At the Roselle Public Library, teens are finding a space just for them: one where they can come together, create, have fun and socialize for free. The library hosts monthly teen hangouts aimed at giving middle school students a safe place to call their own. And the program is resonating: three dozen teens dropped in for the most recent hangout to try their hand at crafts, play board games and compete in a game of tennis on Nintendo Switch.
The library established the hangouts recently to fill a need on days when Roselle Middle School has early dismissal.
“We started seeing teens coming in on these SMART days and kind of put two and two together like ‘oh, they don’t have school right now,’” said Teen Services Librarian Christina Olache. “That’s why we’re seeing them at 1 p.m. on a Wednesday and they have so much energy. And so, we thought ‘let’s do something for them.’”
The hangouts are largely unstructured. Crafts, games and snacks are set up in a conference room near the library’s front door. The teens can drop in at any time from dismissal through 3:30 p.m.
The idea is to give teens a space of their own to build friendships, have fun and be themselves – with the freedom to spend the time how they wish.
“The purpose of this is ‘we’re going to give you the keys to this room, we’re going to give you some options, Christina’s going to keep an eye on you, but this is your time,’” said Roselle Public Library Executive Director Samantha Johnson. “You can decide what to do and how you do it.”
On Valentine’s Day, 36 teens from Roselle Middle School walked to the library. They had their choice between making a keychain themed for the holiday or a canvas magnet, or playing a board game like Apples to Apples.
Olache has prioritized increasing the amount of in-person programming for teens since the pandemic.
“There’s not a lot of places that teens can go that there’s not an expectation to buy something to use the space,” Olache said. “This is one place they’re welcome with no expectation they need to pay for anything. We are thinking of you, setting these places aside for you. You’re valued here.”
The teens echoed that.
“It’s just really fun,” said Roselle Middle School 8th grader Alex Murray. “My friends and I, it’s just been something we do every time because there’s nothing else we can really do.”
“I like them because I don’t have to be bored after school and because they always have the crafts,” said 7th grader Adelle Metzel.
In addition to the teen hangouts, Olache offers a take-home craft once a month. The library also hosts a monthly creative writing club for teens. The group is writing its own novels and encouraging one another on their plot and progress. The club has grown in popularity to the point there’s now a waitlist.
“I think they’re the population that’s least served in libraries and even in our society,” Olache said. “You think of libraries, you think of story times, you think of history programs for adults. But I think it's really important for them to have teen programs, too. We have seen so many teens come back into the library. And I just want them to know it’s a space for them too.”
As the library weighs whether to pursue a referendum in the fall, staff says a permanent, dedicated space for teens would broaden the frequency and variety of programs they could offer.
“We have teens that are interested in the library,” Olache said. “We want to do as much as we can for them and we’re trying to with what we have, and it’s been working. But I think the new library would just amp it up a lot.”