Hudson Heats Up Winter

Written By: Emily Crowell | Issue: 2019/01 - Winter

It used to be that winter was the “slow” time of year at Hudson Library – not

so anymore!

As part of a Makerspace Grant received by Fontana Regional Library, the Hudson has been able to purchase some useful new gadgets.  A lot of these are educational tools for the kiddos, including building kits, robots, and 3D pens, that are used during Kids Zone programs on Thursdays at 3:30 P.M.

Luckily, there are plenty of Makertools for adults to get creative with, too.  Hudson’s collection includes serger and embroidery kits, a 3D printer, a Dremel kit and a green screen kit.  They also have a variety of audio-visual converters that will allow patrons to convert their old-school media, like slides, photo negatives, and VHS tapes, to digital formats.

(Here I must take a brief aside to reminisce.  When I was a kid my dad would drag out the old Kodak slide projector once or twice a year, and we’d spend an evening looking at the way things used to be.  The slide projector is long gone, but he’s converted the slides to digital, and now I get to look at them on Facebook!  It’s not quite the same as seeing them projected onto a sheet tacked up on the living room wall, but now the younger generations of my family get to enjoy them, too.)

Some of these Makertools, such as the sewing machines and Dremel kit, will be available for check-out, while others are for in-house use only.  In January Hudson will host a Demonstration Day where patrons can drop by and see the offerings, followed by individual programs in February to teach people how to use the various tools.  Dates are to-be-determined at the time of this printing, so check the library’s website for more updated info: fontanalib.org/highlands.

The Hudson is also excited to collaborate with the Highlands Biological Station to present “A Sense of Place: Public Readings of Creative Writings about Highlands” on January 11.  For the second year in a row, University of Virginia engineering students will give readings of creative work they’ve been inspired to write while exploring the Highlands Plateau.  This program was a hit last year, and how could it not be?  We all know it’s hard to spend time here without falling in love with the place and feeling inspired.

After a brief winter interlude, the next Community Coffee will be February 23 at 11:00 A.M.. Come join Highlands Mayor Pat Taylor for coffee, refreshments, and lively discussion about happenings around Highlands.

The Hudson will be closed on New Year’s Day, so be sure to stock up on reading and watching material beforehand!  Fear not if you forget – visit the website to learn more about e-books and video streaming, which are available anytime.

Hudson Library is located at 554 Main Street and open Tuesday – Friday from 10:00 A.M. tp 5:30 P.M. and Saturday from 10:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M.  They can be reached via telephone at (828) 526-3031.