled along with several of the older space cadets. As we got to know each other throughout our discussions, we learned that several of us plan to be astrophysicists and astronauts when we grow up. How awesome is that? Participants also learned of the significance of the Apollo 11’s mission and its place in world history while also undergoing some intensive astronaut training to get a feel for what it must have been like to be the first man on the moon. Trainees spent time leaping across moon rings, decoding the eerie sounds of our galaxy, performing scientific analyses of the moon’s surface and even worked together to write their own messages to leave on the moon for visiting lifeforms. (Thankfully, they did come in peace!). After completing astronaut camp, graduates each received a unique badge commemorating their hard work and dedication to all things space related, posing for their group photo pictured here while holding up their new badges and gleefully exclaiming, “To infinity and beyond!”. Tina Bakehouse, our bank’s Chief Creative Officer, knocked it out of the park as she kicked off the second half of this week’s programming with her contagious enthusiasm and passion for the art of storytelling on our Space Stories night. There was so much laughter and imagination! What a true gift it was to be able to witness and share in the unbridled optimism and joy that these witty kids have to share with us. Barb Vorthmann, local chef and beloved school librarian, also lent her passion for learning throughout the week. She helped to make our last night at Space Camp a memorable one when she assembled astronaut food packs for everyone to enjoy (along with some of that wonderful liquid stuff known as “Tang”!). We all got a taste for life in space while snacking on these astronaut food packs and finished the week off with a screening of the newly released documentary, “Apollo 11”, a film made in commemoration of the moon landing’s 50th anniversary: July 15, 2019. Several of us even chose to dress up for that final night by donning our 1960’s best - all for fun, of course! History is alive and well in these kids, folks. After spending a week with our future astronomers, I couldn’t help but to be touched not just by their love of learning but also by their genuine desire to make the world a better place for all of humanity in their “one day” careers. As we approach the anniversary of this crucial event in our history, I have no doubt that these kids will steer us all in the right direction over the course of these next 50 years. In fact, if I were to summarize my experience of working with these kids at this year’s Summer Reading program in just one sentence for you, this would be the one: “That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."
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Rebecca BassichAs Library Director here at our Malvern Public Library, you can count on me for all the latest on books, events, programs & more! Archives
May 2023
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