© St. Petersburg Times, published February 17, 2003
In January, we started our whirlwind tour of Tampa Bay area public libraries and discovered some amazing new ways librarians help us all celebrate the love of reading and a whole lot more.
Now we're zipping into libraries to check out the really cool stuff just for teens (sorry, parents).
Pasco County teens, start at the county library system's home page and click on "Hot Wired: The Teen Page." This is just for you.
If you live near the Hudson Regional branch, you're invited to "Come, relax, read and enjoy yourself at the coolest coffeehouse around." Check with the library for dates for the next Expresso Yourself. To celebrate Love Your Library Week last week, the Pasco County Library System held an "I Love My Library Bookmark Contest." Open to elementary school-age kids, the contest offered a grand prize of a $100 U.S. Savings Bond. Were you one of the winners?
In Hillsborough County, the title's still hush-hush, but kids and adults are invited to share their love of reading through "One Community: One Book." A repeat of last year's program focusing on Paul Fleischman's Seedfolk, this year's book will be . . . well, you'll just have to get a copy of the March/April edition of the Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative's calendar, "Check It Out."
"Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy?" You may not believe how many times librarians are asked the same questions. Patrice Koerper, public relations and partnerships coordinator for the Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System, says that efficient librarians began writing down the answers on index cards. Now inquiring minds can use the search function on the "Ask a Librarian" section of the library cooperative's Web site. Click on the link to search the site for the most frequently asked questions.
Wondering when the original Howard Frankland Bridge opened? Type the question into the box and hit "Search." The answer: "Jan. 15, 1960. Howard Frankland Bridge officially opens. The first traffic jam occurs three days later."
"Just for Kids" is a great section on the library cooperative's Web site. The link "Homework HELP" is guaranteed to soothe the nerves of the worst procrastinator.
In Pinellas, Paula Robinson, librarian in charge of special projects and programs for the county's Public Library Cooperative, is right. Pinellas teens have really cool librarians who make sure they're happy campers.
Gene Coppola, director of the Palm Harbor branch library, says part of his job is transforming a library from a "What do you want?" to a "Welcome to your library" kind of place for teens.
Coppola remembers what it feels like to be a teenager. As he recalls, it didn't feel too great walking into a library.
Not so at his library.
Two years ago, Coppola was awarded a $20,500 grant to bolster the young adult collection with books, compact discs, DVDs and magazines just for teens.
Since then, the Palm Harbor branch has added a Teen Library Center, with two new computers, a couch, a couple of beanbag chairs, lamps, a DVD player and a neon sign proclaiming, "Open." Coppola says the space is "designed by teens, for teens."
Some cool stuff offered at this library includes Girls Night Out, Teen Town Hall (adults such as School Board members, teachers and politicians answer teens' questions) and Teen Comedy Nights.
Just about anything goes at the popular comedy nights, where teens perform scripts they've written. "As long as it's PG-13," Coppola says.
Elaine Birkinshaw, manager of the St. Petersburg Public Library's main branch, can't wait to show off the remodeled "Teen Scene," a place for teens to study, read or meet friends. Teen Scene's sign is clear: "No Adults After 3 p.m."
Making books disappear is strongly discouraged, but if you're a David Copperfield wanna-be, you might want to check out the main library's Young Magicians Club. At 10 a.m. on the first Saturday of each month, kids ages 7 to 16 learn from master magician Dick Laneau about the art of illusion.
Birkinshaw says that this club is much more than pulling rabbits out of a hat. "It helps kids gain confidence through performing in front of a group," she says.
The main branch also offers a Young Writers Club that plans to start posting book reviews on the library's Web site.
Teen movie night, teen game and puzzle night . . . there's plenty to keep you busy at St. Petersburg branch libraries.
Last stop: Clearwater. Jana Fine, youth services manager at Clearwater Public Library's main branch, says the purpose of teen programming is to "get teens into the library. Then they find out they can have a lot of fun here. It's all about building trust."
Some people may find the idea of a library sponsoring a Teen Battle of the Bands contest out of the ordinary, but not Fine. This is the fourth year her Youth Advisory Council has coordinated the event, auditioning teen garage bands. Fine estimates last year's attendance at 800 to 900 teens. This year's Battle of the Bands will be March 22 at the Joe DiMaggio Center.
Try Denting It, or TDI, is a teen group that formed at the Countryside branch library shortly after the shootings at Columbine High School in Colorado. According to the TDI Web site: "Our slogan came from 'Maybe we can't change the world; try denting it.' Our goal is to raise self-esteem and promote respect and tolerance for all. Learning first to respect yourself teaches you to respect others. We think the library is a great place to start."
Celebrate National Poetry Month by meeting award-winning poet Nikki Giovanni at 7 p.m. April 24 at the Clearwater East Library. Plans also are under way for a poetry contest. Winners will have the chance to share their sizzling stanzas with Giovanni.
By now your head is probably spinning with all the cool stuff happening for kids and teens at bay area libraries. Believe it or not, we've just scratched the surface. So head to the library, grab a calendar, chat with the librarians and find out for yourself what a great place libraries are to celebrate the love of reading.
Holly Atkins, a national board certified teacher, loves to read and write. She is a teacher at Southside Fundamental Middle School in St. Petersburg and has been an instructor at the Poynter Institute's Writers' Camp. She was the author of last year's Newspaper in Education series, "The Wonders of Florida." You can e-mail her at hollysatkins@yahoo.com.
Start here and find your way to your local library.
Phone: (813) 273-3652
www.hcplc.org
Phone: (727) 441-8408
www.pplc.us
Phone: (727) 861-3040 (Hudson Regional Branch)
power.pasco.lib.fl.us
Phone: (352) 754-4043
www.hcpl.lib.fl.us
Phone: (352) 746-6622
www.cclib.org
FEBRUARY: 145th Street Stories by Walter Dean Myers
Set in contemporary Harlem, this collection of short stories is a real eye-opener for those who haven't experienced how hard life can be. You'll laugh, you'll cry and, ultimately, you'll have a better understanding of what it's like to live in the inner city.
MARCH: Rain Is Not My Indian Name by Cynthia Leitich Smith
After tragically losing her best friend, a young woman closes herself off from the world, only to be drawn out by a controversy at a nearby Indian camp. As the photographer for a newspaper, she learns a great deal about life and discovers another side to herself.
APRIL: Habibi by Naomi Shihab Nye
When an Arab-American girl moves from St. Louis to Jerusalem, she is forced to deal with prejudice and religious intolerance. To compound matters, she begins a relationship with a Jewish boy.
MAY: Under the Blood Red Sun by Graham Salisbury
This book is an unforgettable story of courage, survival and friendship as a young boy deals with problems of racism against Japanese-Americans after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
On the first Monday of the month, Reading Matters features the "YOU GOTTA READ THIS!" Book Club. Join the club by reading the selections listed and comparing your thoughts with their ideas
"WHO'S READING WHAT?" will showcase Floridians you may know and some you don't and what they like to read.