1. The Antioch Library presents... An End of School Year Teen Spoken Word & Poetry Slam Friday, May 22, 2009 7 – 9 pm The Meeting Room Stop by the Information Desk for more details (Image Credits: www.jaceweb.com/images; www.fillntheshoesproductions.com)www.jaceweb.com/imageswww.fillntheshoesproductions.com

2. Introduction Located on the banks of the San Joaquin River in Northern California, Antioch is a growing community with a population just over 100,000 people. Close to 8% of the population is comprised of teenagers (grades 9-12), which the Antioch Library serves with exciting programs and a space that they can call their own. The library is at the epicenter of the junior high and high schools located throughout the city of Antioch. Regular teen patrons enjoy crafts, games, book discussions, dance instruction, reading festivals and ‘zines, among many other things. Most of these teens are tech savvy, creative, and love playing PC games. They are concerned about their community, politics, current events, and entertainment. We would like students who have an interest in writing and rapping to visit the library more often. We would like to show them that many rap artists, singers, and song writers started out writing down their thoughts, just as they are doing.

3. Proposal The Antioch Library will host an end of school year spoken word and poetry slam for teens. This in-house programming event will also serve as a kick-off for the Teen Summer Read program. Excerpts from young adult books of poetry will be read to entice attendees to check out the library. These books will be on display in the library the day after the slam. Photos of the slam will be posted on the teen page of the library’s website. Refreshments will be available throughout the program.

4. Budget ItemCost Pizza, soda (donated)$0 Chips, tortilla (1 bag)5.00 Pretzels (1 bag)5.00 Napkins (500 ct.)6.25 Paper plates (100 ct.)5.00 Plastic cups (2 – 50 ct.)11.00 TOTAL32.25

5. Summary With the Friends of the Antioch Library as primary sponsor, the library will host a spoken word and poetry slam to help teens celebrate the end of the school year. The date of the event will be a welcome break as students gear up for final exams. The event will also serve as a nice kick-off for the Teen Summer Read program. The purpose of the event is to allow teens to express themselves in a fun, safe environment while also encouraging creativity. They will be introduced to material that can be found in the library as well as on the teens page of the library’s website. By simply adding photos to this page, students who are not regular patrons will be exposed to a wide variety of services that will meet their informational needs and pique their interest in the library at the same time.