These days it's not unusual to see teenagers hanging out in the Mascoutah Public Library.
Normally teenagers don't go to libraries unless they have to, but Mascoutah is offering them a big attraction - their own walled-off room, called "Our Space."
With computers, television, graphic novels, videos, magazines and books, the space officially opened a week ago after a year in the planning.
A sign on the double doors to the space advises that admission is for seventh-graders through age 21. Inside, people were working on computers, watching the big screen television or doing homework in comfortable chairs. Or perhaps they were talking at the purple diner-style booths that were purchased by the Friends of the Library.
Many teenagers are not familiar with libraries but librarians want them to be.
"It's a group we want to appeal to, ones we don't see much," said Marian Albers, Mascoutah library director.
So the library set out to create a youth-friendly environment. With advice from a six-member youth committee, the library built a special area in the same place that used to house junior library materials.
"We didn't take up space from the library, we just basically used the space better," Albers said.
The project used $65,000 in bequests from Leah Gougeon, Alice Rieder and Meryl Schroeder plus some of the furniture, computers and other materials already at computers. Wood shop classes at Mascoutah High School made bookshelves and are working on a cabinet for video and game equipment.
"We did it without spending any taxpayer money," Albers said.
Albers said she relied heavily on the young people on the advisory committee.
"It would have been smaller," she said. "They convinced me to change the plans. I didn't buy anything without someone from the committee along."
"They were going to have a listening center but we didn't want that," said Samantha DiCenso, a Mascoutah senior. "Everyone can listen on their own stuff. We wanted a bigger media area."
Senior Zach Peterson said he pushed for the graphic novels. He said he hasn't heard a lot of kids talking about it but every time he comes he sees young people there.
Other librarians are already calling to ask about it, Albers said.
"This is a lot different than what you would think of a library," she said. "But I always say that if we don't offer them something relevant now, they'll also consider us irrelevant later."
The space is open during library hours, 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Saturday.
Wally Spiers' column runs five days a week. Have a column idea? Call Wally at 239-2506 or (800) 642-3878; or e-mail: wspiers@bnd.com
