St. Tammany Parish Library will celebrate Teen Read Week, October 7 through 13, with special events and programs spotlighting all the great resources and activities available at the library and to encourage teens from around the area to read for their enjoyment. Thousands of libraries, schools and bookstores across the country will hold similar events centered on this year’s theme, “It’s Written in the Stars: READ!”
Teen Read Week 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 a great opportunity to encourage teens to become regular library users.
In recent years, many families have had to adapt to make do with less as a result of the economy. Teen Read Week is a great opportunity for teens and their families to learn about all the free services and resources the library offers. The library also offers a safe and supervised space for adolescents to engage in creative, educational activities with caring adults and mentors.
Moreover, according to Teen Services Coordinator Jennifer Rifino, strong reading skills are more critical than ever because they translate into better performance at school and better preparedness for careers. This is why it is important to take advantage of Teen Read Week and show teens that reading is a fun and relaxing activity they can do for free.
The Teen Department is hosting special programs and events during Teen Read Week™, including a “TRW Fun Book” Contest, Teen Amnesty Week, and an Evening with Newbery Award winning author Erin Entrada Kelly.
Select teen books, graphic novels and audio books in the library’s fiction and nonfiction collections have been secretly identified as “TRW Fun Books”. When a teen checks out the book, s/he wins a prize!
The library wants to make sure that teens have access to all books and services. To ensure this, the library celebrates Teen Read Week with “Teen Amnesty Week”, where any teen ages 12 – 18 who has lost his/her library card may have it replaced for free, and/or return overdue books checked out on his/her card and have the overdue fines waived.
All teen readers and budding writers are invited to meet author Erin Entrada Kelly on Friday, October 12 from 6 p.m. at the Causeway Branch Library located 3457 Hwy. 190, Mandeville. Ms. Kelly will discuss her books, the writing process and her life. Books will be available for purchase for autographing. The event is free and open to the public.
