Teen Talent Show @ West Tampa Library

First Place Winner High School

Talented Teens from all over Tampa visited the West Tampa Branch Library for great performances of poetry, music and dancing. The standing room only crowd of 85 fans were cheering throughout the contest. It must have been difficult for the judges because the competition was steep. Who could forget the cowboy... or the mimes or the dance crew or the cute little steppers ... Pop, Hip Hop, Country, Dance, Step, Keyboards, Pianos, Poetry, Show Tunes, and Gospel! Oh My! Each one of those talented teens fought fiercely for the prize, but the winners were a middle school singer named Miranda and a high school student named Jonathon, “The Piano Man". Each winner took home the first place cash prizes of $100 each.

West Tampa was one of six regional contests throughout the county. The first and second place winners for the middle and high school divisions in each regional contest are invited to the John F. Germany Public Library this Saturday, April 14th at 2pm. Best of luck to the West Tampa Winners in the finale! Go West Tampa! GO! GO!

A special Shout-Out goes to the Ada T. Payne Friends of the Urban Libraries for their support in making such programs possible!

2012 Teen Talent Show !

Come to the library and cheer on your friends at our upcoming Teen Talent Shows! The winners of each show (middle and high school divisions) will be invited to the grand finale at the John F. Germany Library downtown on April 14th. Cash prizes awarded for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place!

• New Tampa Regional Library - Saturday, March 24, 2:00 PM
• SouthShore Regional Library - Saturday, March 31, 2:00 PM
• Bloomingdale Regional Public Library - Saturday, March 31, 2:00 PM
• Jan Kaminis Platt Regional Library - Saturday, March 31, 3:00 PM
• West Tampa Branch Library - Saturday, April 07, 2:00 PM
• GRAND FINALE! @ John F. Germany Public Library - Saturday, April 14, 2:00 PM

Teens Get Things Cookin' at CBA

The sound of R&B music playing in the background…the virtual time clock showing "1:00:00' on the screen…a table with hidden ingredients… the Community Room @ CBA was transformed into the "Soul Chef Arena."

The atmosphere was electric with anticipation, as the audience waited for the names to be called for The Red Team and the Green Team. Six teens were randomly chosen. The Red Team was led by Antonio, a member of the CBA TAB and the Green Team was led by Kaylob, also a TAB member.

The Green Team from left to right, Kaylob, Team Captain, Cesar and Xayonara

The audience cheered as the clock was started. Both teams worked feverishly to complete their tasks – to prepare a drink, entree and desert for the judges, using at least one of the "Secret Ingredients." With moments to spare, both teams finished and the Captains presented their fare to the judges. The Green Team got off to a slow start, but finished strong and received praise for their dessert and drink, but it was the Red Team that won the coveted "Black Spatula" and the right to be called "Soul Chefs 2012!"

Pictured from left to right, the winners of the coveted “Black Spatula,” Blessing with her brother and sister; Uary Jones; Antonio, Red Team Captain; Howard Harris, President of the Ada T. Payne Friends of the Urban Libraries and Amanda

Special thanks to the Ada T. Payne Friends of the Urban Libraries for funding Soul Chef and providing two of our judges, Howard Harris, and Yvonne Lewis, and thanks to Uary Jones for providing her palate as well.

Film A Commercial - Win a Gift Card

Calling all teen filmmakers! The Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System is providing you the opportunity to film a commercial for Teen Tech Week 2012 Geek Out @ your library. The commercial can either highlight digital resources/technology in the library OR promote Summer Reading: Own the Night.

Prizes in the two categories will be awarded and featured on the library's website and Facebook page on Friday, April 6, 2012. Both winners will receive a $50 gift card, courtesy of the Friends of the John F. Germany Public Library.

Entries will be accepted by HCPLC library locations from Friday, March 9 2012 until close of library business (5:00pm) on Monday, March 10, 2012. Please visit any of the Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library locations for more information.

TAB @ John F. Germany Public Library

Are finding ways to fulfill community service hours stressful for you? Do you dread some of the tasks you have to do and wish you could set your own projects? Well, if you participate in Teen Advisory Board (T.A.B.) at John F. Germany you can! The purpose of T.A.B. is to add adolescent appeal to the library: stuff that teens like. The way that this is done is simple and effective, and it benefits you too!

Teens gather to discuss what might make their peers more interested and active in the library. For example, just last Tuesday we were discussing how social networking sites can easily get information about T.A.B. out to the teenage public. We discussed the effects of Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and texting on teens while enjoying some Zebra Cakes and Sprite. Sounds fun, right? When you start attending T.A.B. you can opt to start volunteering also.

Mr. Bill, our awesome T.A.B. leader, can help you come up with a project to suit your strengths. For example, my project is writing this blog for you guys, but there are many other options too. Once you decide, you just pick the most convenient day and time and start ranking in those volunteer hours. You can even count the hour-long T.A.B. meetings we have every other Tuesday! I can honestly say as a T.A.B. member myself, that earning volunteer hours has never been as flexible, easy, or as enjoyable.

Come join us on the first and third Tuesday of the month at the John F. Germany Library at 6:30pm to start working with the T.A.B.

Hope to see you there! ~ Ariana, T.A.B. member

Jan Platt Library Teen Book Club :: The Alchemyst by Michael Scott

Do you love reading? Looking for something new? Join us for our monthly Teen Book Club. We read and talk about books selected by teens like you!

On Thursday, March 22nd at 5:30pm we will be discussing The Alchemyst : the secrets of the immortal Nicholas Flamel by Michael Scott at Jan Platt Library. Come join the discussion and help select future books for the group to read. Copies of the book are available at Jan Platt Library for check out. Refreshments will be provided.

The Alchemyst is on Young Adult Library Services Association's 2012 Popular Paperbacks reading list.

Come an hour earlier at 4:30 and join our Teen Advisory Board. Have a voice in creating library programs and recommending materials like graphic novels, manga, young adult fiction, and music. Help promote the library to other teens. T.A.B. members earn community service hours toward graduation, scholarships and more!

"While working at pleasant but mundane summer jobs in San Francisco, fifteen-year-old twins, Sophie and Josh, suddenly find themselves caught up in the deadly, centuries-old struggle between rival alchemists, Nicholas Flamel and John Dee, over the possession of an ancient and powerful book holding the secret formulas for alchemy and everlasting life."

See what other books our Book Club has been reading by checking out our bookshelf on Goodreads.

Jan Platt Library Teen Book Club :: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Do you love reading? Looking for something new? Join us for our monthly Teen Book Club. We read and talk about books selected by teens like you!

On Thursday, February 23rd at 5:30pm we will be discussing City of Bones by Cassandra Clare at Jan Platt Library. Come join the discussion and help select future books for the group to read. Copies of the book are available at Jan Platt Library for check out.

Come an hour earlier at 4:30 and join our Teen Advisory Board. Have a voice in creating library programs and recommending materials like graphic novels, manga, young adult fiction, and music. Help promote the library to other teens. T.A.B. members earn community service hours toward graduation, scholarships and more!

"Suddenly able to see demons and the Darkhunters who are dedicated to returning them to their own dimension, fifteen-year-old Clary Fray is drawn into this bizarre world when her mother disappears and Clary herself is almost killed by a monster."

See what other books our Book Club has been reading by checking out our bookshelf on Goodreads.