Library offers programs for in-be-teens

The Department of Justice is throwing the book at Valley teens- but it's not what you think.

The Annapolis Valley Regional Library (AVRL) has received a $15,000 “Prevention Together” grant from the Nova Scotia Department of Justice and plans to use those funds to offer activities for teens aged 12 through 18. New programs such as movie nights, gaming activities and 'Teen Lounges' began earlier this month, and will continue over the coming months.

The NSDJ grant was made available to qualified community organizations and is intended to develop and deliver recreational, educational, cultural, and life-skills programs for youth. The AVRL’s application was one of five to be chosen from about 50 applications that were submitted from across the province.

Through the grant AVRL will create after-school and weekend programming for teens, in four libraries throughout the valley, Berwick, Bridgetown, Kentville and Windsor.

Angela Reynolds, head of youth services for AVRL and Katharine McCoubrey, the Windsor branch manager, wrote the grant application and are lead planners for these programs, guided by the input from area students. “Top on their list was music and Starbucks,” said Reynolds who held a focus group with West Hants Middle School students last week. “We told them to be creative and obviously they want to be active and some ideas are possible, some not,” she said. Laser tag is apparently not an option; but movie nights, book clubs and 'Ipod' parties are definite possibilities. A newly purchased Wii and Guitar Hero gaming system will be shared between the four libraries.

McCoubrey said youth have been asking the library to show movies for quite some time, but until now it was simply a luxury they couldn’t afford. “A lot of teens have said they would come to the library if we offered movie nights, but you actually have to purchase a license and those are very expensive.”

Now, McCoubrey hopes to draw youth in with more long-term options. “We have offered programs for teens in the past, but there has never been enough funding to keep it going.”

And it will be up to teens to keep things rolling, as well. “Once we get started, we'll really depend on participants for feedback and suggestions. We're flexible and will be adapting programs to what they want to see happen. We want to make this something that will work for them.”

McCoubrey admits teen programming is a gap the AVRL needs to fill and the barrier has often been money. “There always been that void between children's and adult programming, but it's always come down to funding and awareness.”

The recent focus groups have been a learning curve for both sides. “They really have no idea what we have to offer,” she said. “This is about awareness and it's our fault teens aren't informed.”

She said the AVRLS currently has a section for teens on their website, as well as a Facebook Group dedicated to youth patrons. “When adults come in and ask for more Danielle Steel books, we'll do our best to get them and if teens want more vampire books, now we can do that too.” The grant will also help to keep those current teen rags and mags on the shelf.

The pair also hope giving teens a place to hang out and have fun will also encourage other library visits. “Once they get comfortable here they'll realize this is also a great place to do homework, research a project and surf the net.”

Reynolds says libraries have changed over the years and a little teen noise won't put anyone off. “I'm afraid they still think of a library as a 'hush, hush' place, but that’s not so. We have programs here for babies, and they are louder than teenagers.

And that image is something they want to help change, McCoubrey added. “It's important for members of the community to see teens in a positive way and realize that respect goes both ways. We want them to know we're interested in what they are doing, too.”

The Windsor library teen programs began with a showing of “Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist” on March 10, and will run every second Tuesday night. Since a movie's just not the same without munchies, the pair hopes the community will help fill that void, as well. “It would be just wonderful to find a popcorn sponsor,” Reynolds said.

The grant will be used through December 2009 to extend the library's teen programming in the community to offer book talks in the area schools, purchase additional equipment to provide programs and work with teens to develop programs.

For more information go to the AVRL website at www.valleylibrary.ca. Teens can check out Annapolis Valley Regional Library TEENS on Facebook.