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Teens

A young woman reads a book in front of a bunch of shelves of library books

Teen Reading Challenges

Choose a reading challenge based on grade level, then log your books online and win prizes!

Click below to learn how to join.

A young teen boy takes a book off the library shelf

What to Read Next

Check out what new materials we've put on the shelves for you based on different genres or topics of interest!

A group of teens works with their laptops in front of them

Orion ThinkLink

Expanding the educational opportunities and enhancing the academic achievement of local students.

Smiling Student Sitting At Desk with a computer

Homework & Database Help

These are some excellent databases that students in Middle School and High School can use for homework help which are provided by the Michigan eLibrary.

College Graduate with a smile and expression of happiness

Getting Ready for College

Here students can find information about planning their academic future.

A group of three people with volunteer labeled on their shirts group their hands together for team camaraderie

Volunteer

Looking for opportunities to grow and give back to the community? Volunteer at the library! Select the link below to get started.

A group of teens with books in their hands sit in a circle on chairs discussing the book

Teen Events

Have some fun and socialize at the library! We offer a wide variety of programs and events, from gaming to crafting, to Teen social hours.

the teen room at orion library with pokemon art on the windows, a shelve of books before the entrance, and a neon Teen Room sign above the rooms entrance

Teen Room Features and Guidelines

Welcome to the Teen Room at the Orion Township Public Library!

 

There are a few guidelines we ask patrons to follow along with some really neat features you can read about below. 


  • Patrons between 6th and 12th grade welcome! 

  • Children under 6th grade are welcome to come in and get a book but should reserve computer use and study space for teens. 

  • Adults are welcome to utilize the teen room during school hours on weekdays (excluding summer), only if no teens are present. Adults may also get materials from the area, but space and computers are reserved for teens. 

  • No adult tutoring permitted, but teen peer-to-peer tutoring is encouraged. 

  • The door to the teen room may be closed but please keep the lights on. 

  • Content projected or displayed on the large monitor and screen in the Teen Room must be kept to PG-13 and under.


Teen Room Features 

  • Five computers for teens to use at their leisure 

  • Wall mounted iPad with sound system and overhead projector 

  • Wall mounted widescreen television 

  • Playstation 5 and Xbox Series X are always available for play on the wall-mounted TV 

  • A comfortable sitting area and table 

  • Charging station for phones and tablets 

  • Manga collection

  • New teen items, teen fiction, nonfiction, and graphic novels are located just outside the teen room 


Video Game Consoles 

The library has three video game consoles available for teens to use in the Teen Room: PS5 and Xbox Series X, and Nintendo Switch.  If you would like to use a game system, this is what you do: 


  • PS5 and Xbox Series X are always available and do not require checkout. The Nintendo Switch and controllers can be checked out from the circulation desk for use in the Teen Room. 

  • Controllers for PS5 and Xbox Series X are connected to the players and do not require checkout. 

  • We have an adaptive Xbox Series X video game controller for additional accessibility. Please ask a librarian for this controller when you want to use it.

  • Bring one of your own games or grab a game from our collection and check it out. 

  • Please do not leave any library technology unattended. 

  • The library is not responsible for any damaging or malicious activity performed with or to personal accounts stored on library gaming consoles. 

  • Gaming profiles will periodically be wiped from these devices by library staff. 

  • When signing in to a gaming console with a personal account, remember to enable a passkey / passcode to prevent unauthorized access by other patrons. 

  • There is a two-hour time limit on consoles (only if someone else is waiting to use them). 

  • If you have any questions about any of the teen room guidelines, features or game systems, please ask someone at the adult reference desk! 


Getting Ready for College

Here students can find information about planning their academic future.  The library has resources for financial aid and lists of the the top Michigan Universities to make sure students are successful in their upcoming college career.

College Friends walking together and laughing and talking

Federal Student Aid 

Federal Student Aid, a part of the U.S. Department of Education, is the largest provider of student financial aid in the nation.  Federal Student Aid is responsible for managing the student financial assistance programs authorized under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965. These programs provide grants, loans, and work-study funds to students attending college or career school.  FAFSA forms are completely online now and available at the following link: https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa

 

Scholarships.com

Founded in 1999, Scholarships.com claims to be the largest free and independent scholarship search and financial aid information resource on the Internet, with more than 2.7 million scholarships worth a total of $19 billion in their database. 

  

Top Universities in Michigan 

Michigan has excellent public universities and private colleges. Check out the resources below for lists and more information.

Not quite ready for a 4-Year University?  

Check out Macomb Community College or Oakland Community College for two great local options.  Or visit Collegestats.org to browse the entire directory of Michigan schools. 


The SAT and ACT 

 

Student sitting at desk and doing homework from his laptop

Teen Homework and Database Help

These are some excellent databases that students in Middle School and High School can use for homework help which are provided by the Michigan eLibrary. Simply click on the image or the title of the database for access.  Also, please take a look at our Online Resources to browse the library's entire collection of databases.

Biography in Context

Biography in Context offers authoritative reference content alongside magazine and journal articles, primary sources, audio podcasts, and images. Covering a vast array of people from historically significant figures to present-day newsmakers, it is continuously updated to ensure students have access to the latest information.

Britannica School

With Britannica School, students can conduct research using thousands upon thousands of searchable encyclopedia and journal articles, images, videos, audios, curated primary sources with curriculum relevance, detailed maps, editor-recommended Web sites, learning games, a world atlas, and a wealth of how-to research tools. Choose from three learning entry points - Elementary, Middle, or High School - then select a reading level that matches each student’s ability.

Driving-Tests.org

Driving-Tests.org for Libraries includes the following information specific to Michigan: 11 car practice tests; 9 motorcycle practice tests; 10 commercial vehicle practice tests; 3 online driving manuals: car, motorcycle, and commercial driver license (CDL); FAQ section with detailed answers to over 100 DMV-related questions.

Explora for High Schools

Provides hundreds of popular magazines and reference books for high school libraries. Covers subjects such as art, history, sports, and music. Includes thousands of biographies and primary source documents. Also includes photos, maps, and flags.

LearningExpress Library

LearningExpress Library features online tutorials, practice tests, and eBooks to help patrons of all ages. It offers job search and workplace skills improvement, skill building in reading, writing, math, and basic science, career certification and licensure exam prep, college and grad school entrance test prep, GED® test prep, and more. To access LearningExpress Library, you will be asked to create an account.

MAS Complete

Designed specifically for high school libraries, MAS Complete contains full text for more than 540 popular, high school magazines. MAS Complete also provides more than 440 full text reference books, 85,670 biographies, 105,786 primary source documents, and an image collection of over 502,000 photos, maps and flags.

Opposing Viewpoints In Context

Features contextual information and opinions on hundreds of today’s hottest social issues. Continuously updated pro/con viewpoint essays, topic overviews, primary source documents, biographies, court-case overviews, periodical articles, tables/charts/graphs, and more.

Points of View Reference Source

Containing resources that present multiple sides of an issue, Points of View Reference Source provides rich content that can help students assess and develop persuasive arguments and essays, better understand controversial issues and develop analytical thinking skills.

Science Reference Source

Designed to meet every student researcher's needs, Science Reference Source contains full text for hundreds of science magazines, journals, encyclopedias, reference books and a vast collection of images.

Biography Reference Source

More than 450,000 biographies. Includes complete full text run of Biography Today and Biography Magazine as well as thousands of narrative biographies.

CultureGrams

CultureGrams provides concise, reliable, and up-to-date cultural information on hundreds of countries, as well as the U.S. states and Canadian Provinces. Each World Edition report is written by a native or long-term resident of the country, in coordination with a CultureGrams editor. The Kids Edition, States Edition, and Provinces Edition reports are written by CultureGrams editors but with extensive input from reviewers. Each report covers 25 categories, including history, religion, family, economy, gestures, current events and more.

Ebook Collection - High School

For high school students and educators. There is a selection of teacher resources and titles align with Common Core Curriculum Standards. You may access the full text of these eBooks from your computer, or download titles to most popular portable devices.

Explora for Middle Schools

Explora for Middle Schools provides hundreds of magazines and reference books for middle school students. This resource includes thousands of biographies and primary source documents. Subjects include history, current events, science, sports, and biographies, as well as photos, maps, and flags.

Literary Reference Source

Literary Reference Source provides a broad spectrum of information on thousands of authors and their works across literary disciplines and timeframes. It gives students, professors and researchers a foundation of literary reference works to meet their research needs.

Oakland Press (2004 - current)

Search full-text articles on local news, issues, events, people and more from current and archived issues of The Oakland Press. Also available remotely 24/7 on any device.

Poetry & Short Story Reference Source

Poetry & Short Story Reference Source provides a historically rich collection of hundreds of thousands of classic and contemporary poems, as well as short stories, biographies and authoritative essays on such topics as poetic forms, movements and techniques — including contemporary content from the finest publishers.

Political Science Complete

Designed specifically for students, researchers and government institutions, Political Science Complete covers political topics with a worldwide focus, reflecting the globalization of contemporary political discourse.

World Book

World Book Online is a suite of online research tools that includes encyclopedia articles, primary source collections, educator tools, student activities, pictures, audio, and video, complemented by current periodicals and related Web sites. Modules includes Early World of Learning, World Book Kids, World Book Info Finder, World Book Reference Center, World Book Timelines, World eBook, and Enciclopedia Estudiantil Hallazgos.

Additional Resources

If you need help understanding a book or citing some information SparkNotes and Easybib are great resources for students to utilize!

  • SparkNotes - Study guides and message boards for a variety of subjects and books.

  • EasyBib - Citation generation in the latest editions of MLA, APA, and Chicago styles.

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