New to Teen Read Week^TM?   Getting Started with Great Programs

Teen Read WeekTM is an initiative of the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), which is the fastest growing division of the American Library Association.  In 2006, the 9th year of the event will be celebrated.

Why is it important to celebrate? For a lot of reasons! Teens are not really reading for fun these days, and reading scores have not been improving for this age group over the last few decades. Also, it’s a great chance to let your school or your public library communities know how important teen services are! Let teens know the possibilities that exist within your doors, and within the covers of books.

Over 4,800 school and public libraries registered to participate in Teen Read WeekTMlast year. Join the fun and register now!

Theme Party

Members of a YALSA committee work with ALA Graphics to produce a theme and supporting products each year. For example, in 2005, the Get Real theme inspired school and public libraries all over the country to stock and program around nonfiction.

In 2006, the theme is Get Active @ your library®. Products will include posters, bookmarks, and more!  A portion of ALA Graphics revenue goes back to YALSA to help them bring more initiatives to you! 

The theme should limit noone; it’s just a place to get started. For example, Get Active could be interpreted many ways.  Teens could get active in their community, with sports or exercise, applying for college, writing, or advocating!

Programs That Run Themselves

Teen Read WeekTM promotions can be simple or elaborate. Almost anything you would like to do with your teen services can be done during this week! Busy school libraries and public libraries with no teen specialist may find it easiest to have some simple, stand-alone programs.

Surveys are always a good idea, and can be tied to raffles. YALSA offers an official Teen Read WeekTM survey each year, or you can design your own. Find out what teens are reading, or find out what they would like to see the library offer. Be sure to collect names and addresses/email for a mailing list, to highlight future library teen services.

Book review forms are a great TRW promotion, and can also be used for a raffle! To tie in with the theme, have teens review a favorite sports book. After TRW, reviews can be posted around the library, or compiled in a book or web site that teens can reference for book suggestions.

Offer a display  to tie in with the theme, or ask teens for input about their favorite books to highlight during the week.  A fun Get Active display could have a magnetic poetry kit and magnetic board in the center.  Teens will gravitate toward it to play with the words, and will then notice the books!

A hidden bookmark or hidden book with a special cover is another easy game. Teens can look for the item each day and turn it in to the desk for a prize. Don’t make it too hard to find, though, or else you’ll be spending a lot of time tidying up the teen area as people look for the item.

Have each desk in the public library or each office in the school hand out something fun to a teen during TRW, either a piece of candy with a bookmark attached, or raffle ticket, etc. Many schools and libraries have had check-out promotions where a prize is awarded to teens checking out certain books, or to every 10th teen checking out a book, etc. These activities lend a celebratory, customer appreciation feel to the week.

Power of Programming

Power up your TRW with a teen program! From simple to elaborate, programs for teens show that age group that they are getting deserved time and attention from your facility.

A simple program could involve putting out snacks for teens who come in to read for pleasure during a study-hall, or after school.

Another beginning program could be starting a Teen Advisory Board during TRW. Offer food, ask teens who attend what they would like to see the library do and when they would like to meet regularly. Even if only a few teens show up at these events, their input will be valuable. Offer those teens a small prize or incentive to bring a friend to the next meeting.

Have a themed book discussion. We have created booklists around different themes.

More elaborate programs could include having a local author come in and read to teens or lead them in a poetry-writing workshop. Or, a poetry contest could be held prior to the event, with the winners announced during TRW.

Lots of other program ideas are available on this Web site.

Getting the Word Out

Teens have to know that you are celebrating TRW from the moment they enter your facility, either visually, or through announcements. Banners and Signs are a good start, but other fun decorations should definitely be prominent throughout the facility. Having staff wear t-shirts and/or buttons will also remind patrons that something exciting is going on.

It is really effective to get the community involved in the event. Letting elected officials and newspapers know about the week, both why and how it is being celebrated, is an important step. There is an entire section of this Web site dedicated to helping you Get Publicity!  Posters should also be placed where the teens are – retail outlets, marquee signs, restaurants, local teen centers, park districts, police stations, YMCA – anywhere a teen or a teen’s parent will see it.

School and public libraries should help each other promote TRW events. If the school is not celebrating, the public library can help by sending kits or bookmarks with suggested reading lists and activities, or by having booktalks in the schools. A public library can match the displays and help promote school activities during this week too.  In 2006, this might mean highlighting sports’ teams with a display of school jerseys and/or photos!

The Off-Season: Getting Ready for the Big Event

Yes, an effective TRW can involve months of planning. Here is a possible timeline:

May: Public and school libraries should begin planning, as schools will not have much time when they return in late August to get ready for TRW.

June/July: TRW Products should be ordered from ALA Graphics, as they often run out by the end of August. This is also a good time to get teen input at public libraries about what they might like to see for TRW.

**Don’t forget to register on the TRW website!  Lots of publishers send free things to the libraries who do this!

August/September: Promotion, promotion, promotion! Brochures, signs, press releases, and letters to teachers should go out increasingly until the end of September, for a start of the TRW campaign. If possible, have a direct mailing to teens close to the date of the programs, either through postcards or email.

November:FEEDBACK: Let us know what you thought of the theme, and what you did to celebrate this year.

The Next Step

After your fun TRW, evaluate what you can do to make it even better next year! Joining YALSA and getting involved is a great way to keep the momentum going. Network with other professionals, or get lots of good book and program ideas off the many list-servs.

Remember, Teen Read WeekTM is just the beginning. We all know it’s important to promote teen reading ALL the time. A noticeably exciting and popular TRW at your facility may gain positive attention from staff, teens, and administration. Support for future teen programs and services may grow from your TRW initiatives.

So take the first step.