No no no November

I cannot believe that there are only two months left of 2009. Yikes. I’ve updated the events and individual pages to reflect program dates and times for the rest of the year.

There will be a few changes in 2010, most notably the addition of Movie Night on the first Monday of each month. More info to come.

I will also be shifting the teen site back over the the main BPL website (www.bellinghampubliclibrary.org) over the next couple of months. When the shift actually takes place, you will know.

This month events in order: TAC (11/2), Anime (11/9), SSB Brawl Tourney (11/14), Games Night (11/16), TeensRead (11/30).

syt!

- Jen

Whatcomics! – it must be October

submission form

Changes to the library, changes to teen programs!

Anime Night and TAC dates are changing beginning in October!

Due to budget and staff cuts, the library will be cutting some open hours beginning October 1st. (For the full story, check out the press release.) We will be closing at 6pm on Wednesdays, so we have to move Anime Night. And we’re moving TAC night, too.

Monday nights are Teen Nights @ BPL!

TAC is the first Monday of the month

Anime Night is the second Monday of the month

Games Night is the third Monday of the month (this isn’t changing)

Teens Read is the last Monday of the month (this isn’t changing)

Event times are not changing!

Ending so soon? and Let’s Fight!

Teen Summer Reading is coming to an end. There is a little less than a week left to enter to win a weekly prize. So far, 60 teens have turned in 287 reviews. I will draw the last weekly prize the week of August 10. Fine forgiveness runs through the end of the month, so the grand prize drawing will take place the first week of September. Three grand prize winners will receive a summer reading t-shirt, two passes to Regal Cinemas and a Target gift card. The more reviews you enter, the better your chances to win.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl Tournament this Saturday, August 8. Sign-up begins at 1pm, tournament begins at 1:30 sharp. You must be between 12 and 18 to win prizes. Prizes courtesy of Reset Games. Refreshments courtesy of Little Caesars and the Friends of the Bellingham Library.  It’s gonna be a BLAST!

Teen Book Sale

The Friends of the Bellingham Public Library are hosting their first EVER Teen Book Sale on Friday, July 31st from 11am to 3pm. If you come around noon you can also check out the Children’s Craft Fair. Check out the press release for all the details.

New again

Happy happy summertime.

I’ve finally updated all the pages (linked to above). For example, I’ve got anime dates through the end of the year and what anime we’ll be watching for the next three months on the Anime page. The other pages are also looking good. Check ‘em out.

Two things to note: Games night returns this month after taking May off and TeensRead is taking June and July off to start fresh in August. Book titles for August, September, October and November can be found on the Teens Read page.

Teen Summer Reading starts in just under 2 weeks. I’ll post info on progress and prizes, but for basic information including details on FINE FORGIVENESS, see the Summer Reading page.

Everything going on is summarized on the Events Page for your convenience.

Also, remember that you can always email me if you have any questions. I’m usually pretty nice.

- Jen

What’s to come?

While I haven’t been posting much on this main page, rest assured that the pages linked to above (for upcoming events and individual programs) are kept up-to-date. I’ve added upcoming programs through May and each page should be current on the next few months, too. Please let me know if you see errors or are confused by anything on this site.

Some News:

• I will be on maternity leave for the next two months, returning in time for all the May programs (and Summer Reading in June). All programs will go on as scheduled in March and April, led by my trusty stand-ins. They are great. Treat them well.
• TAC will not meet again until May. Please come to that meeting, because we will be determining prizes for summer reading and talking about the viability of continuing specific programs (most at-risk is TeensRead). I need your input!
• I’m sorry to announce that Shelve It!, the teen new books newsletter that I’ve been publishing quarterly for the past few years, is now on indefinate hiatus. This year I have taken on additional collection responsibilities and with upcoming leave and staff shortages, I just do not have the time needed to publish Shelve It! Please refer to the monthly new materials lists (http://www.bellinghampubliclibrary.org/QuickLinks/ReadersResources/newitems.aspx) for a complete listing of all the items added to the collection each month. We also hope to instigate RSS feeds some time this year so you can automatically be updated on new items in various parts of the collection. Another great reasource for book recommendations is NextReads, where each month you get an email with new and featured titles in a number of different subject areas (including Teen books and Tween titles). You can access NextReads on our Reader’s Resources page.
• We are still working on creating a “Hot Teen Non-Fiction” section in the Teen area of the library. We are currently waiting on labels for the items. I’m hoping that this collection will become a reality while I am on leave.

If you have any questions or concerns, please never hesitate to contact me (see right side-bar). Happy Spring!

- Jen

February Events + Guitar Hero Tournament!

I’m just now posting the events info for February. See the link for Upcoming Events above.
Mark your calendars for our first ever

Guitar Hero Tournament

Saturday, February 14

Space is limited to 30 players — sign-up begins at 12:45
Each person will play at least 2 qualifying rounds
Songs will be determined prior to tournament play
Prizes courtesy of Reset Games
More info to come!

Anime & TAC this week!

I’ve been buried in the redesign of the library website and almost forgot to post this week’s program information. Thankfully I came to my senses long enough to remember to get the word out. BTW, we plan to launch the new library website within the week. The teen page will stay on WordPress for the next few months, though, because I want to be able to update it from afar.
Here’s the deal on this week’s programs:

Anime Night featuring Ouran High School Host Club
Join us for a rollicking good time watching this popular shojo anime.
Pizza and prizes too.
This Wednesday, 5:30 to 7:30pm in the Dodson Room.
Be there.

TAC meeting this Thursday
Come tell me how to make the library better for teens.
Click on the Teen Advisory Council link at the top of the page for more information and an application.

Snowy days and libraries

So I hear that it’s supposed to snow more today. The library is a pretty nice place when the streets and sidewalks are blanketed in snow. To be all cozy and warm inside, surrounded by thousands of books and magazines, is wonderful.

Thank you to everyone who came to game night on Monday. I hope you all enjoyed “Don’t Rest Your Head” (except for the four of you playing Brawl, which I hope you enjoyed, too.) I am looking forward to continuing the game in January.

And a super big thank you to everyone who has made this last year the most wonderful to date for me at BPL. I’ve had a tremendous time. I hope that you’ve had some good times, too.

I’ll post some statistics on here the last week of December/first week of January just to wow you. We have been busy, that’s for sure.

Have a fantastic holiday and break from school. Drop by for TeensRead on 12/29 if you’re so inclined. We’re reading 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher and it is a killer read. Should make for a good, meaty discussion.

- Jen