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Arts & Entertainment

Unsung Heroes

Leadership comes in many forms.

In her position as young adult librarian, Sandy Moltz has been creating exceptional programming for teens since 2002.

Her brainstorm “Battle of the Bands,” where teens in local bands play near , has become a fixture for the end of June.

Each April she helps to administer the Lee Cadiff Poetry contest, which awards cash prizes to teen poets.

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And Moltz has also applied for and received a grant to encourage creativity in teens from the Institute of Museum & Library Services, as administered by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners.

This two-year grant, which began last October and runs through Sept. 30, 2012, has brought a number of changes to the young adult section of the library.

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Moltz explains what the grant is about.

 “One of my focuses has been programs that encourage creativity in teens … I want to have a place where teens can express themselves, without judgment, without being graded.”

She has done a lot of research into the link between creativity and leadership and “the research supports that creativity and leadership are connected.”

The grant has allowed Moltz to invite a number of talented artists to the. “I’m focusing on the visual arts,” she says. “I try to have something for everyone.”

Programs have included a senior lecturer from MIT’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, who talked about robots, and brought “some gizmos” to play with; Creative Anachronisms who recreate medieval times and set up some jousts; artist Yettie Frankel’s book-making program; as well as a class in drawing manga.

Moltz also formed a Teen Advisory Board, which has met once a month but will begin meeting two times a month, for an hour at a time. This group is open to all Swampscott students from the 5th grade through high school.

“I supply the snacks,” says Moltz, “but the kids are in charge.”

The teens help plan programming. They started a Teen Book Club, which meets once a month and most recently read Philip Pullman’s masterpiece, The Golden Compass. They are planning a gaming night for March.

By letting the teens be in charge, “they’re learning skills they’ll need in adult life.”

For example, she does not let parents sign their kids up for Battle of the Bands; the kids have to be responsible for their own time slot, their own set up and break down.

“They get their allotted time, If they’re organized, they get to play more,” says Moltz simply.

With the grant money, Moltz has also purchased art books, printer and cartridges, art materials, computer table and chairs, publicity.

At end of grant, she is planning an art show of all the work produced.

Moltz, who spent 25 years working in the technical library at GE in Lynn before becoming the young adult librarian in Swampscott, has always had her heart set on working with teens.

She explains, “When I was in school I took a class from Dorothy Broderick who is considered the ‘mother of young adult librarianship.’ She made it sound interesting, and even then I saw that this was a population that was underserved.”

And, at that time, “young adult was still a relatively new idea. [It] was exciting, something new, something different.”

Although Moltz spends many extra unpaid hours working on teen programming, she is not complaining.

Quite the opposite. “All along this has been my dream job. I love it.”

The next Teen Advisory Board Meeting is Wednesday Nov. 16 at 6.

Upcoming programs include a 3-D printmaking class on Monday, Nov. 14, 6 pm, and a Jewelry Making Class runs by teens on Wed. Nov , at  6 pm.

For more information, please visit the Teen Scene Page on the library website at http://www.noblenet.org/swampscott/category/teenscene/

For a look at the artwork, visit the teen blog Swampscott Teen Talk at http://www.noblenet.org/swampscott/teentalk/

To register for a class, please call Moltz at 781-596-8867, extension 304.

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