To meet the needs of increased teen usage in the library, a Teen Advisory Board (TAB) was established in October 2006 to allow teens to have a voice in the planning of programming and services. The Teen Advisory Board currently has 16 members representing the School District of Lancaster, the Phoenix Academy, Penn Manor High School, Lampeter-Strasburg High School, Lancaster Catholic High School, Hempfield High School, and homeschoolers. The Teen Advisory Board expressed a need for their own space in the library, both to provide valuable after school options and resources and to give them a safe and comfortable home away from home. TAB members named their teen space “The Hub”.

The Life of the Mind Consortium is profoundly thankful to the H.W. Wilson Foundation whose grant of $10,000 provided the financial support which, combined with the resourcefulness, talents, and hard work of retirees from Willow Valley, made this project possible.

In December 2006, representatives of the Lancaster Public Library and the Life of the Mind Consortium, a cooperative venture among Willow Valley Retirement Communities, Franklin & Marshall College, Millersville University, and Pennsylvania College of Art & Design, met to discuss possibilities for making The Hub a reality. The Consortium was awarded a grant of $10,000 by the H.W. Wilson Foundation in New York City for Youth Library Projects in Lancaster County. This grant allowed for the purchase of a table, stools, artwork, chairs, additional shelving, a clock and other incidentals to accommodate the young adult collection. In addition to purchasing artwork, the Life of the Mind members also designed and created framed artwork with words of power and imagination. The space is WiFi, which allows teens to bring their laptops and complete their work. The teens also have a whiteboard for their comments about a weekly quote and to communicate with others who share the space. They have noted their positive reactions to The Hub on the whiteboard. One teen expressed it best with “The room rox!”

Don Ankney, Facilities Coordinator at LPL, and Jen Fiene, Ready to Read Coordinator at LPL, worked directly with Kay Vandergrift, Jane Hannigan, Betty Copelman and Hank Copelman of the Life of the Mind Consortium to create the space with the input of the Teen Advisory Board. Consortium members view the project with great enthusiasm saying, “Willow Valley retirees value education and recognize that many children and teens are struggling to achieve success in school. Public libraries can make a difference in that struggle. We want to assist Lancaster County libraries in making children’s and teen spaces as attractive and inviting as possible so they will know we care.”

With the completion of The Hub in March 2007, the teens now have an area that is their own. Samuel Vaughn, a TAB member, commented, “The Hub is building a foundation that will last for a long time. Before it was so boring and dull---now, there is life, colors, and activities.” Jen Fiene commented, “One of the great aspects of having The Hub is that the teens have a sense of ownership and responsibility in the library. They need to know that public libraries are institutions for advancement that serve the entire public.” Don Ankney stated that “The Hub offers educational opportunities, socialization, and allows for increased programming at the library for the community’s teens.” For more comments from the teen users click here.

Debra Rosser-Hogben, Executive Director of LPL, commented “I’m so impressed by the teamwork that has made this teen space possible.”

All digital photos are by Mary Ann Heltshe-Steinhauer and Kay E. Vandergrift