This past Friday, I had the distinct pleasure of presenting twice at the Georgia Public Library Service Teen Conference at Macon State College in Macon, GA. I discussed the teen theme for the 2009 Collaborative Summer Library Program (“Express Yourself @ Your Library”) and the variety of program ideas that go along with it. Among my favorites….
- Poetry Slam: It’s essentially the interactive / performance-art style poetry reading that’s become popular, or has at the least gained a cult following. As long as you encourage people to participate in a positive way (lots of cheering, yelling, clapping, stomping) — it’s definitely got the potential to be a lot of fun and a wonderful creative outlet for teens at your library.
- Chainsaw Sculpture: I’ve had some difficulty selling this, but it’s usually because people think I’m talking about teens wielding power tools, when in fact it’s just an exhibition. If you can’t do a chainsaw sculpture wood, consider contacting caterers and wedding planners to do an ice sculpture instead. Same method, different medium, just as cool.
- Community Service Project: Basically, you allow your teens to plan and coordinate some kind of service project. The CSLP manual specifically mentions the American Forests project (which is pretty cool), but you can do just about anything with any organization that has social or political relevance (like your local Humane Society or Food Bank).
We discussed a lot of other cool ideas, just about anything that fits under the banner of creative expression, whether its literary, visual, dramatic, musical, or even political — I think I went through about 20 or 25 in the course of the presentation, some more involved than others.
Anyway, if you have any questions or are seeking advice on how to coordinate a teen summer reading program, please contact me, and I’ll be happy to help you however I can.
Special thanks to the GPLS for asking me to attend and present! I got to exchange ideas and catch up with so many wonderful people — as always, I had a wonderful time!