RIVERSIDE LIBRARY PATRONS DIG DINOSAUR EXHIBIT

The St. Louis Science Center's Vanasaurus recently brought its dinosaur replica exhibit to the Riverside Regional Library in Jackson.

Besides the dinosaur replicas, the exhibit had fossils under magnifying devices, three dimensional puzzles and learning activities.

Ann Schaefer, who was just as excited about dinosaurs as the audience, explained how fossils were made, how dinosaurs ate and how paleontologists dig for dinosaurs.

She transformed the audience into paleontologists by encouraging questions and explaining how conclusions were made.

For instance, when Schaefer wanted to get the point across about how plant eaters ate, she told the audience to hold both hands, one on top of another like a jaw, with fingers stiffened like pencils, and pretend they were teeth. The teeth then proceeded to rip into some plants and swallow them whole, without chewing, because that was exactly how that type of dinosaur ate.

Schaefer also told the audience how lucky it was to live so close to Marble Hill where a hadrosaur, a duck-billed dinosaur, is being dug up. The process has taken place for 40 years and counting, due to the nature of the clay.

Lynn Farrow, children's librarian, arranged for the event. Farrow has been to the St. Louis Science Center and when she found out the center did an outreach program, decided the hands-on program would be ideal for Jackson.

A fairly new device available at the library, is a die cutter. It is extremely useful for scrapbookers, genealogists, artists and educators.

In other library news, the "200l Places to Go!" program continues with the following programs:

Monday, July 9, 2 p.m. Movie day

Tuesday, July 10, 9:30 a.m. Movie day

Tuesday, July 10, 5 p.m. Family night

Saturday, July 14, 1 p.m. Pizza party

Monday, July 16, 2 p.m. Oh, the places you can go

Tuesday, July 17, 9:30 a.m. Oh the places you can go

Thursday, July 19, 4 p.m. I love to read, presented by Keith Haddrill.

The Kids on Saturday program is for children 9 and older. Children should sign up at the circulation desk. Children should call Ms. Lynn if they can't attend at 243-8141.