More books, more programs and more resources are available now at The SPACE in Beltway Plaza, through collaboration with the Greenbelt Branch of the Prince George’s County Memorial Library System (PGCMLS).
Shaymar Higgs, director of The SPACE, which stands for Sharing Positive Artistic and Creative Energies, works closely with librarian Rebecca Oxley, who has helped orchestrate several important donations and collaborations at The SPACE. For example, PGCMLS board member Toni Smith donated three Chromebooks to The SPACE on behalf of hervorganization, In Reach, Inc., and took part in Free Comic Book Day by obtaining free comics for all 19 branches and The SPACE, provided by Third Eye Comics, the Annapolis-based comic book store now open in College Park. The Greenbelt Library has also donated several hundred children’s books to The SPACE that have been “weeded” (removed from the collection due to circulation decline). “I pick out the ones in good condition that I know will be popular,” Oxley said.
In June, a new batch of books was purchased by PGCMLS for the Library Popup at The SPACE, including board books, picture books, books for teens and children, and books with BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) protagonists and stories. Friends of Greenbelt Library (FOGL) has been very supportive of The SPACE, providing new shelves and planning to give a generous donation to provide a diverse collection of graphic novels for youth. The SPACE partnered with FOGL on a book drive in May, and collected over 4,000 books which were quickly given away. “FOGL is looking for new members,” Oxley noted. Books in the library seed collection at The SPACE, provided courtesy of PGCMLS, are available to borrow for free and without a library card; when they are returned, the patron can check out more books. Higgs stated, “We regularly have people come through now to browse the collection which is really beautiful. The kids get excited to see Paw Patrol, Captain Underpants and El Hombre Perro” (DogMan in Spanish).
The SPACE highlights free resources and services available at the Greenbelt Library, including Career High School Online, Immigrant Proud, passport services, Books From Birth and, at their weekly Teen Action Group (TAG) program, service hours opportunities for teens. The Library conducts monthly outreach in Spanish and English at Beltway Plaza on first Saturdays, focused on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) skills. The SPACE also provides free art kits, such as a set of acrylic paints with a brush. English and Spanish story times for ages 3 to 5 occur twice monthly, emphasizing greater literacy learning and empathy. On fourth Mondays, STEM-tastic programs help kids ages 5 through 12 craft, construct, engineer, make hypotheses and test things out. In September the “Brazo-Bot!” program honored Latina astronaut Elena Ochoa by building a robotic arm. On October 24, in honor of Alan Turing for LGBTQ+ History Month, kids learned about analog computational thinking through the specialized Turing Tumble kit, which encourages kids to use tactile skills and think through the problem.
Oxley takes time at The SPACE to “devote a couple hours a month hearing what’s working and what isn’t, who’s coming and what they like.” She praised the Library’s collaboration with The SPACE, pointing out that, “Shaymar is a wonderful partner for the Greenbelt Library and the system at large. He embodies the values and shares the same goals in helping out historically marginalized communities, with enrichment, engagement and opportunities for black, brown and queer communities in Greenbelt that might have difficulty getting to the main branch in Old Greenbelt.”
Anyone wishing to support the mission of The SPACE can visit freeartforall.org/donate. The SPACE Free Art For All is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization registered in the State of Maryland, so donations are tax deductible.