Young Readers Come Together at the Library

Name a rapidly growing phenomenon in town over the past few years?

In a word - SPLAT.

Since becoming Young Adult Librarian and Volunteer Coordinator in 2007, Dan Barbour has set out to increase tween and teen participation in the Advisory Team (SPLAT).

“I created a new logo to market the group, and then spread the word that youth can earn service hours for attending, which had always been the case, just not emphasized,” he said. “I also increased the meeting frequency so teens could feel connected more often—before, if you missed one meeting, you might not see the group for two months, and that just wasn't appealing to anyone involved.”

Becoming a member is simple.

“There is no application process, there is no screening of members based on anything but grade level—you just have to be in 5th-12th grade, have a good attitude, and start coming to the meetings,” Barbour said. “Once you've attended a few meetings and show commitment to the group, you get a special SPLAT decal on your library card that earns you privileges including help with overdue fines if you have them.”

Members have expressed that they really cannot understand why they actually get “credit” for having a great time.

SPLAT has attracted members in droves over the past several years.

“When the group was polled, the number one reason given for why they attend SPLAT meetings is to meet new people,” Barbour said. “…With that known, I would tell prospective SPLAT members that if they want to come to a safe environment where their thoughts and ideas will be fostered and respected, where their creativity can be developed amongst peers, and where they can earn service hours in the most fun possible way, join SPLAT.”  

Volunteer opportunities are abundant within SPLAT.

“The different meetings we hold offer a variety of…volunteer opportunities for teens—our new TV show group, fundraising team, event planning team, and ordering of materials team all offer different ways to volunteer,” Barbour said. “Whether it's working at our Saturday SPLAT cafe, planning a trivia night or cooking competition, or suggesting a new book or video game, the members are totally active in every aspect of teen services.”  

SPLAT holds four to five meetings per month and a number of special events like the extremely popular Paranormal Investigator visit a couple months ago. Meeting and event attendance have both been on the rise, Barbour said.

“For instance, in December we had an attendance rate of 281 youths for 16 events or meetings, and another 36 rode the shuttle from the middle schools," he added.

Regarding SPLAT, he added, “It's great to see such a diverse group come together.”