Boisterous Cochrane teens looking to take over a building, be in control of all the decisions, and have their kind of fun will have a target location on Friday evenings starting April 28.
The youths’ pizza-fuelled occupation will start at 6 p.m. at a building located at 405 Railway St. W. There will be no security guards and local police have not been notified.
But the teens are being warned they may be “Shushed” if they’re too loud, as it’s being held at the Cochrane Public Library.
The library is opening its doors to the highest-octane age group on the first of what will be an ongoing Friday evening event, Teen Night Takeover, scheduled to run from April 28 to December. Grade 9 to 12 teens are invited to have their say in what programming they want to enjoy and the library will make it happen.
Games, activities, crafts, movies, fun challenges, and pizza – it doesn’t sound much like a library, which library director Monique Fiedler-Sills said is the whole idea.
According to Fiedler-Sills, it’s always been somewhat of a challenge drawing teenagers to the library – to any library, really – and this new offering intends to change that.
Client satisfaction surveys conducted by the library pointed to the need for such offerings, and the library is now responding to that feedback.
“We’re really hoping this is going to bring them in – this and pizza,” she said with a laugh.
One of the key elements of the Teen Takeover Night that should be of interest for the teens, according to Fiedler-Sills, is the self-financing aspect.
The program participants will decide amongst themselves how they want to allocate $2,000 in funding. Some examples may or may not include things like game consoles or art supplies for the participants.
“It’s a fun space, they’re going to have their own budget to expand, so it’s going to be a great program,” she said.
“They get to decide how to have the best time for the rest of the year.”
The process of deciding on how to draw up their budget actually will have a serendipitous effect as well, as it provides experience in group dynamics and leadership skills as participants connect with peers.
The program is made possible by a grant from Cochrane Family and Community Support Services and Cochrane United Way.
The first two Teen Takeover Nights will be Friday, May 5, from 6 to 8 p.m. and Friday, May 26 at the same time.
The Cochrane Public Library has had some good success stories to tell recently.
According to Fiedler-Sills, program participation has gone up nearly 100 per cent from January to March, compared to the same time frame last year.
The library’s recent decision to eliminate fines and fees also had an immediate impact – new card holder numbers have doubled in the first three months of 2023 (from 465 to 948) and total visits in the same period went up 32 per cent.
“It’s great to see the building busy and buzzing again,” Fiedler-Sills said.
In other library-related news, the CPL is currently looking for a new Program and Engagement Manager. The role is responsible for planning, organizing, delivering, and evaluating programs for patrons of all ages.
The position directly supervises the program team and provides leadership to all staff and will have varying responsibilities related to the development and oversight of library services, programs, and collections and performing other duties as required to support library operations. The deadline for applications is April 21.
For more information on Teen Night Takeover or any other library information, go to cochranepubliclibrary.ca.
