US and Australian Public Libraries Launch Summer STEAM and Holiday Drive‑In Programs for Children

The Adams County Public Library in Ohio continues a summer schedule that combines free shelf‑stable meals for children with a slate of educational programs. Weekly preschool storytimes run at multiple branches, while a special STEAM Day on June 17 offers hands‑on experiments about stars and physics. Additional activities include a Jurassic Adoption and Garden Jars craft, a book‑writing workshop, and a Dino Painting session. The libraries close on June 19 for Juneteenth and resume the next day.

Meanwhile, State Library Victoria in Melbourne is running a winter school‑holiday program that features the city’s first drive‑in cinema for kids. On July 8, children aged three to eight can build cardboard‑box cars and watch a screening of *The Gruffalo* after hours for $15 per child, with dinner boxes available. Complementary events include a writing workshop for ages five to twelve, a free daily craft activity called “Make a Memory,” and continuous access to the Pauline Gandel Children’s Quarter, which houses 4,000 books and reading spaces. A parent or carer must attend each activity for its full duration.