The Teen Center is now about four times as big as it was in the "old" library and has much for to offer our middle and high schoolers - primarily for ages 11-18.  The new teen area has added the teen nonfiction books to it's area, and has 8 new teen computers, cafe seating, gaming and study areas, new magazines, cd's and dvd's, and music stations.

Very soon we will have a 52" tv with wireless headsets available for teens to watch movies, and for gaming at special times. We also will be adding 6 wireless Macbooks for teens to use in the teen area that are attached to carts with wheels.

For now, though, we have a listing of free programs for teens - if you are interested in attending, call Celine at 385-5333 or email her at cs@gi.lib.ne.us.  

Also listed are various partnerships we have with community agencies in keeping with our city's designation as a winner of its 2008 "100 Best Communities for Young People" (100 Best) competition.

Teen BookClub - Bookclub is for teens age 11-18 that enjoy books and graphic novels. We meet monthly and kids share books they have read or would like the library to order. We have done some special programs for outreach such as we made scarves for Habitat for Humanity, canned food drive for Habitat for Humanity, visited the Veteran's Home for Random Acts of Kindness, Wii gaming with the Veteran's Home. Teens have helped by being in bookclub GITV programs, being interviewed. 

Teen programs are offered sometimes following bookclub and sometimes special ones are offered. We have done programs on poetry, karaoke, performed puppet shows, sisterhood of the traveling pants bags, pizza sampling, gaming, sidewalk chalk art, photography, trivia, holiday/seasonal, learning crafts such as candlemaking, knitting, beading, writing, talent contest, GPS searching, disk golf, makeup, fashion, paintball, movie days, and other interesting topics. 

Young Adult Advisory Board - Is comprised of teens ages 11-18 from Grand Island, Hall County, home schooled ,  and some local towns. Teens help to plan programs for teens, help with recommending books, materials and collections, and displays for teens. Teens have gone on buying sprees to pick out titles at Hastings Entertainment, Sam's Club, and Walmart.  Teens have volunteered for many different programs..YAAB meets four times a year.  

Teen Summer Reading Program - The teen summer reading programs begins a week after school is out and we use the Nebraska Library Commission or American Library Association theme. We have weekly programs and incentives for teens to earn prizes for reading. The teen summer reading program concludes in August. We have partnered with many businesses to have exciting and interesting programs. We have done programs with the Extension Agency, Maudie's Glass, Stuhr Museum, Younkers, received grants from Walmart, and generous donations from businesses across Grand Island such as Sam's Club, Best Buy, Skagway's, Sonic, McDonald's, the Grand Theater, etc.  

The library also hosted the teen summer reading program Anime club. Teens in middle and high school met to discuss graphic novels and anime. 

We also have an art contest every summer with teen's art displayed in our art wall display area.

Special Programming

Teen Bookclub is taking part in One Book One Nebraska for teens this summer. The teen book is The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak.

Teen Tech Week - March 2 to March 8 - The library will have a special Internet Safety Program for the community on Thursday, March 6 at 7 p.m. Gaming will be available for teens following the program until 9 p.m. 

The new teen area has added the teen nonfiction books to it's area, and has 8 new teen computers, cafe seating, gaming and study areas, new magazines, cd's and dvd's, and music stations.

Very soon we will have a 52" tv with wireless headsets available for teens to watch movies, and for gaming at special times. We also will be adding 6 wireless Macbooks for teens to use in the teen area that are attached to carts with wheels.

Collaboration with Grand Island Public Schools:  We have collaborated with the GIPS for library card signup month. We have done signup drives with Walnut, Barr, Westridge, and Grand Island Senior High, resulting in most students having a library card. We have done programs for National Library Week and Teen Read Week, conferences, open houses, etc. We have also done tours, guest authors, partnered for Purple Hands, booktalks, loaned books for special school projects, gaming programs for Barr Starz afterschool program, special ed program. GIPS are using our databases and GISH require students to have a library card for research. We also have had classes using Rosetta Stone.

We are a summer partner for the 21^st Century Grant Program with Barr and Walnut.

We also have gone to Centura Schools for library card drive, booktalks, training for databases, and students have come her for research, and tours.

We have worked with Central Catholic for booktalks, and database training for their staff. We have had Heartland Lutheran. 

Heartland Lutheran has brought kids for Rosetta Stone and Tutor.com training, tours, and library card signup. 

We also have offered tours, catalog and database training, and volunteer opportunities for home-schooled teens.

The bookmobile also stops at Walnut, Barr, Central Catholic, Trinity Lutheran, Heartland Lutheran, and District 1R, Swift (High school teens getting GEDs), and Adult Basic Education students getting GEDs.

Teens from BookClub and YAAB have volunteered for the kids summer reading program, Bear Fair, Ethnic Festival, Family Day in the Park, Harvest of Harmony, to be greeters at the library during construction, Healthy Kids Day, St. Francis Health Day, and many other events.