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Wentworth Library is making an intentional effort to reach out to teens. That includes a mix of events, passive programming, and outreach. You can see it in the teen section with board games, arts and crafts on display, and examples of teen interaction.
Believe it or not, libraries are a destination for teens, who take advantage of meeting rooms and video games. The new Kaposia Library in South St. Paul sees an influx of teens every day when the nearby high school lets out.
“We try to make our programs as accessible as possible,” said Teen Librarian Jess Gould. “We’ve eliminated most pre-registration requirements, have flexible age guidelines for our programs, and have tried to expand our programs to include some evening and weekend offerings so teens, tweens, and youth have more options to participate at the library.”
With a new children’s librarian starting in September, as well as self-service hours and the upcoming remodel, Wentworth Library is in the midst of change. But teen engagement is still an intentional priority. Here a few examples of how it’s happening:
Question Bear
A monthly Q&A for teens has returned, where a question is posed and teens can share answers, sticking them into a bear-shaped container—thus “Question Bear.”
“It was created by the previous teen librarian many years ago, and Question Bear had been hibernating from the start of the pandemic until spring 2024,” said Gould. “They are well rested now, and more curious than ever!”
The previous responses give insights into teens, some funny (What is your favorite thing about summer? “Gaming and never touching grass.”) and some heart-wrenching (What are the top three things that stress you out? “My loved ones getting hurt.”).
Book Reviews
A series of teen book reviews lines one wall of the teen section. These came from outreach events at Two Rivers High School during last school year. More book review forms will be available soon so teen readers can write and submit their reviews at Wentworth Library.
Teens who want to share the books they love can also participate in the national Teens’ Top Ten from the American Library Association.
Bookmark Contest
The library has an annual summer bookmark contest as part of the summer reading program. While the program has wrapped up, the bookmark contest is still going—the deadline is August 31. Contest forms are available in the library or online. Teens entering grades six through 12 can enter.
Arts & Crafts
There’s also the beginning of more arts and crafts in the teen area with 3D-printed items hanging in the window.
“The creations on display were created by both staff and local teens using our new doodler pens,” said Gould. “They are like a handheld, human-operated 3D printer of sorts.”
Any teens who want to try them out can come to a drop-in “Crafternoon” program for teens and tweens on August 19 from 2-4 p.m.
“No sign up required, just come on over to play with some STEAM craft supplies and activities in the large meeting room!” Gould said. There are other craft events, including button-making on August 5 and stained glass in water color on August 12.
Outreach
“Even the best of snacks and video games can’t pull teens away from their current schedules sometimes,” Gould said. “One of the most effective ways to connect and engage with middle and high schoolers is to visit them during the day at school—it’s a guaranteed connection with our target demographic.”
That kind of outreach, which led to the teen book reviews, is an ideal way to encourage reading.
“We have an awesome partnership with Two Rivers,” Gould said. “They even have a Two Rivers Library Club over there, where kids meet up at the school library, talk about what they are reading, and hang out for a bit.”
The upcoming Wentworth Library renovation will put a damper on teen engagement, but these kind of outreach efforts can keep it going.
“During our closure for renovation, we will have more scheduling flexibility and plan to increase our presence out and about in the West St. Paul schools and community, which is an amazing opportunity for our youth services team as we recalibrate and renovate,” said Gould.
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