Our community (Prospect to Clever) needs music. And we need somewhere to express ourselves among other teens and staff.– local library teen

During Teen Read Week, I administered a survey to find out the interests and needs of library youth. I was not surprised by the large request for programming and materials based on film, music, and creative expression. Teens not only want the latest music releases, but they want to make music themselves and to attend teen programs where they can share their talent with one another. One teen wrote, “I need a music studio,” when asked what the library should offer. Another teen wrote, “Youth Talent Shows”, as a possible library event.

Next week, I meet with many of these teens to share the survey results, and discuss the types of programs we can offer them. This conversation will take place in our first Teen Advisory Board meeting, in which I hope to recruit some core teens to help me prepare for my children’s programs, and to work on teen projects.

Next week, KCPL associates are meeting with Jeremy of the local Hip Hop Academy, and I think we’ll put some plans into place that will give the teens from clever to prospect, a forum of music expression. Here’s to hoping this all works out! (raises her Apple cider mug). I’ll send little updates of teen librarian madness, every now and then.

By way of the ALA direct Newsletter, I came across this Teen Read Week music video.
Pretty cool!

As a children’s librarian working in an inner-city library, it is always a pleasure to come across new urban titles, especially when a unique approach is provided for our teen readers. Adrian Harper’s Night Biters is an action-packed horror novel in which urban teens, whose days are spent participating in graffiti, skateboarding, and hip-hop fashion, come face-to-face with vampiric forces in the city of Oakland. Harper uses street culture as a setting, rather than a centralized plot or motif, which further validates the positive aspects of hip-hop culture as something common and unproblematic. Still issues of violence are present between various gang groups of Hispanics, African Americans, and white power bikers, but the realistic violence is intermingled with supernatural phenomena.

The novel is self-published through what is known as the “vanity press,” and the book does suffer from misspellings, unfocused writing, and several cut-off sentences. Teens might be interested in purchasing the novel at their own leisure, but the likelihood of a vanity novel being approved for aquisitions is quite low. However, Harper has embarked on something we need more of in teen fiction - novels about African Americans and hip-hop culture where ethnicity is not the central plight. We hope to see more of Adrian’s future work as his writing matures and he continues to fill the holes in teen fiction. Perhaps the sequal, The Rave of Werewolves, will be suitable for a small press publisher?

Harper has a blog, where he writes about reaching urban male readers. We (librarians) are fighting for the same cause as you, Mr. Harper! Please drop a comment or two on Adrian Harper’s blog and let him know what you think about his approach.

Extras, Extras, Read all about it:

• Adrian Harper’s MySpace
• Adrian Harper’s Blog
• Night Biters Web site

The end of Teen Read Week is approaching quick, and I hope that it has been a successful week for all of the libraries out there that have been participating. For the last two weeks or so we have been posting a series of ideas for TRW. Librarians from across the country have emailed in the plans for their libraries and they have been posted here. Following is the last of those emails.

Michelle, a Librarian at a Junior High School in IL writes:

“This is what I am putting on the website for my students:
All Week
-Try the daily trivia question (posted at 6:00 a.m.) on Mrs. Glatt’s blog, Mission:READ @ http://cjhsimc.edublogs.org. Write a comment with your answer. All comments will be held until 6:00 p.m. and everyone with correct answer gets in a drawing to win Freshen’s smoothies, shakes, etc.
-Pick up a Halloween coloring sheet in the IMC and enter our “coloring contest.” All entries are due by 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Two “most creative” artists in each grade will win Ben and Jerry’s ice cream pints, to be distributed at lunch on Friday.
-Melancholy Monday
Help us celebrate THE END of the Series of Unfortunate Events. Check out at least one book and get an eyeball tattoo, just like Count Olaf. Enter a drawing to win a copy of THE END, book 13 (and the last?) in the series; winner announced Tuesday Morning.
-Timer to Read Tuesday
If you are checking out a book in the IMC when our timer rings, you win a free Monical’s personal pizza.
-Weird Wednesday
Come to the IMC at 8:00 a.m. and listen to some strange stories read aloud by Mrs. Glatt.
-Thank Goodness it’s Thursday
Have an overdue book? Turn it in today and the fines will magically disappear.
-Fine Arts Friday
“Coloring” contest winners will be displayed and announced, and winners will get their Ben and Jerry’s.”

Thanks again to everyone who wrote in over the last few weeks with their plans. I want to encourage you to use the comment feature on the posts to let us all know how your programs, events, and promotions went. Good luck to everyone who still has something going on for the last two days of TRW. If you missed out on some of the earlier posts feel free to check out the original post and updates #1, #2, #3, #4, and #5.

For the last week or so I have been posting the TRW plans of various libraries across the country as they have been sent in to me. We are now three days into TRW and I hope that things are progressing smoothly for all of you out there in library land. If we posted something about your library please feel free to let us all know how everything that was posted about went via the post comments. The following are TRW plans for two more libraries.

Sally, a Youth Services Librarian in KY wrote in saying:

“Here is what we’re doing for Teen Read Week:
*Movie Marathon (we’re showing Batman Begins, The Chronicles of Narnia and Lemony Snicket’s Series of Unfortunate Event…the kids in this area are all off school the day of the marathon)
*Survivor : Dragon Island (based on TV’s “Survivor”)
*Whose Line Is It? (based on TV’s comedy improv show “Whose Line Is It Anyway?”)
*Dance Dance Revolution party
Also, throughout the first part of October teens can submit a form, which includes their information and their favorite book. The form will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win two prizes. We are giving away 4 $25 gift certificates to the local mall (one for each of our system’s branches) as well as 1 $100 gift certificate to Best Buy. The most popular books will then be put on a bookmark. This is our variation of YALSA’s Teens Top Ten.
For promotion we asked a local middle school’s STLP (Student Technology Leadership Program) to help us put together a DVD to show to local schools. My co-worker and I put together a bare bones script then the group did all the directing, filming and editing and it turned out fantastic! It is definitely something we’ll be doing again.
We’re all really looking forward to the events; it’s going to be a fun week!”

Laura, a librarian at the Camden Library in MI writes:

“Camden Twp. Library is hosting a Teen Game Night on Oct. 14th to kick-off Teen Read Week. (We can’t do activities during the week with teens due to school sports conflicts.) Our TGNs have become very popular. They are held after regular library hours. We have board games and card games, music to listen to, and snacks to share. Most of the kids just enjoy time to get together and chat. It’s a time of no TV, video games or computers - just teens getting together to hang out.
We began a Teen Advisory Council last spring and they are the ones who suggested TGNs. We have held 3 so far - each one brings more teens in and lasts longer. In fact, at summer reading close, we did a TGN Lock-In - it was great!!”

Thanks again to everyone who has sent in there plan for TRW. There are still one or two more emails that I will post this week. If anyone else out there still wants to get their libraries plans shared they can email me at jberns89@gmail.com and I will try to get it up before the end of the week. Otherwise good luck to you all as the week continues and make sure you also check out the original post and updates #1, #2, #3, and #4.

Teen Read Week is officially upon us. Today many of you will be hosting programs or beginning weeklong promotions. While you’re doing that you can check here to continue reading about what other libraries will be doing. Here are a few more TRW plans I have received over the last few days.

Margaret, a Youth Services Librarian in Algonquin, IL writes:

I just started my professional career when I started at the Eastgate Branch of the Algonquin Area Public Library District about six weeks ago! I did not have a lot of lead time to put together a program, and am just beginning to develop contacts in the community. Fortunately the YA librarian at the main library is very helpful, and has many wonderful programs that can be promoted during TRW. So I got creative. I am making several displays, one of them a magnetic poetry display for teens to play with, which will tie in to promoting Eclectic Café, our monthly poetry group. In addition, a handful of books used in the TRW display will be secretly marked (in the item record) so that when they are checked out, the circ staff is notified to give the patron a prize: Gift certificates to Best Buy! In addition, the Teen Advisory Board is running a contest for teen programming ideas, with prizes (Barnes and Noble Gift certificates) for suggestions that get selected. I am putting out a ton of literature directed at getting teens active at the library—promoting the TAB, poetry night, etc. And my book display will feature books that promote other activities, like volunteering, yoga, crafts, study skills, activism, cooking for teens, etc. The graphic artist at the library made up special posters and flyers as well. It’s not much, but maybe next year when I get to know the kids better, or with the help of the TAB, I will do some programming.

Karen, a librarian from St. Louis Co Library, MO wrote in saying:

At the Jamestown Bluffs branch of the St. Louis Co Library we are having Dragon Fever! All week the teens have a Drawing Contest. The teens pick up an application and design a dragon. It can be funny, serious, or unusual. Use imagination and have fun! They can win a dragon prize.

Mon Oct 16, at 7pm
The teens will come and paint and design a pewter dragon to take home. Registration is required with a limit of 20. Age 12-18
Sat Oct 21, 2pm
Teen Week presents “Dragonheart“. This movie will make you believe! The last dragon and a disillusioned dragon slaying knight must cooperate to stop an evil king. (103 min) Starring Dennis Quaid and Sean Connery. Refreshments and door prizes. Ages 12-18. Sign up at the desk.

It sounds like we have a whole lot of very different and creative ideas out there that will be employed this week. I am very impressed by the variety programs, promotions, and ideas I have received over the last week or two and I have more yet to post. Good luck to everybody with the beginning of the weeks events. If you haven’t already read them feel free to go back and look at the ideas in the original post and updates #1, #2, and #3, and stay tuned for more ideas.

Here are a few more of the wonderful TRW ideas, which some of you have sent in to me. If you haven’t read the original post that started this off check it out here.

Phyllis, a High School Media Specialist writes:

“I will be giving one point credit slips for each time a student accomplishes one of the five tasks. The student needs to sign his/her name to the slip and turn it in to me.

1. Every time a book is checked out he/she will receive 1 point.

2. All the adults in school will be on the lookout for anyone reading anything that is not a class assignment. When a student is found, the adult will give a one point credit slip.

3. When a student recommends a book and fills out the form to tell me why he/she wants a friend to read this book, a credit slip will be given.

4. There will be a “Who Am I” Contest. I will put up the poster of Q’orianka Kilcher. Every entry will receive a credit slip.

5. I have started two new sections in the library, a new books display and a book’s of interest to teen’s area. Any student that can discover the two new things will get 1 credit slip.

The following Monday I will have the slips tallied and will be handing out prizes. The more entries one makes the bigger the prize.

Last year the students enjoyed when I did “Find the Book”. I gave clues each day in the daily announcements and I had the clues printed in the library. I gave five clues for each book. Each day was a different book. When the student found the book I gave a bookmark.”

Judy Nelson, a librarian at the Pierce County Library in WA and current president of YALSA sent us a press clipping for her library that says:

“Suburban Times

Oct. 5, 2006

Teenagers get active @ PC Libraries

Teenagers Get Active @ Your Pierce County Library, is the theme for this year’s national teen read week at all Pierce County Libraries, Friday, Oct. 13-Saturday, Oct. 21.

“Reading can be active, and with many teens the more they are active, the better readers they are or can become,” said Judy Nelson, coordinator of youth services for Pierce County Library System. “We want to get teens in the libraries and reading. With fun, interactive activities we hope to bring them in.”

This year’s teen read week is all about getting active—a combination to get kids reading and healthy. Pierce County Library plans to get teens musical, literary, drawing and physical. All libraries will highlight teen reading throughout the week and eight libraries will offer free programs.

Get musical —Lakewood Pierce County Library, 6300 Wildaire Rd. S.W., Friday, Oct. 13, 7 p.m.—Bloodhag in concert. This regionally acclaimed heavy metal band’s music encourages reading.

Get literary — University Place Pierce County Library, 7315 27th St. W., Suite D, Wednesday, Oct. 18, 7 p.m.—Panel discussion with teen book club. Local author Randall Platt will meet with University Place teens to read and discuss their favorite poems. Participants are encouraged to bring their favorite poems, songs, jokes and other writings to read and discuss.

Refreshments will be offered at all programs. Registration may be required for some programs; teens should contact library branches for details.”

Thanks again to all who have contributed to this series by sending in their TRW plans. There are more posts yet to come so stay tuned, and if you have an idea you want to share send a short blurb to me at jberns89@gmail.com. If you haven’t already read them check out the ideas in the original post and updates #1 and #2

A few days ago I posted about what my library is doing for TRW and I asked all of you to email me at jberns89@gmail.com with a short paragraph or two about what your libraries are doing for it. As of yesterday morning I only had one response to post but all of the sudden I got five or six more so I will post a few today, a few tomorrow, and I will keep going as long as people keep sending them in or until TRW is done. Here we go.

Randa, a Media Specialist from Sumter, SC wrote in saying:

“I am trying a new experiment for Teen Read Week. Are you familiar with Bookcrossing? It is an “open” world-wide library. Book lovers register books on bookcrossing.com and receive a unique bookcrossing number akin to an ISBN for that book. They then mention where the book is “released” and the person who finds the book is to do the same. This way the book’s travels can be traced throughout the world! The books can be tracked by title, city, or bookcrosser.

We will adopt the strategy to limit the “travels” to our school campus. It will be fun to track the travels from room to room, grade to grade, and the related Arts areas. If the books travel outside our school, who cares as long as they are read! This promises to be a fun way to promote and encourage teens to explore books.”

John, a Teen Librarian at the Franklin Township Public Library in NJ, writes:

“I have Libba Bray coming in for a reading/discussion about her series of books that currently includes A GREAT AND TERRIBLE BEAUTY and REBEL ANGELS (she just turned the third book into her publisher) on Tuesday October 17.

Then on Thursday, October 19, we are going to make an 8-page zine out of one sheet of paper. I publish a sci fi zine called Electric Velocipede, and I saw a cool Flickr photo set showing how to take one sheet of paper and make an 8-page zine out of it. Since I have a background in zine-making (and there’s the cool book: Whatcha Mean, What’s a Zine? : The Art of Making Zines and Mini Comics) I thought this was a good match. I was going to spend the week making a zine, but this will be better since we can get it done in one evening. Here’s the link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/elizabethgenco/sets/72157594276405114/. She also gives a link to the PDF of the files used in the examples. I’ve made some blank templates in Publisher (and printed them out) so the teens can use the blanks and make one unique zine with cut-outs from magazines and catalogs, or we can make one electronically and make multiple copies of the same thing.

This last one is actually found in a zine published by Megan Johnson, a Teen Services Librarian at the Rochester Hills Public Library in MI. I received a copy of the Zine at The Michigan Library Association Conference yesterday during a wonderful seminar she gave on getting teens into the library, which I hope to mention more at a later date. Any way, here is what her zine says about TRW:

“This year’s theme for Teen Read Week is Get Active @ Your Library. We have several events planned for this year’s events, including DDR night and Capture the Flag on Saturday, September 21, from 5:30-7pm. You will need to register for capture the flag if you want to play. If you have not already registered, ask at the reference desk to find out how. We are also having a martial arts demonstration on Wednesday, October 18 from 7-8:30 pm. There are lots of things you can do to celebrate Teen Read Week. You can join a club, or volunteer. You can play a game of kickball, or race your friends to the manga section in the library. Whatever you do, get active!”

As I said, I will post a few more tomorrow, the next day, and so on, as long as people continue to send me their plans and TRW hasn’t ended. If you haven’t already read them check out the ideas in the original post and update #1. Thanks to all who have written in so far. Stay tuned for more.

I made a previous post about the security issues we were having at the library, specifically with staff being too harsh with teens. Since the incident, I have made it a personal habit to get to know security staff, and it turns out that the problematic situation was a one-time incident that hopefully won’t happen again. I have positive thoughts about security, and I think we’ll be able to reach the end goal of having a safe library without having to approach youth in such a negative way.

A Stuff on My Pet Program Idea is Born       

While closing at bn, I came across this book on display titled “Stuff on My Cat: The Book”. As a cat adorer/adorner myself, I put work on pause and flipped through the 160 paged paperback photo collection. These poor and hapless sleeping cats with their devious cat owners have created a fun and friendly E (everyone) rated activity. Whereupon “stuff” is placed upon the cat unawares and “stuff” includes: food, toys, gadgets, clothing, creatures, water, and other misc. items. A photo is taken of the debacle and then submitted. As an instant fan seeking more “Stuff on My Cat” photos to feed my fix, I went home to find web goodies. Horray! There is a Stuff on My Cat website that let’s everyone in on the fun. That is, any schmoe who owns a cat, a digital camera, internet access, and a shred of imagination.

So now I’m thinking “I HAVE to do this with the library teens!” I could get all of my adult friends to help out by taking pics before the contest to use for promoting the program. Only we’ll open the contest to include all pets. And we’ll do it in the winter, perhaps during its tail end, when teens are experiencing the peaks of boredom. And if they don’t have a camera, we will purchase a disposable and allow two pics per teen. And for that month we could frame the pics with some colored paper and print off pet names in wonderful and crazy fonts. Then we could pin them up in the hallway for ALL TO SEE! Hurrah! It will be a wonderful program. Marvelous! Yessa! Now I just need to find out if the teens are interested. I’ve been high-fiving myself over this fun program idea and thought I’d share this for others to steal.

A few days ago I posted about what my library is doing for TRW and I asked all of you to email me at jberns89@gmail.com with a short paragraph or two about what your libraries are doing for it. Here is my first response.

Amanda from the Trails West public library in Independence, MO writes:

“Get Active Teen Reed Week 2006 Teens within the community are invited to rsvp in order to attend this event. To celebrate TRW alternative band Destination Go will knock teens senseless with their powerpop melodies. Band members have also agreed to promote their favorite book in between songs. Special guest Derrick Barnes author of “The Making of Dr. Truelove” will mingle with teens during the event. While DGO is setting up, Derrick will be interviewed by a teen who has already read his book. The interview will also be recorded for a future podcast to be added to our myspace account. We would like to have Dr. Truelove and DGO demo giveaways but have not yet finalized the details.”

If you have any questions about this program feel free to email Amanda at bloodymandy@yahoo.com.

There is also another entry listed as a response to the original post, click here to read it. If your library is hosting any kind of TRW program, event, contest, school visit, or anything else email a paragraph or two about it to me at jberns89@gmail.com and I will post it on this blog to help give other librarians a few good ideas. Remember to let me know if you want me to include your email or contact info when I post your entry.

I just wanted to take a few minutes to mention that I absolutely love being a young adult librarian. Today I spent much of my day helping demonstrate how to play videogames to many of the library heads, and upper level administration in my library system.

As I mentioned the other day we are hosting a Dance Dance Revolution tournament for Teen Read Week. Part of convincing the system to host the tournaments involved convincing them to buy the Nintendo’s, games, and some other equipment. Now, mind you, thanks to our very awesome youth services coordinator and also great IT director this convincing did not take too much, but still, there were some issues to work through. One such issue involved both my coworker and I agreeing to write up directions for the equipment and games as well as offering to train everyone on them.

That brings me to today. I spent the better half of my day at our main branch talking about video games and teaching people how to use them. I have now been referred to as a “specialist” because of my knowledge of Nintendo. This is why I currently feel like shouting out to the rooftops that I love being a young adult librarian. I am now being singled out and respected because I know about and am somewhat good at video games. How great is that?

This is not to say that there isn’t a whole lot more that goes into being a young adult librarian, or even into planning and hosting gaming events, but it is a part of it. Other great parts involve keeping up with pop culture by listening to music, watching popular shows and movies, and reading YA books and comic books. Not to mention talking to and getting to know young adults. These are all things I would and do, do for free in my spare time but I get paid to do it for work. Anyway, I have no real knowledge or ideas to impart at the moment, but I just wanted to remind you all how much fun our job can be.

I’ve found myself thinking a lot about the state of our world lately. I don’t have cable, yet I still find it difficult to go through an entire day without being ambushed by some horrible image or headline telling yet another dark story. The past weeks bizarre trend of school shootings has especially hit close to home, since I just gave birth to a little boy not six weeks ago. I can’t help but wonder what kind of world he will be living in when he becomes a teenager and whether there is something I can do now to try and combat the many dangers he will have to face.

I think the answer lies in youth activism. I have been inspired many times over with stories of how teens have banded together to fight for a common cause and I believe libraries are a perfect resource to help foster such enthusiasm for activism in their teen communities. It is, after all, during our adolescents that we begin to form our own opinions and if there is one thing libraries do best, it’s provide resources to help people think for themselves.

Activism also happens to be part of the message of this years Teen Read Week. Get Active@ your library is by far one of the best messages ever chosen by YALSA, since it encompasses such a broad range of topics. There is definitely no excuse this year for a library not to be promoting something during Teen Read Week.

YALSA has a great list of ideas for helping teens get active politically and philanthropically on their website. However, I think it’s also important to ask teens what it is they want to become active about, rather than just create a program around a chosen issue. This way they will actually feel as though they are involved in the process as opposed to just being guided by an adult. Ideally, it would be great to invite teens to a general meeting where ideas can be hashed out and a cause chosen. Lisa Cole, Youth Services Librarian at Koelbel Library in Colorado did this with a group of teens this past summer. After raising a chunk of money with a Read-a-thon the teens decided they wanted to donate books and supplies to children in Iraq, which they initially did through an agency known as Operation Iraqi Children.

If teens are looking to become active on a more global scale, then there is a really neat social networking website called Taking It Global, an “online community that connects youth to find inspiration, access information, get involved, and take action in their local and global communities”. Here, teens can participate on forums, express their thoughts on global activism and become involved with various projects. They have also recently launched a Virtual Classroom for teachers which librarians may also find useful.

Below are a few other websites for promoting during Teen Read Week:

What Kids Can Do

Youth Activism Project

BAMboozled

Action without Borders Kids&Teens

Previously, our library branch sounded like a noisy cafeteria. Among other issues, our equipment was often vandalized and fights broke out between patrons. Local educators were hesitant to schedule a field trip to library, for fear of exposing their students to dangerous environment. But with the arrival of new security staff, the safety level improved dramatically.

“I’ve never seen this place so quiet before. It actually looks like a library, and I can get some work done”, an elderly patron remarked.

“Wow, everyone in here is either on the computer or doing homework. This is amazing.” added one of our parents as teacher’s representatives.

How did this complete turn-around come about? It wasn’t easy, but the newly hired security worked with the branch manager to enforce rules that made the library a safe place. The rules were cut-and-dry and no exceptions were allowed.

But once our big safety issues were resolved, our non-problematic patrons started getting targeted over minor issues. Teens and youth who weren’t problematic started getting kicked out for violating minor issues. Sometimes these violations were in the eye of the beholder, or security enforcement. It was as if the “problem” teens has ruined it for the rest of the group. Yesterday, the final straw was drawn when three teens involved with the advisory board were asked to leave the library for the day.

As the children’s librarian, it is my job to advocate for the teens in my community, and I’ve been brainstorming some ways to create a security balance so that teens are not targeted as a problem group. How do I go about striking a balance that respects the safe place that security has established, but also protects teens that are not here to make trouble?

My plan is to work with both security and teens to accomplish this balance. I will have conversations with security about establishing constructive relationships with teens. In return, I plan to explain to teens the importance of our rules and maintaining a safe library environment. This is not a one-time conversation, but an ongoing discussion and process.

My question for you is this: If you have ever had to deal with such as situation, how did you go about working with security and staff so that teens were not kicked out for minor issues? What can we do as teen advocates to ensure our teens are not wrongly targeted as problem patrons? Any tips or stories would be greatly appreciated!

Teen Read Week (TRW) is bearing down upon us, Oct 15-21, and I thought it might be a good time to start talking about it. This year’s theme is “Get Active @ Your Library.” This week is a great time to let the young adults in your community know that the library can be a fun place and better yet, that reading can be fun. It is also a time for the young adult services to step to the forefront of your library and show the rest of the community what you do.

So, what do I do for TRW? This is the question that many librarians ask themselves when they first start thinking about TRW. What I am proposing is that we use this blog as a place to share our ideas for TRW this year. I will explain what I plan on doing for TRW but it would be nice to hear what everyone else is doing as well. So, if you email me (jberns89@gmail.com) with a short description of what you are doing for TRW, programs, school visits, contests, etc… I will post them on the blog. For those of you out there having librarians block you can simply look to this blog over the next week or two for some good ideas.

I guess I will get us started. This year another librarian and I are making a school visit and hosting a fun program. We will be visiting the local high school and talking to the all of the freshman classes about the library. We plan to encourage them to get library cards and to tell them about all our library has to offer, from databases to video games, or books to movies. Of course, because this week is about teen reading we will be doing some booktalks. We plan on booktalking a few books from Yalsa’s 2006 Top 10 Best Books list including Brian K. Vaughan’s Runaways Vol. 1: Pride and Joy and John Green’s Looking for Alaska. Finally we will give them all a coupon they can bring to the library to receive a free book. Free books will most likely include the above mentioned books as well as some other well known titles like Uglies, Airborn, and a few others.

In addition to the school visit we will be hosting an event at the library to tie in with the theme, “Get Active @ Your Library”. We will be hosting a video game night with the game Dance Dance Revolution Mario Mix. Dance Dance Revolution games are very physical experiences and the thought is that this would be a very fun and attractive way to “get active”. Not to mention, showing some adults that gaming can be a social and active experience is always a good thing.

So there are two ideas for all of you, now its your turn to let me know what you are doing. Email me at jberns89@gmail.com with a paragraph or two about what you are doing and I will try and post a few ideas every couple of days as I get them.  If you want me to post your email or other info about you so people can contact you with questions about the programs let me know.  I will try to post a first name and library for each person if it is given to me.