Murrieta teen council reports strong summer reading turnout, plans more teen events

Gabriela Alvarado, a Teen Advisory Council member from Marietta Valley High School, told the Library Advisory Commission that this year’s summer reading challenge—"Level Up at Your Library"—drew broad participation across age groups. "This year, our summer reading challenge theme was level up at your library designed for all ages," Alvarado said, reporting 1,909 registrations skewed toward children 12 and under and thousands of hours logged by younger readers. Teen participants pledged 1,927 books and returned 649 review logs, she said.

Agnes Rito, supervising librarian, described how the council supported the program by staffing sign-up tables, designing take-home kits and organizing an end-of-summer lock-in escape-room event that staff called the highest-attended teen program of the summer. "We planned, designed, and implemented the end of summer teen lock in escape rooms program," Rito said.

Commissioners pressed the teens and staff on strategies to bring high school students into the library. Suggestions from youth presenters included gaming events, competitive or social challenges and study-hall sessions. "Well, nowadays people are really competitive… gaming is really popular," one teen said when asked what draws peers to events.

Staff and commissioners said partnerships and incentives help. Rito said outreach at high-school lunch tables pulled large crowds and that donor-supported prizes—ranging from sports tickets to theme-park passes—have increased participation. The Friends of the Murrieta Library and other partners were credited with providing many of those incentives.

The commission thanked the Teen Advisory Council and staff and encouraged continued outreach tied to the library’s upcoming expansion plans.

The council presentation concluded with commissioners and staff noting plans to repeat popular events in the fall and to continue recruitment for an expanded Teen Advisory Council.