Fall is an exciting time of year in Youth Services!
August brings back-to-school enthusiasm; in September, we get to encourage our young patrons to get their first library cards. And this October, we’re joining other libraries across the country to celebrate Teentober.

What is Teentober and why are we celebrating it? 

Teentober is described by the American Library Association (ALA) as a new, nationwide celebration hosted by libraries every October and aims to celebrate teens, promote year-round teen services and the innovative ways teen services help teens learn new skills and fuel their passions in and outside the library.

For decades, teens were an afterthought at public libraries — many communities simply didn’t know what kinds of programs or services to offer, didn’t have the staff, or didn’t have the expertise to work with an audience with such diverse interests. 

Within the last 10-15 years, however, public libraries in the U.S. have redoubled their efforts to connect with teens and young adults, which has only made libraries richer and more vibrant. Teens have so much to offer our community, and libraries are uniquely positioned to be fun, inclusive, engaging spaces for them to gather.

How are we celebrating Teentober?

Our hope is that throughout the month of October we will have the opportunity to show teens that the Salina Public Library is a place where they are welcome and where services and programs catered to them exist. We will be doing a series of activities to celebrate teens all month long! 

  • On Oct. 11, we will have a Scavenger Hunt in which teens can learn more about everything the library has to offer, from programs to nontraditional items, and they can win prizes for playing along.
  • On Oct.18, we are hosting a Murder Mystery at the Library from 5-7 p.m. It will be a fun night of solving crimes at the library, inspired by the Roaring 20s. There will be pizza for those that attend. This event will require registration which opens on the 11th of October. If it fills up, there will be a waitlist.
  • Lastly, we will have social media challenges every Monday that will be fun and promote all things bookish. Teens who participate will be entered for a prize drawing at the end of the month. Each challenge gives them one entry; if they do all four challenges, they get entered five times for the chance to win a prize!

In addition to our special Teentober events, we will be hosting a Minecraft event on Oct. 15,  Beginning Coding on Oct.19, and our new Middle School LEGO Club on Oct. 13 and 27.

Encourage the teens and young adults in your life to check out our program offerings in October and beyond. If nothing piques their interest, we’d love to hear their ideas! They can send us a suggestion through our website or by emailing programs.adriana@salinapublic.org.

What about the teens who just want to read?

We add to our Young Adult collection every month to make sure we have something for everyone. Here are some recent additions that our staff have loved:

  • “Nothing More to Tell” by Karen McManus. The queen of YA thrillers is back! McManus, the author of “One of Us is Lying,” has delivered another twisty murder mystery. High school senior Brynn has just landed an internship with a true-crime TV series, and her new boss agrees to investigate the unsolved murder of Brynn’s favorite eighth-grade teacher. The only problem is that the students who found Mr. Larkin’s body are keeping their secrets close. The more Brynn investigates, the more danger she finds.
  • “Lord of the Fly Fest” by Goldy Moldavsky. What if the infamous Fyre Festival had left influencers and concert-goers stranded with no food, no water, and (worst of all!) no Wifi? This book explores that very question. Even the notorious cheese sandwiches make an appearance in Moldavsky’s thinly-veiled version of Fyre Festival that quickly takes a “Lord of the Flies” twist as influencers vie for power on a deserted island. Believe it or not, this book is a comedy that manages to poke fun at influencer culture, those who love it, and those who love to hate it.
  • Monsters Born and Made by Tanvi Berwah. When the last monstrous maristag escapes, and there are no new maristags to breed or sell, sixteen-year-old Koral Hunter has to make the choice of a lifetime: Join the 150th Glory Race and possibly die trying to win all the gold she could possibly dream of, OR live the next year trying not to starve. The catch? Her sister is dying and her family’s financial situation is going from bad to worse. She must battle the monsters in the deep, dark sea or battle the cruel monsters that are the ruling elite. This Dystopian Fantasy is one you won’t be able to put down. Imagine Hunger Games meets The Scorpio Races. 

Whether the teens in your life are regular library patrons or first-time visitors, Teentober is a great time for them to connect with us! We’d love to get to know them at programs, chat with them about books, or hear what we can do to make Salina Public Library a place where all teens feel celebrated.