Pat Comello

Teen Read Week at the Sedona Library

by Pam Comello, Head of Youth Services

SEDONA, AZ (October 16, 2009) - Teen Read Week is October 18-24 and “Read Beyond Reality” is the theme. During this week teens can vote at the library for their favorites, from books to snacks and musicians. All voting teens may put their names in a drawing for a Barnes and Noble gift card.  On Monday, October 19, from 3:30 to 5 p.m. there will be a book swap.  Teens are encouraged to bring their gently used books to trade.  Snacks will be provided for book traders.

The library sponsors a Teen Advisory Council which meets on the first Saturday of each month at 2:30 p.m. Council members contribute ideas and help plan events for teens such as Teen Gaming programs.  Interested teens are invited to join the group.

Teens volunteer their services to the library in many ways, mostly during the summer. Often summer volunteers continue to work at least two hours weekly during the rest of the year around their personal and school responsibilities. These terrific teen volunteers assist with shelving and straightening shelves, summer reading activities, supervising computer use, creating displays and bulletin boards, and planning and conducting storytimes with craft activities to follow.

So far this year, each of our 29 teen volunteers has contributed from four to 48 hours of service to Sedona Public Library, totaling 324 hours, or the equivalent of a full-time employee for eight weeks. Each of these teens is unique and a valuable special assistant to the Youth Department. 

Sedona Public Library would like to introduce you to four of our active teen volunteers:

René Díaz has lived in Sedona his whole life and is a 7^th grader at West Sedona School.  His favorite subject in school is science.  René is a member of the West Sedona School track team and also loves to go riding with the West Sedona Mountain Bike team twice a week.  He became a volunteer immediately when school was out in May.  One reason he did so, as he explained, “is because my Mom told me she didn’t want me watching too much tv and hanging around the house not doing much this summer.” As a result, René routinely volunteered several hours every Tuesday and Thursday throughout the summer and became our most consistent and dependable volunteer. His sister Stephanie, a junior at Red Rock High School, is a former teen volunteer who volunteered during 2006 and 2007.

Sophia Ross is 13 and home schooled. When she completes high school, Sophia wants to do anthropology or humanitarian work because she is interested in different cultures and religions. She loves to read and has volunteered at Sedona Public Library on a regular basis since April 2009 “to give back to the community” as she explained on the application form. It was convenient for Sophia to come to the Library as she lives nearby. However, Sophia had many activities around which she scheduled to volunteer. She has three horses for which she cares by cleaning their stalls and feeding them three times a day.  She also assists her dad on his farm.

Brandi Forshee is almost 16 and a sophomore at Sedona Red Rock High School.  Her family moved to Sedona from the state of Washington almost two years ago.  Brandi volunteered at the Parkland/Stanaway Public Library in Washington in the Teen Department, and she wanted to volunteer at our Library and use her experience. Brandi has also assisted us in setting up the Wii and X-Box equipment for our Teen Gaming Days.   She likes the subjects of humanities and math best in school.  Her hobbies and interests outside of school are reading fiction, hiking in Sedona, and Kendo sword play using a Katana sword-----she is pretty much self-taught in this sport.  She is also a member of the Police Explorers, an organization that introduces young adults to the field of law enforcement.

Jessica Dannelley, age 12, is a 7^th grader at Big Park Community School. She has lived in Sedona since she was an infant.  Her favorite subject in school is history or social studies.  Her hobbies are reading, hanging out with friends, going on Facebook, rollerblading in her neighborhood, listening to rock music, and watching movies with friends.  Jessica applied to become a teen volunteer in May of this year because, as she explained, “I want the experience and I want to put it on my job resumé.” When asked to comment about how the experience volunteering at Sedona Public Library has been, she said, “Volunteering at the Library has been a good experience and showed me how important it is to have books shelved in the correct place.”

We are always happy to have teens apply to be volunteers.  Applications and interviews are given to interested youth who have completed 6^th grade or are at least 12 years old and have parental permission to volunteer.  They must be able to commit at least two hours a week to volunteering at the Library and have dependable transportation and a real commitment to volunteering on a regular basis.