On Saturday February 17, six teens came to the Roland Park Branch to look for birds. They were participating in the Great Backyard Bird Count—an annual event coordinated by the Audubon Society and Cornell University that invites people from around the world to report which birds are in their immediate area on a single weekend. Professional scientists then use those reports to track things like migration patterns and changes in bird populations.
Roland Park’s teen ‘Citizen Scientists’ saw thirty-nine birds over the course of ninety minutes. They also used field guides and an app on the Branch’s iPad to identify six different bird species. Afterwards, Teen Librarian Alex Lawson submitted those observations to Cornell’s online database so that they’ll be available for use by birders and scientists.
The teens enjoyed bird-watching—they were always competing to see who could spot a bird first. They were also excited to know that the work they were doing was part of a larger project run by professional scientists. That, plus some hot chocolate, made the time fly by on a cold morning.
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Several public service departments that are currently on the first floor will move to the second and third floors. Here are a few pictures of the second floor to give you a preview. New light fixtures line the 2nd floor hallway. The paintings on the ceiling have been restored. At the end of the hallway, you’ll see a large glass wall with a door. That’s where the new Teen Wing will start in 2019, giving young adults their own space. That space will temporarily house the Children’s Department as downstairs is now under renovation. 
Here’s a peek at the rosettes in the ceiling of Central Hall. Plaster workers have painstakingly restored them, so they look like the day they were created.
The Central Library is closed for renovations this week. Pratt Chat is giving you an inside look at some of those renovated spaces. Today, we’re going inside the new Creative Arts Center. 
