Steamboat Pilot & Today

Steamboat Springs — The turnout was slim at Monday's teen book chat at Bud Werner Memorial Library, but the participants were cheerful.

A pair of Soda Creek Elementary School fifth-graders swung by, books in hand, to make beaded bookmarks in the basement Teen Room. Alexandra Waldschmidt and Hannah Thvedt, both 11, joined Silver Lining owner Tara Stroman on the spring break afternoon.

"Not everybody went on vacation," Stroman said. "This is just a fun little project for kids who stayed around."

The girls picked through bins of brightly colored beads from Silver Lining, thoughtfully selecting baubles to tie onto the ends of a strand of string or leather. Library Youth Services Manager Alison Lambart made a few markers, too, slipping on a bead painted like a globe "for Earth Day."

Silver Lining donated the materials, and Stroman provided her expertise.

"I can't say enough about the generosity of businesses in this town," Lambart said. "That's what makes it work."

Alexandra's mom dropped off the two girls at Monday's event. The pair pulled smiley faces and turtles out of the bead trays. Stroman gave them instructions and talked about the production of the clay beads, many of which made their way to Steamboat Springs from Peru.

The girls started off quietly with the craft.

"This so beats going to school," Alexandra whispered to Hannah.

Their chatter increased with the number of bookmarks they made. The girls made their way to the juice and cookies Lambart had provided, consulting each other on bead choices and discussing their mutual distaste for meat loaf.

The size of the group might have been for the best. The Teen Room is slightly cramped, and only three chairs sat around the painted craft table. Lambart had to move puffy armchairs out of the way to try out her new hula hoop. The ring was a bit of an impulse buy.

"It just looked so spring-like," she explained.

Lambart said the library expansion, set to be finished this summer, would include more space for youth activities on the teen mezzanine level. The library has a summer reading program for teens through which they earn $10 gift certificates to Silver Lining and other local businesses.

Nothing else is officially on the schedule for the age group. Lambart mentioned the possibility of game nights and other get-togethers on the teen mezzanine level.

"I think the new space is going to be a nice gathering place here in town," she said.

- To reach Blythe Terrell, call 871-4234

or e-mail bterrell@steamboatpilot.com