By Dana Klosner-Wehner
That’s why the Elmont Memorial Library has a Teen Advisory Group. The group meets with the Young Adult Services librarian each month and discusses books and programs that teens might want to see.
Each month the group picks the movie that will be shown at Teen Screen, the free teen movie night. This month the kids must choose something rated at least PG-13, and they selected “Private Valentine” after looking through a catalogue of available films.
There are about 20 kids registered for the group, said Young Adult Services Librarian Mara Marin.
“Not everyone comes to every meeting. Teens are very busy,” Marin said.
At last Saturday's meeting, six teens were on hand to give their input into programming.
“It’s fun to help out and say what we’d like to see since we’re always here,” said Alicia Munian, 15, a sophomore at Elmont Memorial High School. “We come up with programs like salsa dancing and a video game tournament.”
Munian is active in library programs. She was involved in Book Buddies, where teens read to 3- to 5year-olds, and she was in a photography workshop over the summer. She is also in clubs in her school. She is one of the leaders of Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD), she’s involved in Global Links, a club where students learn about careers, and she is one of the editors of the school newspaper, The Elmont Phoenix, and she is a member of the Model U.N. Club.
“I like recommending what books they should get and ideas to bring more teens in,” said group member Melanie Towns, 15, a sophomore at Sewanhaka High School. “Last year we suggested they should have Manga books [graphic novels] and now they have a Manga center.”
This is the first meeting for new member Clunis Calvert, 12, a seventh grader at North High School.
“I wanted to give back to my community,” Calvert said.
When Marin suggested a summer program on decorating skateboards, the teens brainstormed and came up with an idea to decorate library book carts.
“We could call it, ‘Pimp Your Cart,’” Marin said. “We could paint them and put rhinestones on them.”
“We could have one for girls and one for guys,” said Munian.
Michael Gregori, 13, a seventh grader at Sewanhaka High School, said he would like to see a program where older kids talk to kids from the elementary school and discuss what high school is all about.
“Sixth graders might be nervous about entering high school,” Marin agreed. “They could hear from you that it’s not that bad.”
Marin suggested calling it ‘Peer Orientation,’ and put it on her list of upcoming programs.
Gregori also suggested having a comedy night where the kids could watch and perform comedy.
Munian broadened his idea to that of having a talent show.
The group also counted ballots from a survey that the library had where teens voted on what to name the young adult space at the library. The survey ran for about six months. “Teen Lounge” was the winner.
“We’ll get colorful letters and put the name underneath the YA name,” Marin said. It was also suggested that the library get bean-bag chairs and make the space comfortable for teens.
The library couldn’t accommodate everything the teens suggested.
The group suggested having a café for teens.
Marin said that is something that would be up to the library board, that she would not be able to authorize that. But when cooking and jewelry-making classes were suggested, she said that is something she could book for programming this summer.
“It’s your library,” Gregori said. “You should be proud to be a part of it.”
If teen readers are interested in giving your input in the Teen Advisory Group, call Mara Marin at (516) 354-5280 ext. 247.
