Library to host Hallo-Teen costume party, escape room adventure

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Erin Sheffield

The Canyon Area Library offers a variety of services and special events for teenagers.

The Canyon Area Library will welcome teens to a Hallo-Teen costume party and escape room adventure Oct. 31 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at the library, located at 1501 3rd Avenue in Canyon.

All attendees will have the opportunity to play Wii games and board games, as well as eat and socialize. Interested participants can also try the “escape room,” where they will be locked in a room with 15 minutes to escape, and winners will be photographed. All junior high and high school students are welcome to attend the party at no cost.

“We held a teen Halloween party a few years ago and wanted to bring it back,” assistant librarian Brooke Mjolsness said. “We hope this will give teens a safe, comfortable place where they can hang out and their parents don’t have to worry about them.”

We hope this will give teens a safe, comfortable place where they can hang out and their parents don’t have to worry about them.

— Brooke Mjolsness, Librarian

Costumes must not be too revealing, but attendees are encouraged to be creative with their apparel.

“Teens will do the escape room in small teams while the others are still enjoying the party until it’s their turn,” Mjolsness said. “They’ll have 15 minutes to solve hidden clues, get the numbers to undo the combination lock and escape the room. To go with the Halloween theme, they’re supposed to escape the room before zombies break into the library and eat them alive.”

Mjolsness said the library staff are preparing for roughly 30 people, but program attendance can vary. In addition to special events, the library offers a variety of services for teens.

“We offer free tutoring, homework help sites and databases,” Mjolsness said. “We have a huge young adult book section as well as graphic novels and comics. We have monthly programs which are always free, e-books, audiobooks and a 3D printer they can make projects on. We hope to gain a larger teen audience at the library and help make them aware this is a place where they can hang out.”