There’s more going on at the library than most teenagers realize, according to 14-year-old Alexis Hester.

“The library is not nearly as boring as people think it is,” said Hester, a member of Cranberry Township Library’s teen advisory board.

Hester is one of about six teens who meet the last Monday of the month to give library staff an idea of what teenagers want.

Founded last year, Cranberry’s teen advisory board is one of several meeting at Butler County libraries.

Mars Library’s board formed around the same time and meets the last Thursday of the month.

Saxonburg Library’s group met for the first time last week to address the needs of this demographic.

“When kids are small, they pour into the library and parents want to bring them for story time and all kinds of events,” said Saxonburg Library director Erin Wincek, noting attendance seems to decline by the early teens.

“If we don’t meet their needs at this age, we could potentially lose them as adult users.”

Jaci Defeliece, Cranberry’s teen librarian, said teen advisory panels have become more prevalent in recent years.

“I think libraries are realizing the importance of having teens come into the library,” Defeliece said. “They’re going to be our future.”

Some of the boards’ responsibilities include suggesting new materials and planning programs with an ultimate goal of bringing more teens into the library.

The group has been successful at Cranberry Library, Defeliece said.

“I have seen more interest in our books, they’ve gone out a lot more,” she said.

Circulation numbers also have risen at the Mars Library since its teen advisory board formed about a year ago, said library director Mary Jo Simons.

“I think they keep us plugged in to what the teens would be willing to come to the library for,” Simons said.

In addition to in-person meetings, a Web presence is invaluable when appealing to teenagers, said Simons, who helped launch the Mars Library’s teen book blog Feb. 16 to facilitate virtual discussions.

Participants can read one of the selected titles and use the site to communicate with other readers.

Comments must be approved by library staff before appearing on the blog, Simons added, so the book discussion blog is safe for teens.

Dozens of teens have participated in online offerings such as a Harry Potter trivia contest using Cranberry Library’s site, Defeliece said.

Participation in such groups gives teens a sense of ownership and pride in the library, Defeliece said.

“It’s not just about reading,” said Martin Majewski, 16, a member of Cranberry’s group. “It’s sort of a leadership role.”

Another benefit is meeting peers who share a love of reading, said fellow member Laura Ward, 14.

“I like to talk and read books and pretty much no one else I know does,” Ward said.

Saxonburg Library’s teen advisory board plans to meet the third Thursday of each month. Sixth through 12th graders are welcome, Wincek said.

“I would like for all ages to be represented,” Wincek said. “Sixth graders have different needs than 12th graders, but they can learn from each other.”

During the first meeting, Wincek’s group suggested activities like movie nights and reading challenges and requested materials like graphic novels.

“I feel like librarians can guess what teens want, but we’re not teenagers,” Wincek said. “I think it’s better to have their input.”

Once the group gets off the ground, she hopes to see a member at the library’s board of trustees meetings.

“They could have one representative come to the meetings and tell us what the teens are up to and what they’d like to see happen,” Wincek said.

Common challenges include working around teens’ busy schedules and securing funding for programming, but the teen advisory groups are worth promoting, Defeliece said.

“If we can show them how important the library is now, maybe in the future they’ll remember that and say, ‘Yes, we do want to support our library,’” she said.