Media contact:
Beth Dempsey, 248.349.7810 or beth@bethdempsey.com
April 1, 2006 (EVANSTON, ILLINOIS) -- The Orange County Library’s (FL) Teen Library Corp (TLC) is the winner of the 2006 Urban Libraries Council (ULC)/Highsmith Award of Excellence. The award, which carries a $1,000 cash prize, honors programs that exemplify the principles of positive youth development and will be presented at the ULC’s Annual Conference in June in New Orleans.
Orange County Library’s unique TLC program inspires kids ages 13 to 18 to give a little “TLC” to their library and their community through hands-on community service experience, fostering civic responsibility. The program began in 2003 with the launch of “Teen Voices,” a teen advisory board that enables kids to collaborate with library administrators on programming and provides a venue for discussion of teen issues at the library. The success of Teen Voices inspired a new position – Program Aid – that enables kids to deepen their involvement in the library through regularly scheduled volunteer opportunities. The Program Aids have become integral components of the library’s Children’s and Young Adult Department, pitching in on major projects and providing kid perspective on outreach. TLC also founded one of the library’s most popular teen clubs – Animanga. Founded and managed by teenagers, Animanga is a monthly club exploring anime and manga, with the more pertinent agenda of creating an atmosphere of trust and respect for each other. As a result of teens’ participation in TLC, the number, quality and attendance of young adult programs has increased throughout the entire Orange County Library System.
”Understanding and addressing the needs of kids and young adults is a critical touchpoint between communities and their public libraries,” said Martin Gomez, president of the ULC. “TLC is a model for all libraries on how to connect with teens on a very real level with teens by providing an outlet for their voices and respecting their contributions.”
The ULC/HIghsmith Award of Excellence was founded in 1995 honor library programs that contribute to positive youth development in urban areas. Judges evaluate programs based on three elements: that the program is developed with youth; it results in youth contributing to their communities, having meaningful relationships with adults and peers, and developing personal and social skills; and, it helps prepare youth for educational and personal challenges.
For more than 30 years the Urban Libraries Council (ULC) has worked to strengthen public libraries as an essential part of urban life. A membership organization of North America’s premier public library systems and the corporations that serve them, the ULC serves as a forum for sharing best practices resulting from targeted research, education and forecasting. The ULC’s programs are acclaimed for inspiring new organizational models that invigorate urban libraries and enrich the areas surrounding them. The ULC is headquartered in Evanston, Illinois. For more information, visit the group on the Web at www.urbanlibraries.com.
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