Big Changes for Tweens and Teens at the Morse Institute Library

Check out the newly renovated Teen Room at the Morse Institute Library after school any day of the week and you’ll see why libraries remain important to teens. Teens are relaxing on the comfortable furniture, using the computers, reading magazines and graphic novels, browsing booklists to find something new, or playing with the Teen Room’s collection of games.

“I wanted to create a safe space for teens where they can get the things they actually want,” says Robin Fosdick, the Teen Librarian. Since joining the Morse Institute staff in June of 2014, Fosdick has made creating a great space for teens her top priority. Physical improvements in the Teen Room include new furniture and a redesign of the space. Building library collections and programs that meet the needs of teens led Fosdick to revamp the graphic novel collection, create subject oriented booklists for readers, add a section for award-winning GLBTQ titles, and create a calendar of programs that are engaging for teen audiences. In keeping with the “safe space” mission of the Teen Room, this library space is reserved for library patrons between the ages of 11-18. “The Teen Room belongs to the teens,” Fosdick says. “Anyone can come in and grab a book, but the seats and the computers are for teens. This has to be a safe space,” Fosdick adds.

Building programs for teen audiences has also been a focus for Fosdick. Past and upcoming programs range from creative writing workshops to an ongoing technology-oriented Teen Maker Lab to a cupcake decorating Cupcake Wars program.

Stop by and introduce yourself to Robin in the library’s second floor Teen Room, or visit her online at MorseInstitute.org/Teens where you can find information on teen events, suggested books, and the Morse Teen Librarian Tumblr!