Eclipse Community Preparations

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — There is a program involving most Southern New England libraries where participating in eclipse-related programming can earn you a pair of free eclipse glasses.

The Solar Eclipse Activities for Libraries or SEAL program has been planning for this year’s eclipse for years. Since the Great American Eclipse of 2017, America’s libraries have been hard at work planning events and activities, using the eclipse as an opportunity for education. And like in 2017, libraries have been given a supply of eclipse glasses for distribution.

Ellen O’Brien the Deputy Director of the Warwick Public Library tells us, “We planned many programs and anyone who attends a program will get the glasses.”

The Warwick Public Library has been running programs for the public since February. Unfortunately, all eclipse viewers are gone there.

Local museums are getting ready for the big event.

Renee Gamba the Director of the Roger Williams Park Museum & Planetarium said, “We love that people are excited about space, about these events, and it presents a great opportunity to get the glasses and get people to look up.”

The Museum of Natural History and Planetarium located at Roger Williams Park in Providence, will have family events over the weekend of April 6-7th packed with family activities, ultraviolet beads, and a planetarium show all about the eclipse. If you’re looking for community programming during the eclipse on the 8th, you have to do your homework beforehand. Many local places are not staffed that day. The Planetarium will be ready with viewers and glasses to share and even a backup plan if the sun isn’t shining.

Museum director Renee Gamba notes, “Even if it’s a cloudy day, we’ll be able to see the dimming of the light and it comes back and we plan on having different things in here to explore and get excited about just science!”

Getting excited about science is what it’s all about after all!