Summer Reading!

Now that the last day of school is =finally= in sight, its time to start thinking about Summer Reading!  At Messenger Public Library, teens are super lucky, because you have a choice between two different programs–you can join the Teen program, and pick up a log at the Youth Services desk, or you can join the Adult program, and pick up a log at the Adult Services desk.  Either way, you are in for a summer full of awesome books and cool prizes!

Need a few book suggestions to get you started on your Summer Reading path?  I thought you’d never ask!  You can start your search at http://www.teenreads.com/ or http://www.readergirlz.com/issue.html for some great reviews.  One of my personal favourites is the Popular Paperbacks list, which is put out every year by YALSA (or the Young Adult Library Services Association–a group of librarians totally dedicated to serving teens!).  For 2009, the very cool categories for nominations are “Dead, Dying and Undead,” “Fame and Fortune,” “Journey > Destination” (there’s a little math reference for you), and “Spies and Intrigue.”  Even better is the Teens’ Top Ten list, which is a set of nominated books that you can check out over the summer, and then you can vote for the ones you liked the best in October.  So what are you waiting for?  Get in the Game: Read!

Want to volunteer at the library this summer?

Will you be in grade 7 or above this fall? Then stop by the Youth Services desk and pick up a Book Buddies volunteer application! The Book Buddy program pairs teens with younger readers who want to work on their reading over the summer. Choose a couple of fun books and spend between 20 and 45 minutes hanging out with your Buddy. Orientation sessions will be held on Tuesday, June 10th; Wednesday, June 11th; and Thursday, June 12th.

Another great library volunteer opportunity is helping out with the Messenger Library’s Summer Reading Program. Anyone who will be in grade 6 or above this fall can pick up an application and help us make this year’s Summer Reading Program a success! Teens usually work 1 or 2 hour shifts on 1 or more days during the week. You can help out at the Summer Reading desk, assist librarians with cool summer programs, and help us take care of our collection. Orientation sessions will be held on Tuesday, June 10th; Wednesday, June 11th; and Thursday, June 12th.

Homework Help

With just a few more weeks of school left in the year, everyone is ready to be done with homework and tests and reports etc.  Well, don’t give up!  Here at the library we’ve got some resources that might just help you make it to the last day of school.

If you need some research help for that last big paper or you’ve got a question that you just can’t seem to find the answer to, you can email the Adult Services Reference Desk for some extra help or chat with one of the awesome librarians at AskAway. 

You can also check out the library’s Online Resources, which are databases that you can use on your computer at home or on one of the library’s computers.  The Biography Resource Center is great if you are doing a report on a specific person and Britannica Online has all of the awesome information that you’d find in the Britannica Encyclopedia.  Don’t forget Opposing Viewpoints, which has information on current event topics and includes “for” and “against” arguments, making it a great source for a persuasive paper.

And if all else fails, just come in to the library and stop by one of the Reference desks, and our librarians will do their best to get your questions answered.  Good luck!  Summer vacation is just around the corner…