Social Library, Volume 64

Jennifer Peterson /

Image courtesy Puyallup Public Library on Facebook

The latest edition of the Social Library brings inspiration from libraries we follow on Facebook in Texas, Washington, Georgia, Wisconsin and Wyoming. They demonstrate the ways in which libraries connect to teen interests, have a sense of humor in programming, feature local celebrities in storytimes, and empower teens to lead and serve in an annual expo. We hope these examples inspire you to seek out local and state partnerships. And if you'd like to see your library featured in the Social Library series, please let us know via [email protected] or find us on Facebook.

  • Puyallup Public Library‎ in Washington recently hosted a Sports Anime Marathon. Teens watched a variety of shows, made Perler bead creations and challenged each other in a ramen speed-eating contest. Check out the colorful photo recap!
  • Image courtesy Chippewa Falls Public Library‎ on Facebook
  • Chippewa Falls Public Library‎ in Wisconsin announced their upcoming Octopi the Library event to be held on, you guessed it, 8-8-16. Octo-centric storytime, activities and crafts will kick off the festivities, and for the rest of the day kids can explore fun math activity stations around the library.
  • Smokey Bear & Woodsy Owl, with other staff from the U.S. Forest Service - Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests, visited the Rabun County Public Library in Georgia last week. For the final storytime of the summer, Smokey and his friends read stories, gave away Smokey Bear items, demonstrated some fire-fighting action, and reminded everyone that "Only You Can Prevent Wildfires!"
  • Uinta County Library in Wyoming shared wonderful photos of their special edition Volleyball Storytime featuring the Evanston High School Varsity Volleyball Team. The local celebrity athletes filled the room with volleyball fever, using pool noodles, chairs and balloons!Image courtesy Best Southwest Everything Teen Expo on Facebook
  • And from the DeSoto Public Library, Texas, we learned about the Everything Teen Expo through posts about Zoran and Kennedi, both recipients of a $1050.00 Best Southwest Everything Teen Expo Teen Volunteer Leadership and Service Scholarship for helping to plan and coordinate the 2016 Expo. We learned that the Expo, held outside of Dallas, Texas, each year in April, is driven, planned and organized largely by teenagers, in partnership with the DeSoto, Cedar Hill, Duncanville and Lancaster Public Libraries. "Our goal is for teenagers to build and sustain meaningful and positive relationships with their community by connecting them with businesses, non-profits, colleges, government institutions and other organizations both local and nationwide through fun and engaging interactions. Library staff team up with teens from area high schools and/or organizations to work together to recruit organizations, teen volunteers, school administrators, community leaders, local government and community members to participate in the event." You can explore photos and posts about last year's event on Facebook at Best Southwest Everything Teen Expo.

Thanks to all of this week's featured libraries for such outstanding service to your communities!