The Fayette County Public Library welcomes teens seeking shelter from summer heat and vacation boredom, with a wide variety of things to do for ages 12 to 18 during the hot summer months of June and July. The theme for the 2009 Summer Reading Program for teens and adults is “Express Yourself @ Your Library.” Accordingly, this summer is chock-full of hands-on opportunities for creative expression. As always, the summer reading program also offers teens the chance to have fun reading and earn prizes for what they read.

To get started on the summer reading program, teens need only visit the Fayette County Public Library and pick up a READ bingo card. The card provides spaces for readers to track their reading and other library-related activities. Each completed column or row gains them a pick from the prize box. This year’s prize selection offers a wider-than-ever array of fun incentives from which to choose. Every completed bingo card, once validated by library staff, becomes an entry in the grand prize drawing for a Nintendo Wii game console.

The Fayette County Public Library offers a full calendar of programs for ages 12 to 18 throughout the rest of June and July.

Beginning on June 8, teens can see a free movie (with popcorn and drinks) at 3 p.m. every Monday afternoon through July 27. Licensing restrictions prohibit publication of film titles outside of the library; call the library at 770-461-8841 to find out what’s playing each week. This summer’s lineup offers something for every taste, and all movies are rated either PG or PG-13.

New this summer is the “My Kind of Heroine” book discussion group for teens, focusing on books with a touch of the supernatural. The group meets every two weeks, on the second and fourth Thursdays in June and July at 3:00 p.m. The first meeting on June 11 will be all about “Twilight,” the wildly popular vampire romance by Stephenie Meyer. Copies of “Twilight” are on reserve behind the main desk at the library. Call or come in to sign up for the book group and check out a copy.

Other teen programs scheduled for June include a mask-making workshop (Wednesday, June 17 at 2 p.m. – limit 10 participants, sign up in advance), a hip-hop dance workshop (Wednesday, June 24 at 5 p.m. – no registration required), and two fashion design sessions (Wednesday, June 10 and Saturday, June 27, both at 2 p.m. – no registration required). July brings more opportunities for fun and self-expression, with a comic book art workshop on Tuesday, July 7 at 4 p.m., another fashion design class on Wednesday, July 15 at 2 p.m., and a yoga workshop on Wednesday, July 29 at 5 p.m. All of these programs are just for ages 12 to 18.

Artistic teenagers have two different art contest opportunities at the library this summer. The teen “Express Yourself with Books” photography contest runs throughout June and July; stop by the library to pick up an entry form with all the details. Both teens and adults are encouraged to enter the “Read A Book/Create Some Art” contest, which is part of the 2nd annual “Fayette on the Page – One Book, One Community Program,” focusing on “A Lesson Before Dying,” by Ernest J. Gaines. Details on “Fayette on the Page” and the “Read A Book/Create Some Art” competition are available at the library and on the library website.

The Fayette County Public Library 2009 Teen Summer Reading Program is set to end with a bang: an outdoor “Battle of the Bands” on the library grounds will take place on Thursday, July 30 starting at 4:30 p.m. Musical groups (all genres welcome) whose members are ages 12 to 19 are eligible to enter the competition. Certain rules and regulations apply; pick up a registration form with all the details in time to enter by Monday, July 20. The public is invited to attend the Battle of the Bands and enjoy the music, along with free refreshments.

The Fayette County Public Library is located behind the Fayette County administrative complex in downtown Fayetteville, at the southwest corner of Highways #85 and #54. For additional information, please contact the library at 770-461-8841, or visit the library website at www.fayettecountyga.gov/public_library.

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