Teens
TEEN EDUCATION & CREATION HUB
Visit the TECH Lab - A space for teens to come in, hang out and use 21st century technology to create exciting projects in the areas of science, technology, engineering, art and math.
TECH Lab Summer Hours:
Tuesday-Friday:
Focus Time 1-3 pm
Open Lab 3-6 pm
Saturday:
Open Lab 1-5 pm
Be sure to check below to see what special programs and events we have coming up each month!
Teen Events At-a-Glance
We have a lot of things going on at the library, so here's a quick list of all of our upcoming events. Scroll down the page to find more info on the program you're interested in, or call us at 696-8538.
- Summer Reading has Begun!
- TECH Lab Artist in Residence
- Focus Time Topics
- Featured Program: STEAM Week
- Animation & Rendering: Make an Animated Short
- Explore STARLab
- Create Your Own Cartoon Character
- Super Smash Bros. Tournament
- Video Game Design Camp
- Podcasting Camp
- D & D: Conquering the Westmarches
- Fortnite Fridays
- Teen Book Group
- Teen Advisory Group (TAG)
Test Prep E-Books
Getting ready to take the SAT or GRE? Just need some extra help with geometry? Want to be a firefighter or police officer? Then check out the library's new collection of digital reference books for test prep and study help! All of the titles are free to access and download. All you need is a library card! See our selection, and get studying.
Summer Reading
May 4th-July 20
Summer Reading is designed to encourage the entertaining pastime of reading while adding fun activities and challenges to your days. This summer, the theme is "A Universe of Stories!" and we have 4 programs, each appropriate for a particular age group. Earn points for participating and get badges and prizes as you go. When we wrap up the program,"spend" your points until July 26 at 10 pm on prize raffles that take place on July 27 and July 29.
For teens, they can sign up here and earn one point per minute of reading. They can also attend library programs and visit the TECH Lab to get secret codes that can be entered in for bonus points. Then they can spend their points on raffle tickets for some amazing prizes, from a guitar package to tabletop gaming to gift cards. So sign up and start reading today!
TECH Lab Artist in Residence
Interested in being the TECH Lab's next Artist in Residence? Have some interesting skills you want to share? Or maybe just interested in working with teens, and making some extra money for it? Contact Cody at 696-8538 or e-mail him at allenc@ci.billings.mt.us.
Focus Time in the TECH Lab
Come to the TECH Lab from 1-3 pm during the week for Focus Time, a time when lab staff hang out and explore different STEAM related topics. Teens are encouraged to come and explore something they find interesting related to the day's theme, although they can work on absolutely anything! We'll be changing themes from time to time, so be sure to check back here to see what we have planned.
Focus Time Themes for June 18-21
Tuesday: Painting
Wedensday: Knitting/Fiber Arts
Thursday/Friday: Animation & Rendering workshop
Featured Program
STEAM Week
June 11-15
1-3 pm in the TECH Lab
Join us as we kick summer off with a week of great STEAM programs! Come to the TECH Lab from 1-3 pm all week to explore some interesting topics, learn some new skills, or just have some fun. No sign ups are required, just drop in and have a good time. See you there!
Schedule of Events:
June 11: 3-D Printing
June 12: Fun with Photoshop
June 13: Board Games
June 14: Computer Coding
June 15: Lego Robots
Upcoming Programs
Animation and Rendering: Make an Animated Short
Thursday, June 20 & Friday, June 21
1-3 pm in the TECH Lab
Learn how to animate a simple scene and then render your animation into a 3-D model! Call 657-8290 to sign up.
Explore STARLab
Tuesday, June 25
1-3 pm in the Community Room
Teens are invited to come to the Community Room and explore the STARlab while the library hosts it! Sit inside an enclosed dome and experience some amazing presentations in a mini planetarium! No sign up required, so stop by and see something amazing.
Create Your Own Cartoon Character
Wednesday, June 26th
1-3 pm in the TECH Lab
Learn how to use Photoshop and Illustrator to create your own cartoon characters. Call 657-8290 to sign up.
Super Smash Bros. Tournament
Friday, June 28
1-6 pm in the TECH Lab
Come to the library and prove you're the ultimate Smash Bros. champion! We'll be playing various game modes throughout the day and awarding prizes to the winners, so call 657-8290 to sign up today!
Video Game Design Camp
July 9-12
1-3:30 pm in the TECH Lab
Join Brody, a TECH Lab mentor, as he leads a week long camp teaching teens how to design their own video game. Teens will use the Unity game engine to design and create their own game, and learn about key concepts from computer science throughout the process. Call 657-8290 to sign up today!
Podcasting Camp with YPR
July 15-19
9 am -1 pm in the TECH Lab
Join Yellowstone Public Radio at the Tech Lab to learn how to make your very own audio story. Participants will be encouraged to work in groups or on their own to follow their curiosity, ask questions big and small, and produce an audio story by the end of the week. Yellowstone Public Radio staff will teach participants the basics of story selection, interviewing, audio recording and editing, and finding their radio voice. To sign up or ask questions, please contact Madeline Alpert at Yellowstone Public Radio by phone at 406-657-2979 or by email at maddie@ypradio.org.
D & D: Conquering the Westmarches
Saturdays
1-4 pm in the TECH Lab
Join us for epic adventures and world building mayhem as we strive to tame the wilds of the West Marches! Help build and cultivate a city, explore the wilderness, and defeat terrifying monsters as you learn the ins and outs of 5th edition Dungeons & Dragons. You don't need any previous experience with the game, and you don't have to commit to a weekly session. The West Marches campaign is designed for drop in/drop out play, so swing by the TECH Lab on Saturday and see what adventures are underway!
Fortnite Fridays
Every Friday
3-7 pm in the TECH Lab
Fortnite is now on the Nintendo Switch, so the TECH Lab is going to be hosting a couple hours of Fortnite mayhem every week. Swing by the lab to hang out and try one of the best games around!
Teen Book Group
Thursday, June 27th, 4:00-5:00 pm
Teen Study 2
Join the Library's Teen Book Group. We meet once a month on Thursday afternoons. Snacks and drinks are provided. In June, we’re reading Emmy Laybourne's Monument 14, a post-apocalyptic thriller. Register and reserve your copy of the book by calling 657-8290.Teen Advisory Group
Teens who are 13 to 19 years of age can apply to be part of our Teen Advisory Group - the TAG. The TAG advises the library about programs for teens, helps promote services, and volunteers at the library.
Volunteering at the Library
Are you looking for ways to spend your free time? The TECH Lab is looking for 16-18 year old teenagers to help lead and mentor younger teens in the lab during open hours. Volunteers need to be interested in technology, willing to teach and learn alongside other teens, and be in the lab for a minimum of 4 hours per week. This is a great opportunity to gain valuable leadership experience, or just give back to your community! For more information, contact Cody in the TECH Lab. Submit an online application..
Looking for a good book?
Check out these great reads.
Suggest A Title
Is there a teen title you would like to see in the Library's collection? Submit your suggestion online.
Local Teen Interviews Architect of Billings Public Library
Katelyn Bauer interviewed Will Bruder, the architect for the new Billings Public Library building,
and used the TECH Lab equipment to edit the video together. Way to go Katelyn!