New Teen Programs to launch this October

Just as the school year kicks into gear and you find yourself buried beneath a mound of work, the Ashe County Public Library comes to the rescue with new and returning teen programs this October. 

A new teen program, held the first Thursday of the month from 4-5 p.m., will launch Thursday, October 2^nd. This creative club is designed to allow middle and high school students to explore their interests through music, food, art, science, history, and more. Each program will be led by the new youth services assistant, Megan Northcote, and run by teens; some programs will even feature guest community members instructing hands-on projects that build skills, encourage career development, and are just plain fun!  

Our first teen program, Aboard the Titanic, will be Thursday, October 2 from 4-5 p.m. Teens pretend to travel as first class passengers and will get to watch a dessert demo, presented by Sweet & Savory Bakery & Deli, of a plum pudding recipe prepared aboard the ship!  Free samples afterwards! Then we’ll break out the graham crackers, frosting, and candy and get to work building a food model of the Titanic. Teens can test their trivia through a fun trivia game set to Titanic music, dress in the latest 20^th century fashion wearing costumes provided by Ashe County Little Theatre, and end the afternoon playing games popular aboard the ship. All teens are welcome and are encouraged to voice their opinion about any activities they hope to see at future teen clubs! 

Families are welcome to come and learn the art of broomstick flying at the library’s debut of Appalachian State University’s Quidditch team. On Saturday, October 11, ASU’s Quidditch team takes to the field (West Jefferson Park behind the library) to teach Muggles of all ages how to play the popular Harry Potter sport. Come just to observe or brush up on the rules of the game (How to Play Quidditch) and be prepared to join in on the fun. 

 

 

A whole week of activities is planned for the Young Adult Library Services Association’s Teen Read Week from Monday, October 13 to Saturday, October 18. In honor of this year’s theme, From Dreams to Reality, we’ll host a kick-off event on Monday from 5-6 p.m. where we demo the Everyone Dreams project, ongoing throughout the week. We’ll also introduce the Book-oplogy book challenge for teens, which connects with the library’s online Book Challenge encouraging patrons to read new things.  Back by popular demand, Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. we’ll wrap things up with the Sundae Wars where teens can create their ultimate sundae masterpiece and put it up to our judges for a taste testing.

Then on Halloween night, be prepared to get scared as the library stays open after hours for the ultimate Fright Night. Gather in the haunted meeting room at 7 p.m. to share and listen to spine-tingling ghost stories while sipping on hot chocolate. Then brace yourself for Otaku’s United Courage Challenge as you video tape your journey wandering through a haunted library on the lookout for spooky ghosts and other horrifying creatures.

Teens are always welcome to join Otaku’s United, the library’s Anime/Manga club, which meets every Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. 

And there’s always a need for teen volunteers at the library, shelving books and prepping for teen programs. Whether you’re looking to get community service hours or just love volunteering at the library, contact Peggy Bailey, Youth Services Librarian, at pbailey@arlibrary.org and find a time that fits your schedule. 

 For more information about teen programs and opportunities at the library, contact Megan Northcote at mnorthcote@arlibrary.org, or Sarah Spanburgh at sspanburgh@arlibrary.org 

 We’ll see you at the library!