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Teen Reading Up 67% at Lee County Library System
Jul 20, 2007 INFORMATION RELEASE Media Contact: Heather O'Connell (239) 461-2924 or hoconnell@leegov.com Program Schedule/Distribution Contact: Lisa Barringer "We normally see an increase in teens' and children's reading during the Summer Reading programs, but nothing like this," said Heather O'Connell, Community Relations Coordinator. In June 2007, teens checked out 31,450 items versus 18,798 items in June 2006. An average of 41,461 Teen and Children's items were checked out per week, while 34,233 items were checked out each week last June. July's figures are expected to go even higher with the release of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows". O'Connell says libraries normally see some increase in teen reading when a Harry Potter book is being released, so with the series coming to an end, will teen reading slow down? "In the past, when teens were waiting for the next Harry Potter release, they started looking for another series to hold them over. Some of those are now very popular and have developed a loyal fan base," O'Connell said. Children and Teen librarians have a number of suggestions for life after "…Deathly Hallows" including: Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians Jonathan Stroud's The Bartimaeus Trilogy Single titles Ursula LeGuin's The Wizard of Earthsea
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