Teens

Teen Services at Adams County Library System are focused on young people ages 12 - 18.

We encourage students in middle school and high school to explore and experience all the library has to offer. Books, electronic resources that can offer homework help or college prep, programs that dig deeper into literature or offer hands-on STEAM opportunities are all available at your library.

STEAM

STEAM is the abbreviation for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math. It's an integrated approach to learning that encourages students to think more broadly about real-world problems.

STEAM programs help students:

  • Ask questions
  • Connect the dots
  • Problem solve
  • Think creatively
  • Be innovative

Throughout the year, Adams County Libraries offer students the opportunity to explore the world of STEAM through programs that challenge and enlighten.  In addition, families can check out selected STEAM materials and continue the discovery process at home.

Summer Quest

Adams County Public Libraries are a vital part of our community's learning network. The need for free, high-quality programs for youth that are both fun and educational is critical.  This is especially true during the summer months, when they are susceptible to what is referred to as the "summer slide." In order to engage the youth of Adams County, both physically and mentally, we offer our annual Summer Quest program.

Summer Quest (previously known as Summer Reading) provides youth the opportunity to experience everything the library has to offer through leisure reading, program attendance, and participation in a variety of activities.  Youth register for the program and are asked to log the activities they complete. Incentives are offered for the completion of certain activities. 

In addition to library activities, Adams County Libraries partner with Wellspan to provide a physical activity program called GO (Get Outdoors) Adams.  Based on the outdoor hobby of letterboxing, GO Adams places 15 "landmarks" - wooden marker posts with a unique etching attached in various local parks.  Youth and their families are provided with rubbing sheets to record their visit to the various landmarks.  The sheets are then returned to the local libraries, and then on to Wellspan, with the chance to win prizes.

Teen Read Week

Read For The Fun Of It!

Held each year during the third week of October, Teen Read Week is a national literacy initiative of the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association.

The week's theme, Read For The Fun Of It, is enhanced each year with a new sub-theme that serves as a basis for developing programs in schools, public libraries, and bookstores. In 2017, that sub-theme was Unleash Your Story!

Teen Tech Week

Use your library as a bridge across the digital divide during Teen Tech Week, a national initiative sponsored by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) each March.

Teen Tech Week is when libraries make the time to showcase all of the great digital resources and services that are available to help teens succeed in school and prepare for college and 21st century careers.

Celebrate the next Teen Tech Week with the theme "Libraries are for Creating," March 4-10, 2018.
This year's theme encourages teens to take advantage of all the great digital tools offered through the library to become content creators, and to leverage library resources to share out their creations, whether they be podcasts, videos, apps, games, wearable tech, or some other fabulous invention or creation!

Teen Resources

The Adams County Library System helps teens build critical digital literacy skills, which they can use for homework help, to obtain scholarships, secure jobs, effectively manage their online identity and more.  Because digital media plays an important part in a teens' life, we're working to ensure that teens are competent and ethical users of digital media, especially the nonprint resources offered, such as e-books, e-readers, databases, audiobooks, and social media. 

Teens will find resources for planning for college, career choices, and more: 

Teens' Pages