Library is becoming a center for Sisters teens

The Sisters Library is becoming a regular after-school gathering spot for local teens. Special activities that do not involve reading or reviewing books transform the library's conference room into a teen center at least one afternoon every month.

Some months more than one after-school event is organized for local teens, Linda Olson, Deschutes Public Library Teen Services Librarian, told The Nugget. Olson spends every Tuesday in Sisters, and, in addition to overseeing book clubs at both the middle and high schools, she plans numerous activities for students ages 12-17.

"This is one of the programs when I get high schoolers, middle schoolers, homeschoolers. They all mix together. They socialize together," Olson said.

December's teen event featured the music video games Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) and Guitar Hero and attracted an all-male group of teenagers.

"Every third week we get the gaming equipment. It rotates around the district," Olson said. She noted that in Sisters on game day generally only boys attend.

"When I do this in Redmond, I have both girls and boys," she said.

According to Olson, both DDR and Guitar Hero help students with hand-eye

coordination.

"The DDR especially is great exercise," she said. "Kids don't get a lot of exercise anymore in school, and this is a really good physical outlet for them, but mostly it's the socialization. It makes the library seem like a great place for teens to come, which is what we're always striving for."

To play DDR a person standing on a pad and using his or her feet responds to arrows that appear on a screen. The arrows are synchronized to correspond to the beat of a chosen song. Skill level is judged by the player's success at timing and positioning his or her foot steps to correspond to the arrows as they appear on the screen.

"I basically come here to the library to hang out with all my friends and do cool activities," said seventh grader Richard Tewalt. "I like Guitar Hero best, where you play this virtual guitar. It's actually quite difficult."

About Dance Dance Revolution, seventh grader Nathan Pajutee said: "I have this game at home, and I've been playing it for about a year-and-a-half.

It took me about a year to become an expert."

Eighth grader Alejandro Castillo was attending the event for the first time.

"I came to hang out with friends and have a great time and have some treats. I like the games. Dance Dance Revolution is a bit more difficult than Guitar Hero, depending upon your difficulty level and your physical condition," he said.

The next teen event is a duct tape workshop scheduled for Tuesday, January 22.

"Students just make things out of duct tape," Olson said. "We're trying to provide something for everybody."

All Sisters teens are welcome to attend. For more information about the Sisters Branch Library's after-school program for teens, visit http://www.dpls.lib.or.us and click on the "Teen Scene" link or contact Olson on Tuesdays at 312-1070.