“It’s cozy, more computers and I love the big table!” It’s no secret that there have been a LOT of exciting changes at the library in the past few months but if you aren’t a teen (or teen adjacent grown-up) you might not know that the teen space has undergone a major glow up too! Let’s rewind a minute – did you even know that there was a teen space? Probably not because it was tucked in a corner behind a big, hulking stack of books. It’s no surprise to anyone who frequents a library that space is one of the biggest challenges library staff face when trying to meet the needs of the whole community. It was definitely time to put on our thinking caps and solve this problem.
The solution began early on Thanksgiving morning, after the stuffing was made and the turkey was in the smoker. Librarians ditched their cardigans and donned their hard hats. (Just kidding, librarians would never ditch their cardigans, but we DID safely do the updates). First, the books shifted their location, then the bookshelf came down and WOW. The sun was no longer blocked, and the former teen space became the perfect place to put the public computers with all that natural light pouring in! And the teens moved over near the desk, closer to staff and more in the mix of library goings on. And wouldn’t you know – everyone loves it! Jana, who works as a Library Assistant said, “I really love getting to hear them back there, playing games and having fun.” And no – we aren’t just talking computer games. As tween Levi answered when asked what he loves about the new space, “the board games!” For instance, if someone were to walk back there right now, they’d see a table full of teens playing Buildzi, another group on the bean bags playing What Do You Meme while eating slices of Famous Pizza, another one tucked in a comfy corner reading, and yes, a packed row of computers, too.
When asked, Children’s Youth Manager Viviane Kraus had this to say about the new teen space, “My favorite thing about the revitalization of the teen space is that when I walk in the new area I see kids from Red Rock Middle School/High School, West Sedona School, Sedona Charter School, Running River, and homeschoolers on any given day. It’s a space serving all the teens in our community – in a place where they can gather and connect.” That’s one thing the library is all about – connection. For patrons of all ages. They can connect with friends from school and work on a project, decompress with friends after that big test, maybe even chat with the librarians about the score they got in the game today, or gather round the big table and set off on a adventure to vanquish the kobolds and earn some gold (for non-geeks like the author of this column, that’s Dungeons and Dragons talk).
So, the teen space is pretty structure free. Play the game, grab a comic, play some Minecraft but just like the yoga, dance classes, and tai chi for adults – there are programs that are designed with just the teens in mind too. Though it should be said – the teens are more than welcome to jump in and Zumba on Mondays at 4pm too! Do you have a teen who loves art? Send them to Cartooning with the Janimal on Wednesday, March 3rd at 3:30. Let them know that on March 5th and March 26th that there’s a tween/teen Mid-Week Hangout from 2pm-4pm. They can play some MarioKart, challenge Teen Librarian Jordan to a ping pong match or hit their friend with draw four or a reverse and skip during a game of Uno! All Pokemon Masters can meet on Friday, March 14th to play from 3:30pm – 4:45pm.
Have a teen looking for something to do on Spring Break? Register “It’s cozy, more computers and I love the big table!” It’s no secret that there have been a LOT of exciting changes at the library in the past few months but if you aren’t a teen (or teen adjacent grown-up) you might not know that the teen space has undergone a major glow up too! Let’s rewind a minute – did you even know that there was a teen space before? Probably not because it was tucked in a corner behind a big, hulking stack of books. It’s no surprise to anyone who frequents a library that space is one of the biggest challenges library staff face when trying to meet the needs of the whole community. It was definitely time to put on our thinking caps and solve this problem.
The solution began early on Thanksgiving morning, after the stuffing was made and the turkey was in the smoker. Librarians ditched their cardigans and donned their hard hats. (Just kidding, librarians would never ditch their cardigans but we DID safely do the updates). First, the books shifted their location, then the bookshelf came down and WOW. The sun was no longer blocked, and the former teen space became the perfect place to put the public computers with all that natural light pouring in! And the teens moved over near the desk, closer to staff and more in the mix of library goings on. And wouldn’t you know – everyone loves it! Jana, who works as a Library Assistant said, “I really love getting to hear them back there, playing games and having fun.” And no – we aren’t just talking computer games.
As tween Levi answered when asked what he loves about the new space, “the board games!” For instance, if someone were to walk back there right now, they’d see a table full of teens playing Buildzi, another group on the bean bags playing What Do You Meme while eating slices of Famous Pizza, another one tucked in a comfy corner reading, and yes, a packed row of computers too.
When asked Children’s Youth Manager Viviane Kraus had this to say about the new teen space, “My favorite thing about the revitalization of the teen space is that when I walk in the new area I see kids from Red Rock Middle School/High School, West Sedona School, Sedona Charter School, Running River and homeschoolers on any given day. It’s a space serving all the teens in our community – in a place where they can gather and connect.” That’s one thing the library is all about – connection. For patrons of all ages. They can connect with friends from school and work on a project, decompress with friends after that big test, maybe even chat with the librarians about the score they got in the game today, or gather round the big table and set off on a adventure to vanquish the kobolds and earn some gold (for non-geeks like the author of this column, that’s Dungeons and Dragons talk).
So, the teen space is pretty structure free. Play the game, grab a comic, play some Minecraft but just like the yoga, dance classes, and tai chi for adults – there are programs that are designed with just the teens in mind too. Though it should be said – the teens are more than welcome to jump in and Zumba on Mondays at 4pm too! Do you have a teen who loves art – send them to Cartooning with the Janimal on Wednesday, March 3rd at 3:30. Let them know that on March 5th and March 26th that there’s a tween/teen Mid-Week Hangout from 2pm-4pm. They can play some MarioKart, challenge Teen Librarian Jordan to a ping pong match or hit their friend with draw four, a reverse and skip during a game of Uno!
All Pokemon Masters can meet on Friday, March 14th to play from 3:30pm – 4:45pm. Have a teen looking for something to do on Spring Break? Register them for the Ukelele 101 class that runs Monday through Friday at 1pm. There’s the Yoga & Craft afternoon with everyone’s favorite yoga teacher Kimberly. (This month, on Friday, march 21st at 3pm, the craft is macrame plant hangers – no experience necessary). Whether they’re a rookie or a grandmaster in the making, they can check out Chess Club every Thursday at 4pm! It’s a chance to outplay their friends, sharpen their skills, and maybe even pull off the ultimate checkmate!
Didn’t see an activity that would interest the teen in your life? Tell them to find their Teen Librarian Jordan and share their ideas for what they think would be super cool for the library to make happen!
Community Library Sedona is also a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Your gifts and support, just like the Friends’ contributions, allow us to provide a plethora of services and programs for the community, for free, all year long. Visit communitylibrarysedona.org/donate to make an online gift today.
As published by Red Rock News
Library News Column for March 7, 2025, by Viviane Kraus, Youth Services Manager