Education and entertainment intersected at the Oxford Public Library on March 23 during an event designed to encourage young people to tap into their inventive side by exploring the world of STEM.

It was called the Mini Makerfair and it gave kids of ages an opportunity to test and play with a variety of kits and toys rooted in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

Using these products, the kids made music, programmed tiny robots and built electronic devices that produced light, sound and motion.

Kim Burean, the library’s head of youth services, said the Mini Makerfair was a way to expose children to STEM learning via hands-on experiences that were meant to “spark their imaginations” and show them these subjects “can be really fun.”

The library purchased the STEM products using approximately $2,400 of a $15,000 donation it received late last year. The donor wished to remain anonymous.

Burean said the library decided to invest in these items and make them accessible to the public because the STEM world can be “a little daunting” and “sound complicated” to some young people.

It’s hoped the kits and toys will help kids become more “receptive” to STEM learning and “not afraid of it,” Burean explained.

“Libraries are evolving like everything else,” she said. “We have to make sure (young people are) prepared on all fronts for the changing world.”

The library is located at 530 Pontiac St.

For more photos from the event, check out a copy of this week’s Leader.