by Tiffany Ritter
The Teen Center at the Harbaugh-Thomas Library is a great place for those in 7th-12th grade to relax after school, before sports practice, or during summer afternoons. Currently, the Teen Center is open Tuesday-Friday from 2:45-6:00 PM.
The walls are decorated with artwork and posters made by 7th-12th graders who have visited over the years, and each month, there is a new craft available to encourage creativity. This October, the Teen Center has Haunted House Crafting, where they can create haunted houses out of colorful paper, make them glow with an LED tealight, and take them home to use as decorations.
The Teen Center also features rows of books, including popular manga and graphic novels, a drop-down projector screen that can be used to play video games on the Nintendo Switch or Xbox Series X, and five gaming computers. Some of the most popular games available to play are Mario Kart, Fortnite, Super Smash Bros Ultimate (with all of the DLC), Roblox, and Wii Sports. The Nintendo Switch has four joy-con controllers, so teens can play with friends or make new ones! There are always board games and card games handy to play at the Teen Center, and table tennis is available on Wednesdays and Fridays. Teens can also use the small, attached, single-person study room to focus on homework or to catch up on individual projects. Staff is always present to greet teens, ensure that they are following the behavior policy, and help them with any questions they may have.
There is always something new happening at the Teen Center, and several exciting events are planned for each month. For example, there will be a Halloween Party where 7th-12th graders can eat snacks, enter a costume contest to win a prize and play teen center games with a twist by using sour or sweet roulette candy. This event takes place on October 30 from 3-4 PM. Check out more of our upcoming events at www.adamslibrary.org!
The Teen Center at the Harbaugh-Thomas library is a wonderful resource for the community. It gives teens a free, safe place to go where they can read, socialize, be creative, relax, learn new things, or just have fun. The community continues to grow as the new 7th graders eagerly join each year.
Tiffany Ritter is Teen Specialist of the Harbaugh-Thomas Library in Biglerville, part of the Adams County Library System.