Please provide a brief narrative explaining what the grant was used for and its outcomes.
The library at SUNY ESF is named the F. Franklin Moon Library or just “Moon”. Leaning into this – Librarian Jane Verostek wrote and received a solar eclipse grant from the CLRC Central New York Library Resources Council. This grant funded 200 eclipse glasses and a button maker machine and supplies to make 200 buttons. Library staff worked together to make 200 eclipse buttons as mementos with sayings like “Watching the Moon from the Moon” and “Moon Totality Rocks”. We also had a poster up before the eclipse with educational information about the eclipse.
With our eclipse event efforts started we worked with our college’s Division of Student Affairs, Oakie’s Activity Council, and the Graduate Student Association to make it a campus event and more glasses and food (including cookies wearing sunglasses) were provided by our co-host groups. We had well over 500 students, faculty and staff come together for several hours to watch the eclipse – all while listening to the 2024 Spotify Eclipse playlist on speakers surrounding our grassy quad. The clouds parted in Syracuse, NY just as the total eclipse happened giving everyone in attendance a great view and a great solar eclipse experience.
After the eclipse we had boxes out for a couple weeks to collect the used glasses so they could be donated to other countries that have upcoming eclipses.
The buttons we made for the eclipse were a huge hit. We purchased supplies for more buttons and gave out 100 buttons for Earth Day which is big on our campus as we are the college of environmental science and forestry. This grant really helped not just for making the day of the eclipse special for our campus but has sparked our interest in doing more in terms of displays, events and buttons!
Jane Verostek, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
