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by Rebecca, Main Library  UPDATE: This event has been cancelled. Please join us March 12th for a panel about Environmental Activism. Hosted in collaboration with YouthCity Government and the Mayor’s Office, Teens Talk is a virtual panel series where local students present and lead discussions about the important social issues that affect our communities. We strive to promote honest conversations between teens and adults by giving teens a platform to share their ideas with peers, parents, teachers, and legislators. Our January panel event will be on the topic of Immigration and Refugee Experiences and facilitated by the International Rescue Committee’s Speaker’s Bureau member Yusuf Maung. Are you a teen interested in speaking on this panel? There’s still time to apply! This event will be hosted virtually and we hope you will join us on Saturday, January 22 at 2pm on Zoom. Zoom meeting information can be found on our calendar event here.
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by Claire, Anderson-Foothill Branch  UPDATE: Spots for these workshops are now full Teens can learn coding and robotics basics with these two free sets of virtual classes, led by West High Teen Robotics teams.  "Team Red Rocks" will be teaching Python programming fundamentals of OOP CS using python, with research/ML-based applications as an extension!  Team Red Rocks will have a lesson on the third Saturday 2-3pm of each month from January- March. January 15th - 1st Online Lesson: Python Programming 101 Learn the basics of the coding language Python. Python is used to build websites and software, automate tasks, and conduct data analysis. February 19th - 2nd Online Lesson: Fundamentals of Python with data Learn to input commands into Python as well as how to store data March 19th - 3rd Online Lesson: Python Control Statements Arrays and Loops. Learn how to store your data, and make loop commands.  “Team Overclocked” will be teaching 3D modeling. Team Overclocked will have a lesson on the third Tuesdays 4-5pm of each month from January- March. January 18th - 1st Online Lesson: Tinkercad Learn to use the online coding site Tinkercad and learn how to model shapes February 15th - 2nd Online Lesson: Onshape Learn to Model 3D parts with extruding and Make 2D sketches come to life. March 15th - 3rd Online Lesson: Onshape Drawings Learn more techniques of making 3D objects come to life! These workshops are for tweens and teens ages 11–17. For registration information and the class schedule, visit slcpl.org/events. All lessons are taught by teens with the help of a Librarian! by Christine, Chapman Branch  The City Library hosted a Scavenger Haunt in September and October, and it finished with a really fun ghost hunt of the Chapman Library on October 22. We invited members of Wasatch Investigative Society for Paranormal Studies (WISPS) to come to our building, give an introduction into how they investigate hauntings, and to take us on a ghost hunt of the Chapman Branch. Ravyn, Rogue, and Chad from WISPS were amazing. They are also part of Advanced Paranormal Services, a sister organization to WISPS, and their website can be found here. They shared some really interesting information about what they do and by the end of the night had the librarians, Lexi and Christine, believing that the building really could be haunted! The Ghost Hunt of Chapman was scheduled as a virtual event to take place over Zoom, but we experienced some technical difficulties making it difficult to log in to the event. So we thought we would share some of the results and video of the event at the end of this post. Over the years there have been reports from staff of a woman crying, hearing children, seeing bare children’s footprints in dust on shelves in the middle of winter, a woman has been seen in the building, and objects have moved on their own. We were excited to see if Ravyn, Rogue or Chad could help us find out if any of these stories could be true. After Ravyn’s presentation sharing the basics of paranormal investigating, we went to the main floor of the building where she used an EMF reader to find activity (electromagnetic fields) and dowsing rods to communicate with any spirits who might be nearby. We learned that there are typically three spirits who spend most of their time in the branch and really like it here. The spirits responded to our questions and we learned that one of the spirits who spends their time at Chapman is a woman. Rogue felt that the ghost likes the name Rose, so that is what we called her, though that isn’t the ghost’s real name. After a few questions with Rose we learned that she once worked at the Chapman Library, right around the time it opened in 1918. Rose likes to spend time near the big south facing window at the top of the stairs. Ravyn found out that a second ghost is a teenager, about 15 years old, and that he has a lot of energy. He let us know that he is the one who likes to leave footprints and play little pranks here and there. We asked him what name he would like to be called and he responded to the name Ted. The third ghost is a child, of about 10 years old, and he likes the name Billy. (Bill and Ted!) Billy enjoys it when children visit the building and likes to hang out around them. All three ghosts communicated that they enjoy being in this building and its positive energy and visitors. We had a great time learning more about paranormal investigations and participating in one at the Chapman Branch! If you are ever in the area, come stop by and say hi to Rose, Billy, and Ted! And don’t forget to check out some of the footage from our Chapman ghost hunt below! by Lexi Johnson, Day-Riverside Branch  Are you a fan of ghosts? Interested in the paranormal? Surprise, we are too. If you are looking to interact with something otherworldly this October, join us on October 22nd for a ghost hunt at Chapman! The event will be virtual - kind of like watching a live episode of the Ghost Whisperer or Ghost Adventures but better, because we are exploring our own turf! We will work side-by-side with the Advanced Paranormal Services, a group of ghost hunting professionals, to see what might be haunting the halls of Chapman. The building is 103 years old and seems to have collected ghostly visitors over the years. Staff have reported seeing a woman and a few children, puppets moving of their own accord and an apparition of a woman in a column of light. Don’t believe us? Well, many years ago, staff decorated a Christmas tree in the building only to find that - the next morning - all the decorations had been removed from the tree and placed in a neat circle around it. No one had entered the building during the course of the night. Still don’t believe us? Tune in to see if we find any! We will be raffling off several dowsing rods, digital EMF readers and an analog EMF meter. Any teen who shows up for the virtual hunt will be entered into the raffle - they do not need to have completed the City-wide Scavenger Haunt. The Advanced Paranormal Services will offer up a presentation on ghost hunting techniques that would pair very well with any hardwon ghost hunting tools! Click below to join the event (and enter code 805268) on October 22nd at 5:30pm! by Meagan, Sweet Branch  It’s a spooktacular City Library Scavenger Haunt for teens! From September 20–October 22, stop by any City Library and pick up a spine-tingling tracker. Inside you’ll find the gory details about hair-raising haunted places in Salt Lake City. Visit at least five of these locations, answer the questions about each one, and then return your tracker for a sticker and your very own paranormal logbook. Finished the tracker already? Are you hungry for investigating more paranormal occurrences? These places might be harder to visit in person, but we suggest looking them up online and researching some of what makes them so terrifying. The Silver Fork Lodge 11332 Big Cottonwood Canyon Rd, Brighton, UT 84121  Originally the location of a miner tent city, the Silver Fork Lodge as it stands today was built in 1947. Guests of the hotel have reported lights and other electronics flickering, cold spots, moving objects, and disembodied moans and whispers. Which supernatural occurrence scares you the most? The lights, cold spots, moving objects, or sounds? The Alta Club 100 E S Temple, Salt Lake City, UT 84111  According to legend, a man fell asleep while smoking a cigar and died in the ensuing fire. He’s said to wander the upper floors of the club. Another ghost haunts the basement and makes herself known by a faint scent of lilac perfume. Do you think seeing a ghost or feeling a ghostly presence is scarier? Bigelow Hotel 2510 Washington Blvd, Ogden, UT 84401  Built in 1927, this Ogden hotel has a dark history. An employee died by falling down the elevator shaft, and now the elevators have been reported to move from floor to floor with no one inside or on the floors the elevator stops on. Room 1101 is reportedly haunted by a woman who drowned in the bathtub, and Room 1102 is haunted by her son who committed suicide in the room. Would you ever stay in a room knowing something like this happened there? Why or why not? Cottonwood Paper Mill 6900 S Big Cottonwood Canyon Rd, Cottonwood Heights, UT 84121  The Mill has gone through many owners and been used for many things (including as a film set!), but that hasn’t stopped it from being listed as one of the most haunted locations in the state. People have reported doors opening and closing on their own, cold spots, and the lights turning on and off (even though the building no longer has electricity). Why do you think there are so many reports of old mills or factories being haunted? Grove Theater 912 W Garden Dr, Pleasant Grove, UT 84062  Weird happenings have been reported from the Pleasant Grove Theater since the 1950s, but the recent stories are more eerie. Staff have reported hearing footsteps on the stage when nobody is there, and signs and mugs have flown across the room on their own. The owner has nicknamed the ghost “Charlie”, but we don’t know who the ghost really is. Why do you think people name ghosts? Would you name a ghost? Snowed Inn 1310 Lowell Ave, Park City, UT 84060  The Snowed Inn was built as a replica of the owner’s grandmother’s Victorian Mansion, and the grandmother’s ghost is now said to haunt the building. Staff have reported seeing floating mist, and an old woman is sometimes seen in the back of photographs taken in the building. What would you do if a ghost appeared behind you in your photo? Moon Lake High Uintas, Duchesne County, Utah  Known as “the most haunted campsite in Utah”, Moon Lake is haunted by the ghost of a 7 year old girl who drowned in the lake. The girl is often sighted during the day by hikers or fishers, where she will approach, soaking wet, asking for help. At night, campers will hear loud splashing water, running, and sobs, but when they go out to investigate the lake is calm and there’s nobody around. Would you be more nervous to see a ghost during the day than at night? Why or why not? Fear Factory 666 W 800 S, Salt Lake City, Ut 84104  The beloved and world-famous attraction has a very dark history. Built in the 1800’s, the Fear Factory used to be an industrial cement factory known as Portland Cement Works. There are two confirmed grisly deaths of factory workers, but other records say more than two men died over the years. The factory closed in 1987 and sat vacant until Fear Factory bought the building in 2010. There are reports of screams being heard outside operating hours when the building is silent, and shadowy figures have been reported looking down from upper levels. Some have even claimed to hear a little girl laughing in the middle of the night, even though there are no reports of children dying in the factory. Why do you think so many stories about hauntings involve children or the ghosts of children? Rio Grande 270 S Rio Grande Street, Salt Lake City, Ut 84101  The most famous ghost haunting this 1910 train station is known as The Purple Lady. According to lore, shortly after the station was constructed a woman and her fiance were having an argument and her ring ended up on the tracks. When she went down to retrieve it she was struck by the train and killed. Since then there have been countless reports of lights turning on and off, doors locking on their own, and unexplained singing in the ladies restroom (which seems to be an epicenter of activity). There are also reports of the figure of a man seen in the lobby and upper floors. Would you choose to haunt the place where you died? Or would you rather haunt another location? The Library’s Teen Ghost Scavenger Haunt runs from September 20th through October 22nd. Booklets can be picked up at any City Library location. by Claire, Anderson-Foothill Branch  Starting September 11th the Salt Lake City Library will have its own online monthly Teen Book Club! A new book club for teens developed by teens! Meet new people, discover great books, and have some snacks in this book club by teens, for teens. Teen Book Club meets the second Saturday of each month to discuss books chosen by students from West, East, and Highland high schools. You'll even get a free copy of the month's book after you register!
Join the meeting using this zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/97504665460?pwd=TDBUR3NEbVhWN3hTNlNCLy95MTV3dz09 Meeting ID: 975 0466 5460 Passcode: 392612 Why is it important to have a Book Club specifically for teens? Having a Book Club for teens is important because we perceive literature differently from adults or children. Young adult novels have become increasingly popular and prevalent over the past few decades, and we are trying to select books that will be relatable to teens in some way. We believe this is important because books are more engaging when the reader can relate to some aspects of the story, even if the environment, setting, and plot are different from that of their own. Why is Diversity in Book Clubs important? One of the goals of our book club is to promote diverse and representative literature to address the education opportunity gap by making literature more accessible to all. A lot of the literature we read in schools disincentivizes minority students from enjoying the learning process because it represents only a narrow slice of the population. By diversifying mainstream literature, we can ensure that all people feel included and represented in our schools, communities, libraries, and in our larger society, and broaden teenagers’ horizons in the process. About the Books!  Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi Persepolis is a memoir of French-Iranian author Marjane Satrapi's life growing up in the turbulent political and religious climate of the 1979 Iranian Revolution. It is written in the form of a graphic novel. Marji’s family are Marxists and she describes them as “avant-garde.” They oppose the unity of religion and government in Iran and frequently protest their lack of freedom under the Islamist government. Marji grows close to her uncle Anoosh, who flees to the USSR and is eventually executed because the regime believes him to be a spy. Eventually, Marji’s parents decide that the Iranian regime is too violent and repressive for her to remain there. They send her to Vienna to live with nuns.  What If It's Us by Becky Abertalli and Adam Silvera Arthur is only in New York for the summer, but if Broadway has taught him anything, it’s that the universe can deliver a show stopping romance when you least expect it. Ben thinks the universe needs to mind its business. If the universe had his back, he wouldn’t be on his way to the post office carrying a box of his ex-boyfriend’s things. But when Arthur and Ben meet-cute at the post office, what exactly does the universe have in store for them? Maybe nothing. After all, they get separated. Maybe everything. After all, they get reunited. But what if they can’t quite nail a first date . . . or a second first date . . . or a third? What if Arthur tries too hard to make it work . . . and Ben doesn’t try hard enough? What if life really isn’t like a Broadway play? But what if it is?  Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie Bestselling author Sherman Alexie tells the story of Junior, a budding cartoonist growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation. Determined to take his future into his own hands, Junior leaves his troubled school on the rez to attend an all-white farm town high school where the only other Indian is the school mascot. |