Connecting with Teens Through Outreach
In October 2021, Youth Services Specialist, Carrie Lowery made her way to Chartiers Valley Middle School for what would be the first of many outreach visits. Meeting with the students once a month during their lunch periods, Ms. Carrie engages the students’ imagination and sparks their creativity with a variety of activities ranging from circuitry to 3D Pen Art.
“Outreach is an amazing way of engaging with teens who might not have a way of getting to the public library,” said Ms. Carrie.
Those outreach efforts carry far beyond the in-person visits. To help put more books in the hands of students, Bridgeville Public Library and Scott Township Library created a lending library to supplement Chartiers Valley Middle School’s collection funds. Students can check the books out at school and return them either there or to their local library.
Regarding all these outreach efforts, Ms. Carrie notes that they’re “important because it helps us to build a stronger relationship with the school district and the teens. It helps us tell our story of why libraries are important and the resources that we can provide whether for recreational or research needs.”