The Invermere Public Library wants to help patrons learn about everything, even things that have nothing to do with books.

They will be holding a How To Festival on Saturday, February 23rd from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. to give those of all ages the chance to pick up a new skill – or 20 – and stretch their brains.

“It is an opportunity for the community to come together and learn new skills,” said library director Nicole Pawlak. “It’s such a fun way to use your brain for the day, and then you can go home and feel really confident.”

Each new skill is meant to be taught in less than 10 minutes, so participants will be able to flit from booth to booth and collect a whole bunch of knowledge in a single afternoon.

“I also hope that it demonstrates how there are opportunities to learn new things all around us and that learning something new doesn’t have to take very long,” she said.

Some booths will cater to children and some to grownups, while others will appeal to anyone regardless of their age.

“I don’t think a six year old will be going to the how to iron a dress shirt station, but they’ll probably really love the golf-putting station and the slime-making station,” Ms. Pawlak said.

Fifteen booths are already confirmed with more in the works. The Columbia Valley Makerspace Society will be teaching people how to code, while BlackStar Studios will share how individuals can contribute to community art by making banners.

Anyone who has a special skill is invited to reach out to the library to share their talents at the festival.

“We’d love to have somebody do How To Sew On A Button, for instance, or How To Write A Thank-You Note,” she said. “We’re just really open to tons of ideas.”