Contributed photo Herpetologist Ron Cromer will be at the Scotland Memorial Library today.

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Though library books are an everyday source of information and stories, today the facts and fictions of reptiles will be brought to life through two “Snakes Alive” sessions at Scotland Memorial Library.

At 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., herpetologist Ron Cromer will conduct sessions designed to give children a crash course in the lives, habits, and characteristics of reptiles, particularly snakes. Though there is a lecture portion to “Snakes Alive,” the sessions will include over 20 live reptiles, including specially tamed snakes for petting.

“Snakes Alive” has been held at the library annually for over 15 years, and is popular with children of all ages as well as adults.

“Ron is so good because he stresses safety and respect, not fear,” said Scotland Memorial Library youth services director Denise Dunn. “Everybody gets a big kick out of it and we have people that return year after year.”

The program also includes a giant Southeast Asian python named Rosie that groups of participants can take turns holding.

Children’s programming will continue throughout the summer, with morning story time every Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. through the end of July. Morning story time will not be held on June 25 or July 2.

On Tuesday, the Asheville-based Bright Star Touring Theatre will put on two plays at the library, one at 10:30 a.m. entitled “Grease Lightning,” exploring myths and legends, and another with an anti-bullying message at 2 p.m.

“They’re cute and they’re very interactive with the audience,” Dunn said.

Younger children aged four to 11 can also get in touch with their artistic side during “Learn to Draw” sessions at 3 p.m. every Tuesday through Aug. 13.

“They’re going to start out with shapes and see how many things you can make with shapes,” said Dunn. “We had our first lesson and we had grandmothers in there drawing with the kids.”

Eco Crafts classes are held year-round every Thursday at 4 p.m. except July 4. During each class, children will learn to make a new craft out of household materials like paper towel rolls and Styrofoam in order to find a use for non-recyclable materials.

In a program for children aged 10-13, CSI Detective Victor Torres of the Laurinburg Police Department will present a crime scene program at 2 p.m. on July 17.

“He will train the ‘tweens’ on crime scene techniques and then allow them the opportunity to use this newly acquired information,” said Dunn. “We are calling it ‘The Case of the Overdue Book.’”

All library programs are free of charge and no pre-registration is needed.