image thanks to flickr user lecercle

Darien Library is holding the first Teen Film Contest as a part of One Book, One Community 2010.  

Beginning on April 1st, the Library will be accepting submissions of short films in any genre from students in grades 7-12. Through the contest, we hope to showcase the talent of local teens in film production. The deadline for submitting entries will be April 30. Entries will be judged on their content, creativity, style and technique.  Films can be in any genre: fiction, documentary, animation, or video podcast, and should be less than five minutes in length.

Entry forms can be found in the Teen Lounge on the Lower Level of the Library or downloaded here. If you would like to borrow one of the library's Flip cameras to shoot your movie, stop by the lower level.

On May 9 at 3 PM, there will a screening of the films to which all contest participants, their families and friends, as well as members of the community will be invited.  At the awards ceremony the prizes will be presented. For more information, call 669-5225.

Finish Him!

Saturday March 27th

2:30 PM

Teen Lounge

Test Your Might! Go head-to-head with your favorite Mortal Kombat and DC Universe characters.  

The ultimate victor will win one of the new books coming out this summer! 

We're so proud of all of you!

We had a wonderful time at the awards ceremony for the 2010 Teen Writing Competition. It was so great to see so many Darien teens and their families come together to celebrate teen writing. Heather did an amazing job organizing the event, and a special THANK YOU goes out to our judges: Dulcy Brainard (poetry), Madge McKeithen (non-fiction), and Melissa Crandall (fiction).

All of the photos from the event are now online on our Flickr page. We'll have the video up soon. And don't forget to pick up a copy of our 2010 Book of Writing, if you haven't already!

Here's the complete list of the winners:

image thanks to flickr user _ambrown

We know how stressful college admissions can be. There are so many things to consider -- the essay, the interview, SATs, and finding ways to stand out among all the rest. You can never get too many tips on how to prepare yourself for the admissions process, so Darien Library is hosting a new series for students of all ages and their families this spring. College Admissions 101: Resources for Families is a two-part panel series this April. Please join us!

The Admissions Process, Thursday, April 1 at 7 p.m. in the Community Room

Featuring:

• Lindsay Slattum, Associate Director of Undergraduate Admission, Fairfield University
• Paul Ribeiro, Director of Guidance, Darien High School
• Kristin White, author of The Complete Guide to the Gap Year
• Stephanie Klein Wassink, Principal, Winning Applications, LLC

Advice for Student Athletes, Thursday, April 22 at 7 p.m. in the Community Room

Find out about how the highlight reel works, what student athletes need to know before sending in their applications, and what advice current college athletes have for high school students.

Featuring:

• John Keleher, Director of Athletics, Darien Public Schools
• Mo Minicus, Darien High School Field Hockey Coach
• Kelly Vegliante, Darien High School assistant coach and parent of a college athlete
• Mary Bennett, parent of college athletes
• Stephanie Janasiewicz, varsity soccer player, Purchase College
• James Wyper, varsity runner, Yale University

A question-and-answer period will follow each panel presentation, and we invite those who attend to join us for refreshments after the session.

For questions, please call 669-5225.

image thanks to flickr user coderkind

Today at 4 PM, come by the Teen Lounge to compete in a video game tournament. Win prizes! Hang out with your friends. See you there!

Please note: we are cancelling Study Sesh this week, but it will return next week at a new time: 4 PM.

Everyone who entered the Teen Writing Competition produced amazingly talented work. We would like to honor those who entered at our awards celebration, where the winners of the competition will be announced by our guest judges Melissa Crandall, Dulcy Brainard and Madge McKeithen and the prize money will be given out. Your families are invited to join you.

Come celebrate your accomplishments!

Sunday, March 21 in the Community Room at 3 p.m., join us for an awards ceremony and reception, and receive your complimentary copy of a book including all of the amazing entries in our First Annual Teen Writing Competition.

If you entered your work in the competition and did not receive an evite to this event, please email Heather at hmartyn@darienlibrary.org or call 669-5225 to RSVP.

image thanks to flickr user chatirygirl

Every Saturday at noon, meet in Power LIbrary Study Room 1 to knit your heart out. All teens are welcome -- just drop in whenever you want. Get help with your existing project or start a new one, and best of all, spend time with friends old and new.

Fun inside!

Answer the following questions correctly in a comment to this post, to be entered into a prize drawing. Two (2) winners will receive a $5 gift certificate to the café and a galley book!

1. How many Mac computers are in the Teen Lounge? Hint
2. How many PC computers are in the Teen Lounge? Hint
3. What gaming consoles are available to play in the Teen Lounge? Hint
4. Which day of the week is Teen Chess Titans usually held? Hint
5. How many Teencasts have been made? Hint
6. What is the name of the popular teen program on Wednesdays? Hint
7. What's the Tuesday program where you can study, get homework help and enjoy snacks too?  Hint
8. Who are the teen librarians? (Hint: Read below)
9. Does Darien Library have a fan page for its Teen Lounge? Yes or No? Hint
10. The Library circulates games for which two consoles? Hint

Stuck on a question even after all the Hints? Search our website, explore the Teen Lounge or ask a Teen Librarian!

OTHER FUN THINGS TO DO!

Become a FAN of the Teen Lounge on Facebook! A random fan wins a prize every month!
Up to speed on twitter? Follow us at @darienlibrary
Sign up for an account on our website, browse the Teen section and post a comment on a post, such as these about your Teen Librarians: Alex, Heather and Sarah!