Connie Ryan Love Teen Zone

The Connie Ryan Love Teen Zone

The Library's teen space was formed in 2022 thanks to the generous donations made in memory of longtime library supporter Connie Ryan Love. Connie was a fierce advocate for helping teens, and this new Teen Zone will forever serve as a reminder of her life and legacy.

Within the Connie Ryan Love Teen Zone are several unique areas designed with the needs of our community’s teens in mind. The Teen Lounge, enclosed by transparent partitions, contains television sets and gaming consoles where teens in grades 7-12 can play video games on the Nintendo Switch, Playstation 5, and Playstation 5 VR. The Lounge features comfortable seating, gaming chairs, and a charging station for teens’ devices. Across from the Lounge lies the Café, which consists of a large table perfect for playing board games and a retro diner booth straight out of the ‘50s. Teens love to flock here after school with their Skinner’s goodies in tow!

The newest addition to the Teen Zone is a quiet seating area behind the YA fiction collection, where our Confidential Corner is housed. The Confidential Corner is a display featuring various mental health resources for teens that can be borrowed anonymously and returned on their own time. We know it can be scary to check out a book on a sensitive topic, which is why the Confidential Corner was created, granting teens access to the materials they need while still preserving their privacy.

Thanks to these fun updates, what was once a Friday afternoon hangout location has become an everyday hotspot for local youth. The Connie Ryan Love Teen Zone is truly a place where teens can express themselves and feel seen.