ELLY GRIMM

   • Leader & Times

Those looking for something fun and educational will need to look no further than Liberal Memorial Library later this week.

Mad Science will be bringing a Dino Rodeo to the library starting at 2 p.m. Wednesday, and coordinator Barrett Huddleston said this year’s show was fun to develop.

“The federal reading program that provides federal monies to all public library systems nationwide has a different theme every year, and usually a different artist or author that goes with it,” Huddleston said. “This year’s theme was ‘Unearth an Adventure,’ so we decided, since we're a STEM-based organization, our program would be called Dino Rodeo, so that means it's going to not only be congruent with this year's theme, but it also kind of speaks to our audience, which is the state of Oklahoma, Kansas, and some parts of Texas and Arkansas as well, so the program is about what it would be like if dinosaurs roamed the Oklahoma, Kansas, and Texas prairies. We’ll be talking about the size of dinosaurs and dinosaur parts in comparison to human parts, some of the common misconceptions about dinosaurs, what they sounded like, what they moved, like what they really ate, and how they really went extinct. We're also going to talk about why dinosaurs are so fun and exciting to study as well.”

Mad Science has been a summer reading fixture at the library the past few summers, and Huddleston said he is excited to be returning this time around.

“Every summer, Mad Science of Central Oklahoma does what we call the Panhandle Program, and that means we travel not just to Liberal but as far as Dodge City and Guymon, etc. and we do the same program for all of the libraries in the area for about a week to a week and a half,” Huddleston said. “This is our sixth or seventh year back at Liberal Memorial Library, and the thing we love about Liberal is how excited the kids are and how large the show usually is. The Liberal program is usually one of our largest audiences, and we also love how generous the librarians tend to be with their time and with their labor in helping us prepare for the show.”

Huddleston the show is geared to be a good time for everyone in the audience.

“Dino Rodeo is appropriate for all ages, so there'll be humor and excitement and a volcano, so there's something in the program for everyone,” Huddleston said. “The program is completely free and is a great way to reintroduce yourself to the library every summer, especially towards the beginning of the summer when the days seem a little bit longer and activities just don't seem to last as long. I would also say we're going to be sending a presenter we have sent in the past several years there, and he's generally considered to be one of our most lauded and appreciated performers. There are many years where we really have to stretch to make sure we as a STEM-based company has something to say about the topic. For example, in the summer of 2017, the theme was music, and while we were perfectly capable of talking about science and sound, and how science relates to sound and music, when it comes to a theme like this that's all about archeology and dinosaurs, etc., that really is right up Mad Science’s alley. That means we get to bring out a lot of experiments we already have quite a bit of experience with, and we get to convey our information in a way that has mass appeal and also broad appeal to all audiences.”

The new theme each year, Huddleston said, is very beneficial to helping keep the show fresh for audiences.

“Every year gives us a chance to create a brand new program every year. There are a lot of Mad Science franchises that do the same assembly year in and year out, but we look forward to the chance to flex our creative muscles and create a brand new assembly for all of our libraries every summer,” Huddleston said. “Another great thing is we get to see the same kids every year, but they don't have to see the same show, so it allows our audiences to be excited without also thinking, ‘Oh, THIS again.’ We want to stress to our audiences, especially the younger members, just how different they are from dinosaurs. The second thing we want to stress to them is just how exciting – even dangerous – certain parts of dinosaurs can be to talk about, whether we're talking about how carnivorous dinosaurs tracked their prey or how volcanoes, meteors, asteroids may have caused extinction level events for dinosaurs. The final thing we hope our audience take away from it is, as always, science can be funny, and because of that, science can be fun!”

Overall, Huddleston said, the Dino Rodeo should be a good time, and he hopes to even encourage some further research among the audience.

“If anyone in the audience wants to learn more about what we talk about, there will be recommended reading lists and authors the library staff will make available, and we always make sure at the end of every one of our programs how the last word is from one of our hosts,” Huddleston said. “That way, they can not only promote the different kinds of materials that are-age appropriate for our audience members, but also promote more events that summer that are going on to help keep the kids interested in that theme throughout the summer.”