UMATILLA — It’s a budding young paleontologist’s dream: a local library exhibit packed with the history of dinosaurs.

Thanks to a collaboration between the Umatilla Public Library and the University of Oregon Museum of Natural and Cultural History, the free “Oregon’s Dino-Story” features six stations for youths to learn about the prehistoric reptiles through June 6 at the library, 700 Sixth St.

Library Director Susie Sotelo said she was excited for “Oregon’s Dino-Story.”

“I think it’s so cool,” she said. “I mean, first of all, I didn’t even know there were dinosaurs in Oregon. So we’re kind of learning about this as well. It’s very, very interesting.”

Sotelo said the UO museum offered the traveling exhibit to libraries across the state.

“All they said was to pay $300 and you get to have the exhibit for a month. So it was pretty cheap,” she said. “We paid about $300. And then we were shipped crates, so we have five crates here at the library currently waiting to be put up.”

The interactive exhibit substitutes realistic models for authentic fossils. It also features information on what makes a dinosaur a dinosaur and why so few fossils are found in Oregon. Hands-on exhibits include a fossil-finding station as well as a setup where children can visualize the foot sizes of different species.

The library also is collaborating with the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry on “Become a Paleontologist,” a family program for children from prekindergarten to the third grade, scheduled for 3 p.m. Friday, May 12, at the library. Participants will learn various facets of paleontology, such as reassembling a dinosaur from only a few pieces.

“We were looking to see what else we could incorporate with this program, and I just thought this would be really nice because we’ve worked with OMSI before,” Sotelo said.

Although “Paleontologist” was developed for a younger audience, Sotelo said everyone is welcome to attend.

“If they don’t want to take part in the program,” she said, “they can always come into the exhibit.”

Sotelo appreciated the cooperation between the museum and Oregon libraries.

“This whole initiative that they’re doing, specifically for the libraries, is pretty cool,” she said.

“Oregon’s Dino-Story” runs Tuesday, May 9, though June 6, 2023, at the Umatilla Public Library.

The library is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.

For more information about the library and what it has to offer, visit bit.ly/3HNripc. To learn more about “Oregon’s Dino-Story,” go to bit.ly/3HJAcE5.