Little Free STEM Library

The challenge

Avnet’s communities, element14 and Hackster, are inviting the engineering community to build or upgrade a Little Free Library for a local community who would benefit from access to STEM resources. Not only do we want to expand worldwide accessibility to STEM, we hope to create a fun and meaningful first interaction to electronics for humans of all ages.

A Little Free Library is a small, community-run library that is typically a wooden box filled with books, located in a public place such as a park, community center, or neighborhood. These libraries are free to use and are often maintained by volunteers.

In the spirit of STEM inspiration, the STEM little library should be more than a wooden box. Activate your creativity and transform a simple box to a lively, tech-enabled introduction into what's possible with their soon-to-be-acquired STEM skills!

• Include a library door with a secret passcode or gesture-activated locking mechanism
• Pack in some LEDs or a rotating disco ball powered by solar lighting
• Add a LCD screen that won't allow kids to access the contents of the box until they answer a question
• Set up notification to a local organization to be notified when the box contents are empty
• Check out these existing samples on how techy Little Free Library can be!

What you can win:

We hope to collaborate with contest winners to ensure their STEM libraries are installed in a local location that can provide meaningful access for the community. Your prize includes a VISA gift card AND a full library starter pack packed with electronics and STEM books!

Hackster contest special - surprise swags!

BBC micro:bits

The BBC micro:bit is a pocket-sized computer that introduces you to how software and hardware work together. It has an LED light display, buttons, sensors, a speaker, microphone and many other input/output features that, when programmed, let it interact with you and your world. The micro:bit is used by millions of young people worldwide to get hands-on with computer science and technology. Learn more at microbit.org.

Make: Young Maker's Super Bundle

Make: Easy 1+2+3 Projects - Drawn from the pages of Make: magazine, these projects are simple to complete and very kid-friendly. Perfect for the elementary and middle school-aged Maker, these toys, games, crafts, science, and electronics builds promote the essentials of STEAM learning while students have a great time creating items that they can really use.

Make: Tech DIY - Meet the magic of electronics through the softer side of circuits! With this book, young Makers will learn about electronics through sewing and craft projects aimed at parents and their children, elementary school teachers, and kids’ activity leaders. Each project introduces new skills and components in a progressive series of STEM and STEAM projects that take learners from the very basics to understanding how to use components such as sensors, transistors, and timers.

Make: Woodworking for Young Makers - This is the perfect guide for young people who want to do woodworking at home, at school, or at a local makerspace. It teaches fundamental skills and unlocks creativity. No prior experience or knowledge of tools is required. Everything you need to know is explained in the text and cartoons.

Make: Electricity for Young Makers - Lavishly illustrated with cartoons and drawings, this book guides the reader through six hands-on projects using electricity. The projects in this book illuminate such concepts as electric circuits, electromagnetism, electroluminescence, the Lorentz force and more. You'll be amazed by the results you get with a handful of simple materials.

Prizes

Most Over-Engineered Library

1 winner

STEM Library Starter Pack + eGift Card + Avnet's magazine feature

20 x BBC micro:bit boards
Make: Young Maker's Super Bundle
$360 eGift Card
Feature in Avnet's digital magazine, "What's Next"

Most Secure Library

1 winner

STEM Library Starter Pack + eGift Card + Avnet's magazine feature

20 x BBC micro:bit boards
Make: Young Maker's Super Bundle
$360 eGift Card
Feature in Avnet's digital magazine, "What's Next"

Most Illuminated Library

1 winner

STEM Library Starter Pack + eGift Card + Avnet's magazine feature

20 x BBC micro:bit boards
Make: Young Maker's Super Bundle
$360 eGift Card
Feature in Avnet's digital magazine, "What's Next"

Most Eco-Friendly Library

1 winner

STEM Library Starter Pack + eGift Card + Avnet's magazine feature

20 x BBC micro:bit boards
Make: Young Maker's Super Bundle
$360 eGift Card
Feature in Avnet's digital magazine, "What's Next"

Runner Ups

4 winners

STEM Library Starter Pack

20 x BBC micro:bit boards
Make: Young Maker's Super Bundle

Judges

Resources

About us

Providing science-enabled content to promote STEM/STEAM education and awareness is one of the core missions of Avnet's community engagement arm, Avnet Cares. Since March 2022, Avnet, headquartered in Phoenix, AZ, has supported SciTech Institutes’ work with the Literary Society of the Southwest, in collaboration with the Rural Activation and Innovation Network, Southwest Human Development, and public libraries around Arizona and compiled over 1,000 themed STEM kits for rural areas.

Inspired by this local project, we are now expanding the initiative to our global communities via element 14 and Hackster communities. The contest will be hosted on both platforms and you can choose to enter either.

SciTech Institute is a nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing and promoting STEM education and awareness in Arizona and beyond. It works to achieve this through some of the strongest STEM initiatives in Arizona, including the Arizona SciTech Festival, the Chief Science Officers program, the RAIN grant, the Arizona STEM School Community of Practice, Science For All and more.

Little Free Library® (LFL) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that builds community, inspires readers and expands book access for all through a global network of volunteer-led Little Free Library book-exchange boxes. There are more than 160,000 registered Little Free Libraries worldwide in all 50 states, 120 countries and seven continents. Through them, over 300 million books have been shared since 2009. LFL received the 2020 World Literacy Award as well as honors from the Library of Congress, National Book Foundation and others. The organization grants Little Free Libraries full of books to underserved areas through its Impact Library and Indigenous Library Programs and champions diverse books through its Read in Color initiative. To learn more, visit LittleFreeLibrary.org.

Note: Little Free Library® is a registered trademark of Little Free Library LTD, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The name "Little Free STEM Library" is used with their permission.