After School in the Library

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

In a post from Public Libraries Online, Raven Smith writes about teens and 'tweens using the library after school. Smith states, "some libraries have hesitated to fully embrace tween and teen services out of concern for disruption or limited space." Smith encourages libraries to take a different approach, and welcome the kids into their spaces, specifically intentionally creating space and programs for kids after school. 

In the Lansing Public Library, they've created a Teen Island, open every day after school from 3-5. They provide programming, snacks, games and more for kids. They have created a place where teens feel comfortable and welcome. Some of their tips include:

1. Dedicate space intentionally

2. Establish clear expectations

3. Build partnerships

4. Hire relational staff

5. Integrate youth into the broader vision

Read the full article, and more into their tips here.

[Making Space After School: How Lansing (IL) Public Library Serves Teens and Tweens. Smith, R. February 26, 2026. publiclibrariesonline.org.]

Kid's Craft Fair!

Photo from Middleton Public Libray

This weekend the Middleton Public Library hosted around 50 kids for the 7th annual Young Entrepreneur Craft Fair. This was the biggest year yet with 40 different tables of kids selling their homemade creations. This event takes place on the main floor of the library drawing in patrons who are there for shopping and catching those who are there for their typical library business. 

We've finally gotten this event down to a science, making it easy and repeatable. 

1. An application goes out September 1st asking for age, type of craft, and availability on the date. 

2. Kids who are selected are notified October 1st and are required to confirm attendance.

3. Our sale takes place in November to coincide with a craft fair that takes place at the senior center across the street. 

It's truly amazing to see the work that the kids have put into creating their crafts. Many have created business names and signage about their businesses. They bring decor to set up their tables with tablecloths, lights, price menus and more. 

This program is becoming increasingly popular, and I will need to figure out how to limit the amount of kids next year. So far, we've been able to accommodate all the kids who apply and fit the criteria, but we've maxed out our space this year, and will need to change up the application process a bit next year.

See a video highlighting the fun on Facebook or Instagram. 

Youth Programming Workshop in Madison

The annual South Central Library System (SCLS) Youth, Teen, & Tween workshop will be held next Thursday, November 13 from 9:30 AM - 3:30 PM, and you and your colleagues are invited to attend! The event will be held at Olbrich Gardens, 3330 Atwood Avenue, Madison. 

Here's the schedule for the day:

9:00 - 9:15 AM Coffee & Conversation

 

9:15 AM - 12:00 PM  

 

The Library as Time Machine: Using Historical Fiction to Create Library Programs for Youth 

Presenter: Eileen Schnabel, author of the Kep Westguard historical fiction series

 

Eileen will introduce ways that libraries can use historical fiction to engage communities, foster intergenerational learning, and build partnerships. Attendees will gain practical strategies for implementing history-themed programs, hosting immersive events, and using storytelling to inspire lifelong learning. This workshop will provide actionable tools to help libraries connect readers with history in creative ways while strengthening their role as community hubs.

 

12:00 - 1:00 PM  Lunch & Networking   

 

Lunch will be the Taco Bar ($15) from Cranberry Creek and includes gluten-free and vegetarian options. You may also bring your own lunch (no refrigerator available). Libraries will be invoiced after the event.

 

1:00 - 3:30 PM  

 

Unearth the Stories Beneath Our Feet: Homegrown Programs for Teens and Tweens

Presenter: Shawn Brommer, SCLS, and Friends

 

Shawn Brommer and colleagues from across the system will share program suggestions, activity examples, book-centered programs, and other ideas that libraries can implement during the summer of 2026 and into the future. By focusing on concepts of the past, present, and future, earth science, alternative histories and futures, and other innovative themes, participants will leave the workshop with program ideas and step-by-step instructions for programs that teens and tweens will DIG.

Register here!

Creating Middle School Age Mystery Programs

Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay

In a recent ALSC blog post, Anne Bailie broke down how she began creating mystery programs for tweens and teens at her library. With links, advice and experience, she explores how you too can run a successful mystery program and engage your audience.

Click here to read the post [The Clues to Running a Great Mystery Program. Bailie, Anne. ALSC blog. August 21, 2025]

'Tweens Try It!

Photo from Middleton Public Library

In 2024 I was lucky enough to be part of the PBS Kids Learning Cohort, which introduced me to the wealth of resources that PBS offers for free for teachers, librarians, and kids of all ages. As part of that group I was assigned the task of creating a program using PBS resources. I came across a video about eating bugs and I knew that I had found my program! 

But, I didn't want to just do one random program for 'tweens where they ate bugs. Instead, I used this idea to create a series of programs that I call 'Tweens Try It. We've done all kinds of fun things from sharpie painting, stop motion animation, messy art, baking, ice candles and so much more! This week we're trying sewing both on machines and hand sewing to create small stuffed animals. 

While the projects we've done have been fun, the best part of this series is the relationships of the kids. 'Tweens are in that, dare I say it, in between stage where they're still kids, but are also expected to be more responsible. These projects allow them to be creative, be silly, try something new in a safe environment, and so much more. I specifically plan these events to be more hands-on "try it" type things to encourage the kids to chat while they work. 

What are your favorite events to do with the 'tween crowd?

For a fun video of the kids eating bugs check out Middleton Public Library's Facebook Post.

DIY Stickers

Looking for a low-cost, fun, maker-y activity for teens (and tweens)?  Try DIY stickers! All it takes is parchment paper, unlined paper, coloring tools, and scissors. In her most recent post on Teen Librarian Toolbox, Karen Jensen (with an assist from her own teen) details the process. 

She writes, "Like a lot of teens today, my teen is obsessed with stickers. She also loves to spend her free time coloring. Thus, she started making her own hand-colored stickers in a very low-tech way. She saw people making their own on social media and adapted the process in a way that works for her. Today she’s walking us through the steps."

This is a back pocket activity I have out for a lot of teen and tween events. I keep a container with the supplies, a few image suggestions, and the instructions ready to go in the teen space. It's worked pretty well and can be adapted to a lot of different programs. I've used it during Anime Club, Minecraft and Five Nights at Freddy's events, Teen Hangouts, and many more. It's also an easy craft to take to school visits. This summer is a perfect time to give it a try! Color Our World by coloring your own stickers!

The teens/tweens we have mainly draw their own images or trace from their phones as described in Jensen's post. However, it's a good idea to have a few suggestions if they aren't artistically inclined or don't have a device.  The suggestions I use are from Canva's free image library (it is a Pro account through our Friends group). 

I've included my instruction sheet and an example suggestion sheet below. Happy stickering!

Instructions

Suggestion sheet

Stop here to read Karen's full post. [Teen Makerspace: DIY Color Your Own Stickers, Low Tech. Karen Jensen. Teen Librarian Toolbox blog. June 17, 2025.]

Let's Get Crafty!

In a recent ALSC blog post, Alicia Hulten, writing for the ALSC Library Service to Underserved Children and Their Caregivers, wrote a really helpful post on combining crafts with learning opportunities. for youth ages 3-12.

Alicia writes: "Youth library programs play an important role in enriching young minds by providing a wide range of inclusive activities that promote learning and fun. Key components of these programs are the crafts and activities as they help children explore new ideas and express their creativity all in a warm, welcoming environment. Let’s take a look at some tips that will help you choose engaging crafts and activities for youth library programs. "

To read her handy tips, please stop here. [Crafting Joy for Everyone: Selecting Crafts and Activities for Youth Library Programs. Hulten, Alicia ALSC blog. April 5, 2025]

Taylor Swift Party

Every so often as I go back through my efiles, I find a forgotten post that I meant to share earlier (oops). High time for this one to see the light of day. Marge

A Taylor Swift Party for kids? Yes, please. In this ALSC blog post swiftie and ALSC blogger Amy Steinbauer breaks down her wildly successful "Shake It Off" themed Taylor Swift karaoke party held at the library.

Amy writes: "In celebration of her new album, I threw a Swiftie karaoke program at the library! In the past, the Swift events have been more geared towards teenagers and that has left a lot of younger patrons out of the fun, so I wanted to correct that. I opened it up to all ages, and it was super popular with the under nine year old patrons and teens."

Please click here to read the details she provides. ["Shake It Off" Taylor Swift-themed Karaoke at the Library. Steinbauer, Amy. ALSC blog. May 2, 2024.]

Youth Reading Habits Survey Results

Many times we fill in surveys about our library work but wonder what will be done with the results. 

Recently, the Wisconsin Public Library Consortium (WPLC) distributed a survey on reading interests and habits of young readers to WI libraries to which over 200 people responded.

On March 18, the consortium shared the tangible action that is resulting from your contributions! 

Check out the blog post here for the scoop.

With your help, collection development selection decisions will be made with solid information from all of you in the field!

Squishmallow Fun in Minoqua

Today's guest blogger is Jennifer Davis, the YA Coordinator at Minocqua Public Library. Welcome Jennifer!

Our library has a twice a month club called Club Connect that anyone (kids-teens) can attend, with no registration required. Each one is a different theme. One is run by our children's librarian and the other by our teen librarian (myself). We've had a few that have been more successful than others - this one being one of those more successful ones! 

Prep for this program consisted of putting out plastic tablecloths, canvases, paint, water dishes, and brushes as well as some printed images of some of the more popular Squishmallows. I set the Squishmallow images (in frames) on a table for kids to choose to bring to their spots for inspiration. I had one of our staff members create several cardstock templates for me of the basic shape of a Squishmallow (like a large gum drop) for kids to use to trace in pencil on to their canvas. Once the basic form was traced, they then could design their own Squishmallow or draw one using one of the sample images of an existing Squishmallow. Once they had completed their sketched designs, they went to town painting! 

Music was playing and I set out some basic snacks consisting of Rice Krispie bars, and it was a super fun and easy program where everyone left with a smile on their face! 

If you have any questions, I can be reached at jdavis@minocqualibrary.org. Happy programming! 

Palentine's Day Spa Party

Today's guest blogger is Hannah Dahlman, Youth Services Librarian at Clintonville Public Library. Welcome Hannah!

Valentine’s Day can be a polarizing holiday for some, but I felt it was an opportunity for fun that shouldn’t be missed! I decided to take the focus away from the romantic aspect of Valentine’s Day and instead we celebrated ‘Palentine’s Day’, which takes place on February 13th and its purpose is to celebrate friendship.

I host a weekly game night, Lego club, and monthly Pokémon club – all well attended programs, but I have received feedback from a handful of my regular after school kids that those activities are for ‘boys’ and they really wanted something different to do. I pitched the idea of doing a spa day and they were all about it! I knew this party would draw in more girls than boys, but I made sure to include in advertising that everyone was welcome – because everyone is welcome to all of my other programs (within age limits).

I planned this party for 1.5 hours, and it easily could have gone longer, and it was open to kids ages 8-18. I had some games picked out in case they finished the activities and wanted something else to do, but I didn’t end up needing them at all. I had a total of 16 kids and 2 adults attend (which is awesome for our small library) – including 4 boys. We had food and drinks, a nail painting station, a facemask with cucumber slices station, and a temporary tattoo station. Everything I purchased came from Amazon, but the food and drink items came from our local grocery store. 

Cost breakdown:

• Food and drinks: $35

• 12 face masks: $10

• Cucumber: $1

• 20 piece nail file/buffers: $8

• 6 oz nail polish remover: $2

• Cotton balls: $9

• Temporary tattoos, 2 sheets of 82 realistic looking tattoos: $16

• Already had on hand: plates/cups/napkins, nail polish, air freshener 

Total cost: $81

I set out all the activities and food/drinks right away, and let everyone choose what they wanted to do. Most kids went for the food right away, but easily the biggest hit was the temporary tattoos! I purposefully purchased a large amount of really colorful, realistic tattoos, anticipating I would have left overs to giveaway as prizes for later programs. I let them choose whatever tattoos they wanted, with no limits, and I cannot over state how EXCITED everyone was to pick whatever they wanted! I had kids who spent the entire party just doing tattoos – it was a HUGE hit! All the kids had Valentine’s Day parties at their schools the next day, and they were so thrilled to do their nails and put on tattoos before their parties.

The nail station was also a blast. I had a ton of buffers and nail files out, and we had nail polish left over from a previous craft, but I also brought in some of my own that I no longer use. Some of the kids asked me to do their nails, which I was comfortable with, and some just did their own. Surprisingly this station did not get very messy at all…the messiest part overall was the food. It took me about a half hour to clean everything up and I did have some kids stay and help me with clean up. 

We had so much silly fun at this program, but truly, it was about friendship. I had several kids that came by themselves because they were so excited about the spa party, who ended up meeting new people and developing new friendships. One of my after school regulars (who tends to keep to herself, more engrossed in her phone than chatting with others) told me at the end of the program how happy she was that she came because she got out of her comfort zone and chatted with new people - I also spotted her doing someone else’s nails. It was a real bonding experience for everyone, and definitely will be a program I repeat for years to come. 

Surveying the Reading Habits/Interests of WI Youth

The Wisconsin Public Library Consortium (WPLC) is looking for insights from youth services staff around Wisconsin about the reading habits and interests of young readers (school-age and tweens/teens). 

If you work with folks in these age groups in some capacity, we would appreciate your time filling out a survey. 

Information gathered will help inform collection development directions for Wisconsin's Digital Library. It will help WPLC understand what resources might be helpful to youth services staff in talking with youth and their families about the digital library. 

The survey should take under 10 minutes; responses by February 29th are greatly appreciated!

Link to survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/YouthServicesWPLC24  

It's a Great Day for a Program

Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay

In a recent blog post, middle school librarian Sherry Neal shared on behalf of ALSC's School Age Programs and Services Committee some fabulous quick program ideas for tweens and teens. She argues that while coming up with and planning programs can be daunting, short programs can be done quickly on the fly with great results. Her strategy? Take advantage of "national days" and you'll be amazed at what you can create to the delight of teens.

Sherry writes: "This year, I have been trying to boost library programming opportunities.  Planning a program can feel daunting, but it doesn’t have to be such a challenge.  If the goal is to get readers into the library and engaged with library resources, a program can be short, simple, and still fun!  In addition, planning time can be quick and dirty but still deliver a result that gets readers into the library. I’ve chosen to focus on lunch & learn opportunities.  I work in a middle school and want to catch kids while they are at school, and not outside school hours.  The best time to do this is during lunch, which is 30 minutes for each grade level.  Quick engagement sessions can be modified to work for a public library outside of school hours or for a school library at a different level with a different schedule as well."

Stop here to read her program ideas and examples. [Programming on the Fly. Neal, Sherry. ALSC blog. January 27, 2024.]

Middle Grade Fiction - What is It?

In 2024,  SLJ's Teen Librarian Toolbox blog will be doing a deep dive into examining and illuminating middle grade fiction. Karen Jensen recently kicked off their "Mind the Middle Project" with a resource, infographic-filled post. The series will continue throughout the year.

Karen writes: "This year as we kick off our Mind the Middle Project, I thought we would start at the beginning and talk about what, exactly, middle grade is and how it compares to YA (young adult/teen fiction). As someone who has dedicated their life and this blog to working with teens, you may be wondering why we have decided to dedicate portions of 2024 talking about middle grade literature. The truth is, just as each generation evolves and changes, so does the literature that is written for them. A lot of middle grade fiction today is written for the younger teen audience. In fact, many long writing YA authors are also now writing middle grade fiction. This is that evolution that I mentioned. I feel that a lot of middle grade fiction that is published today would have been published as young adult 20 years ago. But markets, like demographics, change. And I find myself reading and recommending more and more middle grade literature to young teens.".

Click here to read all about it and access the great resources. [Mind the Middle Project: What IS Middle Grade Fiction Anyway?. Jensen, Karen. Teen Librarian Toolbox blog, School Library Journal. January 1, 2024.]

Fun Fridays - Brunch Bunch

Jamie Mercer is the Head of Youth Services at W.J. Niederkorn (Port Washington) Library and shares some extra fun with easy and/or FREE programming ideas/tips.

Image by 200 Degrees from Pixabay

Happy Friday!  Back with another Fun Friday program that I hope your tweens and teens will enjoy: Brunch Bunch!

So tweens and teens are always hard to reach for programming for a number of reasons including being involved in many activities already and also (if you are trying for a weekend program) they enjoy sleeping in. A lot.  Which they do need to do on a developmental level. 

One of my more successful, longer-running, and I found more impactful programs that I ran for tweens and teens was a book club called Brunch Bunch.  I held it later in the morning, one Saturday a month (around 11am…. I think in the end we may have even pushed it back to noon).  We discussed a monthly book selection and ate brunch together (the brunch varied…we had a waffle bar, fruit, hot pockets, yogurt parfaits, basically whatever was on sale that week at the grocery store that my budget allowed for). 

When Brunch Bunch started, I always selected the title, but it was great because as the book club grew an evolved, we began selecting the books together each month.  We tried to vary the genres so that everyone’s tastes were included.  It was always a nice surprise when someone would say, I usually don’t like this type of book, but I really did enjoy reading this title, etc. 

Brunch Bunch is a little bit of a different twist on a book club, but I think it gives it that little extra appeal for tweens and teens.  I would definitely recommend trying it if you have been thinking about book clubs for older youth.  

Poetry Program Ideas

National Poetry Month is almost upon us. A recent ALSC blog post has some great ideas to try with the kids and youth you work with..

She writes: "April is National Poetry Month! Many people find poetry intimidating. Between meter, rhyme scheme, teachers overly focused on anything written prior to 1900, and words like “troche” and “anaphora,” the language of poetry can seem complex. But it is not too late – or too hard – to unlock your inner poet. Consider adding one of the following poetry programs to your calendar. They all use common library or household supplies, take no special knowledge or skill to lead, and can be put together in an hour or less. Gather ye thine quills and parchment!"

Stop here to read the full post with ideas. [Poetry Programs for the Reluctant Poet. Roos, Chelsea. ALSC blog. March 12, 2023]

Tuesday Tips - Mug Cakes

Sam Jones is the Youth Services Librarian at the Beaver Dam Public Library. She shares tips to make your job easier in her Tuesday posts.

Image by Jhoana Marie Sy from Pixabay 

Recently, I made mug cakes with middle schoolers. If you don't know what mug cakes are (and most of the teens had no idea what I was talking about), they are cakes that can be made in the microwave using only a mug. Now, I was a little nervous since I have never done a cooking program with this group. However, it turned out extremely well. 

There are tons of mug cake recipes on the internet. I settled on the recipe that one of my coworkers told me she used all the time. It was the 3-2-1 mug cake. To make the recipe you need to combine one box of angel food cake mix with a cake mix flavor of your choice (we did chocolate and yellow so they had two options). They then had to take three tablespoons of the combined cake mix and put it in the mug. Next, they added two tablespoons of water to the mix and stirred it. Finally, you put it in the microwave for one minute. 

I provided chocolate syrup, caramel syrup, strawberry syrup, and sprinkles to put on the cake. It was delicious. We made a minimum of 40 mug cakes. They had a great time. 

IFLS Webinar - T(w)eens: Programs, Partnership, Burnout

T(w)eens: Program, Partnership, and Burnout webinar

REGISTER HERE for this free webinar

Tuesday, February 21, 1-2 pm

 

There's a lot to consider when we are planning teen and tween programming. In this presentation you will learn about using connected learning principals and co-designing to develop programs with teen patrons. We'll learn the difference between partnerships and supporters, and how to identify them using community asset mapping. Create successful teen programs without burnout!

 

Presenter: Kymberlee Powe from the Connecticut State Library has been working in libraries for over fourteen years and specializes in youth services. Kym has given presentations and participated in panel conversations at

various conferences, which include the Connected Learning Summit, Niche

Academy, and School Library Journal/ Library Journal.

 

This webinar will be recorded and captioned. It will provide 1 contact hour for public library

director certification

 

Programming Idea Bonanza

From Teen Services Underground 11/11/21

So many great ideas are coming through the pipelines for great programs for teens and children that you can do virtually or in person. Here are just a few we saw recently!

• Join WI's own Katherine Schoofs for a Passive and Drop-in Programs webinar (sponsored by the IFLS Library System) on Tuesday, December 9 at 2pm. Program description:  "Does the idea of coming up with a passive program make you feel like a disgruntled pelican? Do you have "ew, drop-ins" embroidered on a throw pillow? Let's turn those negative thoughts on their head with a passive program buffet! Help yourself to whatever elements you like! Tips on collaboration? Sure thing! Passive programs in the time of COVID? Help yourself! By the end of this webinar, you'll be positively bedeviled with ideas, etc." Those who know Aram Public Library's (Delevan) Katherine knows she brings humor, enthusiasm and great creativity to her workshops and webinars. Stop here to register! Thanks to Kim Niesing, Youth Services Consultant at Monarch Library System for the heads-up!

TEEN/TWEEN PROGRAMMING IDEAS

• Teen Services Underground agent SandraRosa shares her journey with her teen advisory board through the pandemic. The TAB teens came up with some great ideas for passive and virtual programs. SandraRose describes the programs and shares plenty of links to the resources the teens created. Those programs are ready for YOU! Check out her post here.

• On the same day as the above post, agent Jessica Hillbun Schwartz shared her very successful charades program they do in person. Her fun ideas might spark you to try this program. Read about it here!

• And still Teen Services Underground keeps pumping out great ideas (they are on your feeds, yes? Agent Jess Gafkowitz shares a ton of grab-and-go DIY craft kit ideas to delight and engage your teens. Stop here to get the deets.

Take and Make Kit Ideas for Teens/Tweens

Looking for some new ideas to sparkle up your grab and go bags? In a recent blog post from Y.A. Awesomesauce blog ,we read some fun tips and wise words on providing successful make and take kits. 

The author writes: "Take and Makes are simply what the bulk of programming is write now (and probably will be for a while longer). Budgeting properly by not wasting time, money and resources on things that you KNOW your community wouldn't respond to is VITAL. The basic rule should be - if you wouldn't just sit it out at a table at a huge event, don't have it as a take and make."

Check out the blog post 

And while you're there browse through the other great posts on all things teen/tween authored by Brooke, a teen services librarian from Ontario who works at a combined public/school library.