LOS ALAMITOS, CA–The Los Alamitos-Rossmoor Public Library is one of those very places where literary, musical, artistic, and reference materials are kept for use but not for sale. However, the Rossmoor Library offers much more than just books and media, especially for teenagers. Located on the edge of the Rossmoor neighborhood, the Rossmoor library is home to a plethora of programs and events geared toward a teen audience. Some include the teen book, craft, and food programs. Additionally, the library is a host for several volunteer opportunities. However, United States library attendance has seen a significant decrease in recent years. Despite this, the Rossmoor Library still works to create a comfortable space for teens to utilize.

The changing state of library attendance in the United States

Over the last decade, library attendance and usage in the United States has seen a downward trend. According to the 2021 Freckle Report, “there has been a fall of 31% in public library use over eight years, up to 2018,” in the United States. In addition, the circulation of physical library resources have fallen and the circulation of electronic materials have increased significantly, signifying the public library systems’ entrance into the digital age.

For the Rossmoor Library, the branch has struggled to regain the attendance levels they had before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

“Attendance is tricky; especially because of the pandemic, overall attendance is low compared to pre-COVID,” Savannah Feiner, the senior library assistant and teen programming coordinator, said. “It’s just a matter of getting back to where we were before.”

Feiner also added that, in general, teens tend to come to the library more over the summer than they do during the school year.

“Attendance is always really good over summer because there’s nothing hanging over the teens, but it’s a little slow going once the school year starts back up,” Feiner explained. “We’re trying to build up that attendance again.”

To counter these changes, the branch staff invest in creating fun and creative programs that interest the community.

Rossmoor Library specific programs

The Los Alamitos-Rossmoor Library is host to the monthly teen book club, the monthly ranting club, food programs, and craft programs.

“The programs are really fun and interactive,” Kai Yamamoto, a junior at Millikan and Rossmoor Library regular attendee, commented. “It’s super organized, and if you can’t make it to something, it’s totally fine. Super flexible.”

Additionally, Yamamoto shared that she is a fan of all the food programs at the Rossmoor Library.

“Food is good but free food just hits different,” Yamamoto said.

Past food programs include the Spicy Bites challenge, the Spicy Ramen challenge, and the Blind Taste Test challenge. The library has also hosted several craft programs, including but not limited to Terrarium building, button and zine making, and tote bag crafting.

Volunteer opportunities

In addition to a plethora of programs, the Rossmoor Library also has several volunteer opportunities that provide an undemanding and beneficial environment to teens.

“Every other month, I…do a teen volunteer orientation for teens ages 13 to 17,” Feiner said. “They just need to attend for thirty minutes and then they’re able to sign up for volunteer shifts.”

Volunteers have several jobs at the Rossmoor Library. Macy Buchta, a four year volunteer, explained her role.

“We put books away,” Buchta said. “We input what books we want in the library. We help with crafts.”

The Rossmoor library also has a Teen Advisory Group (TAG) that is open to all teenagers. TAG meets once a month in order to discuss the content of the library. The main goal of TAG is to involve teens in the library process to make the space more comfortable for everyone.

“Sometimes we’ll just…talk about upcoming teen programs that teens would like to see [at] the library–what they expect from us,” Feiner said. “In December I plan to do a TAG sponsored book exchange…Any teen could bring in their personal books that they read and want to share with others…You could drop off what you don’t want to have anymore and take someone else’s book to read for a bit.”

The Teen Space

Teens can attend the library even if they are not interested in programs or volunteering. The Rossmoor Library has a designated Teen Space that is reserved specifically for teenagers.

“I would love to see teens use [the Teen] Space for studying or for hanging out,” Feiner said. “We have a really nice chalkboard, which [has] different ideas written down for teens to interact with. It’s something I want more teens to utilize so that they feel like they have this space to use in the library.”

The Teen Space is located on the right side of the library near the manga, comics, and teen fiction section. The area is air conditioned with lounge chairs and tables.

The staff

Besides programs, volunteer opportunities, and a Teen Space, the Rossmoor Library has friendly, welcoming staff.

“Myself and my coworkers, we have a really strong bond, and I think that shows in furthering our relationships with the community,” Feiner said. “We all go above and beyond to provide the best service that we can, no matter who comes in the branch—no matter the age.”

Feiner went on to explain that her and her coworkers put their hearts into making the Rossmoor Library a safe space for all attendees. They take community interest into consideration when creating their programs and work to form strong bonds with all who enter the library.

Conclusion

Whether it be for studying, volunteering, having fun, or simply reading, the Los Alamitos-Rossmoor Library is home to a variety of opportunities for teens. The workers are dedicated to their jobs and consistently work to make a safe space for all community members. Additionally, patrons form bonds with each other through the innovative programs hosted at this library branch.

“Other teens should attend the library because it teaches a sense of responsibility,” Buchta said. “It’s a great environment, it’s a safe place, we always have so much fun, and there are so many different books [to read] for school or…for pleasure.”

The library staff are well aware that not all teens have the time to go to programs or just take time to relax and study, but they still encourage teens to attend in their moments of free time, despite how fleeting they may be.

“In the Los Alamitos-Rossmoor community, it’s great that all the teens are super driven and…so busy with extracurricular [activities], but I do feel that they forget to have fun sometimes, and the library, program wise, can be fun,” Feiner finished with. “I just hope that we can get more teens to come to the library, to come to programs, to come to just hang out, to remember that when they were kids, they loved the library.”

Upcoming events can be found on the library’s event calendar.