ImagineIF is excited to announce Science Connect: Lending Tools For Discovery, a new experience at ImagineIF that encourages adults and families to make science happen through exploration and participation in real research projects. Through the Science Connect program, the community is encouraged to take part in Citizen Science, the participation and collaboration of the public in scientific research to increase scientific knowledge.
Click the links below to find out more about Science Connect kits or upcoming Science Connect Initiatives.
New Science Tools for Checkout!
In partnership with Arizona State University and SciStarter, ImagineIF is offering two Citizen Science Kits for checkout – Measuring Light in the Night Kit and Exploring Biodiversity. These Citizen Science tools are a great fit for all ages, making it easy for anyone of any age to turn their curiosity into action and impact scientific discovery.
Here’s how Science Connect Works:
- An ImagineIF library card is needed to check out a device
- 14-day lending period, with no renewals
- Devices will be held for pickup for 7 days and must be returned in person, not in book drops
Overdue fines
- $1/day overdue fees will be assessed on all overdue Science Connect devices or kits, and any devices kept 7 days past the due date will be considered lost and will be billed the full replacement cost
Fees (charged at 7 days overdue):
- $378.40 lost charge for Measuring Light in the Night Kit (ask staff about fee per lost or damaged item)
- $186.44 lost charge for Exploring Biodiversity Kit (ask staff about fee per lost or damaged item)
- $384.98 lost charge for Orion Starblast 4.5″ Altazimuth Reflector Telescope (ask staff about fee per lost or damaged item)
Measuring Light in the Night Kit
With the Measuring Light in the Night Kit, patrons will learn about light pollution and contribute to astronomical research. The kit features interactive star charts, astronomy binoculars and sky quality meter.
Exploring Biodiversity Kit
The Exploring Biodiversity Kit will introduce patrons to our local biodiversity. It provides smartphone clip-on lenses and smartphone adaptable binoculars for you to share your observational data on iNaturalist, the world’s most popular nature app. These citizen science kits are a great fit for all ages, making it easy for anyone of any age to turn their curiosity into action and impact scientific discovery.
Orion Starblast 4.5″ Altazimuth Reflector Telescope
In addition to Citizen Science kits, Imagine IF Libraries has partnered with The University of Montana spectrUM Discovery Area in Missoula and the O.P. and W.E. Edwards Foundation to provide an Orion Starblast 4.5″ Altazimuth Reflector telescope for check out. The telescope comes with instructions for use including how to properly transport and setup the telescope. It is capable of gathering several hundred times more light than the naked eye, magnify up to 56.25 times, and has been specially modified making it easy for amateur astronomers of all ages to observe the moon’s craters, explore Jupiter and its Galilean satellites, discover Saturn and its rings and more.
Native Plant Garden
In addition to the Science Connect kits, ImagineIF will be installing a Native Plant Garden Summer 2022. The landscaping around the Kalispell Library will be transformed into a Native Plant Garden featuring sixteen plant species native to Flathead County. The garden will provide opportunities for the community to explore local biodiversity, science and nature for years to come.