By Paige Vachris, Staff Reporter
Tredyffrin Public Library and its Paoli Library branch received the PA Youth-Led Humanities Award in October 2024. Every two years, the nonprofit PA Humanities selects libraries to receive a $5,000 grant.
Funded by the National Humanities Foundation and the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the PA Youth-Led Humanities award recognized 22 libraries in Pennsylvania that encourage teens to lead and develop their own programs through the humanities for the 2024-26 Youth-Led Humanities Cohort. At the Tredyffrin and Paoli libraries, these events include activities such as Crafternoons, book clubs and the Makerspace technology workshop.
“We have a teen advisory council that works with the teen librarian at Tredyffrin to look at her budget and try to decide what kinds of programs they want to do,” said Rachel Kramer, fundraising associate at Tredyffrin Library. “In some ways, this grant is going to fund things we were already doing, which is great for the library.”
The libraries applied for the award in September and received it in October. Their application discussed the background of the library and the community that uses it. In 2021, the libraries received the same award and put the grant toward a “remixed classics” program which encouraged members of all ages to creatively reinvent a classic work. This year, the libraries will use the funds for teen programs and focus on the humanities. Junior Sejal Shukla, a shelver at the Tredyffrin Library, said the grant will provide more opportunities for library members.
“A lot of the kids already have a great program, like the Makerspace, which are hands-on activities,” Shukla said. “I think giving access to even more kids and giving them more activities to do would be even better.”
Tredyffrin Library plans to use its portion of the grant to fund a day trip to New York City for teen members of the library. Participants will go to see “The Outsiders” on Broadway. Paoli Library will put the money toward teen art programs, such as presentations from the Wayne Art Center, and a Little Free Art Library as a place to share and display teen-created art.
“I think this is really going to offer new, exciting opportunities for teens at the library specifically, and it is teen-led. So the Crafternoons and what the art workshops are going to be about are up for discussion by teens. We want the teens to take a lead in that,” Kramer said. “In Tredyffrin, I think the library is the center of the community. There’s no other central gathering place, and so there is something for everyone in the library.”
Paige Vachris can be reached at [email protected].
