BLAINE, Minn. – (Oct. 8, 2015) – Anoka County Library will celebrate Teen Read Week October 18-24, 2015 with special events and programs aimed at encouraging teens in our community to read for the fun of it.
Thousands of libraries and schools across the country will hold similar events centered on this year’s theme, Get Away @ your library.
“Reading is a lifelong activity that can take your imagination anywhere in the world and beyond,” said Julie Braastad, Anoka County Commissioner and Library Board Liaison. “What better time to get hooked on a book than when you’re young!”
Teen Read Week is a time to celebrate reading for fun while encouraging teens to take advantage of reading in all its forms —books, magazines, eBooks, audiobooks and more! It is also a great opportunity to encourage teens to become regular library users. To this end, Anoka County Library will offer teens and kids the opportunity to reduce their fines by reading. Library card holders age 17 and younger can reduce the fines on their library card by $1.00 for every 15 minutes they read while at the library.
“Teen Read Week is a great opportunity to promote the importance of reading and this year’s theme reminds us that books can provide a great escape,” said Anoka County Library Board president, Dan Greensweig. “Strong reading skills are more critical than ever because they translate into better performance at school and better preparedness for careers. This is why it is important to take advantage of Teen Read Week and show teens that reading is a fun and relaxing activity they can do for free.”
Anoka County Library invites teens to participate in special programs and events during Teen Read Week. Teens can participate in a bookmark design contest with entries due to any Anoka County Library location by closing time on Thursday, October 15. Visit your nearest Anoka County Library location or download an entry form at anokacountylibrary.org. A winner will be chosen by teen votes cast during Teen Read Week at each of the Anoka County Library locations. Winning designs will be printed and distributed.
Parents of teens are also encouraged to celebrate Teen Read Week at home. Anoka County Library offers these ideas:
- Set aside time each day for the family to read
- Share your favorite book with your teen
- Host a book discussion group
- Listen to audiobooks on trips
- Create a cozy reading corner somewhere in your home
- Use meal time to talk about books that you’re reading
Parents and caregivers can be role models by making time to read, too Teen Read Week is a national adolescent literacy initiative created by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association. It is held annually during the third week of October. For more information, visit www.ala.org/teenread.
