Each Mesquite Public Library location has a selection of materials dedicated to young adults, which includes teens in seventh through twelfth grade.
We have a number of activities for teens. Get in the Game at the Mesquite North Branch Library invites teens to play games including Wii Sports, Super Mario for Wii, and Guitar Hero, and is designed for sixth through twelfth graders. At the Mesquite Main Library, teens from 13 to 18 years old can join the Anime Club where we watch and discuss anime; the discussion continues at the Anime Club blog. During the summer, we have the Teen Reading Club. For more information on all of our teen activities, check our Calendar of Events.
We suggest checking out the Lone Star Reading List. This is a recommended reading list for sixth, seventh, and eighth graders and the books are stocked at both Library locations. We also have a Lone Star Reading List discussion blog.
We have a wide selection of manga at both Library locations, and we are expanding our selection of graphic novels aimed toward teens.
We do try to make sure we keep up with the popular books but sometimes a series slips under our radar. You can make suggestions to our young adult librarians. We can also request books to be sent from other libraries through Inter-Library Loan.
Teens must be at least 15 years old to volunteer. If your teen is interesting in volunteering at the Mesquite Public Library System, start by calling either the Mesquite Main Library at 972-216-6220 or the Mesquite North Branch Library at 972-681-0465, and ask to speak to the Library’s volunteer supervisor. There is an application to fill out and a parent’s signature is required for volunteers ages 15-17. In order to volunteer in the summer, you must first attend an orientation meeting. For the dates of these meetings, please see our Calendar of Events. The City of Mesquite does not accept court-ordered community service hours
Teens 14-17 can apply for a library card on their own with a photo ID (such as a school ID or recreation center card) and proof of address (such as a recent report card.) A parent or legal guardian can sign the card application to give permission for the teen to use the Library’s Internet computers.
There is no limit to the number of books that can be checked out at a time, except for when you first apply for a card. The limit then is two items.
Teens 14 years and up can check out CDs, Audio Cassettes, and CD-ROMs. Teens 18 and up can check out DVDs and Video Cassettes.
If your teen is 14 or older and you as parent or legal guardian signed his library card application, he will be able to use his own library card number and PIN to sign on to the Library’s Internet computers. If he is under 14 years of age, or you did not give permission on the library card application, he may use your library card number and PIN to sign on to the Library’s Internet computers and you will need to stay at the Library while he uses the computer. This is the only circumstance where it is permissible to use someone else’s library card number and PIN to use the computer.
We offer a number of databases that can be useful when doing online research that are accessible from home. Links to these databases can be found on the our home page, or on our Online Resources page. Some databases require a log in and password, which you can get from a reference librarian.