Library Renovations: Progress and What We Can Expect Soon

 It is hard to believe it has been nearly 7 months since I first foretold what the library's renovation would bring to the YA community. As the library moves into phase two of the renovation project, I would like to take a journey into the progress we have made thus far and what progress we've made into creating a dedicated space for our YA community.

The first place we'll look at the library's progress is the outside. Over the last couple of months, renovators have been hard at work to create an extension of the library. This new addition of the library comes at the cost of the house the library owned next to us, but this small detail is worth the addition we get to our library.

This extension is where a new meeting space will be. This new addition is also going to be connected by the new YA area and will allow for a lot more options when it comes to the community. The new space will give everyone in the community the chance to meet, and won't be restricted to one age group or another. The outside landscape around the library is in its golden age of change, and it is vastly different from what it looked like at the beginning of the project.

Ad the library continues to grow through its renovation, the outside will be the most telling of what progress we have made.

Another place in the library that has changed greatly since the beginning of the renovations is the downstairs area. From having multiple pieces of hard drywall quartering off the renovations down there, there is now a thin tarp blocking from sight the extent of the progress that has been made. The evolution of the downstairs space has been grueling, but it had to be made so we could reap the true benefits of the renovation.

A prime example of how much the downstairs had changed throughout the entire renovation cycle is how when I first started to take photos for this blog, the front porch downstairs had not been built, but when I started to actually write the blog, the front porch was already completed. The speed that the renovators have when it comes to the library's renovation is impressive. The speed that the children's department has had when it comes to their continual adaptation to the situation is equally impressive in my eyes.

The place that has changed the most, by far, is the adult department. To kick off the renovations, half of the adult department, and the entire YA collection, was moved so that we could start renovations on the first half of the building. If you came into the library within the last 5-6 months, then you have seen a massive, semi-opaque, barrier keeping you confined to one half of the building. This barrier is what kept people from seeing the true progress that was being made, but that barrier is gone now, and you can see what we have done. The biggest addition that came was the completion of the fireplace. Although we thought supply shortages could delay its completion, we managed to get the fireplace done before we moved onto phase 2 of the renovation. For phase 2, the plan is to renovate the staff work area mostly and to let patrons use the other half of the building. We plan to make the other half of the building look as new as the side that is renovated.

And finally, on to the progress on the new YA area. Throughout the entirety of phase 1, the place where the YA area will be, the current non-fiction, has not been touched. This has changed, however, now that we are moving onto phase 2 of the renovations. Now with phase two, we see this area's much needed coronation of it being quartered off. Like the beginning of the downstairs renovation, the YA area is being quartered off by drywall to help mitigate the dust that comes with large scale renovations.

Although this space is currently bare, I believe that by the end of this phase of the renovation, you won't be able to believe that it was ever bare before. You can feel the potential this space has. This, right here, right now, is historical. This is one the stepping stones that will lead to the YA community feeling more involved in the library's everyday activities. This space purely represents opportunity for Young Adults, and me thinking about what can happen when we use this space is very exciting.

We've reached a place in the renovations where we finally are able to start to comprehend what good these renovations can bring to us in our YA community. We now have the opportunity to see, first-hand, what steps are being taken to give us the much needed space we all fee we deserve. When I first started to volunteer, I remember seeing many people in my age group take advantage of the computers at the library in order to unwind after a long day at school. This image of people choosing to go to the library to have fun and keeping away the responsibility of everyday life sticks in my mind to this day.

This image drives my excitement about this new space. Embracing the fact that if people start associating the library with fun and excitement, I feel this new space must be made. We want everyone to enjoy and take advantage of the library, and getting everyone to do so means we should have a space that allows the YA community to meet and have fun. My hope is that creating this space will have a domino effect in the YA community and will encourage more people to come to the library.

The library has always lacked a true space that the YA could take advantage of. Whenever I saw people in my age group having fun at the library, they always had to deal with them either being in the children's department or the adult department - there was never a space where they could just have fun without risking being too loud for the place they were in. This space creates so many possibilities and my only hope is that more people will learn about this space and will take advantage of it in the future.

- This writing brought to you by BPL Student Advisor, Braden Unruh

My Experience as a Student Advisor on the Library Board

Although I have been a student advisor on the library board for a little over a third of a year, I feel like I have learned quite a lot about the bureaucratic process that goes on behind the scenes. I didn't realize that there was way much more than what meets the eye when it comes to the library running efficiently. This dynamic that I am able to witness has allowed me to get a bigger picture into how almost everything else runs.

The reason I chose to try to become a student advisor is because I wanted to gain a fuller knowledge on how the systems work to make our institutions run. I specifically wanted to be an advisor on the library board because I thought my knowledge was complete on how the library generally functions, but I realized that there was more that I didn't see. Through my position, I've seen the democratic based system that makes our library run. I've seen how the library board takes the nitty gritty details of running a library (things like making sure the library is on budget, balancing contractors for renovations, evaluating policies of the library, etc.) and tackles them for the betterment of the library. The library board is the mind in how the entity of the library itself runs, and it is a really neat experience to see firsthand why the board is there.

I think my experience in learning about the library board, and its traditions, has opened my eyes to how other institutions run themselves and how they keep themselves going. My position as a student advisor made me aware of things like boards and how they use about the same principles to accomplish very different things. I became aware that the school had a board and that they use the same rules of order to accomplish things for the school. I also learned that the band program at the school has its own version of a board to accomplish an even more niche category of things. This idea that you can have a board within a system under a board made me realize that the boards themselves are a miniature system of government within our government. I saw that boards used the idea of representation of the everyday citizen to get work done within the community. I then made the connection that boards are simply just an extremely scaled down version of how the government we have works, and those principles can lead to many great outcomes.

Through my experiences on the library board, I have become a better leader overall. I have been able to employ the democratic process that is used in library board meetings to make decision that concern people more than just myself. I now try to tackle problems by asking the collective what they think, versus my usual just trying to do everything by myself. This isn't the only positive thing that has come out of my position on the library board. Another positive thing to come out of my experience on the library board is how I became a bigger part of the library community as a whole. Although I was fairly well known by the library before I became a library student advisor, I think my position has made more connections within the community that I couldn't think of before. I became known to a group of people that I wouldn't think I would ever be known to. My name has become something; it has become recognized within the library community.

An important question still remains, what series of events led you to get this position? Well, to answer this question, we need to go back not too far. The basic series of events that led me here is like this; First I had started to volunteer in the summer going into my 7th grade year. It was then during this time where I started to assimilate into the culture of the library and started to understand the library better as a whole. Some time passes and sometime near the end of my sophomore year in high school, principal Mr. Jennings is interested in allowing high school students to be student advisors for different boards in our community. Mr. Jennings wanted to start this withy my class, the class of 2023, and see where we could take the program. When I saw that the library board was one of the possible boards to serve on, I instantly wanted to see what it would be like to serve on it. I don't think I ever regretted choosing to serve on the library board, and I don't think I ever will. I think, if you ever get the opportunity to serve on something as important as a board that makes decisions in your community, then you should always take the opportunity to do so.

- This writing brought to you by BPL Student Advisor, Braden Unruh

Recently Added to the YA Bookshelf

Taking a look at some of the most recent additions gracing the shelves of our YA department.

The Queen's Secret by Melissa de la Cruz

In The Queen's Secret, Lilac is born into the position as ruler of the nation of Revonia and forced marriage makes her the Queen of Stavin also. But being a ruler does not mean making the rules. For Lilac, taking the throne means giving up the opportunity to be with the love of her life. When Lilac and her love are separated, they must fight separate, but equally dark, battles to come back together.

"Romantic fantasy turns into lovelorn politicking in this duology closer and follow-up to The Queen's Assassin." -- Kirkus Reviews

The Betrayed by Kiera Cass

In The Betrayed, after fleeing Coroa and leaving the memory of her beloved Silas behind, Hollis is unsteadily adjusting to life in Isolte. The Eastoffe family's affection is a balm on her weary spirit, though Etan, a surly cousin with a deep distaste for Coroans, threatens to upset the uneasy peace she's found. While tensions at home ratchet up, disquiet in the kingdom of Isolte is reaching a fever pitch. The Eastoffes may have the power to unseat a tyrannical king, but only with Hollis's help.

"Kiera Cass brings another sparkling romance to a stunning conclusion in this sequel to the instant #1 New York Times bestseller The Betrothed." -- Goodreads

Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

In Ace of Spades, we follow Devon, a talented musician who buries himself in rehearsals, and Chiamaka, the head girl who isn't afraid to get what she wants. They both attend Niveus Private Academy, where money paves the hallways, and the students are never less than perfect. Until now. Because an anonymous texter, Aces, is bringing these two students' dark secrets to light. Someone is out to get them both. Someone who holds all the aces.

"An incendiary and utterly compelling thriller with a shocking twist that delves deep into the heart of institutionalized racism, from an exceptional new YA voice." -- Goodreads

Go the Distance by Jen Calonita

In Go the Distance, we follow the story of Hercules after proving he's a true hero and regains his godship. All seems right in the world. That is, until Zeus tells Meg that she can't be with Hercules because she's mortal. Luckily, Hera has a solution, offering Meg a chance to prove herself worthy of a spot on Mt. Olympus, as a god. All Meg has to do is complete a mysterious quest. Will she be able to complete the quest put forth by Hera, or will she fail and not be able to be with Hercules again?

"Chapters move between past and present, adding depth to Meg's character and her backstory of independence, lost love, and working for Hades. This is a fun story full of action, twists, and film references, but ultimately it reads a bit like fan fiction." -- Kirkus Reviews

Baby & Solo by Lisabeth Posthuma

In Baby & Solo, we follow seventeen-year-old Joel Teague who has a new prescription from his therapist -- a part-time job -- the first step toward the elusive Normal life he's so desperate to live ever since The Bad Thing happened. Joel works his way up the not-so-corporate ladder without anyone suspecting What Was Wrong With Him. That is, until he befriends Nicole "Baby" Palmer, a smart-mouthed coworker with a chip on her shoulder about...well, everything, and the two quickly develop the kind of friendship movie montages are made of.

"Though the book takes place in 1996, the issues it addresses, including the lingering effects of trauma, remain relevant." -- Publishers Weekly

Panic by Lauren Oliver

In Panic, we follow Heather and Dodge, two graduating seniors who participate in Panic, a legendary game where the stakes are high and the payoff is even greater. Heather never thought of herself as fearless, the kind of person who would fight to stand out. But when she finds something, and someone, to fight for, she will discover that she is braver than she ever thought. Dodge has never been afraid of Panic. His secret will fuel him, and get him all the way through the game, he's sure of it. But what he doesn't know is that he's not the only one with a secret. Everyone has something to play for.

"Oliver brings a high-concept, high-stakes concept to Main Street USA, and the result is as uncomfortable as it is thrilling." -- Publishers Weekly

It Ends in Fire by Andrew Shvarts

In It Ends in Fire, we follow Alka who, as a child, witnessed her parents' brutal murder at the hands of Wizards before she was taken in by an underground rebel group. Alka is deep undercover at the most prestigious school of magic in the Republic: Blackwater Academy, a place where status is everything, where decadent galas end in blood-splattered duels, where every student has their own agenda. To survive, Alka will have to lie, cheat, kill, and use every trick in her spy's toolkit. And for the first time in her life, the fiercely independent Alka will have to make friends in order to recruit the misfits and the outcasts into her motley rebellion.

"With dark magic, rebellion and a vengeful protagonist, It Ends in Fire is a high-stakes fantasy with a dark academia setting that will appeal to graduates of the Harry Potter series." -- Barnes and Noble

For the Wolf by Hannah Whitten

In For the Wolf, we follow Red, the only Second Daughter born in centuries, which gives her a purpose - to be sacrificed to the Wolf in the Wood in the hope he'll return the world's captured gods. But the legends lie. The Wolf is a man, not a monster. Her magic is a calling, not a curse. And if she doesn't learn how to use it, the monsters the gods have become will swallow the Wilderwood-and her world-whole.

"The novel seamlessly blends Little Red Riding Hood and Beauty and the Beast into an un-put-down-able fairy tale that traces the boundaries of duty, love, and loss." -- Kirkus Reviews

This writing brought to you by BPL Student Advisor, Braden Unruh, with story synopsis from Goodreads.

The Wonders of the Bremen Public Library Young Adult Volunteering Program

It is hard for me to believe that it has been 4 years since I first started volunteering at the Library. I can say that for 25% of my life, I have been a volunteer at the Bremen Public Library. The volunteering experience at the library has taught me a lot; from mundane things like how the inner workings of the library happen, to the most exciting things like how there is a "secret" room between floors where all sorts of wonderful things reside. Volunteering at the library has been a continued learning experience, allowing me to see the many different sides of our community.

The young adult volunteering program is perfect for our community. Whether you are trying to get community service hours for NHS or NJHS, are trying to actively help our community at large, or are trying to get some real world experience into how a library runs, the volunteering program is perfect. The program helps build skills that are hard to get elsewhere. The volunteer program gives you the opportunity to see what working may be like for you before you have the ability to work. It shows what can happen when you put your continued effort and dedication into a thing larger than yourself.

Through my volunteer work, I have learned a lot about the library and what it is like to be behind the counter instead of being the person in front of the desk. This change of pace in my interactions with the library is one of the main reasons that I stayed being a volunteer for as long as I have. These interactions that I saw as the person on the other side of the desk is the reason I stayed, I was able to see a side of the community that I hadn't seen before. This is also the reason that I have volunteered almost 200 hours of my time in the 4 years I've been volunteering.

A great thing about volunteering at the library is the great diversity of tasks they can have you do on any given day. I remember when I first started volunteering I was tasked with the simple job of cleaning the front door's windows. Although this task does seem like a small thing to do as a volunteer, it opened a gateway to more jobs that the librarians would give. Just getting started with something as simple as washing the windows opened up the possibility of doing more for the library. Before I knew it, I was tasked with some harder jobs, like pulling books from a pre-made list for the librarians. This then led to the librarians tasking me with deleting books from our catalogue so they could be sold at the book sale. I then learned how to check out books for patrons because of learning how to interact with the cataloguing system. Through a slow progression with my volunteering time, I learned slowly what tasks a librarian is faced with almost daily, and I had gained a better appreciation for our library as a whole.

I know everyone reading this is dying to know how to become a young adult volunteer for the library. The process is fairly simple. Most of the information needed to know how to get started as a volunteer can be found at (Click Here), but I will still guide you through what is the best way to become a library volunteer. What you'll want to do is go to the website listed earlier and click on the volunteer application link. This link will take you to a pdf of the volunteer application. This application can also be found at the library, if you ask the librarian at the front desk for a volunteer application, they will be more than happy to supply you with one. You want to fill out the application to the best of your abilities, and return to the library and then the young adult volunteering coordinator will reach out to you to coordinate your volunteering times.

The Bremen Public Library is a wonderful place to volunteer, and is worth every second of your time. It gives our young adult community a plethora of opportunities for growth, and strengthens the community ties with our young adult population.

This writing brought to you by BPL Student Advisor (and volunteer), Braden Unruh.

Recently Added to the YA Bookshelf

Taking a look at some of the most recent additions gracing the shelves of our YA department.

City of Villains by Estelle Laure

In City of Villains, we follow Mary Elizabeth Heart, a high school student who has a prestigious internship at the Monarch police department. The police department is busy at work, trying to suppress the high crime rate and quell tension between the City's wealthy elite and their plans to gentrify the decaying neighborhood of the city. Then, when a wealthy businessman's daughter disappears, Mary gets her time to shine, she takes on the case and gets to see the ugly underbelly of the city first-hand, showing the magical roots of the city.

"Disney's Villains meet Gotham in this gritty fairy tale-inspired crime series." -- Goodreads

Into the Heartless Wood by Joanna Ruth Meyer

The forest is a dangerous place, where siren song lures men and women to their deaths. For centuries, a witch has harvested souls to feed the heartless tree, using its power to grow her domain. When Owen Merrick is lured into the witch's wood, one of her tree-siren daughters, Seren, saves his life instead of ending it. Every night, he climbs over the garden wall to see her, and every night her longing to become human deepens.

"Familiar motifs, such as wilderness versus technology, a witch versus a king, and star-crossed lovers, placed in unfamiliar settings ensure that this dark romantic fantasy fulfills expectations without becoming formulaic." -- Kirkus Reviews

Wingfeather Tales by Andrew Peterson

Wingfeather Tales has a world of bomnubbles and quarreling cousins, sea dragons and book publishers, thieves and Fangs and secret maps. It has untold stories of the distant past, lost adventures, forgotten songs, and heartbreaking histories. The Shining Isle is restored, but Aerwiar is vast.

"A delightfully diverse collection of "tales" written and illustrated by a group of authors and illustrators who are themselves fans of the Wingfeather Saga!" -- Redeemed Reader

The Electric Kingdom by David Arnold

In The Electric Kingdom, a deadly fly flu sweeps the globe and it leaves a shell of the world that once was. Among the survivors are eighteen-year-old Nico and her dog, on a voyage devised by Nico's father to find a mythical portal; a young artist named Kit, raised in an old abandoned cinema; and the enigmatic Deliverer, who lives Life after Life in an attempt to put the world back together. As swarms of infected Flies roam the earth, these few survivors navigate the woods of post-apocalyptic New England, meeting others along the way, each on their own quest to find life and love in a world gone dark.

"With a haunting, deliberately paced tale of post apocalyptic survival, Arnold creates a devastated world held together by myth and memory." -- Publishers Weekly

How to Become a Planet by Nicole Melleby

A month before the end of the school year, Pluto's frightened mom broke down Pluto's bedroom door. What came next were doctor's appointments, a diagnosis of depression, and a big black hole that still sits on Pluto's chest, making it too hard to do anything. Pluto can't explain to her mom why she can't do the things she used to love, And it isn't until Pluto's dad threatens to make her move with him to the city that Pluto becomes desperate enough to do whatever it takes to be the old Pluto again.

"A realistic, hopeful account of personal recovery and discovery." -- Kirkus Reviews

The Cost of Knowing by Brittney Morris

In The Cost of Knowing, we follow Alex Rufus, a sixteen-year-old that has the special gift that every time he touches an object or person, he sees into its future. When he touches a scoop, he has a vision of him using it to scoop ice cream. When he touches his car, he sees it years from now, totaled and underwater. When he touches his girlfriend, Talia, he sees them at the precipice of breaking up, and that terrifies him. Alex feels these visions are a curse, distracting him, making him anxious and unable to live an ordinary life.

"Dear Martin meets They Both Die at the End in this gripping, evocative novel about a Black teen who has the power to see into the future, whose life turns upside down when he foresees his younger brother's imminent death, from the acclaimed author of SLAY." -- Goodreads

What Beauty There Is by Cory Anderson

In What Beauty There Is, we follow Jack Morton, a man that has nothing left, except his younger brother, Matty, who he'd do anything for. Now with their mother gone, and their funds quickly dwindling, Jack needs to make a choice: lose his brother to foster care, or find the drug money that sent his father to prison.

"Anderson's starkly atmospheric thriller illuminates ways in which cycles of poverty and incarceration can disenfranchise children." -- Publishers Weekly

A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne Brown

In A Song of Wraiths and Ruin, we follow Malik, for whom the Solstasia festival is a chance to escape his war-stricken home and start a new life with his sisters in the prosperous desert city of Ziran. But when a vengeful spirit abducts Malik's younger sister, Nadia, as payment into the city, Malik strikes a fatal deal - kill Karina, Crown Princess of Ziran, for Nadia's freedom.

"The first in a fantasy duology inspired by West African folklore in which a grieving crown princess and a desperate refugee find themselves on a collision course to murder each other despite their growing attraction." -- Goodreads

This writing brought to you by BPL Student Advisor, Braden Unruh.

Programs, Activities, and the Summer Reading Program -- Tails and Tales

Now that school is over for this year and the summer is beginning, the library is rolling out this year's summer reading program: Tails and Tales. This program is centered more around animals this year, moreover, we'll have some animal themed activities throughout the program's length, June 7th to July 31st. The summer reading program works like this, for every book you read, you'll receive one entry in the drawing towards one of the prize baskets. The prize basket winners will be drawn at the end of the program, July 31st, and that will be the last day to submit your summer reading entries. What are these baskets you ask, well there are 7 baskets to choose from with prizes being:

1. Cute fruit squishy ball pack, chocolate chip cookie candle, Chipotle gift card, TASTY Desserts cookbook, avocado keychain, Jorbest Burritos blanket.

2. Kaliruba Thumb piano, set of drumstick pens, Music Genius playing cards.

3. Gift cards to AMC, popcorn, candy, Mario socks.

4. Harry Potter spell book, Fantastic Beasts book and model set, Harry Potter bookmarks, Harry Potter time turner sticker kit, Harry Potter charm, Harry Potter keychain, Wand, Fantastic Beasts stupefy journal.

5. Gift card to Strikes & Spares, Pac Man socks, mini skeeball game.

6. Kodak Printomatic Camera with case, pack of photo paper.

7. Calligraphy Set, Lettering handbook, Bob Ross Bookmarks, notepad.

These aren't the only prizes available to those who participate in the summer reading program. Every Friday, a winner will be drawn for a small prize, and anyone who signed up for the program will be automatically entered into the drawing. Also, each Wednesday, you can take a quack at our duck tub for a chance to win a prize. And sometime during the summer, we will have a "guess how many" jar that will give you the opportunity to win a prize.

Some specific animal themed activities/events we will be hosting are: send in a photo of you reading to your pet and it will be featured in our lobby display and decorate feathers to add to our wings mural. Decorating a feather to add to our wings mural will start on Saturday, June 5th, and go through the entire summer reading program. At the end of the reading program, Saturday, July 31st, you can get your photo taken with the wings mural. These are not the only events that are themed after animals, we will also have a day where you can Pin the Tail on the Donkey on Monday, June 7th. On this day, everyone checking out materials gets the chance to pin the tail on the donkey for a chance to win a Shrek DVD set. We will also have an Animal Origami program on Monday, July 27th at 5:00 p.m. Another somewhat animal themed activity is on Thursday, June 9th at 6:00 p.m., where there will be a movie showing of The Aristocats with snacks. These animal themed activities aren't the only activities the library is hosting during the summer season, we will also have:

• We will be in the parade, and all over town during the Fireman's Festival, Thursday, June 15th, which is also the parade day, to Saturday June 19th and we will be dressed as your favorite book characters.
• There will be a scavenger hunt on Saturday, June 19th from 9:45 a.m. to noon where there will be activities around the town, pizza, and prizes.
• The Brick Club also has an event on Monday, June 21st where they will use LEGO bricks to study concepts, develop math and science skills, work in teams, and have fun.
• On Monday, June 28th at 6:00 p.m., there will be an activity where you can get a step-by-step tutorial on how to create pony-tails.
• On Thursday, July 1st from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. there will be a karaoke night at the library.
• And on Friday, July 23rd from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. there will be an after-hours game of book dominos throughout the building and Domino's Pizza.

This summer, the library will be the place to be for solid summer fun with our animal themed activities and summer reading program. So, don't miss out this summer on what the library has to offer for an exciting and fun summer.

This writing brought to you by BPL volunteer and Student Advisor, Braden Unruh

Library Renovations: New Opportunities to the Young Adults

With Marshall County approving the grant for the library's renovation, there are important questions to ask. "What does this mean for the Young Adults in the Bremen area? What new services/opportunities can Young Adults start looking forward to?"

A big change the renovation brings is the creation of a space dedicated to the Young Adult clientele. This space is one of many new spaces the library plans to create that allows people in the community to gather and not need to be turned away because of space limitations. The great thing about this creation of new spaces is that the Young Adult community will get an entire meeting space to use for their own purposes. As it is currently planned, this Young Adult space will be where the current non-fiction area is. This space will have the library's YA collection, a few computer stations, and a television. This is not the only space the Young Adult community will be able to take advantage of. The library renovation brings three separate smaller study areas, in contrast to having only one larger one now, and an expansion to the media lab. These new study spaces will also bring flexibility. Although they are distinctively three different study spaces, two of these study spaces will have a removable divider, which will allow for these two different smaller study spaces to turn into one bigger study space.

Ask yourself, "As a Young Adult, what is there to do in Bremen on any given day?" Nowadays, an answer to this question is few and far between; there simply isn't much to do that is entertaining to a Young Adult audience. The dedicated YA space will bring many new entertainment opportunities to the Young Adult community. When discussing possibilities for the YA space, the consensus is that there are numerous options when it comes to possible programs the space can host. Programming ideas that have been discussed is using the YA space for programs that are very practical to the Young Adult community. Practical programs would be the SAT prep, trade profession talks, and other educational programs. These practical programs would help the Young Adult community tremendously. 

Of course, this won't be the only thing the space will be used for. Another great idea on using this space for movies to be played on the TV in the space. Mentioned earlier, this new space will have a TV, giving an entire new world of possibilities when it comes to entertainment in this space. Currently, there is no space in the library that has a TV, or larger screen in general, dedicated to any one demographic. This new YA space's TV simply creates so many more opportunities than what the library can currently offer. This TV can be used to play movies or maybe have some game console hooked up to it. In the past, the library has seen how much fun the community can have when playing on a video game console. This community involvement over video game programs like these warrants an exploration of how the Young Adult community might respond if they have access to game consoles in their dedicated space. This TV, paired with the new computers stationed in the space, will be a game changer when it comes to entertainment options the Young Adult community has.

This YA space won't be totally unsupervised. This space will have a librarian stationed near the door, and there will be windows that allows staff a direct line of sight inside the room from their workroom. These steps are taken to ensure that the space is being used appropriately, and to ensure that the people in the space are safe and secure. The idea of this space is to give the Young Adult community of Bremen a safe and fun environment to hang out or make new friends at. This space is being made with the idea of community involvement in mind. When the space gets made, the library wants Young Adults to use the space; the space is made for them. The belief we at the library hold is that if we get the peoples' feet in the door, they will want to stay. This is why the space is being created, to get peoples' feet in the door, and make sure they realize what the library has to offer. So if you are a Young Adult in Bremen when the renovations are done -- optimistically less than a year -- then come down to the space that is, literally, made for you.

"If we create this space, then they will come." - Chris Scandling, Library Director

This writing brought to you by BPL volunteer and Student Advisor, Braden Unruh

Recently added to the YA Bookshelf

Taking a look at some of the most recent additions gracing the shelves of our YA department.

The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna

"The Gilded Ones" follows Deka, a sixteen-year-old who lives in fear and anticipation of the blood ceremony that will determine whether she will become a member of her village. And on the day of the ceremony, her blood runs gold, the color of impurity. A mysterious woman then comes to her with a choice: stay in the village and submit to her fate, or leave to fight for the emperor in an army of girls just like her. With this decision, Deka finds out that nothing and no one are quite what they seem to be.

"Brutal, and occasionally graphic in its depiction of violence, this is nevertheless a must." -- School Library Journal

That Inevitable Victorian Thing by E.K. Johnston

"That Inevitable Victorian Thing" is set in a near-future world where the British Empire was preserved, not by the cost of blood and theft, but by effort of repatriation and promises kept. We follow Victoria-Margaret, the crown princess of the empire, a direct descendant of Victoria. The imperial practice of genetically arranged matchmaking will soon guide Margaret into a politically advantageous marriage. Before that, though, she will spend a summer in Toronto, where she meets Helena Marcus and August Callahan. Margaret, Helena, and August discover they share an unusual bond and they have a chance to change the world.

"A thoughtful exploration of class consciousness, genetics and politics that doesn't lose track of the human story." -- Kirkus Reviews

His Hideous Heart by Dahlia Adler

"His Hideous Heart" is a reimagination of Edgar Allan Poe's most surprising, unsettling, and popular tales for a new generation by thirteen of YA's most celebrated names. "His Hideous Heart" includes stories like It's Carnival! by Tiffany D. Jackson, which takes the source material of The Cask of Amontillado and spins it into a new way. Another story is Happy Days, Sweetheart by Stephanie Kuehn, based off of The Tell-Tale Heart. This story takes a turn from the source material and turns itself into a story primarily about revenge (versus a story about guilt). And another story is Red by Hillary Monahan. It is based on the short story The Masque of the Red Death and transforms it into the modern world.

"A refreshing assortment of diverse voices and contemporary themes ensures there's something for everyone in this delightful compilation." -- Publishers Weekly

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

In "Between Shades of Gray", we follow Lina, a fifteen-year-old Lithuanian girl in 1941. She likes to paint, and she likes to draw. Until one night Soviet officers barge into her home, tearing her family from the comfortable life they've known. Separated from her father, forced onto a crowded and dirty train car, Lina, her mother, and her young brother slowly make their way north, crossing the Arctic Circle, to a work camp in the coldest reaches of Siberia. Here they are forced, under Stalin's orders, to dig for beets and fight for their lives under the cruelest of conditions. Lina documents all the events around her by drawing them, hoping these message will make their way to her father's prison camp to let him know they are still alive.

"Sepetys' flowing prose gently carries readers through the crushing tragedy of this tale that needs telling." -- Kirkus Reviews

The Merciful Crow by Margaret Owen

In "The Merciful Crow", we follow Fie, a member of her Crow caste, Crown Prince Jasimir, royalty who faked their own death, and Hawk warrior Tavin, a bodyguard of Crown Prince Jasimir that values the prince's life more than his own.

"Full of romance and suspense, this is a tale that will leave readers hungry for the next book in the series." -- MJ Franklin, New York Times

The Good Hawk by Joseph Elliott

In "The Good Hawk" Agatha is a Hawk who protects her people by patrolling the high walls of their island home, and she is proud of this job. Jaime, however, is an Angler, but he hates the sea. Worse, he's been chosen for a duty that the clan hasn't required for generations: to marry. The elders won't say why they have promised him to a girl in a neighboring clan. Disaster strikes and the clan is kidnapped, and it is up to Agatha and Jaime to travel across the haunted mainland of Scotia to Norveg, with help along the way from a clan of nomadic Highland bull riders.

"With its blend of unusual character development and clever exploration of ancient realms, The Good Hawk is a story fantasy-loving young readers may not even know they've been waiting for." -- Kaitlyn Wells, New York Times

Just Our Luck by Julia Walton

In "Just Our Luck", Leo is a Greek boy who, after a fight in school, is being made to enroll in a self-defense class by his father. When going to enroll, Leo sees Evey Paros, a member of the family that supposedly has a curse on Leo's family of bad luck, at the front desk at the local gym. Evey cuts Leo a deal, she will enroll him in a yoga class instead of the self-defense class for a vague price, but what could Evey want from Leo?

"A feel-good story, with shades of Holes and The Karate Kid." -- Bulletin

Don't Call the Wolf by Aleksandra Ross

In "Don't Call the Wolf", after the Golden Dragon descended on the forest of Kamiena, a horde of monsters followed in its wake. Ren, the forest's young queen, is slowly losing her battle against them. Until she rescues Lukasz - the last survivor of a heroic regiment of dragon slayers - and they strike a deal. She will help him find his brother, who vanished into her forest...if Lukasz promises to slay the Dragon.

"An earnest first novel from a promising author." -- Kirkus Reviews

This writing brought to you by BPL Student Advisor, Braden Unruh