Robey Memorial Library celebrating “TEENtober” with variety of activities
Robey Memorial Library in Waukon is celebrating TEENtober October 1-31 with special events and programs spotlighting all the resources and activities available at the library and to encourage teenagers from around the area to read for their enjoyment.
TEENtober is a time to celebrate reading for fun while encouraging teens to take advantage of reading in all its forms - books, magazines, e-books, audiobooks and more. It is also an opportunity to encourage teens to become regular library users.
Robey Memorial Library invites teens, parents and other community members to participate in special programs and events during TEENtober. Teens earn a prize and an entry in to the $25 Amazon gift card drawing for program participation. TEENtober events include:
• October 1-31: Design a Book Cover - Teens are encouraged to select a favorite book and design a new book cover. The first ten submissions to Robey Memorial Library will be posted to the library’s social media sites. Teens can vote for their favorite cover October 21-31.
• October 14-31: What Should I Read Next Jar - Not sure what to read next? Stop in and “ask” the library’s genre generating book jar.
• October 21-31: Library Scavenger Hunt - Teens can participate in a QR code scavenger hunt. Join in this fun way to learn the library.
• October 28-31: One-Sentence Review - Teens share their opinions of the books they read with a one-sentence review.
Other teen programs available at Robey Memorial Library include:
• Teen Advisory Board (TAB): TAB meets monthly from September through May. TAB members have input into book purchases, teen programming and more. TAB meetings include teen business, books and special programs. Contact Robey Memorial Library or visit www.waukon.lib.ia.us/teens for more infomation.
• Literacy programs: Teens can participate in various reading programs to earn free books. The 100 books before High School program encourages seventh and eighth grade teens to read 100 books before high school with the opportunity to earn five free books. Read for a Lifetime encourages teens ninth through 12th grade to continue to read for enjoyment with the opportunity to earn four free books. Teens seventh through 12th grades can earn more fun incentives with 52-week Read, a yearly program encouraging regular reading habits.
Parents of teens are also encouraged to celebrate TEENtober at home. Robey Memorial Library offers these ideas:
• Set aside time each day for the family to read
• Give books or magazine subscriptions to teens as a gift or reward
• Share a favorite book with a teen
• Go online with teens to learn about new books or authors by visiting http://tinyurl.com/yalsabookawardslists, or use YALSA’s free Teen Book Finder app
• Host a book discussion group
• Build an in-home library (thrift stores and yard sales offer an inexpensive way to do that)
• Listen to audiobooks on trips
• Create a cozy reading corner somewhere in the home
• Use meal time to talk about books that being read by the family
• Parents and caregivers can be role models by making time to read, too
• Incorporate reading into teen chores, such as reading a recipe when cooking, reading instructions for how-to projects, reading sales fliers to develop a shopping list, and more.
TEENtober is a new, nationwide celebration hosted by libraries every October and aims to celebrate teens, promote year-round teen services and the innovative ways teen services helps teens learn new skills, and fuel their passions in and outside the library. TeenTober replaces YALSA’s previous Teen Read Week™ and Teen Tech Week™ celebrations. For more information, visit www.ala.org/teenread.
