Teens Plan to Help Promote Family Reading

The party the Teen Advisory Board throws each year for children who complete the Bernards Township Library's summer reading program has been so successful, they decided to host one again.

Young Adult Services Librarian Karen Olivari, overseer of the board, said, "We do a program in the summer for the children's [summer reading] program... Now we are doing a winter one."

Five to ten teens meet at the library once a month for the advisory meeting, typically discussing ways that library programming can be improved to best accommodate the teens in the area. "We usually take any suggestions they have for programs here, or things that add to the library," Olivari said.

The party is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 13, which will coincide with the end of the winter reading program to promote family reading at the library.

"[Families] sign up and they get a folder. Every time the family reads together they color something in," Library Children's Program Coordinator Ginny Bartsch said about the reading program. "[The teens holding the party] saves a lot of money for us, which is good."

More information on the winter family reading program will be available in January.

The teens will plan the party over their two meetings in the next two months, and expect to have crafts, face-painting and other activities for the kids.

"Right now, we are planning things for [party]," Olivari said. "It's [going to be] like a fair."

Teens who go to advisory meetings or help out with planning the children's event are eligible to earn volunteer service hours for school or church.