Myles Bullen: Poetry, Rap, and Navigating Grief: 6 p.m. Aug. 1, ESA; 2 p.m. Aug. 2, MRL. Ages 13 and up. Registration is required and limited. Visit dcls.org/events or call (717)234-4961 and choose option 6.   

By M. Diane McCormick 

In an age when challenges and insecurities buffet older children, The Dauphin County Library System is extending an open invitation to teens. 

“Every teen struggles with thinking they’re not wanted,” said Youth Coordinator Samantha Lowe. “It’s a big goal of The Library’s to break down that misconception and show teens that this is their place. Our slogan, ‘Your Place to Belong,’ isn’t just for grown-ups or preschoolers. Teens are part of the community; we want them to feel that.” 

Outreach is underway on several fronts. In August, The Library presents its first Summer Reading Challenge entertainment program for teens, with “Myles Bullen: Poetry, Rap, and Navigating Grief.” In June, the East Shore Area Library opened its dedicated teen space, a fun, modernized area where teens can be themselves.  

As their website describes them, Myles Bullen is a “rainbow-colored rapper whose performances capture playfulness, healing, grief, and recovery.” Known nationwide and throughout Europe, Bullen uses music, poetry, and spoken word to take teens through their mental health struggles and victories.  

Bullen’s messages can be profound. In their song, “Ordinary Magic,” Bullen says, “I spent a thousand lifetimes in silence ‘til this art started speaking.” In another, they sing, “Healing hurts like you’re swallowing bruises.” However, Bullen also stays in touch with humor and hopefulness, such as in their song “I Hope You Win,” which encourages teens: “You’re blessed. I hope you succeed. Get through what you’re going through. Take a moment to just sit and breathe.” 

Bullen’s program for The Library will touch on social-emotional learning, “helping teens see that they’re allowed to feel these feelings, and they can healthily express them and find outlets,” Lowe said. “It shows them someone like them, someone they can aspire to, especially kids in the LGBTQ+ community. Myles is someone they can see themselves in and think, ‘Oh, wow, I can do that, too.’”  

The East Shore Area Library’s new teen space has video games and craft supplies. Based on input from members of The Library’s anime and board games clubs, it’s outfitted for flex use, with comfortable swivel chairs and moveable tables. 

“It’s a hands-on space that’s less about making the product than building the relationships,” said Lowe. “That is special to us. They see that they can trust us, that we’re safe grown-ups in a safe place, and that they can keep returning. We’re just trying to meet the kids where they are and offer engaging things they might not get to do otherwise.”