Visit a Teen Center Near You!
The Library's Teen Centers across the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island are welcoming spaces just for teens! Open now in select branches, our newly expanded and enhanced Teen Centers are designed for you to collaborate, make new friends, read, and enjoy all the Library has to offer. In addition, every branch has welcoming spaces for teens as well as books, resources, and more! Our Teen Civics Ambassadors want to share what makes the Teen Centers where they work so special.
Read their reasons for visiting below, and find out more about all of NYPL’s Teen Centers here. Then, make a plan to visit your local library branch today!
Bloomingdale Library Teen Center
The New York Public Library has 92 locations across the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island. I’ve had the chance to work at the Bloomingdale branch in Manhattan. Out of all the branches available, I think that this branch is special because of the fun atmosphere and the variety of activities available. The staff are welcoming and are always coming up with new ways to support teens. Some activities are video gaming programs, art and crafts, and button making—all for free! There is usually a program occurring on any given day, but many teens also use the space to study, use computers, and chill.
This library is a great place to decompress and try new things. For example, I learned to crochet here! Because of the relaxed vibe of the library, you can create freely without fear of criticism. The branch also provides many free resources such as printing, books, and art materials. This branch has given me a warm welcome, and it can’t wait to do the same for you. — Nephthalie
Across all NYPL library locations, you can find a book to read, a person to talk to, or even something to make you laugh. But at the Bloomingdale Library, within the Teen Center, there’s an endless amount of things to do. You can craft by crocheting, making origami, making pins and magnets, or even painting! You can use technology and make creations with the 3-D printer, take polaroid photos, and use a bunch of filmmaking technology! In the Teen Center, there’s a vast variety of games you can play. From Mario Kart on the Nintendo Switch to any type of board game. While the Library contains a bunch of materials to keep you active, entertained, and involved, the staff here are also willing to talk and accept anything with open arms. — Amanda
Best Buy Teen Tech Center at Grand Concourse Library
The Library is a great place to come if you need help with school, college essays, or getting a job. You can also come here just to relax, read, or join our programs where you can hang out with staff and other teens. For example, we have “Lofi and Chill” where you can relax, listen to music and paint, or do puzzles. We also have game day and other arts and crafts programs such as clay art, screen printing, and DIY crafts.
At Grand Concourse Library, we also have lots of tech to teach you how to do anything from photography to 3-D printing—and even a recording studio! As a teen, I know it’s hard to find a place where you can get help with school and your future as well as to find a place to just relax and have fun. Since I've been going to the Library, I've met so many amazing teens and staff members and together we have all created something beautiful: a community, a family. — Danajah
High Bridge Library Teen Center
Did you know that the Library is one of the only places in the city where everything is free for teens? When I say everything I’m talking about everything a teen could possibly need from a library. Books? Free. Internet? Free. Electronics (borrowed of course)? Free. Information on pretty much everything and everything? Wouldn’t even cost you a penny.
Additionally, many NYPL branches are getting renovated to create spaces just for teens, including ours at the High Bridge Library. Our Teen Center is a room where no adults (parents included) or little kids are allowed to hang out in. It’s entirely just for teens. — Amia
Growing up, I viewed the library as a space that was solely destined for people who enjoyed studying in silence. When the word fun was mentioned to me, the library was the last place to cross my mind. However, after becoming a Teen Civics Ambassador, I realized that this was far from the truth: The Library is exactly what fun is.
My first shift as a Teen Civics Ambassador was full of surprises. Rather than watching patrons constantly being hushed by a librarian, I instead saw the opposite. Teens were interacting with one another, playing Uno or rock, paper, scissors. I noticed the colorful posters hung everywhere, showcasing the numerous scheduled teen programs. From Teen Game Night to Cherry Blossom Painting, and even Slime Making, the library was a place full of resources, whether it ranged from books about crocheting to fun activities that could help you relieve stress.
The abundance of resources available at my branch made me thankful that my community had easy access to anything they needed. From guidance on your journey to college, to the arrival of a new 3-D printer, everything could be found in one place. Best of all, if the library was missing something you needed, it is very easy to propose the idea of an addition to your branch! — Tammy
Macomb’s Bridge Library Teen Center
The teen space at Macomb’s Bridge Library is strategically placed near a bunch of schools that allows the teens that go to these schools to have a stress-free environment to chill and hang out—a place protected from any outside danger, packed with plenty of games, technology, and new hobbies to indulge in. There are also wonderful and caring Young Adult staff!
This library features a separate room for the teens which is beautifully lit by sunlight, has heaters and AC, and is lined with a plethora of books. There are many things to do here—from gaming with either a Nintendo Switch or a PS5 to playing Uno with friends. There are also arts and crafts, a knitting kit, and even a telescope to play around with. The 3-D printer sits in the middle of the room and a TV that sits in a corner that is always being brought out to be played with. All this, along with academic books for nearly every AP course and for the SAT.
Our library is a space for teens to be teens, to chill and be safe, and explore without being burdened by their lives as growing members of society. — Emmanuella
Wakefield Library Teen Center
Are you tired of coming home after school and being bored? Would you like to engage in fun activities after school? Do you want to establish friendships with other teens in your community? If you answered "Yes" to at least one of these questions, I invite you to visit the Wakefield Teen Center at The New York Public Library! — Kimi
Welcome to the Wakefield Library! Libraries are generally known as places where people go to read or study in a quiet environment, but our library offers more than just that. We offer different programs just for teens. An example of a program hosted by our branch is Video Game Hour, which takes place every Tuesday, 4–5 PM. Another weekly program hosted at our branch is Craft Hour every Wednesday, 4–5 PM. These programs are free, and snacks are provided at the end! — Tracy
West New Brighton Library Teen Center
SHHHH quiet! This is what most people imagine when they hear the word “library.” In reality that is not how it is. There are numerous things to do in the Library to have fun, especially at the West New Brighton Library! As a Teen Civics Ambassador, I was able to discover how welcomed one can feel when entering the library. The programs and resources that West New Brighton provides are there to be utilized and it’s all free. There is always something to do in the Teen Center. For example, we have board games, a writing center, and electronics (including a Nintendo Switch!). We also have snacks and plugs for chargers, and you can come just to hang out in the library with friends. — Jennifer
Our Teen Center in the West New Brighton Library is a room dedicated to ONLY teens and their programs. Our teen library staff are nice and don't require you to have to be quiet or anything, so the environment doesn’t feel like school, but just a place to relax. — Jadesola
Woodstock Library Teen Center
The Library has always been a safe space for teens to do any kind of reading, work, or just spend some time away from other things. Teens need to see how many free programs and services the Library offers so they can take advantage of the opportunities available for them. Here at the Woodstock Library, we value our area and the safety of our patrons. We have a very clean, calm, and spacious teen area, with numerous computers for teens to use. We offer a variety of programs such as college and career programs, puzzle and board games, movie nights, photography, video games, and more!
Ever since I began my journey as a Teen Civics Ambassador, I figured this branch would be the same as it was to me when I was younger: a small library with books and computers. In my younger years, I was unaware of these various programs that could allow me to be active. I wish I could have come back to the library and had fun with these various programs and 3-D printing machines. As time progressed being a Teen Civics Ambassador, I realized the importance of having teens be aware of all the resources the library has to offer them. Now that I see what I missed out on, I feel it's a necessity to display these opportunities to teens who want to feel involved or feel like doing something productive. — Xavier