Library offers program for local teens, Celina Record

Celina Library welcomes opinions, assistance of local youths Lisa Ferguson, lferguson@starlocalmedia.com Mar 24, 2016 Yesmin Martinez can often be found at the Celina Public Library with her nose buried in one of her favorite young-adult fiction books, including volumes from the popular “The Lunar Chronicles” and “Twilight” series. However, the 15-year-old also frequents the place as a volunteer member of its Tween/Teen Advisory Group (called T-TAG for short). Martinez, an eighth-grader at Celina Junior High School, and other local youths lend their time, opinions and frequently their hands while assisting with projects and events sponsored by the library at 142 N. Ohio St. Founded four years ago by Head Librarian Linda Shaw, T-TAG was created to allow tweens and teens in fifth grade through high school help determine the types of books and movies that Celina Library should have on hand for their peers to check out and enjoy. “I do listen to them. They’re very important to me,” Shaw said of the 10 T-TAG members who currently attend regular monthly meetings. The teens, Shaw said, “are more in touch with what Celina’s community of (young) readers is into and that’s important. You don’t want to spend money on (books) that sit on the shelf because nobody is interested in it.” Recently, Shaw said she and 12-year-old Louise Ditmore evaluated which outdated young-adult titles should be removed from the library’s shelves. Ditmore said kids her age are into action-adventure stories. She spotted some older titles that were part of the “Nancy Drew Mystery Stories” series on the shelves and decided they needed to go. “Some kids judge the book by its cover, so we just kind of like (removed) the ones that were paperbacks and kept the ones that were hardback,” she said. “We didn’t keep the ones that had an old look to it or that hadn’t been checked out in a while.” Shaw said Ditmore “was targeting books, and a good portion of the books she pulled off the shelf I withdrew” from the collection. Those books may end up among the offerings at a book sale the library plans to host during the upcoming Celina Cajun Fest scheduled for April 9 in the city’s downtown square. Also at the book sale, T-TAG members plan to peddle handmade jewelry they have crafted during meetings from the pages of discarded books in an effort to raise funds for the library. Shaw said the teens would like to help purchase a television so they can host screenings at the library of the film versions of books they have read. Over the years, T-TAG members have represented the library at a number of city-sponsored events. Last December, the tweens and teens assisted with a cupcake-decorating activity during Christmas on the Square. They also helped decorate and rode on a float during the annual homecoming parade. Earlier this month, Ditmore and 14-year-old Penelope Sanchez dressed as blue-haired characters Thing 1 and Thing 2 and entertained youngsters who attended a birthday celebration at the library for children’s author Dr. Seuss. The group, which is comprised mostly of girls, has also helped weed a community garden and cleaned up litter around the square. Shaw said T-TAG plays a vital role in the community, which lacks activities for tweens and teens. “There’s not a lot to do here,” she said. “We don’t have a movie theater here. We don’t have a Main Event (location), we don’t have a bowling alley. There’s not a lot to do after school that you don’t have to drive somewhere” to attend. “You can come in here and you can be of service to your community, to your library.” “You just have to be willing to help out,” Sanchez said.