Etown Public Library Provides Teen Club Opportunities
(Above image: Jamie Sebzda, eighth-grader from Etown Area Middle School)
This fall, the Elizabethtown Public Library is hosting various Young Adult (YA) Clubs as part of their Fall Teen Program. “We enjoy having teens here at the library,” said Paula Sherick, Youth Services Teen Coordinator for the library. “These programs allow teens something to do, and hopefully enjoy. It also gives them an opportunity to see many of the great books here at the library.” Each of these clubs meet on Thursdays from 3-5 p.m., unless noted otherwise. There is also no previous registration required for any of the clubs or events.
One the first Thursday of the month is the Teen Advisory Board (TAB) Meeting. This is a group of about 10 teen members, all grades six to 12, who make decisions on what events to do in the various clubs that month. “They decide what programs would be cool to have,” said Sherick. In a currently ongoing process, the board is also working with Etown College’s Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE) to help make the library more economically friendly and “greener,” Sherick noted. If you are a teen and interested in joining this group, contact Kay or Paula at teens@etownpubliclibrary.org.
On the second Thursday of the month, the Game Club meets at the tables near the Teen Room for two hours of competitive board gaming. There are a host of games to choose from, including chess, Trivial Pursuit and Apples to Apples. While the emphasis for the period is on board games, Sherick remarked that “the library owns various systems, and we run special events for video games throughout our schedule. We previously ran a Rock Band night, and we hope to run a [Nintendo] Wii night in the winter.”
On the third Thursday of the month, the Craft Club gathers to create a new craft each month, decided by the TAB. Sherick was pleased with the crafts teens came up with, commenting, “Last month we made CD case covers. We try and base our crafts on recycled items.” Previous creations include recycled cup-shaped cases to hold various items, and just this past Thursday, teens created pipe cleaner animals. “It started out as spiders, but they soon created all sorts of creatures,” Sherick said.
On the fourth Thursday of the month, there are two fall teen programs ran. First, from 3-5 p.m., the Middle School Book Club meets to discuss a book that was chosen at the beginning of the month. In September, the chosen book was “Inkheart,” by Cornelia Funke, which tells the story of a girl whose father, a bookbinder, can bring stories to life while reading them. “This month, we are letting kids bring their own books to share so they don’t feel like this is homework,” Sherick remarked.
The second event of the day, running from 6-8 p.m., is the monthly Teen Movie. This is a movie chosen by the TAB, and is played on the big screen on the lower level of the library. In the selection of the movie, it is enforced that none of the movies may be rated above PG-13. Popcorn is also provided. Some of the previous movies include “Transformers” and “Fantastic 4.” The movie shown for this month will be “Back to the Future.” The library hopes to show “Iron Man” in the future, as it has recently been released on DVD.
While not on Thursday, the Teen Anime/Manga Club meets on the first Saturday on each month, from 1-3 p.m., to share and discuss anime comics and their own created artwork.
“We hope teens can meet other kids interested in the same thing,” Sherick said. For more information, visit the library at 10 South Market St., Elizabethtown. You can also contact the Etown Public Library at 717-367-7467, or visit their website at http://www.etownpubliclibrary.org/.
Reported by: Mike Moss
Images by: Etown Public Library, Mike Moss
