OCEAN CITY – Computer help. Free Wi-Fi. Research resources. The latest graphic novels.
They make up just a handful of the reasons area teenagers should be making the most of their local libraries. At the Ocean City library, hopes are that a revamped teen section and increased programming for the age group will draw them in.
“This is a really nice space for them,” said Brittany Herz Glenn, branch manager at the Ocean City library. “We want to get the word out.”
At the 101st Street facility, a purple-painted corner of the building is devoted to teenagers. There, they can find books, graphic novels, CDs, DVDs and even board games set aside just for them. Starting in September, the library will even offer a make-and-take craft for teens to take part in whenever they might stop by the library.
“With teens, it seems better to have passive programming,” Herz Glenn said.
She says the library has been making an effort in recent months to enhance its teen section with more books and graphic novels, which are popular with the age group. She also wants to make sure teens realize what resources are available to them through the Worcester County Library. The library offers SAT and ACT preparation courses as well as foreign language tutorials and access to research databases, all for free.
“I don’t think a lot of teens know of the stuff libraries have,” Herz Glenn said. “It’s a great resource.”
While the library does offer access to numerous academic aids, it also caters to general teen interests through its collection of books, DVDs and graphic novels. In recent months, librarians have taken care to make sure that items geared toward teens aren’t lost in the children’s section or in the adult area but are set aside in the teen zone.
“We’re trying to give them their own area,” Herz Glenn said.
The library wants to do even more and is distributing a questionnaire to determine what else teens would like to see in their libraries.
“We have so many from out of town it does get a little tricky,” she said, adding that teens were also a difficult group to reach because they tended to be busy with sports and school.
Librarians are continuing to do what they can for the age group, however, and Herz Glenn encourages anyone with ideas or suggestions to contact her at the Ocean City library. In the meantime, she hopes teenagers will check out the facility for its variety of resources to help with school work as well as computer access and books to cover any interest.
“There’s more here than you think at first glance,” she said. “And it’s all free.”