Teen hangout spot!  That’s probably not the first thing that pops in your mind when you think of the library, but it really should be.  At BCPL, there are so many fun things to do as a teen!  Check out this top 10 teen must-do list.
Study Rooms
I don’t know about you, but I am getting overloaded with virtual homework and have no good place to do it without getting pestered by siblings. The library offers space when it comes to quiet time to focus on schoolwork. At most locations you can reserve study rooms for privacy, or you can find an open table in the quiet zone if you want more space to think. These spaces have been very useful to me on many occasions as it helped me concentrate on school and future work like the ACT or college applications that I kept putting off. Sadly it can’t be future me’s problem forever. To reserve a Study Room, call 859-342-BOOK and select the location of your choice.

 
Teen Scene
Not looking to focus on work? Meet up with your friends at the library. The Teen Scene is an area reserved for middle schoolers and high schoolers to chill, get work done, or just have fun. With young adult books, board games (temporarily removed), and computers all around the room, the Teen Scene is the perfect place to hang out.

Learn a new hobby/skill
Though the library is taking many Covid precautions, not everyone may feel safe leaving the house for extended periods of time; I totally feel that. The library is offering a craft to go called a Take & Make. This activity packet can be found in the Teen Scene and includes all the supplies not usually found at home. With the Take & Make you can bring home a fun activity to do with friends and family or just kill time and make a fun craft by yourself.
 

Impress Your Girl!
If you are musically inclined, the library has your back. Crazy right…you can play music in a library.  At the Main Library in Burlington, there is an 1867 Steinway Square Grand Piano available for playing!  You could bring friends, family, or even impress your date, and put on a performance for all to enjoy.
 

The Curt Bessette Art Gallery
Maybe music isn’t your cup of tea.  How about art?. You can stroll through the art gallery and admire the beautiful work done by professionals. Or if you are proud of a particular piece you created,  you can display it (or even sell it) on the community wall.  To display your artwork, visit our website.

Boone Innovation Lab
Is 2D not cool enough for you? Head over to the Hebron Branch to check out the Boone Innovation Lab and do cool projects in 3D. You could make anything from printing wall art on canvas or making t-shirts with the Cricut to laser engraving slate! There is various equipment ranging from a sewing and embroidering machine to a laser printer, all completely open to the public. All you need to do is reserve a time and the room is yours!

Teen Volunteering
Due to Covid, there are temporarily not many opportunities for service hours, but when everything opens up again, it is important to register as a volunteer so you can know first what opportunities come up. In the past, there have been really cool programs for teen volunteers including Read it First or Read With a Teen. Read it First is a program that allows volunteers to read books before they are published and write a review to the publishers for volunteer hours. Read With a Teen is a program that pairs a teen volunteer with a young reader to encourage reading in youth. Volunteers also help with all the events that go on and are incredibly useful on a weekly basis.
 

BCPL Teen Programs
Another great way to be involved at the library is through one of their many teen programs. There is a new program called Book Club in which members read and discuss books from the same genre. Another club is the Teen Writers Group in which members are currently supporting each other with their NaNoWriMo works, writing 50,000 words of a novel in a month! Good luck and mad respect for the effort!  Dungeons and Dragons is a popular program for teens.  Players enjoy meeting new people in a shared world they create together only limited to their imagination. Any and all of these programs are a great opportunity to branch out and grow close with a new group of people who share your interests.

BCPL’s Teen Website
One of the most underrated spots on the BCPL website is the teen section. There are so many resources offered to help teens with anything from learning a new language to jamming out with Freegal music. You could prepare for the ACT or a research paper, or you could binge shows on Acorn TV. You can also easily access the teen event calendar to see what new programs are going to come about that might interest you.

Reach Out
Lastly, but still very important, the library is a safe place to reach out and open up about what is going on in your home life. There are always people here to talk to who will support you through hard times. Even if you aren’t ready to open up, the library offers cards with resources on it to help you out.

The library is a great place for everyone, especially teenagers. There are lots of staff here who want to ensure that teens are well cared for. So if you have something you want to see in the teen scene, don’t hesitate to reach out, and they will try to make it happen!
 
Amy Hendrix is a teen intern at Boone County Public Library, a senior at Ignite Institute, a nature enthusiast, and the best water skier she knows!