Library hosts open house tonight

Published 6:00 am Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Young children have plenty of reasons to go to the library. There’s summer reading programs and other activities, and their parents are often eager to take them.

But getting teenagers to go to the library is more problematic.

That’s why the Dalton-Whitfield County Library has created a teen advisory committee.

“We found there aren’t that many services for teens in the community, and we wanted to create a safe haven for teens,” said Director Linda Floyd. “Up to this, we haven’t had a lot of programming for teens. The teen advisory recruits kids from all the local schools as well as homeschooled teens and they come up with ideas that would appeal to teens that those of us in the library might not think about.”

The committee has 10 members so far, and Floyd says the library is looking for more.

“Anyone who is interested should contact Betsy Powell at powellb@ngrl.org,” she said.

To help attract teens, the library has created a teen center, with computers for research, gaming, an LED TV for competitions, pub tables and chairs, a restaurant-style booth, chalk wall and loads of library materials geared specifically to the young adult audience.

“Some libraries take part in large game days, so if they want to bring in some of their gaming gear and compete we are set up for that,” Floyd said.

Visitors can get a look at the teen center today during an open house from 5 to 6 p.m. Those attending the open house can place their names in one of three drawings. Teens will enter for a Kindle, children for a Leapfrog 2 with four games, and adults for a Galaxy Tab 2.

Following the open house, at 6 p.m. the Living Walls Traveling Tour opens with a lecture about artist Robert Rauschenberg presented by Richard Gere, an Atlanta-based artist and scholar and founder of the print media program at the Savannah College of Art and Design Atlanta.

Living Walls is an Atlanta-based nonprofit organization of street artists known for creating murals in public spaces. Its tour includes several events across the city over the next few days and will conclude with the unveiling of a new mural at 200 N. Hamilton St. at 6 p.m. on Saturday.