SOUTH BRUNSWICK – The South Brunswick Library is reinvigorating itself to enhance programming for teens and young adults.
Hundreds of young residents either coordinate and/or attend a variety of activities offered throughout the year.
The library has a Teen Volunteer Association (TVA) that discusses what events and programs patrons want to delve into each year, according to Saleena Davidson, the librarian for young adults ages 12-18 and new adults ages 18-29.
The Executive Volunteer Association takes the ideas the TVA members suggest and puts them into action.
“I try to make it as self-driven as possible because if teens are passionate about sharing something, they are more likely to tell their friends … and it gives them more ownership in the library,” she said. “It’s their chance to really be in charge as much as possible while still being supervised. … I don’t want to micromanage but I want them to be able to explore.”
The Dynamic Young-preneurs are middle schoolers focused on key business ideas.
The Rhetoric, Logic and Absurdity Class is for public speaking by “practicing concepts and applications [without] feeling like it’s another class.”
The South Brunswick Township Video Network club is geared toward young adults who want to learn, create and edit videos which are then posted to the library’s YouTube page.
A Robotics Club for middle schoolers is less about competition and more about learning basic concepts of coding and robotics.
Since 2000, the puppet group meets twice a year and practices for eight to 10 weeks in order to perform for children.
“The teens like to do it and the little ones like watching it,” Davidson said. “Those who are a little more shy come out of their shell because they can be a little more silly and express themselves behind the curtain.”
The Art Club offers projects such as sketching, painting and making bath bombs.
“They love art, they’re very artistic and they just want to share it,” Davidson said.
A series of coding classes have become popular, as well as a hack-athon, when teens spend 12 hours creating websites and apps. Davidson said a 24-hour hack-athon could be in the works.
Davidson said that the library is very relevant to young people, as teens and millennials make up the largest percentage of library users.
“The idea that teens don’t read is facetious and wrong,” Davidson said. “I think the biggest thing libraries do for teens is give them a safe space. They come here to do homework but they socialize and meet people … and there’s activities, fun things to get involved in. And I think all those things are necessary.”
She said teens are interested in free e-books and music and video streaming, plus the Makerspace culture is expanding.
Overall, Davidson is pleased with the plethora of activities available to the younger generation.
“It’s really fascinating to watch as they grow and mature,” Davidson said. “I’m excited to be part of the library family and part of the community.”
Contact Jennifer Amato at [email protected].