Oro Valley kids have a blastoff

Carl Carlson of Mad Science sets up a rocket he is going to blast off as part of a hands-on rocket-science demonstration. The kids in his Oro Valley Public Library crowd stay well back.

Oro Valley kids have a blastoff

And we have liftoff as Carlson's rocket heads off the launch pad (well, actually the sidewalk) and into Oro Valley's wild blue yonder during the demonstration last Thursday.

Oro Valley kids have a blastoff

Carlson's program was about more than just a launch. The budding rocket scientists in his audience were also invited to spend some hands-on time with his flying machines. Mad Science describes itself as "a leading science enrichment provider" that delivers "unique, hands-on science experienc…

Oro Valley kids have a blastoff

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Oro Valley kids have a blastoff

OV library now fully county-run

Librarian Ruth Grant is the new manager at the Oro Valley Public Library. Here she was checking computers at her previous job at the Wheeler Taft Abbett Sr. Library in Marana.

OV library now fully county-run

Ruth Grant, third from front, goes over the work schedule with Wheeler Taft Abbett staff members.

OV library now fully county-run

Ruth Grant, the new Oro Valley library manager, puts out books for display at her previous library, the Wheeler Taft Abbett branch.

Oro Valley library now fully county-run

Changes are under way at the Oro Valley Public Library, which was fully taken over Jan. 1 by the Pima County Public Library, becoming a branch of the system rather than an affiliate.

Book club takes root at OV library

Maddy Bosshardt, 7, makes costume cut-outs while her twin brother, Joseph, right, observes during the Magic Tree House Book Club at the Oro Valley Public Library, 1305 W. Naranja Drive. The book club is inspired by the Magic Tree House books by Mary Pope Osborne. This month the group talked …

Book club takes root at OV library

Library associate and children's program coordinator Betty Corr talks about the book of the month.

Book club takes root at OV library

Ross Wilson, 7, tries his hand at throwing foam horse shoes.

Book club takes root at OV library

Sahara Tipirneni, 7, cuts a costume out of paper.

Book club takes root at OV library

If you go

Libraries to close for maintenance

The Joyner-Green Valley Library, 601 N. La Cañada Drive, will be closed Oct. 6-8 for electrical maintenance work and Columbus Day. The book drop will be open for the return of library materials. Materials may be renewed online or by calling the Infoline at 791-4010.

Free Facebook class

Oro Valley Public Library, 1305 W. Naranja Drive, is hosting a free Facebook class today at 6 p.m.

Program tied to AZ milestone

Grace Pippins, 6, works on making a bolo tie at one of the craft tables as part of the launch of the summer reading program at the Oro Valley Public Library.

Program tied to AZ milestone

Thomas Tegan, 4, shows off the "nugget" he found while panning for gold during the start of the library's summer reading program.

Program tied to AZ milestone

Parents and kids made paper cacti at the party for the reading program; its theme is "Our State, Our Story: Celebrating 100 Years of Arizona."

Program tied to AZ milestone

Tegan, right, plays with the cowboy puppet he made during the party kicking off the summer reading program at the library. The event was last Thursday.