Have a voice - make a difference.

TAG (Teen Advisory Group) is NTPL's initiative to make the library more teen-friendly. For the teens, by the teens, TAG is facilitated by staff members, but driven by the TAG members themselves, allowing them to suggest and implement strategies to make the New Tecumseth Public Library more welcoming to themselves and their peers.

We are now one year into the initiative and we are seeing really positive things happening at the Library as a result. 

If you're between 13 and 18, would like to have a voice in the community, earn your volunteer hours, and have a lot of fun while making a difference, TAG is for you! Click here for your application form and bring it to your local branch. 

EVENTS:

The next TAG Planning meeting will be on Friday, October 26 at 5:30 pm at the Pam Kirkpatrick Branch in Tottenham and will run about two hours. 

TAG events in the works:

• Teen Book Club - meets the 2nd Saturday of the month at the Memorial Branch @ 2:00 pm
• TAG 2nd Annual Art Expo - spring 2013
• TAG 2nd Annual Writing Contest - summer 2013

If you have any suggestions, please email tag@ntpl.ca. 

Zombie Shoot-Out a Blast

IMAGINE Writing Contest - a Fantastic Day!

Our first annual writing contest was a smashing success!  There were sixteen amazing entries in the four categories up for awards. The maturity and creativity within those stories and poems blew our judges away. All five judges commented on the talent, skill and maturity of the writers. 

Congratulations to all competitors. The scores were close all along and selecting the winners was difficult. 

Thank you to our celebrity judges:

• Mike MacEachern, mayor of New Tecumseth
• Betty Anderson, local author and member of the South Simcoe Arts Council
• Wendy Soloduik, news editor for the New Tecumseth Times
• Mark Gagnon, CEO of New Tecumseth Public Library
• Vikki VanSickle, young adult novelist, author of "Words that Start with B" and "Love is a Four-Letter Word".

You did a fantastic job and the feedback you gave at the awards presentation was filled with encouragement for all entrants, win or lose. We appreciate you giving of your time not just to read all the entries and judge them, but also to come out and give encouragement to the entrants. You efforts were greatly appreciated.

Special thanks to the Mayor and his assistant, Karen Campbell for providing the award certificates for all the winners; and to Vikki VanSickle for doing a fantastic job of reading from her first book "Words that Start with B" and with the question and answer time that followed. You were a great encouragement to young writers just starting out. We look forward to your new book coming out in spring 2013. 

Find out more about Vikki VanSickle's books by visiting her blog. 

Check out the video montage and individual photos on TAG's Facebook page.