More than 5,000 U.S. libraries celebrate Teen Read Week™

For Immediate Release
Tue, 11/01/2011 - 14:13

Contact: Stephanie Kuenn
YALSA

CHICAGO — Thousands of school and public libraries throughout the country joined the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), in celebrating Teen Read Week 2011, Oct. 16-22. More than 5,000 libraries embraced the 2011 theme, Picture It @ your library^®, by hosting an array of events and programs that encouraged teens to read for fun and become regular library users.

Programs ran the gamut from drawing workshops and photo sessions to book trailer film festivals and more. Edgewood Middle School in Wooster, Ohio, celebrated its first Teen Read Week™ with an all-school assembly and a dress-as-your-favorite-character day. Liberty Middle School in Madison, Ala., offered a number of events, including a book drive for teens in need and a book trailer contest. The Wareham (Mass.) Free Library held an anime night and a graphic novel design workshop.

“We know that teens who read succeed, and it is wonderful to see how many teens and libraries made reading a priority during Teen Read Week. One great way to keep up the momentum after Teen Read Week is to get the teens who participated involved in helping to plan for future activities in the library,” said Sarah Flowers, YALSA president. “Support for Teen Read Week demonstrates that your library cares about teens and reading and helps YALSA plan for the future.”

Hundreds of teens also entered the Teen Read Week Photo Contest, which will be judged by TRW 2012 Spokesperson Jay Asher. The winner will receive an e-reader full of books for teens, courtesy of Penguin Young Readers Group.

Teen Read Week is a national literacy initiative aimed at teens, their parents, librarians, educators, booksellers and other concerned adults. The purpose of the event is to increase the number of teens who are regular readers and library users. It began in 1998 and is celebrated the third week in October. The 2012 theme will be It Came from the Library!, with a focus on science fiction, horror and thrillers. For more information, visit the Teen Read Week website at www.ala.org/teenread.

For more than 50 years, YALSA has been the world leader in selecting books, videos, and audiobooks for teens.  For more information about YALSA or for lists of recommended reading, viewing and listening, go to www.ala.org/yalsa/booklists, or contact the YALSA office by phone, (800) 545-2433, ext. 4390, or e-mail, yalsa@ala.org.