YA Crew Meeting

Tuesday January 10 @ 3PM

In less than two weeks, we'll be having our first YA Crew meeting of the new year! We'll be talking about our upcoming programs and especially the Teen/Tween Carnival! So bring a friend and your ideas!

 I also have some random prizes to give away, so don't miss out! And, as always, snacks will be provided. Call the library at 330-343-6123 to register!

Snowed In Game Day

Tuesday December 27 (only 8 days away!) we'll be having our first Tween/Teen event ever! That's right, it's time for the "Snowed In" Game Day! This event is open to patrons ages 9-18, so call the library today at 330-343-6123 to sign up!

Don't miss out on all the fantastic games, challenges, and prizes! So bring a game and a friend (or your little brother) to the "Snowed In" Game Day! 

Gingerbread Houses - Pics and More!

 Hello, everyone! I am proud to announce that our Gingerbread Houses event was a huge success! Pictures are available on our Facebook Page, or you can save this neat digital scrapbook page.

Teen participants each made their own gingerbread house out of real gingerbread, royal icing, and candy decorations that teens brought to share. The results were, as always, awesome and creative! We also listened to festive music on Pandora (the Christmas Pop station, in case any of you were wondering) and had popcorn and hot cocoa. The event was a lot of fun, and I hope to repeat the event next year. 

If this event has sparked your creativity and you find you want to make your own gingerbread masterpieces at home, here are a few things I learned. 

1. When making the gingerbread, you want it stiff. So, you might have to add lots of flour to your recipe. 
2. Also, you may want to wait a couple days after baking your gingerbread before making the house.
3. If you don't feel like baking (and I wouldn't blame you for this one) you can also use graham crackers to build your house. 
4. Regarding Icing: When it feels like you've got too much powdered sugar, you've probably got it about right. 
5. Use Lots of Icing in the seams of the house as reinforcements and either have a partner or a few canned goods around to help you hold it up while the icing sets. 

Finally, I just wanted to thank everyone again for coming! It was a great event, and even though my arm kind of hurt on Wednesday from all the mixing of the icing, I had a blast! Hope to see you all again at our Snowed In Game Day on December 27 at 3PM. Call the library at 330-343-6123 to register!

Happy Holidays! ~ Liz

Gingerbread Houses!

Tuesday December 13, at 3:00, we'll be having our Gingerbread Houses event! Call the library at 330-343-6123 to register for this awesome program!
 We'll be making Gingerbread Houses out of real gingerbread, pre-cut for our teens. Royal icing and some candy decorations will also be provided, but you are welcome (and actually encouraged) to bring a bag of candy to share so we can have a variety and abundance of colorful decorations. Teens can work in teams or on their own to create gingerbread masterpieces. AND teens will be allowed to take their gingerbread houses home!

We will also be having popcorn and hot cocoa and listening to festive music. 

I am very excited for this event, and I hope that you all are too! If you haven't already registered, you can do so by calling the library at 330-343-6123 or by emailing me at strausel@oplin.org.

One Week Left!

 

Holiday Mail for Heroes ends in just ONE WEEK, so get to the library to make your card for a service member! Supplies are located in the YA Lounge (up in the corner, by the shiny new windows). Turn your signed card in at the Circulation Desk for a chance to win the Teens' Top Ten novel by Cassandra Clare: The Clockwork Angel. 

A Few Reminders to Our Participants:

1. All Cards MUST be SIGNED! 
Not only is this a rule from the American Red Cross, but how am I supposed to know who to give this great book to if the card has no name on it?
2. Use Generic Salutations such as "Dear Hero" or "Dear Service Member"
3. Do not include personal contact information, just your name. 
4. I also ask that you be Kind to our YA Lounge Table and try to keep it tidy.

I want to thank everyone who has already made a card. So far, we're up to 12! That's Awesome! I know our service men and women will greatly appreciate your thoughts and well-wishes.

Chopped Competition Part 2

 I'm glad to report that our Chopped Competition was a great success! For those of you who missed it, here are the highlights of the program. 

First, the Secret Ingredients were: Deli Turkey, Flour Tortillas, and Peppermint Candies. Wait, what? Yup! Peppermint Candies. Here is the first team crushing up the peppermints to make something awesome! 

 They found out the hard way that sometimes chocolate and peppermint don't mix well. Namely, when you put them in the microwave for too long. It was a great idea, guys! That's why the other teams ended up crushing their peppermints, too!

 Participants were not judged on taste alone. They were also judged on Presentation. It's all in the details, as our next team can tell you. 





Here they are making sure everything is perfect in their marshmallow, peppermint, chocolate and graham cracker creation.

Of course, only one team could win! Their appetizer was a salad with tomatoes and popcorn. Their main dish was a cheese and turkey wrap with cheese sauce. Finally, their dessert was a tortilla with chocolate pudding, peppermint, and marshmallow, heated until gooey. (I think I'm going to have to try that one at home, guys.) 


Congrats, Team Three! You've won the first ever DPL Teens Chopped Competition! Hopefully, it won't be the last! 


Have a great break, everyone, and Happy Turkey Day!

Last Chance: "Chopped" Competition

The "Chopped" Competition is Tuesday November 22 at 3PM in the Community Room! (AKA Tomorrow!) For those who have not yet signed up, today could be your last chance to come show off your cooking skills and quick thinking.

How the Competition will Work:
1. Participants will be separated into 3 teams. 
2. Each team will be given the 3 secret ingredients (these will be the same for each team)
3. Each team will then have 1 hour to complete an appetizer, a main dish, AND a dessert using the 3 ingredients. (You do not have to use all three for each dish, but you have to use each ingredient at least once.)

•  Teams will have access to a "Pantry" with other foods they can use to make their dishes.
• Teams will also have access to a microwave and a George Foreman Grill at the Heating Table (Teams will take turns using the Heating Table)
• No food items will HAVE to be cooked. (There will be no eggs, no raw meat, no cake batter. It can all be eaten cold.)

4. When a team is finished, they clean up their area and wait for the other teams to be finished.
5. When all teams are finished they must present their dishes to the judges. (Just tell them what it is, how you used the ingredients)
6. Judging will be based on Creativity, Adherence to the Rules, Taste, and Display/Plating. Winning team will receive the Grand Prize of up to $3 off their fines and first dibs on door prizes. Judges will be adults. 

Holiday Mail for Heroes

How would you like to win a copy of Cassandra Clare's Teens' Top Ten novel The Clockwork Angel? 

This holiday season, Dover Public Library is having Holiday Mail for Heroes Raffle and giving away a hardcover copy of this great novel! To enter the raffle, all you have to do is make holiday card for a service member and turn it in at the circulation desk. Materials to make your card are set up in the YA Lounge. We have di-cuts, scissors, glue, and construction paper. You can also make your card at home and bring it in if you want. Please do not use glitter if you do make a card at home.

Other rules:

• Use Generic Salutations (Like "Dear Service Member" or "Dear Hero")
• All cards must be signed
• Do not put contact information in your card 

Holiday Cards for Heroes is a program from the American Red Cross. For more information on their rules and how to participate in the program on your own, please visit them HERE.


If you have any questions about the raffle or other teen programs at the library, you can call Liz at 330-343-6123 or email her at strausel@oplin.org. 


I hope everyone takes advantage of this fun and creative way to give back to our service members this holiday season!

YA Crew Update

Thanks, everyone who came to the YA Crew Meeting! I hope you enjoyed the food, games, and the privilege of being extra loud in the library! 

For those of you who weren't there, here's what's still to come this Fall for Dover Teens.

November 22 @ 3 PM - Chopped Competition
I give you 3 random ingredients, and you give Me something creative, tasty, and pretty. (Judging will be by Library staff.)

December 13 @ 3 PM - Gingerbread Houses!
You may not have realized, but this was the last YA Crew meeting of the Season! Not to worry, next month we're decorating Gingerbread houses instead. Please make sure to register and bring a bag of candy to share so that we have a good variety of decorations. 

December 27 @ 3 PM - "Snowed In" Game Day
Open to TWEENS and TEENS! Join us for a fun afternoon of games and challenges! 

Call the library at 330-343-6123 to Register! Events are open to Teens ages 12-18. (Except the Game Day which is open to ages 10-18)

Origami Lesson

First, let me say: GO TORNADOES!

Now that that's done, I have a great video to share with you all. It's a tutorial on how to make an Origami Basketball Hoop! Special thanks to Gaven; This was his idea. (Well, teaching me how to make the basketball hoop was his idea, putting it on the blog to weird music was mine)

If Anyone Else out there has an Idea for a Blog Post (video, review, tutorial, etc.) you can email me at strausel@oplin.org

The Halloween Lock-In

Friday October 21 - Saturday October 22 

Congratulations, everyone! We made it through Dover Public Library's first Halloween Lock-In!! 

 
We started out with some Icebreaker Games and a Costume Contest. One of the games was Halloween Guess Who. Directions: Put a Post-It on someone's forehead with a Halloween creature (Dracula, Zombie, Black Cat, etc) written on it and make them guess what it is by asking everyone else questions. Our Costume Contest Winner was the Ninja! He won a Vampire Book.

Next, we had pizza and hang-out time while the Scavenger Hunt was getting set up upstairs...

After the Scavenger Hunt, we had more Games and Crafts! We had Pumpkin Painting, Just Dance 2, and a spontaneous Origami table! (See future Blog Post for Gaven's "How to Make a Basketball Hoop")

 

 Next, we played games upstairs in the dark. Flashlight Tag, Infected, Sardines, and Ghosts in the Graveyard. Lots of fun. No pictures, sorry. Just imagine a bunch of kids running around like lunatics for a while, and that's pretty much what it was. They had to work off the pizza and Halloween candy somehow, right?

After the games, we voted on a movie to watch, though only about three people paid attention to it. During the movie, people also did crafts, finished their pumpkins, and played games. 

 Next it was time for playing on the computers and finding other quiet ways to spend the remaining hours of the lock-in. Like playing Uno in the processing room.

Breakfast was at 6 AM. We had chocolate chip muffins, banana nut muffins, orange juice, milk, and apples. Right after breakfast, we had Door Prizes! There were 15 Teens, and Everyone got a Prize! Door Prizes included: Books, 2 Gift Cards to Subway, Journals, Tote Bags, 2 Origami Kits, and 3 King Sized Candy Bars! Congrats to all the winners, and thanks to everyone who came and made the Halloween Lock-In so Awesome. 

Finally, a VERY special thanks to the Friends of the Dover Public Library for buying us our Pizza! You're the best Friends group Ever! Thank You! 

Happy Teen Read Week!

 

Comment on this Post to get your Ticket! 

Comment as Anonymous & leave me your Email only 

Teen Read Week

Join us October 16-22 to earn your chances to win the awesome Teen Read Week Raffle! The Prize is a tote bag stuffed with a book, a journal, an origami set, a T-shirt and more! (See the awesomeness to the left? It's awesome.) 

Teen Read Week is all about teens and the library, and there are lots of ways for you to get involved at Dover Public Library. In other words, there are lots of ways to earn tickets to win the Prize.

   

Teens can enter the Teen Read Week Raffle by:

1. Checking out materials
2. Recommending Books (by filling out a “Recommended Reads” Bookmark at the Circulation Desk)
3. Commenting on the Teen Facebook or the blog
4. Finding Liz
5. Using a Computer in the Tech Room

 Fine Print:

 You can get one ticket per activity per day. So, you can earn a ticket by checking out materials then go over and get on a computer for another ticket. You can't check out materials twice in the same day and get two ticket, though. You can come back the next day and earn more tickets.

YA Crew Meeting on Tuesday!

In 3 Days we'll be having our October YA Crew meeting at 3PM in the Community Room!

On the agenda this month:

 1. The Halloween Lock-In: Bring any ideas that you have and give some feedback on other ideas as well. (What are some Halloween Movies that you like that are rated PG-13 or below? Help!)

 2. Teen Read Week: Hopefully this event won't get too lost in the excitement of the Lock-In, because I have a great raffle prize! Come to the meeting to get a first look and a bonus raffle ticket.

3. Pizza: Very important.

Halloween Lock-In Registration Begins Saturday October 1st!

It's hard to believe it's that time already: time to start thinking about the Halloween Lock-In!

When

The Lock-In Starts on Friday October 21 at 6PM and ends on Saturday October 22 at 7AM. 

How to Register

You need a permission slip! These are available at the Circulation Desk. We also have an agenda (not a strict schedule, but the basic things we'll be doing and the approximate times we'll be doing them) and a packing list.

Important 

Registration is limited to 12 teens! Register early! Priority will be given to teens who are in the YA Crew and who have participated in other teen events. After that, it's on a first come first served basis. 

I have a feeling spots will fill up quickly, so get your name on the list and your form back as quickly as you can to make sure you've got a spot.

What do you do at a lock-in?

Well, first we're going to have games. Lots of games. Then we're going to have pizza and a scavenger hunt. We'll be decorating pumpkins and playing more games and running around the library acting like zombies. We'll also be watching a Halloweeny movie (PG-13 or under) and having tech time/quiet hours. At this Halloween Lock-In we'll also have a costume contest! No, you don't have to dress up, but if you don't, how are you going to win the contest? 

Need More Info?

You can download forms from the event or story pages on the Dover Public Library main Website http://doverlibrary.org/content/halloween-lock. You can also email me (Liz) at strausel@oplin.org or call me at 330-343-6123. 

Looking forward to seeing you at the Halloween Lock-In! 

More Banned Books Week Events!

So, we gave you a head start on the Video Contest (see below), but what else is going on for Banned Books Week? Two more chances to win some great prizes!

First, we're having a Get Caught with a Banned Book Raffle! Go pick out your favorite Banned Book and get your picture taken to get a ticket! We might post the pictures on FaceBook, but we will not tag anyone. (I really haven't decided what to do with the pictures yet. You might end up on Banned Books Week Posters for Next Year.) You can enter with up to 5 books. Winner of the raffle receives a book and a candy bar!

Next, we are having a Censored Trivia Quiz! Come to the YA Lounge and take this fun quiz to test your knowledge of banned and challenged books. Winners will receive up to $5 off their fines!

Winners will be announced on October 1, 2011. Watch Facebook and this Blog for the Winners. 

 

 PS: We still don't have a winner for Library Clue! The Prize now includes: a Tote Bag, a Book, a Candy Bar, a Mystery Patch (no, it's not a surprise, it's Mystery Patch), a Puzzle Ball, and a Pencil! Does that sweeten the deal? Make your guess today and you could win!

Banned Books Week Video Contest!

Banned Books Week is almost upon us! Time to get started on your entry for our Banned Books Week Video Contest!


This Video Contest is a great chance for you to celebrate your freedom to read,.unleash your creativity, and win a great prize: an iTunes gift card! 

Guidelines:

1. Up to 3 Teens can be in a Team
2. Make sure you put the names of all team members in the video somewhere
3. Mention at least 1 banned/challenged title (see lists & resources below)
4. Video must be less than 5 minutes (I'm sure you don't want to make a ten minute video, right? I wouldn't, either.)
5. Keep to the theme: Freedom to Read!
6. Submit finished video to Liz the Teen Librarian, somehow (burn it to a CD, send the link to it on YouTube, email Liz the video, bring in a flashdrive etc.) by October 1, 2011, at 5 PM. (PS - Liz's email is strausel@oplin.org)
7. Again, the deadline is Saturday October 1 at 5 PM
8. Video will be judged based on creativity, adherence to guidelines, and illustration of the theme, Freedom to Read.
9. Winner will be announced Saturday October 8. Winner will receive an iTunes gift card!

Now for some Ideas to get you Started!

(Not all-inclusive! Ignore me and go your own way if you want! Just stick to the theme.)
1. Banned Slideshow - Covers of books that were banned and why, set to catchy music
2. Reading from a banned book - Love The Hunger Games? Read your favorite passage!
3. Musical Parody - Turn your favorite song into a Banned Books Week Anthem!

Get started on your video early and submit by October 1 to win the gift card!

 Some Banned Books

1. The Hunger Games
2. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
3. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
4. Harry Potter
5. To Kill a Mockingbird
6. Twilight
7. The Outsiders
8. Catcher in the Rye
9. And Tango Makes Three
10. The Chocolate War

For More Banned Books: Visit ALA's Banned Books Week Webpage!

YA Crew Meeting

Tuesday Afternoon at 3PM was our first YA Crew Meeting of the Fall. We had pizza, popcorn, and punch! We talked about our ongoing programs: Clue and the Where Were You When Event. The next Big Thing happening for DPL Teens is Banned Books Week 9/25-10/1. So, we talked about that and the video contest, raffle, and trivia quiz that will be happening. We also talked briefly about the Lock-In. 

Now is your chance, if you missed the meeting, to give us your input:

Does Tuesdays at 3 work for you? If not, when would be a better time for the YA Crew to meet so that you could join us for awesome pizza?

Do you have any ideas for the Halloween Lock-In October 21-22? If you went to April's Lock-In, what did you like the most? Anything we could change to make this Lock-In even better?

Any other comments and ideas are very welcome! Don't forget to put in your guess for Library Clue! Four more clues have been revealed! Be the first to guess correctly, and you'll win a book and a candy bar!

Clue Update!

Happy Saturday Everyone! I have an update for you all on what clues have been revealed the last 2 weeks. You can scratch the following cards off your list! Make your guess today to win a book and a candy bar! You can also see the clues as they come up by visiting Dover Public Library every Thursday this month!


The Following Suspects have been Cleared: Mrs. Brown, Professor Peach, Miss Lavender, Dr. Turquoise, and Mr. Magenta.

 

The Following are Not the Murder Weapon: The Scissors, the Bookend, the Telephone, and the Vase.

 And the Crime Scene is Not: The AV Room, the Adult Department, and the Processing Room.

Submit your guess to the Circulation Desk, by commenting on this post, OR by emailing Liz today!

 

9/11 - Ten Years Later

Cleveland Plain Dealer 

 

 

 

I was sitting in English class, a Freshman in High School. They told us over the announcements that two planes had hit the World Trade Center. Ten years later, the pictures from 9/11 are still as haunting as they were the first day I saw them: 9/12/2001. 

This September, I ask you to remember what happened on 9/11, and take a moment to look at the newspaper front pages from around the country and the world at Newseum. Some of these I have posted in the library. In the YA Lounge, you will find another activity to remember 9/11. All you have to do is write down where you were when you first learned about 9/11, then return the slip to a librarian for a prize for participating.

DPL Clue

It's almost time for DPL Clue! Only 2 days left until the first six clues are revealed and the fun begins! For the full rundown on Everything DPL Clue, You can check out the page above. For just a quick run-down, keep reading!

First, this is a month-long event. If some lucky teen guesses the correct suspect, room, and weapon in the first week, I guess I'll just have to reset the game and buy another prize, because we'll be doing it again! 

Next, know that our Clue is different. The characters are different; the weapons are different; the rooms are different. You still play by process of elimination, but you don't have to worry about moving a piece around a board, just about beating everyone else to the correct guess


Finally, to play, you'll need a DPL Clue Bookmark, located in the YA Lounge, at the Circulation Desk, and online. Technically, I suppose you don't NEED a bookmark, but they'll help. And I spent all that time making them. Mark off clues as they come up and make your guess. If you guess wrong, you have to wait until the next week to make another guess. If you guess correctly, congrazzles! You're the winner of a book and a candy bar.


Was it Mr. Magenta in the Processing Room with the Stapler? Find out by playing DPL Clue!