Saying Goodbye to Teen Services

At the end of the summer I said goodbye to my position as Teen Librarian with the Morgan County Public Library.  I started working with teens here at Main back in October 2009 and it was a wonderful four and half years.  During the course of that time I’ve meet some absolutely delightful teens.  I’ve seen them go from mousy sixth graders to towering high school students, from outsiders to best friends, from high school to college, from shy to outgoing, from non-readers to readers and so much more. 

Here are a few of favorite things from my time as a teen librarian…

·         Summer Reading – Back in 2010 when I planned my first summer reading program I was terrified.  We had 110 participants and they read well over 450 books.  Summer Reading has grown a lot, and I’ve learned a lot, since that first year.  363 teens signed up this past summer.  Alyssa and I’s whole year pretty much revolves around summer reading.  It’s what we’re working on from about November to June.  Then it’s time for the big two month long event to actually begin.  We have worked so hard to improve the program every year and I hope you think it’s as wonderful as we do!   

·         Working Outside the Library – Some of my favorite times at the library have actually been when I’m not in the library!  Community events and school visits have given me unique opportunities to meet patrons on their turf.  For much of my time as the teen librarian I spent one day a month at West Middle School hanging out with students during their lunch period.  We’d discuss upcoming library events, what they were reading and I’d give booktalks to introduce new titles.  I got to partner with school librarians and teachers on lots of special events.  More than once teachers and their students created videos promoting summer reading and other special events.  Luckily, outreach is something I’ll still get to focus on in my new role.

·         After-hours Events – At the end of May 2011 we cautiously planned out first ever after-hours event for the library.  Pizza, photo ops, games and a movie were all on the agenda and pretty much have been for every after-hours event since then.  I’m not sure why but there’s just something magical about being in the library after it closes.  Dance parties, life-size games, movie nights, and even crafts just seem to double in excitement when you know the library doors are locked to everyone but you. 

·         Meeting Mike Mullin – The Indiana author, Mike Mullin, who penned the Ashfall trilogy, visited our library in December 2011.  This was the first author event I ever planned which was a little scary and very exciting.  We pulled out all the stops for a complete Ashfall themed night including a themed Christmas tree, volcano cupcakes, a martial arts demonstration and Mullins’ engaging presentation.  One of my, and Mullins’ favorite stories from the night is what will forever be known as “the bloody book signing.”  Mullin ended his demonstration by chopping a concrete block in half with his hand.  Not realizing he’d cut himself he began signing books.  The first book he signed belonged to a young girl.  He thought she would be mortified by the blood he’d accidently left on the title page along with his signature.  Once he realized what had happened he was apologetic and offered her a new book.  She’d hear nothing of it.  In fact she made him note something along the line of “this is my blood” and was even more excited than if she’d just gotten his signature.

·         YA Lit – I read a little YA lit before I became a teen librarian and it hadn’t been that long since I’d actually been a teen but I really got into it the last few years.  Here are just some of the YA authors that have had me laughing, crying, sitting on the edge of my seat, bursting with excitement and just generally loving reading.

Jay Asher                                                       Jo Knowls

Natasha Friend                                               Jordan Sonnenblick

Barry Lyga                                                      Nancy Werlin

Katie McGary                                                  Erica Lorraine Scheidt

Raina Telgemeier                                            Sonya Sones

Helen Frost                                                     Ellen Hopkins

Wendelin Van Draanen                                    Rainbow Rowell

David Levithan                                                Laurie Halse Anderson

Gordan Korman                                               John Green

Ruta Sepetys                                                  Neal Shusterman

·         Volunteers – As I’ve mentioned I’ve met some absolutely lovely teenagers in the last few years and some of my favorites have spent time volunteering or job shadowing at the library.  It’s so awesome to see teens that truly love the library and want to do whatever they can to help out.  I know I can count on our volunteers for anything from updating booklists, creating displays, making popcorn, cleaning up, and just generally assisting with whatever we need.  One of my goals in my new position will be to find a few volunteers as sweet and dependable as those I’ve meet here at Main.

·         Game Truck Parties – The last two years during Teen Tech Week we’ve had Jason Green bring out the Game Truck.  It is awesome.  Up to sixteen people at a time can go into the luxurious “truck” to relax on plush couches while playing the latest and greatest video games on flat screen televisions.  This program always brings in a swarm of teens who are just as excited about our life-size Pac-Man game and fuse bead crafts as they are about the truck.

I will truly miss working with teenagers on a daily basis but I’m so excited for my new position with the library, Monrovia Branch Manager.  Get to know my new library, position, community and coworkers in my next blog post, later this year.