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284 Reading: The Sport of Champions!
Demco, www.demco.com, and other suppliers, including local stores, sell beanbag chairs, floor
rockers, and other more durable seating. Replace decorative posters frequently so that the area
always looks fresh. Contact information for these and other companies are included in the
“Suppliers” section of this manual and web sites are provided in the Professional Resources for
each program.
Provide leisure reading materials such as magazines, comics, and paperback books. If possible,
buy a few issues of teen magazines from a newsstand. As teen interests change regularly, do not
worry about having subscriptions or back issues. Just provide tempting materials that teens will
pick up and read. Get to know the owner or manager of local comic book stores and newsstands.
Often they will provide a substantial discount, donate older issues of magazines, and help
promote your programs. Magazine titles are suggested for each program, although some may
not be targeted specifically for teens.
Food is a vital component in programming with this age group. Although theme-related
refreshments have been listed for most programs, general snacks such as soda, chips, or pizza
will always work for all teen programs.
When appropriate, suggestions have been made for movies that can be displayed for circulation
during your program. Time generally will not permit a movie to be shown as part of a program
that is already going to run 60 to 90 minutes. However, if your library has public performance
rights, show some of these films to provide additional young adult programs. Especially during
the summer, the library is cool, thanks to air-conditioning, and can be made even cooler by
showing movies and serving popcorn.
Promotion
As with the planning and implementation of the programs in this chapter, it is important to allow
participating teens to be directly involved in the promotion of the programs. Word of mouth
among teens is the best advertising for upcoming events for teens.
Goals, Prizes, and Incentives
Suggestions for individual prizes and incentives are included with each program. If you are not
sure about what to give as prizes, ask the teens. Give guidelines about price and any other
concerns, give them some of the catalogs to review, and let them select several options for your
final decision. Young adults will appreciate the prizes more if they had a say in the selection.
Booktalking
Each program recommends a selection of books to display or booktalk. If you have never tried
booktalking, consider that it is one of the most effective ways to encourage teens to read for fun.
Booktalks introduce potential readers to a book through a short, dramatic “commercial.” The
booktalker introduces one or more of the main characters, sets the stage for the theme of the
book, and leaves the listeners eager to discover what happens. A short introduction to
booktalking, “The ABCs of Booktalking,” is available at
www.uelma.org/conven00/booktalk.htm and includes a nice bibliography of professional books