Teen Summer Program Success

The 2013 Summer Library Program is wrapping up here.  Summer is always our busiest time of year, and this year it felt like especially crazy.  I've been pulling some statistics together for my Teen SLP (which I am completely responsible for) and the numbers don't like:  It really was a lot busier than last year.  A lot busier.  Here are a few of the more interesting numbers:

Total registration in the Teen SLP increased by about 24%.
Total reading done by teens increased by about 16%.
Here's the real kicker:  Total attendance at teen programs increased by a whopping 210%!  This number increases to 431% if you include all of the passive programming that I put together for this summer (none of which existed last year.

No wonder I'm exhausted!  Being around that many teenagers will do that.

There are a couple of things that point to the increase in participation this summer.  The first is that, since I'm not longer the new kid in town at this library, more of the teens in the area know who I am.  Some of the teens who know me especially well (who came to other programs during the school year, etc.) have started bringing their friends to the library and getting them to sign up for summer reading.  Peer pressure and word of mouth does wonders.

I also like to think that the increase in program attendance has something to do with the fact that I put together some awesome teen events this summer.  Enjoy a few pictures from some of these programs:

Last year's popular Ninja Training program returned with
a new and improved format...  And a new and improved
outdoor obstacle course! 

My most well-attended program of the summer was
DIY Henna Body Art.  I ordered and mixed the henna, and
the teens had the change to design their own temporary tattoos.

We did some geocaching at the library...

And found some neat prizes!

We also held a Super Smash Bros.
Brawl tournament.  We had 20 teens
participating in this modified single-
elimination tournament.

The winner of the tournament won
this awesome trophy that  I crafted
from a block of wood, an Iron Man piggy
bank, and some gold spray paint.

To finish off the summer we had an after-hours
zombie party at the library.  Most of the teens
came in costume, and so did I.  I came dressed
as one of the zombies from the hit game Plants
vs. Zombies.  All of teens understood the
reference.  None of my adult co-workers did.