The first successful completion of the Mexico-Audrain County Library’s Teen Summer Reading Program is one for the books. Teen participants celebrated by attending the July 27 wrap up party. The party included a book scavenger hunt around the library, a book trading game, prizes, and refreshments.

While a teen summer reading program was previously attempted, this was the first one that was fully executed. Kasi Welborn, library assistant and teen coordinator, started the Book Dragon Domain book club which served as one catalyst for the summer program. 

“I was ecstatic to start the book club, and it was enough of a success that I decided to ask if I could do a teen summer reading program,” said Kasi Welborn. 

The target age range for the program was 12–18. However, reaching this age group has been a challenge. Some of those challenges have been school stress, conflicting schedules, and lack of transportation. Another challenge has been getting teens in the library. “Most kids that age just want to hang out with friends and don’t realize the library is a place they are welcome to do that,” said Welborn.

Using her experience with youth and placing herself in the teenage mindset, Kasi Welborn used a rewards based system. In this system, teens logged the time they spent reading and the time was converted into points. The points then could be used to buy prizes. Using prizes as incentives served as a means of getting more noses in books and teens in the library. “I’m hoping that we are encouraging them and letting them know that reading isn’t just something little old ladies do or little kids do,” said Welborn, “it’s something everyone can do and benefit from, even if it’s just getting a key ring out of the prize bucket.” 

Libby Rose, Abbi Welborn and Katherine Farley were three of the teen participants in the program. Each teen had their own takeaways from participating, whether it was discovering something new or opening up. For Rose, the program introduced her to different genres like sci-fi. 

“I wasn’t into it very much,” said Rose. 

For Abbi Welborn, the prizes awakened a new sticky interest.

 “I found a bunch of dragon stickers, and they are now my new hyper fixation,” she said.

For Farley, the teen program provided a community. “It’s helped me come out of my shell. I was very antisocial before I started this,” said Farley. 

Like a reader opening up the pages of a book, Kasi Welborn’s goal for this program was for teens to open and walk through the doors of the library. 

“My goals were mostly just to get that age group in the library,” said Kasi Welborn, “even if they didn’t end up coming in more than once every few weeks, just getting them in here and realizing, hey, this is still a space. Libraries are still important. They’re not just for school. They’re a very important part of our community.” 

Though the teen summer reading program’s chapter has come to an end, the book club will meet again Aug. 27.