Penn Area Library teen group fosters creativity, love of reading

On a counter at the Penn Area Library In Harrison City, a pile of neatly folded glossy publications sits among fiction and nonfiction books, waiting to be perused.

Upon opening a copy of the library’s Teen Zine, readers can find 12 pages full of colorful art, poetry, collages, articles, photos and crafts. They’re assembled and created by the members of the Penn Area Library Teen Advisory Board, a group of 36 student volunteers who work with youth activities coordinator Laura Evans to share their input, perspectives and creativity with the library’s community.

The Teen Zine, which the group published in December 2022, is a culmination of the advisory board’s efforts. The student magazine brings together contributions from a variety of teens in middle and high school.

“The goal of the zine is a publication by teens for teens,” Evans said. “It’s very reflective of who they are in this moment, where they are at as individuals, and what’s important to them.”

In the zine, students compiled a mission statement and interview about what local libraries mean to them, a collection of collages and art, a list of favorite books, interviews with students completing their own projects, and more.

“I designed some of the layouts and formats for pages,” said Sophia Eliason, 13, chair of the content curating team. “I think it’s giving me more experience with working with other people, and seeing other people’s opinions on things, and just working on being social with everyone.”

Teen involvement

The advisory board began meeting just before the start of the pandemic in 2020. The group’s three committees — Book Bound, Programming and Content Curating — work on book recommendations for the library, activity planning and social media projects.

“It’s pretty much just to share the love of reading. Really, everything that has to do with shelving and categorizing books,” said Book Bound committee member Amelia Renwick, 14. She started working at the library in 2021 as a volunteer.

“(It’s) finding a title, reading it, and saying, ‘Oh, this is great!’ and sharing it with other people.”

As the youth activities coordinator, Evans says she hope to provide young people with an opportunity to be creative. When she started at the library, the teen patron base was smaller, and she wanted to create programs that teens would enjoy.

“I based the library program on a connected learning module, so that incorporates each individual teen’s ability and interests,” Evans said. “Wherever they feel is where they thrive, I try my best to create a space within the library to provide them with the opportunity to grow that interest, both their personal interests, and in a more professional setting.”

Creativity and connection

Students participating in the advisory board program attend Penn-Trafford School District, other school districts, and home or online school.

“I can make new friends who are not just from (my) school district, but from outside,” said Ana Lucas, 14, who attends East Allegheny School District. “It feels like the only place where you can express yourself more.”

“I needed a social outlet that I could safely express my emotions, and when I was here, I feel like it was one of the only constants in my life,” said Caroline Kain, 15. “That’s why I’m so passionate about the library.”

Some students who have graduated high school stick around to help lead the group. Maxwell Reese, 19, a freshman studying education at Seton Hill University, will edit the 2023 edition of the Teen Zine.

“I think it’s going to be a lot of fun,” Reese said. “They seem like they are really smart kids who have issues they really care about, and I can’t wait to help them bring their ideas forward.”

Reese hopes to help the library and its programs grow in the new year.

“This library, I’ve been going here my whole life, so helping it prosper is something I really want to get involved with,” he said. “This is an experience where I could kind of hone my abilities to work with kids, and help them learn, since I’m doing English education.”

Evans looks forward to the next issue the group will put together.

“My goal with the Teen Zine is to build upon our very humble foundation of 12 pages, and have more opinion articles about how they feel about societal issues and books they’ve read, because literacy is always our focus here,” she said. “Really, whatever they want to make it, which is the beauty of it all.”