Rio Rancho: Teen Read Week

LOL @ your library® during Teen Read Week™ 2007





Area teens will be reading for the fun of it as the Rio Rancho Public Library celebrates the tenth annual Teen Read Week™, October 14 – 20, 2007. They join thousands of other libraries, schools and bookstores across the country who are encouraging teens to celebrate this year’s theme, "LOL @ your library®." Teen Read Week(TM) is the national adolescent literacy initiative of the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), the fastest growing division of the American Library Association. This year’s theme encourages teens to read humorous books and graphic novels just 'for the fun of it'.



Deimosa Webber-Bey, Teen Librarian, feels that "today’s teens seem to have less and less free time, and there are increasingly more activities to for them to take part in during what little leisure time they have. That is why it’s important to encourage teens to set aside some time to read." Literacy is a topic of both local and national concern, and falling test scores and lower graduation rates among teens today are a serious issue. Here in New Mexico the percentage of eighth-graders who were proficient or better in reading dropped from 23 percent in 1998 to 17 percent in 2007.







Studies show a regular reading habit increases reading proficiency. "One of the most important ways teens acquire the habit is by watching adults they respect," says Webber-Bey. Being around adults who are avid readers can counteract the latest statistics from The Nation’s Report Card (http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard), which indicate that in homes across America the number of different types of reading materials has decreased, and a smaller percentage of seventeen-year-olds saw adults reading in their homes.



Webber-Bey hopes to encourage teen literacy locally by offering incentives and programs for teens during Teen Read Week™. Activities will be designed to tickle the funny bone. Stop by the Twilight Zone – Teen Scene to investigate the library’s selection of LOL materials, including titles such as K.L. Going’s “Fat Kid Rules the World” and perennial funny-man Gordon Korman’s “Son of the Mob.” Tell the librarian sitting at the teen reference desk a joke, and if you can get them to LAUGH OUT LOUD, you earn a cool prize pack (while supplies last). On Friday, October 19, the monthly Open Mic Night program will feature Wannabe Idol Karaoke, with cash prizes and giveaways.



Parents of teens are encouraged to celebrate Teen Read Week™ at home. Webber-Bey offers these ideas:



· Visit the local public or school library with your teen to attend a program or to check out books.



· Set aside time each night for the family to read.



· Give books or magazine subscriptions to your teen as a gift or reward.



· Share your favorite book with your teen.



· Surf the Internet with your teen to learn about new books or authors. A good place to start is www.ala.org/yalsa/booklists .



· Join a book discussion group at the school or public library.



Teen Read Week™ is held annually during the third week of October. An updated sponsors and supporting organizations list can be found at the Web site, www.ala.org/teenread.