This summer my teenage daughter got to spend some time with me at my library in the Teen MakerSpace. (I work in a different state then we live, yes it’s weird.) As a mom, I was very excited that my daughter got to spend time with me at work. As a teen services librarian, I was very excited by her very positive response to the space.

I asked her to write a little post about her thoughts on The Teen MakerSpace at The Public Library of Mount Vernon and Knox County (OH), which she did.

I also want to share with you the recent feedback we got from an area counselor. The city of Mount Vernon has a monthly First Fridays event, which we have been doing outreach activities for the Teen MakerSpace at. An area counselor came up and told us that she had been referring her teens to the space and that they always return to her saying that they love the space and that our staff makes them feel important.

The Teen doing stuff

The Teen doing Sharpie Art

The Teen doing Tech Take Apart

The Teen hard at work making books

The Teen created string art

The Teen making buttons

I’m not going to lie, seeing my daughter love this space that I created – that my library created – was a career high for me. There were several days that I was off and she asked me to drop her off at the Teen MakerSpace, which is how I knew she genuinely loved the space. She made a lot of creative things and she made new friends. It was, in a word, epic.