New librarian finds creative ways to reach teen readers
It's funny and irreverent, and promises to deliver lots of chocolate. Sound tempting enough to draw teenagers?
That's the goal of the new teen librarian, Tom Spicer, at the Arlington Heights Memorial Library. He's hosting a novel spin on Valentine's Day celebrations which he calls "Love Stinks: Anti-Valentine's Day Chocolate Fest."
Spicer says the afternoon event will "celebrate the rotten ways of the heart by finding the worst places to take a date and the most depressing ways to get dumped," before group-authoring a love story guaranteed to make audiences laugh.
The free program is 2:30-4 p.m. Feb. 14 in the library board room. Students in grades 7-12 are welcome; register at (847) 392-0100 or www.ahml.info.
Spicer joined the Arlington Heights library in September. Previously, he was teen librarian at the Barrington Area and Hinsdale public libraries.
"This new position was made possible by reshaping the job of a retiring librarian, and focusing on a new audience we want to attract, namely teens," said Paula Moore, library director.
Already, Spicer has been brainstorming every month with the library's teen advisory group, who represent Buffalo Grove, Hersey, Rolling Meadows and St. Viator high schools. They have input on the teen Web site, schedule teen programs like Open Mic Night and the Meet & Read book club and compile a suggested list of good reads for teens.
Spicer draws on his own experience at Barrington High School, where he says, he learned to enjoy reading. That set the table for his pursuit of a library science degree at Indiana University. Another project he is working on encourages Buffalo Grove High School students to send text messages to reference librarians for help with their nonfiction assignments in English class.
"We figure kids love to send text messages," Spicer says. "This way, they can text our librarians, who can help find reference books, or answer any of their questions."
Like chocolate and anti-valentines, sending text messages is a hook that Spicer hopes leads to a lifetime of reading, library visits and learning.