Photo courtesy of Chelsea Public Library.
Kids participate in a Super Smash Bros. video game tournament put on by the Chelsea Public Library.
From crafts and video game tournaments to escape room puzzles, Chelsea Public Library offers much more than books.
They host a variety of events for all ages throughout the year, and there are several coming up for teens 12 to 18 years old, said Melissa Strunk, who is on the library staff.
One event she’s especially excited for is a book signing with 11-year-old James Nelson, who recently published the book “Infinite Squad: Trouble in River City.” The chapter book follows a group of friends in a fast-paced, funny story with plenty of wild escapes.
Nelson and his family have been patrons at the library for several years, and he thanks the librarians at the Chelsea Public Library in his book dedication. The book signing will be Sept. 15 at 5 p.m., and there will be copies of the book available for purchase.
“We’re all really excited about the event,” Strunk said. “We just put the book in our library too, so patrons can check it out.”
Chris Screws, an instructor at the Special FX Academy at Pinson Valley High School, will also be coming to the library patio on Oct. 3 from 1-3 p.m. He will demonstrate different Halloween makeup special effect techniques, and there will be a hands-on activity where teens can practice on themselves.
Other fun fall events for teens will include a video game tournament, bingo, trivia and a jigsaw puzzle tournament where teams compete to see who can assemble the puzzle the fastest to win prizes. There will also be an arts and crafts event where they can create a miniature bookshelf to take home. Strunk said she takes the feedback from the teenagers to create activities they will enjoy.
“We want to provide a safe and fun environment for them,” she said. “We’re trying to offer a lot of different things every month to show them we’re more than just books.”
Something else they’ve started offering for teens is a take-home escape room where students can pick up a packet with different puzzles to solve. Strunk said she hopes to have a new one each month with different themes, like an enchanted library. When they finish the 10 puzzles, they will discover a four-digit code that they can then bring to the library to see if it opens the treasure chest to win a prize.
“If I can get them in the door to take that home, maybe it will pique their interest,” Strunk said. “We have a lot of fun things going on at the library.”
The city of Chelsea will also be hosting a scarecrow decorating contest this fall where businesses can decorate a scarecrow, and the community can vote on their favorites. The library will have an event for teens to come decorate a scarecrow to include in the contest.
Those are only a few of the upcoming activities visitors can look forward to at the library.
“Libraries have evolved, so come check it out and give us a chance,” Strunk said. “Our patrons are just wonderful, and I love everything we have to offer them.”
At 16623 U.S. 280, the Chelsea Public Library is open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. To learn more about upcoming events, follow the library on social media or visit cityofchelsea.com and click “Library.”
