Getting Teens Reading

Teen Services Librarian/Head of Children's Services Geri Diorio contributed the following, adapted from material prepared by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) of the American Library Association.

The National Endowment for the Arts released data recently showing that Americans—and teenagers in particular—are reading less than they did just a few years ago. The Ridgefield Library would like you to remember that good reading habits start at home and at your library. As you ponder your New Year’s resolutions, here are some suggestions to help get and keep your teens reading.

· Make sure your teens have regular transportation to the library and plenty of time to find items that interest them.

· The more books, magazines and other reading material you keep around the house, the more likely your teens are to pick up the habit. Visit the library to stock up.

· Planning to spend a lot of time in your car? Pick out an audiobook to listen to with your teens. Tech-savvy parents can fill their teens’ mp3 players with audiobooks from the library. Not feeling tech savvy? Your librarian can help.

· Give your teens books, magazine subscriptions, graphic novels, audiobooks or gift certificates to bookstores as presents.

· Give your teens the freedom to choose materials that interest them and speak to their interests and hobbies. Teens read a lot of heavy material in school—let them pick up something light or fun to keep them interested in reading.

· Make sure your teens know you set aside time to read every day and that you visit the library often. If they see that this is important to you, they’ll make it important to them. Our Adult Summer Reading Program is one great way to be a reading role model to your teens.

· And finally, have fun reading! If your teens see you enjoying reading as a hobby, they will realize that reading is fun and a hobby worth pursuing.