Staff spotlight

Staff Spotlight: Mai-Leng Ong

Title and branch: Senior Materials Specialist, Materials Management at HCLS Administrative Branch. My work involves developing and maintaining the Art Education, Adult Nonfiction, and World Languages Collections.

How long have you been with HCLS? I have been working with HCLS for more than 21 years and have enjoyed being here since day one!

What excites you the most about your work and HCLS as a whole? I love my work tremendously because I can serve the community through my selections with a wide range of materials for the community’s reading pleasures as well as educational and self-directed learning of our customers. HCLS is great place to work. The staff at HCLS are very creative and are committed to providing excellent resources and services to the entire community in Howard County.

How are you involved in the community? I am involved with helping immigrants in our community. I help them to find needed resources and share information with them as they settle in this county and country.

What’s an unusual fact about you? I am a second-generation Chinese born in Malaysia. It is a multi-ethnic country and because of this, I can speak three other languages besides English. Since Malaysia is a multicultural country, I learned from an early age to appreciate people from diverse backgrounds and to try to understand their cultures.

Favorite sport and/or sports team? I love to bike, and I ride the tandem with my husband. One of the highlights is to ride the annual Seagull Century [100 miles] over in Salisbury, MD. Recently, we rode The Great Alleghany Passage [Gap Trail] on our vacation. For the first time, I crossed the Eastern Continental Divide on our tandem!

What was your first job? My first job was at the Computer Science Center [CSC] Library at the University of Maryland at College Park. I was one of the two librarians at CSC, and we served the students using the computer science lab. I was also responsible for cataloging the technical reports by the faculty of the Computer Science Department using the ACM classification system.

Favorite time of year? I love the cool fall weather around here. It is a beautiful time of the year to watch the leaves turn to various sheds of orange and gold. Fall invigorates me because of cool crisp air where I can spend a lot of time outside, walking along trails, and biking after the summer heat.

What's your favorite place to travel? I have many favorite places to visit. I love Istanbul and Eastern Europe. There is so much history and beauty over there. I would love to go back again to visit places that I have not been able to cover on our previous trips.

HCLS ADULT SUMMER READING CHALLENGE

Summer Reading is back and better than ever! Give yourself some time to read, relax and learn this summer by participating in our Adult Summer Reading Challenge.

We encourage you to read in whatever format you like the most: audiobooks, eBooks, graphic novels, and hold-inyour-hands books — they all count towards your summer reading goal! Get started at hclibrary.org/summer. FOLLOW US: hclibrary.org 7 7 7

by Jean Boone, HCLS Central Branch

Do you need more book ideas? Visit our Summer Reading Book Promo Playlist for videos about the great books on our summer reading lists. These lists are organized by grade level and have more than 100 suggestions each. You can also come to a branch or call to talk to a Children’s or Teen Instructor to find just the right fit for your child.

If you come to the Central Branch, you might meet Children’s Instructor Jean Boone, who loves to help kids find books. She says, “Every book - even the silliest! - can be a launchpad of learning. The key is finding the book or topic that captures YOUR imagination.” Check out some of Ms. Jean’s favorites in the sidebar.

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Ms. Jean Recommends

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin A fantastic family read-aloud incorporating the folklore of China into a great adventure story.

Ballpark Cookbook: American League by Katrina Jorgensen Create your own stadium foods and host a backyard game!

Citizen Scientists: Be a Part of Scientific Discovery from your Own Backyard by Loree Griffin Burns Go outside together and count bugs, birds, butterflies and frogs!

Bedtime Math: An Excuse to Stay Up Late by Laura Overdeck Fun stories and math challenges that put everyone’s brains to work before they sleep.

Potato Pants by Laurie Keller Just laugh.

Du Iz Tak? by Carson Ellis Can you decode the bug language in this book? Even nonsense words build literacy (and they’re fun to say out loud!).

STEAM Play and Learn by Anna Dziengel “What will happen if I...?” - fun and safe activities and experiments with household materials.

The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson Encouragement for telling your unique story wherever you find yourself, especially if you have a school transition ahead.

National Geographic Kids, HCLS eResource for kids Check out the video “Things You Wanna Know About Sharks,” to discover sharks’ superpowers!

Mango language learning, HCLS eResource for kids Avast! Start preparing for Talk Like a Pirate Day (Sept. 19) by learning the lingo on Mango.

Summer reads for adults, too.

Connect with a Book Club

If you love to read and talk about books, the library is a great place to connect with others! This summer, our staff lead virtual book clubs for a variety of ages. Visit hclibrary. org > classes and events to register.

Award-Winning Chapter Books

Discussions about award-winning chapter books for grades 4-6. Wednesdays, 4:30 pm online Jul 21 Save Me a Seat by Sarah Weeks Aug 18 Space Case by Stuart Gibbs

STEAM Powered Book Club

Ages 7-9 can join a Zoom discussion about the book, then participate in a related STEAM activity. Tuesdays, 4:30 pm online Jul 20 Frankie Sparks and the Class Pet by Megan Blakemore

Aug 17 The Scary Sleepover by Ariel Bernstein Paragraph Pals

For children ages 6-8 transitioning from early readers to chapter books. Read the title, then participate in fun activities that include reading comprehension exercises and games. Mon Jul 12 4:30 pm online Lola Levine and the Vacation Dream by Monica Brown

Tween Bookiverse

A book club for readers ages 9-13 ready for more advanced fiction. Read the selected title, then join a group to share your thoughts and discuss the book. Enjoy a game or activity related to this session's book. Mon Aug 9 4:30 pm online Amina’s Voice by Hena Khan

Book discussion groups for teens & adults also available. Search for them at hclibrary.org > classes & events.

FOR CHILDREN (ages birth-10) & TEENS (ages 11-17)

Track your reading, play fun educational mini-games, and find missions full of activities - with new missions released on Mondays through August 23. Discover HCLS eContent along the way. Earn points and unlock badges!

It’s never too late to join! Participate in summer reading online at hcls. readsquared.com, or with a mission printout available at hclibrary.org/summer and at our branches. Earn 10 points and win a free book, while supplies last.

Book Bundles

If you want something to new to read or watch, but aren't exactly sure what ... our staff will fill a bag with six books or movies curated for special monthly topics or to your interests!

Complete the form at hclibrary.org and follow the usual pickup procedure. Topics change regularly, so check back often.

In Person Classes: Tails and Tales

Come to an open air class for families with stories, songs and movement at one of our branches. Check hclibrary.org > classes & events for dates, times, and locations.

Mission Accomplished! Online

Celebrate your summer reading accomplishment with us! Share your accomplishments, learn about fun books, and enjoy engaging activities. Sat Jul 31 11 - 11:30 am Ages birth - 10

Wed Aug 11 2 – 2:45 pm Ages 5 - 10

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If you need an outlet for your creativity, we’ve got you covered! Look for these virtual classes, YouTube playlists, and STEM kits for all kinds of projects you can try at home.

All these classes can be found on the HCLS YouTube channel, which is searchable by class title.

Make With Me

Jessica Protasio, from HCLS Savage Branch, promotes library materials and learning through "making." Includes book recommendations and demonstrations for families.

STEAM Saturdays

Monica Spilis, from HCLS Glenwood Branch, explores topics in science, technology, engineering, art, and math. Join her for fun, quick and easy activities and book suggestions that support learning and reading!

LEGO Engineering

Julie Naylor, from HCLS Central Branch, provides a new building challenge each week. Watch a brief video to receive new challenges, then create and engineer designs with LEGO™ blocks.

Teen Advisory Board

Check out the awesome Teens Talk and Teach YouTube playlist created and curated by the HCLS Teen Advisory Board. From Python, to quadratic equations, baking giant cookies to learning to play the violin, there are learning opportunities for every interest!

ASK A MASTER GARDENER

Ask Maryland Master Gardeners questions and receive useful tips and practical advice. Online and in person opportunities are available. In person sessions are outdoors at the Miller Branch, in the Enchanted Garden. Visit hclibrary.org > classes & events to register.

Ask a Master Gardener: In Person

Miller Branch (410.313.1950) Mon Jul 12 10:30 am - 12 pm Sat Jul 24 10:30 am - 12 pm Sat Aug 7 10:30 am - 12 pm Sat Aug 21 10:30 am - 12 pm

Ask a Master Gardener: Online

Tue Jul 26 7 - 8 pm Mon Aug 9 7 - 8 pm

Putting the Vegetable Garden to Bed

Tue Aug 24 7 - 8 pm online Join Howard County Master Gardeners to learn about strategies for keeping your garden healthy year to year. After a productive gardening season, your garden needs some attention to ready it for next year. Learn how to improve your soil for next season's planting. In partnership with Howard County Master Gardeners

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Literacy Activity Kits

Support your child's development with one of our new literacy activity kits. Designed for children from birth to age 10, the kits include themed activities, manipulatives (objects that help children explore ideas in a hands-on way) and books, as well as tips, in English and Spanish, for parents and caregivers to support children's learning.

Themes include:

• Barnyard Animals • Things That Go! • Numbers & Shapes • Colors & Letters • Spanish/English Bilingual Learning

The Literacy Activity Kits are available for borrowing at all HCLS branches, with more kits coming soon for ages 5 - 7 and ages 8 - 10. Each Literacy Activity Kit may be borrowed for 21 days (3 weeks). Due to limited quantity, they may not be renewed or borrowed with an Educator or Satellite card. Customers may borrow one kit at a time. For additional information, contact any HCLS branch.

STEM Activity Kits

These loanable kits feature activities related to a specific STEM subject with the goal to encourage student (ages 11 - 18) engagement in science, technology, engineering, and math in a fun way. The STEM Activity Kits are a HiTech pilot program made possible from Verizon Foundation.

Visit hclibrary.org/hitech_events for summer HiTech classes.

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Middle School Pep Talk

Thu Aug 9 6 - 7 pm online Are you entering the 6th grade in the fall and not sure what to expect in middle school? Join seasoned middle school graduates for an honest conversation about expectations. To register, email Carmen.Jessop@hclibrary.org.

Kindergarten, Here We Come!

For children entering kindergarten this fall; 45- 60 min. Registration required. Stories and activities to help students who will be entering kindergarten mark that all important first day. For dates, times, and locations, check hclibrary.org > classes & events. Available any time on HCLS YouTube:

Kindergarten, Here We Come!

Just for Kindergarteners: A Library Tour

Back to School Middle School Playlist

Access all of this and more: