Voices From the Teen Advisory Board

Throughout the year, we like to share essays by members of our Teen Advisory Board (TAB). TAB members help with programming, suggest books for purchase, and write the quarterly TAB magazine. This month, Sharon Vasudevan talks about all the ways TAB service has been meaningful for her. Her essay highlights the importance of TAB as a means of service that suits kids of a literary bent. 

The Library’s Worth

Greetings and salutations to you all! My name is Sharon, and I am a sophomore at Lawrence High School. Like any growing fifteen-year-old, I have multiple hobbies, such as playing piano and violin. I also treasure reading, especially after a grueling timed essay and eight long hours of school. In fact, digging into the most thrilling YA novels gives me the needed dopamine boost to survive the next day at school. Speaking of school, that is a whole different story. I dub it a “mix of emotions” because I go from elated by the hundred at the top of my history test to frustrated at the mention of starting another essay in English class. Regardless, even with these swirling feelings, there are many opportunities for tenth graders in school, one of them being the Sophomore Service Project. This project mandates achieving fifteen hours of community service in nonprofit organizations before the school year ends. When I first heard this news, I knew I had to act - and fast. There were so many options: from clearing invasive species to tutoring second graders; from volunteering in a soup kitchen to providing support at a nursing home. Many Google searches later, I stumbled (graciously) on the Mercer County Library System website. All right, I do admit my sole purpose for being on the website was to inspect if I had any books overdue, but I momentarily got bored and scrolled through the home page, eventually landing on the TAB section (side note: no books were overdue). Anyway, the rest is history, as I then reached out to the coordinators and soon joined the Teen Advisory Board of MCLS. 

But still, out of all of the choices I had to volunteer, why TAB? What made it so cool that I wanted to spend my service hours on it? First of all, even though the library does not have Taylor Swift concert tickets, they do offer tickets to local tourist attractions. Second, the library is my second home. The library has always been a safe space, a haven where I could drown out my problems with the sound of the characters' voices as I buried myself in endless pages of a comforting book. Growing up, visiting the library was part of my Saturday schedule, where it would be a cycle of checking out books and returning them. Not to forget, the librarians were very nice, as they joyfully commented on every book I checked out. You’d think that part of their requirements to become a librarian was to read the whole library! It not only made my weekends better, but my siblings too! With this mindset, it merely makes sense that being a part of the Teen Advisory Board was the only way to embrace my fondness for the library.

So far, being in the TAB has opened doorways (not just the main entrance ones at the library). I was very eager to be “hands on” and directly jumped in at every task I could to contribute, like making bookmarks and greeting cards. I especially relished the once-a-month meetings via Zoom. From there, I got to see the whole of TAB. Everyone, from the coordinators to the members, was very sociable and welcomed me warmly. In a short matter of time, the Teen Advisory Board did not feel like a project I had to complete for my service hours, it felt like a privilege that was humbly bestowed upon me. The word “self” has been replaced with “community.” I feel honored to be part of this group, and I am very proud of all we do to improve Mercer County libraries. While all we do is for the good of the library, I would love to note the best thing about TAB: it connects to my character. I am very shy and usually am hesitant to join organizations as a new member, but the TAB welcomed me in a way I felt comfortable. I look forward to completing more projects for the benefit of the community and engaging in whatever happens in the years to come.

Of course, joining TAB also implies that I will be assisting in recommending books corresponding to the season we are in. A lot of people tend to shrug and sigh at the thought of reading, but in reality, reading books daily offers a lifetime of skills that are not offered in school. Some of these superpowers are better writing, expanding creativity, detecting literary elements, and providing motivation. I can still hear the groans a mile away, so let me see if this convinces you. Are you into history? Well, let me reintroduce you to Abraham Lincoln, who had a hobby of reading books. Don’t get your hopes too high, reading a lot of books won’t guarantee you to be the next president, but hey - you could be the first to try! Where are my basketball fans? Kevin Durant also read some interesting books, and he enjoys a selection of genres, ranging from The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein to Oh, The Places You Will Go! by Dr. Seuss. These two examples show two men in power, and you can see that reading was a way to help them cope, almost like a relaxation moment before they went to bed. That’s probably why they succeeded in so many ways and are happy about it. As stated before, there are many genres of books, which means that you do you, you are the chooser of your journey. You are the key to opening a door to wonders, if you simply run your hands along a bookshelf, sliding out a book that piques your interest. The way I see it, you write your own story by reading stories that influence you for the better, a reason why history is still studied. It’s his-story. Reading is enchanting, you just need to open your eyes to it.

Here’s a kickstart if you don’t know where to begin: March is Women’s History Month, so I thought reading Becoming by Michelle Obama would be a great pick to embark on. In this New York Times best-selling memoir, Michelle Obama shares her life story. It goes from her childhood to how she became First Lady and her motherly journey of leading her kids and her country. I won’t spoil too much. Now, you know what to do! Get the book ASAP, and let me know what you think! Have a great day!