“Essentially the event really is to promote the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) activities,” said Andrew Kim, assistant to the dean of the College of Engineering. “There is going to be a lot of fun activities for the kids. This is a great way to expose them to a STEM field.”

Children and young adults at the event will also have an opportunity to interact with Lego Mindstorms and Lego Boost building kits, Lauren Douglass, head of technology services at the East Lansing Public Library, said in an email. The kits are used to teach robotics and basic coding skills to students.

Douglass also said the library will likely trot out its NAO robot, a humanoid robot that can walk and talk, to teach robotics as well as coding to those in middle school and above. The NAO was purchased earlier this year using funds from a DART Foundation grant.

“At the East Lansing Public Library, STEM programs are always our most popular programs. They often fill up as soon as the online registration is posted,” Douglass said. “But we still have people walk in the library and say ‘wow, you have robots! I thought libraries just have books?’ Events like this go a long way towards changing people’s idea about what a library is.”