MARATHON — Marathon Public Library has a new projector that “gets kids moving” with interactive games.
BEAM is an interactive projector that’s mounted to the library ceiling to project games onto the floor.
Chantal Gingras, the CEO and head librarian, said that it has over 200 games built in for kids and seniors alike.
“So, what happens is the game will be put onto the floor and, you'll jump, run around and bounce around the mats to play the game,” she said. “So, it's meant to get people moving.”
BEAM is the latest addition to the library, which Gingras hopes to be another way to draw people out, like the library’s “Maker’s Space” which invites people to the library to spend time together when making crafts instead of at home alone.
“Libraries really are about bringing people into the space,” she said. “We like to use the term a community hub, so, the library is meant to be built around what the community needs.”
The library obtained the BEAM projector in 2021 but hasn’t been able to install it until now due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but Gingras says the staff had a lot of fun while training with the new technology.
“It's awesome,” she said. “There's so many different games to play on there, we had a lot of laughs.”
The library is inviting residents to register their children in groups of four for BEAM Day on Dec. 21, where kids will get a chance to try out the new projector and play games with friends.
Registration opens on Friday. More information can be found on the library’s Facebook page.
