Pleasanton Pulblic Library Teen Volunteers

MANDATORY ORIENTATIONS FOR HIGH SCHOOL VOLUNTEERS

2012-01-29T12:00:00.000-08:00

If you are IN HIGH SCHOOL &

interested in volunteering
at the Pleasanton Public Library

Students must
RSVP via e-mail

WITH THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION:

FIRST AND LAST NAME
SCHOOL
GRADE

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 26

11 A.M.

the library does not open until 1 pm on Sundays
so you will have to enter through the SIDE DOOR of the meeting room- this is located on the side of the building that faces the EMPTY LOT/Fairgrounds/ACE train

do not be late- you will not be let in when the doors close- the meeting is only 30 minutes

*********************

2011-05-21T16:32:00.000-07:00

SUNDAY JUNE 5

2PM

FREE MOVIE!!

POPCORN, TRIVIA, PRIZES

FERRIS BUELLER'S DAY (OFF)

2011-05-05T13:46:00.000-07:00

Celebrate National Ferris Bueller's Day (Off) by watching the film on the big screen :)

2 pm Matinee Sunday June 5th

Pleasanton Public Library

Large Meeting Room

FREE * popcorn * drinks * candy

DOOR PRIZES* PRIZE FOR BEST 80'S LOOK

Wii Tournament

2010-02-08T15:07:00.000-08:00

Friday Feb 26

5-8 PM

After Hours @ The Pleasanton Public Library

SUPER SMASH BROS.

BRAWL

Middle School and High School divisions - space is limited so register early (@ FHS or AVHS library OR Adult Reference Desk at PPL or email Teresa: tparham@ci.pleasanton.ca.us)

Personal controller required

Prizes & Snacks

FREE

Must register to compete

No registration required to watch and cheer on friends!

Rock Concert on the Library Lawn

2009-07-20T23:23:00.000-07:00

The High Strung

Pleasanton, consider yourself warned.

Monday night August 17th at 7 pm the library is going to be LOUD.
I will be leaving a bucket of ear plugs on the reference desk for all the sorry folks with no sense of adventure who think a library should be QUIET on a Monday night.! ssshhhh /NOT.

We'll be right out front you will not be able to miss it.

It's all ages FREE

and the library owns all their CD's

for more information check out their website:

www.thehighstrung.com

NEW VOLUNTEER ORIENTATION MEETING

2009-07-06T15:00:00.000-07:00

NEW VOLUNTEERS IN HIGH SCHOOL

ALL JULY POSITIONS ARE CURRENTLY

FILLED

3 NEW ORIENTATIONS TBA in AUGUST

Please use the links on this blog to find other volunteer opportunities .

Join us in August when there is still time to get in on

other teen library jobs and the BOOK SALE in Sept.

AHOY TEEN VOLUNTEERS

2008-07-17T13:05:00.000-07:00

AAAAARRRRRGH

It's all about the PIRATES this summer

Students in high school can earn community service this month by creating the pirate themed GAMES for the Children's dept. summer games scheduled for NEXT WEEK *
* (you must be on the list to volunteer for the games!)

It's fun and you meet all kinds of new people. You won't believe you are earning community service but the rewards are incredible. The summer reading program would not be possible w/out teens support.Have you seen the children's area? It's all done by staff and teen volunteers.

We need your creative ideas, enthusiasm and resourcefulness!

Join us from in the large meeting room on the following dates:

NEW DATE Friday July 18 (1-5)

Monday July 21 (2-5) or (6:30-8:30 )

NEW VOLUNTEERS MUST ARRIVE 15 MINUTES EARLY TO ATTEND MANDATORY APPLICATION/INTERVIEW. approx. 15 min.

New volunteers are encouraged to STAY and help out after their orientation. You don't have to stay the whole time but you do have to be ON TIME

Seize the Volunteer Opportunity

2008-07-02T18:00:00.000-07:00

NEW VOLUNTEERS

PLEASE READ THE previous BLOG ENTRY, IMPORTANT DATES AND TIMES LISTED!

New volunteers should come 15 minutes earlier than start time listed.

You are welcome to stay and start working that afternoon or evening AFTER the new volunteer meeting.

WANT TO VOLUNTEER AT THE LIBRARY?

2008-04-27T18:52:00.000-07:00

Get on the list NOW!

*WE NEED TEENS TO HELP

ALL OF MAY, JUNE & JULY!!!! *

The theme for this year's Children's summer Reading Program is PIRATES!!! We need teens to help with the decorations and creation of the new batch of SUMMER GAMES scheduled for the end of July.

Get notified of volunteer opportunities as they become available all year.

There are a lot of great opportunities to earn community service and actually have FUN! To volunteer at the library :

Email me to schedule a meeting.

Put "High School Volunteer" in your subject line.

Don't wait until the last minute :)

Opportunities vary from week to week but August is typically slow.

YOUTH EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM

2008-02-19T19:11:00.000-08:00

Having trouble finding a job?

Need help writing a resume?

Interviews make you nervous?

Let the Youth Employment Program help YOU.

Drop in the Tulancingo Room small meeting room in lobby
First MONDAY of the month
6-8 pm

Speak with a career counselor from the T ri Valley One Stop

NO REGISTRATION/FIRST COME FIRST SERVE

COMPLETELY FREE!

http://www.eastbayworks.org/youth_home.htm

Important info for new volunteers

2008-02-07T00:00:00.000-08:00

The next volunteer opportunities are with the book sale at the end of April.

You must be on the list to volunteer
We are always looking for new talent

If you are a new volunteer looking for hours, please email me and make an appointment.
Once you are on the distribution list, you will be notified of all new opportunities.
I look forward to meeting you.
Teresa

GAME DAY IN MARCH!

2008-02-06T23:00:00.000-08:00

GAME DAY

SATURDAY MARCH 15
11- 5 PM TEENS ONLY *

wii sports
on the BIG SCREEN

PS2
Guitar Hero I & II

oh yeah, some snacks!

*grades 6-12

For more information please email me
Teresa
tparham@ci.pleasanton.ca.us

TEEN CONTEST-SF GIANTS TIX

2007-07-03T13:25:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the 5 winners that correctly named that player in the photo : #5 Ray Durham! They will be going to the game on Fri July 27.

I hope they send us pictures.

See the guy in the middle? He was photographed with yours truly (at the end on the left) and some other Bay Area librarians on Monday June 11th. The librarians were recognized at home plate of AT&T park for our library's participation in Read To Win sponsored by the SF Giants baseball team and Oracle.
SCROLL DOWN TO READ ABOUT TERESA'S FIRST PITCH AND SEE PICTURES!

Ceremonial First Pitch TONIGHT

2007-06-12T15:31:00.000-07:00

Hi all you sports fans!
On Monday June 11, 2007,
I got the crazy chance of a lifetime throwing out the "ceremonial" first pitch at the SF Giants game last night. Everybody wants to know how I did....
Well...... here's a slide show for your entertainment.
No, it was not broadcast on TV, and that is okay with me!

Enjoy!
Teresa ;)

HOTEL RWANDA Sat. Feb 17, 2007

2007-02-17T14:14:00.000-08:00

Join us at 4:30 for refreshments, photos,books, and an introduction to the film by Dr.Jurgen Braungardt (Professor at CSU East Bay) Film will start as close to 5:30 as possible.

The library closes at 5 pm, so if you come after 5, please use the side door to the meeting room facing Old Bernal. Hope to see you there.

TEEN FUSION

2006-10-04T14:46:00.000-07:00

TEEN FUSION
After hours party teen only party at the library.

Discussion about growing up bi-cultural with author Mitali Perkins Check out Mitali's website (link above) and then read this article she wrote to young immigrants.
Click Here for More pictures

Welcome Back

2006-08-29T23:31:00.000-07:00

Back to School
ha!
If you need information about Community Service you have come to the right place.
Please e-mail me the following information:
Name (not your email name, your REAL name)
Age/Grade/School
I also need to know when your hours are due.

I encourage you to check this blog and the links provided.
They will lead you to other agencies. Like www.ptown411.com .
There are hours to be earned but only in September and October
Hardly anything is available in Nov. and Dec.
So do not wait until the last minute!
You have been warned- Teresa

Volunteering at the library - UPDATED Aug. 2006

2006-08-29T22:00:00.000-07:00

So you want to know about volunteering at the library?
And somebody gave you this blog address.

Take a minute to read the entries, paying close attention to the DATE THEY ARE POSTED. Blogs are chronological- if you see something posted in Sept '05 it probably doesen't apply anymore!I try to take outdated information off, but sometimes I think it helps to see what TYPES of opportunities there are.
Volunteer opportunities for teens consist of the following:
Summer Reading : Teens are vital in helping decorate the Children's Dept and manage the crowds as ushers at weekly programs. This opportunity is available various hours from May -August only.
Homework Buddies: Fall and spring semesters.
The fall session begins in October. The Spring session begins in February.
Applications will not be available until late September and/or January. Space is extremely limited. We only need 10 teens on Mondays OR Wednesdays. That's only 20 spots. Teens are chosen by lottery.
Friends of the Library Book Sale : Twice a year. Usually end of Sept. and begining of May.
Teen volunteers are used for heavy lifting and setting up the week before a sale and managing the crowds during the sale. Teens work closely with the Friends of the Library.

TAG (Teen Advisory Group) : Continues to be a work in progress and people have contacted me about their interest. If you are looking for hours, TAG is more of a long term commitment. Please read my posting on 9/16/05
If you are still interested, please e-mail me.
I am looking forward to hearing from you.

If you need 20 hours by the end of the semester or summer... DO NOT WAIT!
If you are a senior who needs 20 hours in order to graduate, please realize that the best jobs are taken early in the school year... so start signing up and calling other organizations early.
Use the LINKS above ^ on the right hand side of this blog to find opportunities outside of the city of Pleasanton.

Every once and a while I will pass along an opportunity from Valley Shakespeare Festival or another city department that needs teens for special projects. on myThese hours are not tracked by the library but sometimes you can only find out about them if you are e-mail list.
If you want to get on the e-mail notification list, you must schedule an appointment to meet with me first.You will also be required to fill out and return an application/waiver. You may only get this form from me, and in person when we meet.

If you have any FURTHER questions after reading this blog, or would like to schedule an appointment, please e-mail me at tparham@ci.pleasanton.ca.us

Scavenger Hunt

2006-08-21T17:27:00.000-07:00

There were 3 winners :)
Notified by telephone.
Thanks for playing.
If you have any ideas for next year's weekly contests, please comment here! We want to know .

Rock on!

2006-07-24T14:43:00.000-07:00

HARRY & THE POTTERS!
Tuesday night
July 25
5-7 pm at the Amador Theater
free
all ages
no drinks in the theater, but it is AIR CONDITIONED!
They are going to rock with their tour-mates "Draco & the Malfoys"
you do NOT want to miss it!

Week 3 Teen Raffle

2006-07-11T11:37:00.000-07:00

This week's contest is a little more difficult :) You need to write a caption for one *(or all) of the pictures above. Winners will be judged by their ability to make the Teen Advisory Group laugh.
They are the official laugh-o-meters. And I don't have to remind you to keep it clean right?
* Entries are available at the Adult reference desk and are due by 4 pm Sunday July 16
Any questions, please post on the blog so everybody can see. Good Luck!

Guess how Many?

2006-07-03T21:32:00.000-07:00

Last week's raffle for teens was 2 parts
Part 1:How many starburst candies are in the container?

The answer was 601.

The Teen Advisory Group counted it 3 X

The winner guessed 600!

The flavor break down went like this:

strawberry: 145 lemon: 162

cherry: 143 orange: 151

Part 2: Each completed form is an entry into a random drawing for prizes
(Best Buy, Towne Center & Movies)

Winners will be notified by telephone. If you didn't win this time, keep trying. Each week it's something different.

AHOY Pirate Booty

2006-06-22T20:03:00.000-07:00

Sunday June 25th
Pirates, Prizes and Popcorn Over 50 people attended. Pictures coming soon. Where you there? Care to comment?

Before you do, let me address a couple of things right off:
from some of the comments I have heard already...

I was disappointed in the lack of actual sword fighting.

I thought they were going to do less talking and more swinging too. All those swords and all that time...and not much action. I know that Steaphen Fick of Davenriche Martial Artes knows his stuff and he has put on some really good demonstrations in the past. So perhaps acting isn't his thing, huh? Check out his website and the school he runs : Davenriche European Martial Artes

But I thought everybody looked great. Maybe it would have been cool to hear them talk about what they do and how they make their costumes etc. I stil want to thank them for coming out and getting all decked out for us. It added a little something authentic to what could have been a boring old movie program. There are copies of his handouts at the reference desk (info about pirate flags and ships) I am working on a booklist with him about swordfighting (not just the pirate kind )

And yes...I know they weren't REAL, duh.

But if I said "Come see grown men and women dress up and pretend to be pirates!"
would that have the same effect? Seriously now c'mon.

Also some kids were wondering why they got little kid plastic swords when they came in. Well Steaphen brought those and I just thought we'll hand em out to the first 30 in the door, and when they were gone, well, whatever. It was nice of him to think of his audience (even if he did aim a little low) I put some serious thought (and money!) into the raffled prizes though so I hope people liked those. I tried to give out a lot of little things so more people would walk away with a little something. Next year (when the sequel comes out on DVD) I will try to have a little something for everybody...that is age appropriate :) Apparently a couple of kids traded their prizes so that worked for them.

As for that poster....well, there were more than a few broken hearts that they didn't get that one! I thought about keeping it myself! For the library of course, ahem. Perhaps I will raffle off another one in the weekly drawings. Any excuse to go back to the Pirate store. Yeah, you heard me PIRATE STORE.

I got almost all of the prizes (except the large Pirate book) at at store in Fremont called

Sea Wolf Trading Company

It's all pirates all the time!!! It was really fun shopping there. I would like to thank Don the owner and proprieter for giving me a generous discount so I could buy MORE stuff.
If you go down there, please tell him you heard about his store from the library program. I had to put one of the flags in my office because I couldn't bear to put it away.

The book was Pirates by John Matthews. I AM getting one for the library. And myself...and my cousin...and ?...

I heard there were some cool pirates at the County Fair. They were in the parade.
I found out they are called the Pirates of Emerson and they have a haunted pirate ship in Fremont. I am soooo going in Oct. Check out their website. Anybody seen them? Leave a comment!

In the meantime , enter the weekly teen raffle to win movie tickets and more
Details at the Adult Reference Desk

Movie was a hit....That's more like it!

2006-04-24T10:40:00.000-07:00

FREE TEEN MOVIE

36 kids attended

THE NEW KING KONG MOVIE BY PETER JACKSON
rated PG 13 on Wednesday April 19th during Spring Break

Free hot popcorn, soda, candy and a chance to win cool prizes.
Cool prizes like a DVD OF THE MOVIE

Do you have an idea for another movie we should/could show JUST for teens? Tell your friends!
post a comment on the blog.

AUTHOR EVENT Thurs March 30

2006-04-01T19:02:00.000-08:00

All of these authors came to the library the other night as part of a special tour and it was AMAZING. I hope those of you who joined us, enjoyed it as much as I did. Each of them talked about their new books and all of them area available in the library. A lot of them are checked out but check the catalog and place a hold!
If you have read any of these titles (or other books by these authors) please post a comment!

Catherine Ryan Hyde author of Becoming Chloe (also Pay It Forward)
Laura & Tom McNeal authors of Crushed (also Crooked, and Zipped)
Dana Reinhardt author of A Brief Chapter in My Impossible Life
& Markus Zusak author of The Book Thief (also I Am The Messenger, and Fighting Reuben Wolf)

FREE Movie Next week

2006-03-17T12:49:00.000-08:00

Academy Award Nominated Anime Film

Howl's Moving Castle

(based on the book by Diana Wynne Jones)
Will be shown on the big screen in the library meeting room on

SATURDAY MARCH 25

2 PM

FREE

It is for TEENS ONLY (ages 12 +)
There will be hot popcorn, cold soda and prizes such as a copy of the book, and movie tickets.
Join us...and as always we welcome suggestions for future movie programs!

Music Program was pretty awesome

2006-03-10T11:37:00.000-08:00

Skyline Jazz Quintet played at the library on Sunday March 12
They were great. These guys are talented and the audience of 70 loved them.
I am sorry you missed it.

Are you or somebody you know in a band that is looking for someplace to perform???
Contact me! I am very interested in featuring teens and music. As always, e-mail is the best way to reach me and don't panic if your initial contact bounces...I will find you in my spam box. Just make sure to put something in the subject line about Teens and music.
Stay tuned for more musical performances....

TAG

2005-11-09T19:35:00.000-08:00

Well I have to admit I was pretty disappointed when only 3 people showed up to the movie but I was also very happy that some people contacted me about TAG and some people were able to come to the meeting that afternoon.

I want you all to know that I am always very impressed with the ideas and energy that you guys have and want to give you the opportunities to show what you are capable of.

From the meeting and other conversations I have had with teens, it was very clear that the TEEN AREA needs some help. I mean it looks like an afterthought and c'mon, those velvet chairs are just weird. And because the movie wasn't well attended, I also want to use YOUR ideas on what would be fun and interesting programs at the library (so I am not giving private screenings on a Saturday afternoon! Would you all come if the movies were on a Saturday NIGHT?)

FYI - I think meeting in person is very effective for brainstorming and setting goals, but I also think there are other ways to participate. Like this blog for instance!
You may leave a comment or idea or question here. You may e-mail or IM me
And sometimes, you may even find me in the library and *gasp* TALK TO ME!
I actually kind of like that last one ;)
There is a lot more I want to say- but I will save it for the hand out.

Teresa

FREE MOVIES @ the library!

2005-10-29T18:30:00.000-07:00

where was everybody????
3 people showed up....
~one could only stay a few minutes (he heard my announcement in the library)
~the second's ride came about 1/2 way through (but he won the trivia contest and FREE movie tickets!)

~and the third...well HE stayed and enjoyed the movie ...and the popcorn...and the soda ...and cookies and the candy!
WHERE WERE YOU????

I am thinking of showing Howl's Moving Castle next month:
http://online.swank.com/publicity/Synopsis/0021316.html
You guys like anime don't ya?

Unfortunately Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith is not covered by our movie license so please use this link : http://www.movlic.com/libsearch.html
to search for movies and make a suggestion!
It cannot be rated R I'm afraid, but PG 13 works well cause it keeps the little ones out too....fyi.
I want people to come but it will still be a Saturday afternoon (but maybe it can start a little later like 4:30 pm? and go after the rest of the library closes - I have to check with my boss)
Anyway I am glad the one person who stayed enjoyed himself ;)
Y'all missed a really good movie. So if you couldn't come today perhaps you can post a comment and tell me why....:(

Email Woes

2005-09-26T17:08:00.000-07:00

hi-I saw that some folks posted comments that my email was bouncing back to them and a couple of people told me the same this weekend. I think it's a new spam blocker the city installed, so I will dig around and try to retrieve your email addresses from any "junk folders" it's created. IF an email bounces back, give me a call.
I get plenty of e-mails so it's working for some people, so please try email first.
The other way is to IM!!....if I am sitting at my desk you may IM me at "ptownteenlib" on Yahoo, MSN & AIM. I have a new thing that turns them all on at the same time. I was going to practice a little more, but since this has happened, now seems as good a time as any to jump right in.
Don't feel compelled to chat, really, but if you have a quick question or a su ggestion or want to say hi...I think this could prove useful. I probably will not contact YOU via IM, but I want to be available so don't worry I won't be stalking you. Besides I'm too busy shushing people in the library....just kidding.

The New TAG

2005-09-16T18:00:00.000-07:00

Here's what I am looking for:

Will meet regularly, online and in the building * NOT the 2nd Mondays of the month necessarily, but probably an evening or weekend. It used to be that anybody could show up on the 2nd Mon. meetings and that will no longer be the case. You will need to demonstrate that you are interested by filling out an "application" and showing consistent attendance.
Members will actively participate in planning library programs and displays FOR teens
Collection Development: Making suggestions of books & music, reviewing new materials
Members will earn community service credit by being a liaison & promoting library programs in their school (& the other activities listed above)

If you think this sounds like something you would like to participate in, please email me and give me your reasons why or some ideas you may already have. I am looking for teens who are interested in the library and not JUST getting community service!

My email is: tparham@ci.pleasanton.ca.us

I look forward to hearing from you!

Harry & the Potters

2005-07-30T19:13:00.000-07:00

Look who came to the library?
On Friday July 29th at 8 pm
the library was the place to be LOUD!
oh Yeah it was a rockin' show
(which is why we had to have it AFTER HOURS)
Did any of you make it? I would love to hear
comments *hint *hint
Paul and Joe are brothers from Massachusetts and I was lucky enough to hear about them from a librarian friend in San Francisco.
Do any of you guys read Entertainment Weekly? They were featured in a little "box" titled "file under extreme Pottermania" which is a BIG deal in my opinion, cause the more people that know about them the better. It was a great show! There were some hard core fans from all over CA (like L.A., Moraga, San Luis Obisbo and probably more!) I bought a couple of their CD's for the library, we raffled some off and we had cupcakes in honor of HP's & JK's collective birthdays on Jul. 31
I hope they get some new fans and have another tour next summer. Check out their tour diary on their website. It's some funny cool stuff.

Davenriche European Martial Artes

2005-07-20T00:46:00.000-07:00

Wed July 20th Steaphen Fick demonstrated his mad sword skills on what was possibly the hottest day of the summer. And he was, as you can see...dressed for the part. I was particularly impressed with his humorous presentation mixed with deep knowledge AND enjoyment. It made for a really fun afternoon. Did any of you come by that day? Care to leave comments about your favorite part? Are you in any of these pictures?

Youth Speaks

2005-07-13T00:22:00.000-07:00

No pictures of the actual event but you can link onto the website above.
If any of you have any interest in the spoken word or poetry slams, this was a great experience.
4 young artists, Michelle (aka Mush) in green ;) Jose (pictured behind Michelle may look or sound familiar- he was featured in an anti-drug commercial and Josh (center- was the YouthSpeaks Champion for 2003) Chinaka Hodge (lower picture) was also there. She was just on HBO's Def Poetry season finale.
They all were amazing. High Energy and connected with the audience.
I wish more people could have been there. It was truly thier loss, because the poets gave it %150.
It occurred to me that perhaps the afternoon wasn't the best time, everybody was in summer school!
Or it's just a difficult thing to describe.
I would be interested in having a poetry slam here at the library but I need to find the people who are going to be interested. Are you? E-mail me!

I want to hear from you. If you were at the program please leave a comment!

Movies at the Library

2005-07-07T20:19:00.000-07:00

This summer (Wed. July 6th) we had our first teen movie at the library.
We got a license this year and as long as the movie is put out by a production company covered by our license, we can show it.
Why do we need a license you ask?
Well did you ever notice the GIANT FBI warning
before you get to the good stuff on a DVD or VHS?
Well, it's big and obvious to get your attention , but we are desensitized to it (in my opinion).
It's there to remind people that they may not show a movie to the public -whether admission is charged or not- according to Movie licensing USA:
"The concept of PUBLIC PERFORMANCE is central to copyright and the issue of protection for intellectual property"

Surely you are aware of copyright infringement as it relates to music, either copying or downloading and the same applies to films. It is NOT okay to bring a video camera into a movie theater and sell DVD copies on the street! And it is not okay to show movies unless you have a license.
If you want to know what movies we are allowed to show, please feel free to use their website! You can type in a title of a movie and see if it is covered :
www.movlic.com/library.html
The other stipulation (a library rule, not a federal!) is that the movies are PG not R.
Some PG 13 is okay. Depends on the movie.
So way back during the pizza party I offered a few choices

How do you find ONE that everybody can agree on?
There was a VOTE.
and SIGNS by M. Night Shyamalan won. (The other choices were National Treasure, Adventures of Baron Munchausen, Princess Mononoke & ....another one ? )
Speaking of winning, there were prizes!
Movie Tickets, candy and WONKA CAKES woo hoo
oh yeah and hot popcorn and ice cold soda for everybody!
there will be another one of these movie days in October os go ahead and start giving me i
FREE movie and snacks on a Saturday afternoon? You tell me. I need the feedback!

Pizza Tasting Contest- June 29th Results

2005-07-03T12:22:00.000-07:00

Mountain Mikes of Santa Rita Rd
was the winner of the Pizza Tasting Contest.
Dominos was a close second place.
One lucky teen won a $20 gift certificate to HER favorite restaurant
(*Gay Nineties)
What was YOUR favorite?
Did we taste it?

Pics from the Pizza Tasting Contest

2005-07-01T12:51:00.000-07:00

Go does his best to cover the name of the pizza on the box. This is a scientific experiment after all. We don't want people to make prejudgements on the pizza they are tastin' :)

2005-07-01T12:02:00.000-07:00

Lauren cuts the pizza with scissors
(easier than a knife)
We wanted to make sure that everybody gets some to taste.....we had MORE than enough,
but you just never know!

2005-06-30T12:01:00.000-07:00

mmmmmmmm cheesy

Teen Summer Reading Program

2005-06-21T17:28:00.000-07:00

Click on the link to the Teen Page of the Pleasanton Public Library
The pdf file is the brochure that has ALL THE INFO about upcoming
programs
FOR TEENS ONLY
Sign ups begin on Wednesday June 29th...taste pizza, sign up.
Easy.

2005-06-21T17:15:00.000-07:00

Please come by the Children's department of the library to see all your work!

2005-06-21T17:03:00.000-07:00

Do any of these faces look familiar?

2005-06-21T17:02:00.000-07:00

Don't forget to look up

VOLUNTEERING at the library This Summer

2005-06-13T16:49:00.000-07:00

There will be many opportunities to help out
with the Children's Summer Reading Program.

NEXT week for example, the whole Children's Dept will be
TRANSFORMED into the Jungle Trek for this year's theme.

Sunday June 19th we will need more "vines" made,
and masks cut (they need 4,000 total!) and other
crafty projects that could really benefit from your creativity.

Please contact me if you are interested in helping out.
The library does not open until 1 pm on Sundays.
There will be an need for some teens to stay past closing (5Pm)
to help set up some of the vines in the rafters etc.

In order to volunteer at the library , you must have
completed a YELLOW TEEN VOLUNTEER FORM.
It is a risk waiver that HAS TO BE SIGNED by a parent
It allows us to track your hours AND it gets you on the E-mail list.
Any questions, please email me:
Teresa Parham
Teen Services Librarian
Pleasanton Public Library
tparham@ci.pleasanton.ca.us

What is the Teen Summer Reading Program Anyway?

2005-06-13T16:11:00.000-07:00

The Teen Summer Reading Program is a weird name for what basically is
a SERIES of programs just for teens AND a reading/activity that enters you
into a raffle for prizes.

I don't know how many of you have participated in the past, but this year
it's going to be a little different.
First of all the programs:

Each week (mostly on Wednesday afternoons)
there will be something going on in the Meeting Room
for TEENS ONLY ( that means that if your age ends in TEEN- you're in).

The kick off this year is a
Pizza Tasting Contest on Wed June 29 @ 3 pm
We will have pizza from local restaurants and you will get to vote on your
favorite. And just to clarify, there will be SMALL samples of each one so you don't get too full huh? The raffle winner that day will win a large pizza from the restaurant of their choice!

Also we will be voting for the movie to be shown the following week.
We will be providing FRESH popcorn, drinks and
AIR CONDITIONING!
The prize will be...surprise: Tickets to the movie theater.

The ReAdInG part:
When you sign up for the reading activities there are a couple of ways to win.
You will recieve a packet of information,
that will include forms for book reviews
and a set of 10 computer related activities
(looking stuff up in the catalog,
visiting sites you may not have known about - like a scavenger hunt)

Each week if you turn in a book review
or a computer activity
(*maximum 2 per week and must be AGE APPROPRIATE
...meaning NO CHILDREN'S BOOKS)
you will be entered into that week's raffle for prizes like:
gift certificates to Jamba Juice, Starbucks, Coldstone etc.

At the end of the Summer Program (on August 3rd's Pizza Party)
there will be a SEPERATE drawing
for those who completed 3 of each
(3 book reviews and 3 computer activities)

Sounds complicated? REALLY , it's not.
Basically what you need to know is that you can come to the PROGRAMS and have a chance to win something. OR you can read and look stuff up and have a chance to win something.
OR you can do both and even if you don't win anything you will have (hopefully) had a little bit of fun this summer.
And THAT is what it is ALL ABOUT, right?

You can get details at the REFERENCE DESK NEXT WEEK
(AFTER JUNE 21)
OR
Check out the BLoG!

Artsy Craftsy? Anyone?

2005-06-02T21:25:00.000-07:00

Monday June 6th at 6 pm, there will be an opportunity to help decorate the
Children's Dept. for their
Jungle Trek- Summer Reading Game

We will be making masks and jungle vines and creating craft kits
for the little ones to make their own jungle mask.

Also you can find out how to volunteer over the summer months... Join us!

Summer Programs for Teens

2005-06-01T13:29:00.001-07:00

Summertime means a lot of free time (hopefully!)
to do whatever you want. READ whatever you want!

The Pleasanton Public Library has a lot going on as well.
First off, we have a Summer Reading Program that will allow you to
win cool prizes for writing short book reviews & completing quick
computer activities. You do not need to be present to win these prizes,
but you do need to turn something in to be eligible.

The other part of this Summer Reading is the PROGRAM part.

There is going to be something FREE JUST FOR TEENS (13+)
EACH WEEK, and those start on Wednesday June 29th.
Each program will have a "door prize" for those in attendance,
related to that particular event.

Stay tuned and look for more information about how to sign up
at the reference desk begining TUESDAY JUNE 21ST.

2005-03-31T13:48:00.000-08:00

Mitali Perkins' Young Adult book

Mitali Perkins LiNk

2005-03-31T13:15:00.000-08:00

April 11th TAG will be hosting
Mitali Perkins author of MONSOON SUMMER

Check out her website AND her book.
There are several copies owned by the library,
& will be on sale that evening by Towne Center Books .
I am reading it right now, it takes place in Berkeley (to start with) Mitali used to
live in the Bay Area. Her website is about writing and living in between two
cultures. I am sure that many of you have experiences in that!
Please tell your friends about this author event.
We are flying her out from the East Coast where she now lives,
I would love to have a good size audience for her.

MiKe McGee LiNk

2005-03-01T12:37:00.000-08:00

Hey check out the SLAM poet coming to Pleasanton
POSTPONED UNTIL SUMMER :(
He has a lot of cool info on his website :)
There will be a workshop for aspiring poets (of the slam variety)
AND a performance if you just want to come and see what all of this is about.

Summer reading Programs

2005-02-17T11:38:00.000-08:00

Thanks for the great ideas for Summer Reading!
I am going to list some of them here, and open it up to suggestions for those members who could not attend the meeting and have NO idea why I am talking about the SUMMER in Feb.???!!!!

You may have participated in Summer Reading in the Library last year or the year before, or when you were a "kid". I was not HERE in Pleasanton last summer and would like to try some new things.
But I don't dare assume that I know what you all want.
Soooooo I would like some input from y'all about what kind of programs/events YOU WANT.
These are the suggestions I got the other night:

Performers/Presentations:
fire juggling person, "no jugglers!", graphic artist, acting troupe
Workshop:
musicians (vocal or instrumental) Illustrating/art, graffitti, how to draw something, cartoonist, make your own book
-something physical like dance etc.
Events:
Movies *
If we get the license (which I am pretty sure we will) this will be an easy one. I got a lof of suggestions on which movies. Suffice it to say, that I will be making it more than just watching a movie.
There will be "something extra"

carnival, costume day, Human Monopoly?, Game Day (interactive as a group)
decade themed weeks (i.e. 50's,60's,70's,80's) with pop culture and political references

Any more ideas you want to add to this?
If you have a specific performer or author or artis NAMES would be helpful :) Thanks!

Library Experiences

2005-02-17T11:20:00.000-08:00

At Monday night's TAG meeting I told you that I am going to be doing some training for the library staff. Basically it will be for those staff members who want to understand "your world"and dealing with behavior issues in the library.
I know that members of TAG are only a small representative of the teen "population" in Pleasanton. And I appreciate your input on the surveys I handed you. It seems that a lot of you have had relatively good experiences here in the public library and I am very happy to pass that along. Some of you spoke of some not so great situations in your schools or in stores. For that I am sorry.
I thought you would like to know that when I was a teenager I got kicked out of the library for *gasp* talking/laughing TOO LOUD.
I know, I know, which is harder to believe? That I was once a teenager or that I was a loud one?
Most of the librarians I know did not always want to be a a librarian because they liked to shush or be shushed! I want to bridge this gap between the "us and them" mentality that seems to occur between teens and adults.

Please feel free to express any problems you may have in the library to me. I am a teen advocate and a library employee, which means that I can try to see things from both sides. Please leave your comments here on the blog if you want. That is what this forum is for.
Thanks!

Women's Help Organization

2005-01-26T11:48:00.000-08:00

Please join us for a Domestic Abuse Forum
Thursday night Jan 27th at 6:30 pm in the meeting room
Until then, take a look at the display in the Teen Area of the library.
These posters and the forum are made possible by
The Women's Help Organization
of Foothill High School & a grant from the
Pleasanton Partners In Education.

2005-01-26T11:47:00.000-08:00

Abuse Hurts

2005-01-26T11:44:00.000-08:00

Domestic Abuse

2005-01-26T11:37:00.000-08:00

One woman in four

Clarification on Video Game Question

2005-01-15T13:02:00.000-08:00

I am compelled to respond (finally) to some of the comments left on the Video Game Topic. First of all, the question may have not been clear in its intention, and for that I do aplogize. I was not suggesting that the library have an XBox or a GameCube set up IN the library for people to play video games. I imagine some of you thought of the electronics section of Target, Toys r' Us or Best Buy, where kids of all ages just walk up to a console and play all day.
That is NOT was I was suggesting.
But I was not clear about that.
I was however, trying to get some idea of what game system was the most popular, accessible or used by teens that use the library. We (library management) were considering making them part of our collection- to check out. Hence, my question:
"IF the library ordered one type of video game (xbox, playstation,gamecube...) which do you think would be the most popular?"

I was curious about the some of the following comments and could not help but wonder if these were even posted by a TEEN????

"Video Games do nothing except kill brain cells.Putting video games in the library sounds like an oxy-moronic to me. Don't do it."
-Okay, I am not sure about the killng of brain cells.
Video game playing in excess is probably going to waste more TIME than actual living brain cells.
The fact is that I know LOTS of extremely intelligent people that -
believe it or not...PLAY VIDEO GAMES! Truly. If you only knew.
I don't want to "out" them on this blog. But some of them are LIBRARIANS, and some of them are in MANAGEMENT!
For real. I think it would be interesting to find out if some intellectually respected individuals in our community would like to come forward and say it proudly.
"I play video games and I am STILL SMART."

"I believe that the library should focus more on reading and making it an effort to get people to read instead of sit around and doing nothing"
-It is PART of the library's philosophy to encourage reading. But we also aim to provide entertainment in the form of programming, media and internet access. Sometimes people come to the library to sit around. It's okay. We provide EXPERIENCES as well as books to check out.
Allow me to quote the Pleasanton Public Libraries Mission Statement:
“The Pleasanton Public Library provides access to resources, services and programs to inspire, inform, and enrich our community.” and of course if somebody wants to just hang out, well that's cool too!

"The library is a place to encourage reading and inspire children to pick up a book when they're bored and not a game controller.... Please keep the library a place to get away from this kind of technology."

“those who don’t have it should definitely not be introduced to them.”
- I will refer to my earlier statement about the library's philosophy. And simply add that "this technology" is already in the library. The internet provides online gaming and we provide the internet. We have an obligation to provide access to information and protect intellectual freedom of all our users, which includes allowing kids to play video games.

I hope that this clarified the purpose of my initial question. I am thankful for the comments but I am requesting that this blog remain a forum for TEENS to express themselves, whatever their opinions may be. And if there is an adult that takes issue with our library's philosophy that they contact ME directly.
I know that it is entirely possible the comments came from teens, but something tells me they were not. Hmmmmmm I guess we'll never know.

Well it seems that this is a moot point anyway because we (management) decided not to purchase any video games because it would be too cost prohibitive to maintain. NOT because we thought they wouldn't be a popular addition to our collection. We will however be looking into PC games (CDroms) and some of them may even be educational :)

Thanks for playing

Video Games in the Library

2005-01-12T18:47:00.000-08:00

Any of you big gamers out there?
If the library ordered one type of video game (xbox, playstation,gamecube...) which do you think would be the most popular?

And if we only ordered CDroms...what kind should we get?

Toiletry Drive

2005-01-11T20:32:00.000-08:00

One of our TAG members asked in Nov. about doing a toiletry drive again this year.
At the time the Christmas holiday was FAST approaching and it seems like Valentines Day is right
around the corner....
so what if we started in Feb. and ended in March.
Say just before or during ? your Spring Break?

I think it would be an all around good thing to do,
but it has to be a team effort.
Anybody interested?

Feed a Starving Artist

2005-01-11T20:18:00.000-08:00

Any of you artistically inclined?
There is a great opportunity for you this month.
I recieved information from the California State Summer School for the Arts (InnerSpark) Program. This is a wonderful opportunity for High School students to study visual, literary, media and performing arts to spend four weeks working and studying with professional artists in Valencia at the California Institute of the Arts and recieve 3 units of California State University course credit.
not bad huh?
There is financial aid available and more information on :
www.innerspark.us

the DEADLINE for applications is FEBRUARY 28TH

On a more local level :) I am going to be presenting a little talk about Graphic Novels
for Middle Schoolers and their parents
on Feb. 26th at Towne Center Books.
I was talking with one of the store owners,
and she thought it would be really cool to do a display in her store window
(on Main St.) and I thought this would be a perfect opportunity
to have some teens (you?) submit some artwork to go in the window.

I am looking specifically for graphic art that is
manga or comic book inspired.
Anybody super talented, or just really like to draw?
I would love to see your work. And a window on Main Street isn't too shabby either.
email me and let me know!

Meetin' and Greetin'

2005-01-11T16:32:00.000-08:00

Last night's meeting was well attended and I hope that you all got something out of it.

I really enjoyed Becky's RADD video and am wondering if any of you were moved to think about volunteering at the Library Nights or other activities.

Also having Mark speak to you was just so natural, because he deals with a lot of teens that need community service and wants it to be meaningful.
He works with a lot of different people and is a good person to "impress" if you are eager to work with children and have your heart in the right place.

I fully agree that you =that means Pleasanton teens= are capable of coming up with some great ideas for what we librarians call "programming"
I will be posting some of my ideas on this blog...but would love to hear some of your ideas.
So whether it be anonymous or not, please feel free to comment ;)

Questions

2005-01-05T18:33:00.000-08:00

Okay, so now that I have introduced myself. Let me introduce TAG.
The Teen Advisory Group is a group of teens that advises the librarian (that would be me)
on many aspects of library service to teens. The library serves teens in Pleasanton with the collection (books and media) programming (you know those author visits, or entertainer, speaker of some sort) and the space it provides for teens to hang out while they are here.
It can also mean all the things that Jan (my library assistant and right hand woman) can come up with for you to do to earn those Community Service Credits everybody so desperately needs.

and what's up with those anyway? I have had a dozen teenagers come in this past week alone asking for hours. Didn't you all get this assignment in September? I put things off when I was in school, but how does anybody expect to do 20 hours of volunteering in 2-3 days? (while going to school, sleeping etc) It is impossible.
I have a question I would love to get some responses to:

How do you feel about the Community Service requirement for school? Is it okay? Is it forced on you? What do you get out of it?

Introduction

2004-12-05T19:04:00.000-08:00

Any of you visiting this blog may be surprised that I even know what a blog is.
Well, I do.
And I think it will be a great way to communicate with a lot of teens at one time.
instead of just e-mail or sneaking up on them in the stacks!

I wanted to experiment with this idea the moment my boss mentioned it.
She is VERY forward thinking and I think that teens, that would be YOU,
are ahead of all of us technologically speaking.

There are lots of things that I can discuss that may be new to you,
so we'll see how this works!

First of all, I want to introduce myself.
My name is Teresa and I am the Teen Services Librarian
at the Pleasanton Public Library.
I started here on September 1st 2004. And man oh man, it was like jumping in on the deep end from the first day on the job. Now that a few months have passed, I have settled into my office, memorized my phone number, password...boss's name....
Seriously, I LOVE my job. And I know a lot of people that cannot say that. I feel very fortunate to be an advocate for teens in the library. I hope that anybody reading this gets that about me.
I want to learn from you as much as I want to share what I know about books, movies, music and what the public library has to offer.

So I begin this blog as an experiment.
Let's go for it and see what happens!