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By Katrina Margolis
Hometown Weekly Reporter
Last Wednesday, the Dover Public Library hosted the Rhode Island Kung Fu Club in celebration of the Chinese New Year. Though a stunning performance, this was not the only event the library offered in order to celebrate the beginning of a new lunar year. Last Thursday, the library offered Chinese paper lantern decorating, a craft open to children of all ages, in the community room. Lauren Berghman, Library Assistant and Young Adult Librarian, oversaw the arts and crafts, as well as the fun, that was being had.
“This is the first year that we’ve offered this,” she said. “It’s really just a casual drop-in event. Attendance so far is good, so hopefully it will only grow from here.” While it is the second year the library has celebrated the Chinese New Year, this particular craft was a unique event to this year. The library provided all of the supplies required to make a Chinese paper lantern, including the paper lantern itself, glue, and any and all decorations one could imagine. Everything from papier-mâché strips to jewels to glitter and markers were present.
While the title of the event was “Chinese Paper Lanterns,” children’s imaginations run wild and the lanterns were decorated in any number of ways.
This particular event was not supported by the grant from the Dover Cultural Counsel, unlike the performance a day earlier. However, the two events together combined provided a visual and hands-off learning experience as well as a hands-on artistic experience for children to enjoy.
