Teen Book Clubs

1. Teen Book Clubs Oakland Branch, Ruth Enlow Library of Garrett County

2. Where it Started Oakland Branch Ruth Enlow Library 6 North Second Street Oakland, MD

3. Garrett County • Social and Economic Profile • Estimated population of 29,555 • 5.3% are under the age of 5, 21.5% are under the age of 18, and 17% are 65 and older • The median household income is $43,496 with 15% of the population being under the poverty level *U.S. Census Bureau, 2010, Quick Facts for Garrett County

4. Garrett County • 79.2% of persons 25 and older have graduated from high school with only 13.8% of this group achieving a Bachelor’s degree or higher • 98.4% of the population being white, and the remaining percentage being African-American, American Indian, and Asian • Spread out over large geographic area • Active tourism population in the spring and the winter • Mainly agricultural area with many small businesses. *U.S. Census Bureau, 2010, Quick Facts for Garrett County

5. Getting them in the Door • Mail them a letter • Email them (if you have access to this) • Put information on your website • Put up posters in the library • Slip Bookmarks in Random Books in the Teen Section • Start a Twitter and send notifications • Above all else……

6. Talk to Them!!!!!

7. The Club • The group meets on the last Monday of every month from 6:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. • The books for the next month are given out at the end of the book club meeting. • Each teen gets a copy of the book club book to keep, gets to have pizza, and participate in an activity or craft at every club meeting

8. The Group • Originally, the group had 23 members sign up • Current roster is at 15 members • Most sessions have between 7 and 12 teens in attendance • The group is comprised of males and females • The age range is 12 to 18 • Teens in the group attend middle school, high school, private school, and some are homeschooled

9. The Key to Interaction • Make it about Them (After all, it is) • Ask them what they like • Listen to them!!! • Follow Through on their Suggestions

10. What We Do • Start each meeting with a reminder of the rules • No pressures, a chance to communicate • Talk about the author and other books he/she has written • Go around and share what we liked, what we didn’t like, and if we’d recommend the book to a friend • Discussion-this takes on many forms and is dictated by the contributions of the teens • Film clips, craft projects, and activities, dependent on the book…extensions

11. Programming in General Tips • Start small-You don’t have to have the big event! • Use the Resources you Have • Beg, Borrow, and Plead for What You Don’t • If Food is a Draw, Get Area Businesses to Donate or a Kid to Volunteer to Bring a Different Item to Each Meeting • Partner with Your Local Businesses and Organizations

12. Obstacles to Operation • Funding: How do we pay for pizza and drinks? Where does the funding come from for books? • Picking books for males and females: How do we pick books to appease the entire group? • Retaining members: How do we keep teens coming? • Getting new members: How do we bring in new members?

13. Funding • Request donations from local businesses • Ask for local merchants to sponsor one book club meeting • Send letters to local organizations that donate to non-profits • Have a sign-up for a different teen to bring a snack in every month • Submit a proposal for funding from the Friends group • Submit a proposal for it to be added to the budget • Collaborate with local programs

14. Getting Books • We use Scholastic book clubs through our local schools • Parents place orders year round on flyer items • We coordinate, submit, pick-up, and distribute orders • For every order placed, we receive points • We use the points to purchase book club books • Some are hard back and some are paper back; always good quality and excellent selection • Scholastic also does a discount book program for reading clubs!

15. Appealing to the Group • Discuss at the beginning of the year • Take author and genre suggestions • Group agrees to rotate one female main character book one month and one male main character book the next • Group agrees to rotate different genres • Group agrees to read each book, even if it is not usually “their type”

16. Getting Them to Come Back • Constantly Seek Their Input and Involvement • Make the Atmosphere Physically and Mentally Comfortable and Supportive • Keep in Contact-Email, Text, Chat, Call, Write • Pick Nights for Programming that they are Available • Have Them Help Plan Events • Give Small Rewards for Bringing New Members • And above all else…….

17. Don’t Give Up!!!!!!

18. Getting New Members • Be consistent • Keep talking to them • Update and repost advertising • Hold open house events to talk about the club • Give incentives (i.e. free galleys from attending ALA, donated books, gift certificates or coupons donated by businesses) • Try new social networking tools • Collaborate with your community

19. Coraline Where the Red Fern Grows The Sea of Monsters The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian Tunnels Magyk: Book One The Hunger Games The Found Listen Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie The Fashion Disaster So B. It Fablehaven The Compound Inkheart Book We’ve Read

20. This Coming Year’s Books • Sent, Book 2 • The Truth about Forever • What I Saw and How I Lied • Mockingjay • Savvy • Sherlock Holmes • The Red Pyramid • The Switch • Cut • Speak • Skeleton Creek * all cover images from wordpress.com