Teen Advisory Board

Mission Statement: The LHS Library Teen Advisory Board's mission is to promote reading, help our library expand, and make it more user friendly for students and faculty.


The purpose of the Teen Advisory Board for the students would be to:

  • Empower teens

  • Foster a love of reading and writing for personal pleasure

  • Create a forum where teens could share their opinions

  • Feel pride in the LHS community

  • Give teens the ownership and responsibility they need

  • Develop many practical skills

  • Develop literacy skills

  • Build resiliency

  • Learn and/or gain self-esteem

  • Develop maturity

  • Channel energy into positive outlets

  • Be a “third place” for students as a safe and welcoming environment

  • Promote what the LHS library is/has/does

  • Plan/design/execute/evaluate projects and programs

  • Develop book discussions, book talks, book reviews


The purpose of the Teen Advisory Board (TAB) for the librarian would be to:

  • get to know the teens better

  • learn what they believe is LHS’s greatest need(s) for the library and for the community

  • have help in selecting materials for the collection

  • have help planning and running programs

  • provide a “third place” for our students to have as a safe place

  • be a mentor or advocate for the students


The Teen Advisory Board would help the librarian “run” the LHS library. The librarian would be an advisor and give permission for their activities and selections. The administration would be consulted as needed. The students will be responsible for setting up the structure of the board, meeting plans, and programming and projects. The funding would be allotted from the library budget and fundraisers if necessary. The TAB will evolve as the students and their needs change. It must be flexible and be willing to change in any part.

There will be a membership application form. The librarian believes this will give the group and concept a more serious tone and commitment. It will also be great practice for filling out an application. The application, as optional questions, will ask why they would like to be on the board and in what programs and activities they would like to see and/or be involved.

The first meeting will be coordinated by the librarian. She will provide ice-breaker activities and explain what the board is and how they, the students, will make it their own. There will also be a discussion on ground rules of behavior.

Current Activities:

Mrs. Schatz has planned (and would like help with) the following if YOU think these are good: ALL ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE

September--Library Card Sign-up Month

October--Teen Read Week, Trick or Treat Day in the Library

November--Veteran's Day

January--MLK, Jr.

February--Black History Month, I Love Libraries Month, Blind Date with a Book

March--Foreign Language Week, Women's History Month, Dr. Seuss Day/March 2

April--School Library Month, Project Trashway, Earth Day


BELOW are numerous SUGGESTIONS of activities. Make a list of what YOU would like to host, plan, create, and/or participate in. Don't see one you want, add it to your list!!!

Suggested Activities:

Book talks (this vocab is copyrighted so we’ll have to call them something else TCLS)

  • Literacy displays tied to a theme

  • Teach about covers, titles, open paragraph grabbers (YADB)

  • Helps select new materials: books, audio books, eReaders, CDs, games/board games, etc

    • Since it’s a school I still have final say

  • Celebrity Stacks: write celebrity & ask for their favorite book selections (LTAG 81)

  • Do skits about books, air on Channel 1

  • make youtube channel with books movies.

  • Design, plan, run, & evaluate summer reading program

  • Habitat for Humanity: who/what they are/do, make/sell birdhouses-teens painted some to help

  • Teen movie night & chat (LTAG 82)

    • Horror movie—sell snacks

    • Don’t judge a book by its movie

  • Teen book club

  • Programs:

    • Something Cool After School

    • Anime/Manga Club

    • Detective Club

    • Cool Crafts

    • Book Bits

    • Cirque do Freak Party

  • Espresso Yourself (LTAG 82)

    • Full day celebration of art, poetry, music, while sipping espresso

  • Run coffee bar each morning: set up/sell/clean up/order supplies—My idea

  • Design layout of space

    • Reading spot—more couches/bean bags

    • How to raise $$ or ask for donations

  • Write/perform skits—visit elementary & middle schools

  • Book buying trips

    • Permission form on LTAG p125

    • Book plates in books that they chose

  • Open mic night/coffeehouse—monthly

  • Holiday program for kids/nursing home—December

  • Compile book lists for suggested reading

    • Summer

    • Readalikes

    • Holidays/seasons

    • Themes

    • Genre

  • Storytelling for Read Across America, have storyteller in to give talk, Mickey VanDerwerker

    • Practice reading aloud ahead of time and then to elementary schools

  • Scavenger hunts—online?

  • Holiday—make gingerbread house

  • Charity gift drive

  • Craft projects—purse out of old book, sculptures from old books

  • Discuss books, music, movies

  • Nomination sheet

    • Pass around, one title per person if two others decide to read it & deem it worthy of vote—gets three votes automatically-becomes Choice Pick/Student Starred

  • Write annotations of movies/CD

  • Homework center—older student works with younger

    • Sign ups

    • “bio/data” sheet of older student

    • Student lists subjects and hours available

    • Perhaps BMS kids could come over or LHS goes there to tutor

  • Teens for Tots (LTAG p 122)

  • Halloween ideas (LTAG p 122)

  • Karaoke party

  • Murder mystery night

  • Library survivor hunt

  • CD or Book exchange

  • Author visits—Skype, in person

  • Teen Read Week (LTAG p131)

    • Monday: classroom door decorating contest

    • Tuesday: Read a t-shirt day

    • Wed-Fri: held paperback book exchange

    • Let teens choose theme

  • Present at conferences

  • LTAG p83—lists of books to share with teens about projects, programs, group activities, special events

  • Share books of mine that have ideas

  • Cool Reflections—YA summer reading program (LTAG p143)

    • Read-review & win a prize event from Jun-Aug

    • Mini reviews

    • Can email

    • Can share through Google docs or blog

  • Mark books as TAG favorites

  • End of year: group does “year reflection” to figure out its direction

  • Hold retreat at end of September to plan coming year’s activities

  • Book reviews (LTAG p140)

    • On index card or in blog

    • Give brief oral summary

    • Answer: “Would you recommend this book to a friend?”

    • At end of year vote on favorites and publish lists

    • Books marked with “TAB Recommends’’ seal

  • Stupid PB Day—helped weed “dorky-looking” paperbacks from collection (LTAG 16)

  • Teens’ Top Ten—how? TCLS 176+

  • Macramé workshop

  • Recycled jewelry

  • Decorate personal journals

  • Poetry slam

  • Creative writing program

  • “That’s my take”—www.library.pima.gov/teenzone/trailers

  • How to deal with overdue books and offenders

  • Read-a-thons (TCLS )

  • Gaming Tournaments

  • Programs on early release day

  • National Games Week (TCLS 46)

  • Mock Printz Book club (TCLS 56-7)

  • Writing, art, performance projects—details & resources 94 (TCLS 69-94)

  • Read One, Pick One (TCLS 105)

  • Teen Space Focus Group—basic questions (TCLS 110+)

  • Webpage—helpful list of webpage layout rules TCLS 118+

    • Youtube videos

    • Podcasts

    • music

  • Art Gallery of student work, archive of podcasts (TCLS 121)

  • Visits from journalists, disc jockeys, etc