Library program provides weekend activities for teens

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More than 90 teens showed up for the Page Public Library's Teen After Hours program on the night of Feb. 11, complete with music, pizza, dancing and Nerf Wars. The event was a total BLAST! 

In the past, our library teen nights averaged between 150-200 participants, and for a community our size that was an impressive number. But now, with everything going on in the world and how it has negatively impacted us statewide and locally, there hasn't been much for our teens to do – and we are remedying that. The library's teen services priorities are to provide services that support both the recreational and academic lives of our teens.

Our recent participation in the Libraries Transforming Communities grant gave us the opportunity to meet kids in the park and in the schools to ask them what they wanted from their public library. 

The library first analyzed youths' needs and desires, and then set out to design collections, programs and services to meet those needs. The thing we heard most was that teens wanted something to do at night on the weekends. The teenagers spoke and the library listened, and our Teen After Hours program is back with last Friday’s being our third one so far this school year.

Our reference librarian, Mikalah Lee, reported that the teenagers have been requesting this program weekly because it gives them something to do at night. In response, the library staff, with approval from Lynn Cormier, the city’s community and recreation services director, has been hosting this event every other month. 

In our small town there's not a lot to for teenagers to do, and that creates problems when they aren’t engaged. Here at the Page Public Library, we strive to offer creative ways for teens to connect in a safe place doing positive activities while attending library programs. Our library has Teen Programming every Thursday after school between the hours of 3:30 and 4:30 p.m. featuring gaming, baking, crafting, movies and much more.  

It's our privilege to offer quality programming and a safe place to our community's youth. As always, we at the Page Public Library welcome ideas and treasure volunteers, and are grateful for our community’s support and patronage. Thank you to Hot N Sweet Coffee and Donut Shop for providing prizes for this event.

Libraries Transforming Communities: Focus on Small and Rural Libraries is an initiative of the American Library Association (ALA) in collaboration with the Association for Rural and Small Libraries (ARSL).