Library Websites with Style

I am always on the prowl to find great ideas for my library's website. This blog entry has some recent websites I have come across that are doing some pretty neat web design on a dime.

• Haverstraw King's Daughter Public Library They put a movie trailer plug-in on the teen page to play book trailers. Their children's page also has an amazing collection of app looking icons for popular games. Very clean and streamlined design.
• Nyack Library The children's portion of the website uses a really handsome Tree image map where you can click on different leaves on the tree and go to different portions of the YS webpage.
• Bethlehem Library in Delmar, NY has the landing page of their Teen page a giant iphone. How trendy!

Summer Reading Prizes for Teens

Each year for my Teen Summer Reading teens read all summer long to rack up points. At the end of August we have a big party and each point a teen has earned over the summer translates into 1 raffle ticket. The teens then have the chance to try and win cool prizes in a Penny Social style raffle. I make sure to give ALL participants who logged any reading throughout the summer a gift bag with a book, ice-cream coupon, button, and candy. I also keep a special box of consolation prizes for teens who did not win anything at the raffle.

I buy most of my prizes from: Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, BJ's Wholesale, Target, Dick Blick Art Supplies,

Here are some of the best teen summer reading prizes I have given away:

• Themed Book Baskets (Twilight, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Chronicles of Narnia, Movie Night)
• Lego Kits
• Manga Drawing Books
• Sketch Pads and pens
• Candy and Cookies
• Domo Doll!
• T-Shirts
• Anything Book related (Hunger Games pins, Harry Potter Scarf)
• Purses
• Teen Book Bundles
• Wallet on a chain
• Wrist cuffs
• Metal Lunchboxes
• Justin Bieber Standee!
• Fun USB drives
• Gift Cards

Stuff They Were Not Into as Much as Me!:

• Chinese Calligraphy Set
• Dream Journals
• Stickers
• Chess Set
• How To Kits
• Japanese Candy
• Mario Brothers Beach Towel
• Magnetic Poetry

Here are some pictures of past summer reading prizes for teens I have awarded:

Teen SRP Prizes