For the third year in a row, the Flathead County Library System will celebrate Teen Read Week, Oct. 14-19, with a “Fine Free Frenzy” for teens in grades 6-12. Any teen who checks out at least one item during Teen Read Week will receive a coupon worth up to $10 in fines. The coupon can be used immediately or saved for another visit. Teens also will have the opportunity to complete a challenge for an extra surprise. Interested teens should check with a library staff member during Teen Read Week.
“Teens have more activities than ever to fill their free time – social networking, after-school activities, athletics – and increasingly high expectations in the classroom,” Youth Services Librarian Martha Furman said. “It’s important that we show them that reading is something that’s fun and relaxing that they can do for free. And it’s great that reading for fun can also translate into better performance at school.”
Teen Read Week is held annually during the third week of October. Thousands of libraries, schools and bookstores across the country hold similar celebrations, highlighting the vast array of teen titles available for leisure reading, including graphic novels, fiction, audiobooks, biographies, how-to manuals, magazines and more. Teen Read Week is the national adolescent literacy initiative of the Young Adult Library Services Association, the fastest-growing division of the American Library Association.
“Teen Read Week is a great time to encourage teens and their families to make use of all the free services the library offers,” Furman added. “And teens who haven’t been back to the library because of late fees can come back and have a significant portion of fines forgiven. We hope this will bring many teens back into the library.”
More information can be found online.