Teen Voices at NYPL
At the Library, we believe that what teens have to say matters. Through our free programs and events, our dedicated Teen Centers, and the opportunities we offer to have your work published, we provide an array of ways for you to make your voice heard. Discover all the amazing things teens are doing at libraries and in our communities!
Read Issue 5 of 'Teen Voices' Magazine
As part of our National Teen Art Contest, we asked teens across the U.S. to contribute to the conversation about book bans and censorship by creating original artwork. The winning entries are published in the latest issue of Teen Voices!
Read Issue 4 of 'Teen Voices' Magazine
For our fourth issue of Teen Voices, we asked teens to tell us about an important journey, real or metaphorical, through art and writing. Read Issue 4 online now.
Read Issue 3 of 'Teen Voices' Magazine, Our Special Freedom to Read Edition
As part of our National Teen Writing Contest, we asked teens across the country to tell us why the freedom to read is important to them, and published the winning entries in a special Freedom to Read issue of Teen Voices! Meet the contest winners and read Issue 3 now.
Read Issue 2 of 'Teen Voices' Magazine
Published in November 2023, our second issue of Teen Voices marks the 50th anniversary of hip-hop and explores self-expression, personal style, and how art, music, and fashion shape who you are.
Read Issue 1 of 'Teen Voices' Magazine
For our first issue of Teen Voices, we asked teens to tell us about your community, what you care about, and how you make waves for positive change.
Libraries: A Home Away from Home
See art and read writing from Teen Civics Ambassadors reflecting on the libraries they call home.
College & Career Advice for Teens, by Teens!
Teens enrolled in NYPL’s Intensive College and Career Access Network (ICCAN) share their advice for preparing for college and careers after high school.
First Person: Communities Have Flourished With Libraries. It’s Time to Stop Stunting Our Growth.
What does the Library offer to communities, and why does it matter? Hear from NYPL Teen Civics Ambassador Ruiyu Tang why he finds libraries valuable.
Announcing the Winners of Our Frankenstein Short Story Contest!
In early 2024, to tie in with the Fate of Frankenstein display in the Polonsky Exhibition of the New York Public Library's Treasures, NYPL launched a special contest inviting teens to submit their original writing and art inspired by Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Read the 10 winning entries in a just-released digital anthology!
Art by Yoojung Shin.
More from Teens
Hear from teens across different NYPL branches and communities what they’ve been up to—from preparing for college and careers, to mentoring younger kids and making art.
New! Explore Our Enhanced Teen Centers
Hang out, get creative, and much more at the Library's newly expanded and enhanced Teen Centers. These welcoming spaces in select locations across the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island have been created just for teens and are open for you to collaborate, make new friends, read, and enjoy all the Library has to offer. From video equipment to gaming consoles to art supplies—everything is free to use!
More from NYPL for Teens
Discover free one-on-one homework help, college and career counseling, volunteer opportunities, book recommendations, free resources, and more that the Library has to offer teens.
Podcast: 'A Teen Story'
Created by teens, for teens, A Teen Story is a podcast discussing a wide variety of topics, from dealing with ADHD to our favorite (and least favorite) video games, civic literacy, and more!
Portal Magazine
Portal is a magazine written, designed, and edited by NYPL’s Teen Reading Ambassadors. Aimed at an audience of kids ages 6–12, Portal contains stories and features, fun facts, comics, activities, and much more specially created by the Teen Reading Ambassadors for each of our issues.
Thank You to Our Supporters
These programs and initiatives are part of the Library’s Tisch Youth Education Programs, led by the Merryl and James Tisch Director of Branch Libraries and Education. Major support for educational programming is provided by Merryl H. and James S. Tisch.
Major support for children's and young adult programming is provided by the Andreas C. Dracopoulos Family Endowment for Young Audiences.
Lead support for Teens 360º is provided by the City of New York. Additional support is provided by Arthur W. Koenig, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, the Best Buy Foundation and the Joly Family Foundation, Mr. and Mrs. Evan R. Chesler, Google.org, and Michael ByungJu Kim and the MBK Educational Foundation.
College & Career Pathways has been made possible thanks to the generous support of The Helen Gurley Brown Foundation.
The Teen Civics Ambassadors program is made possible by the generous support of The Gottesman Fund.