Teen Read Week and Friends of the Library Appreciation Week

image by sanjoselibrary on flickr

School is in full gear and students are knee deep in required reading for English class. For middle and high school age students who do not think curling up with a copy of “Heart of Darkness” and a cup of cocoa is fun, try Teen Read Week.

Teen Read Week was developed by the American Library Association to promote reading for pleasure among teenagers. It is celebrated every year during the third week in October; this year it falls during the week of October 17. Young adults are encouraged to pick up books, graphic novels, music, and audiobooks relevant to their interests. This includes popular series such as Twilight and The Hunger Games, books to improve your grades such as “Hot X: Algebra Exposed”, and funny graphic novels and manga like “Scott Pilgrim” and “Yotsuba&!”.

It is easy to get behind in school reading. The material can be daunting, especially when paired with large class workloads, school commitments, and part-time jobs. However, the ALA says “teens who read for fun have better test scores and are more likely to succeed in the workforce”. Also, reading on your own terms—choosing whatever you want versus what is handed to you—can get you interested in something you may not learn in school. With such significant benefits, reading for fun is truly worth the time.

In addition, this week is Friends of the Library Appreciation Week. The Friends, also called FOL, work closely with the Garland County Library to provide invaluable services which benefit the library. The library accepts books, magazines, movies, and other items year round for the FOL to price and organize for the book sale room. In addition, the FOL is responsible for the annual book sale every May. The Garland County Library is very fortunate to have such a dedicated volunteer group. In recognition of their expert services, the library is hosting a cookie cook off on October 20.