Youth Services
Welcome to Youth Services at St. Thomas Public Library!
We’re revamping the way we connect with youth (ages 13 – 18) in St. Thomas, and we have great opportunities available for you to get involved! First, you can join our Discord server and get connected to other youth in St. Thomas to chat, play games, and learn about volunteer opportunities. Want to get even more involved? Teen Advisory Board (TAB) is for you! Fill out the forms below to get connected to one (or both)!
We also have lots of programs for teens and youth, like trivia nights, craft programs, and First Chapter Fridays, our virtual “book club” where teens can listen to the first chapter of an exciting new book read aloud twice a month!
Discord FAQs
How do I post things?
Text channels are marked with the # symbol. Choose a text channel from the list on the left to display the posts in that section. Type your message in the box at the bottom of the screen. When you’re satisfied with your message, press enter to post it to the channel. If you’ve made a mistake, you can edit your post by clicking the pencil icon when hovering over your post (computer) or pressing and holding on your post, then choosing “edit” (smartphone). You can also delete your post from the chat by clicking the trash can icon. Once a post is deleted, no user will be able to see it, and it cannot be restored. Post hilarious gifs by clicking the GIFS button on the right hand side of the message box (computer) or the smile emoji icon (smartphone) then just search for the one you want! Post your creative content to the channel by clicking the plus symbol on the left side of the message box (computer) or the image symbol (smartphone). Keep in mind that all your posts in the server will be visible to anyone who has joined the same server.
How do I make safe connections with other teens online?
We want you to enjoy hanging out and sharing your creative content and we want you to be safe when you do, so protect and respect your privacy and the privacy of others:
- Don’t post photos with your face or the faces of your friends, family, or other community members.
- Don’t share personal details like home addresses, personal email addresses, phone numbers – your own or anyone else’s.
- Don’t record or share what happens here – no copy and paste, no screenshots, no video recording, no audio recording.
- Do not accept friend requests from users you do not know.
- Explore and customize the Privacy & Safety features on your account by clicking on the settings icon next to your circular profile icon/picture.
- Public conversations are safer than private messages – be wary of anyone trying to convince you to take things to a DM or switch to a different platform (Instagram, Facebook, etc.)
- Change your privacy settings by clicking the settings gear next to your username in the lower left and selecting “Privacy & Safety” from the list on the left. We recommend keeping “Allow direct messages from server members” off. This will keep your direct messages limited to users that you choose to friend on the platform.
How do I go to a Library program on Discord?
Once you are a member, you can join a Library program by choosing the appropriate channel at the time of the program. See the “Announcements” text channel for the time and location, then select the right text or voice channel. Depending on the activity planned, you may be able to join in with your own microphone or camera!
When are staff available on Discord?
Staff will be available Monday, Tuesday, and Saturday from 3-5 and Wednesday, Thursday, Friday from 3-6.
What is a Bot?
Discord bots are friendly AIs (artificial intelligence) that can perform a number of useful automated tasks and bot commands on the server, such as welcoming new members and moderating content. You can listen to music, search Google, play games, moderate chats, save posts, and more all through these bots.
What can we do here?
- Hang out
- Share memes
- Share art or photos of pets
- Discuss books, movies, music, anime, etc.
- Ask questions Chat with Library staff
- Talk about games
- Stay in the loop on all upcoming youth events
- Attend virtual programs
- Meet up for online games
- And more!
Why can’t I post anything?
Are you new to the server? If so, you’ll need to head over to our “rules-and-guidelines” channel and check out our code of conduct before you can post. Once you’ve read the code of conduct and given it a thumbs up you will be cleared to start posting!
When can I use the video/voice channels?
The voice channels are open Monday, Tuesday, and Saturday from 3-5 and Wednesday, Thursday, Friday from 3-6. When the voice channels are open, staff are available to chat and will be popping in the conversation from time to time.
Where can I read more about how Discord is keeping me safe?
Right here! Click to visit Discord’s safety center.
Discord Code of Conduct
Code of Conduct
Hello! Welcome to the STPL Discord server – we are happy you are here! Please read below for important stuff you need to know before you join the server!
To hang out on the server, you must:
- Be between the ages of 13-18
- Be in grades 9 – 12
- Live in St. Thomas or Elgin County, Ontario.
Go ahead and get creative with your username and avatar, but please make sure they are appropriate.
We value your thoughts and opinions and we want you to share them! Please be excellent to each other – stay polite and respectful:
- No trolling, spamming, bullying, abusive language, obscene language, hate speech, callouts or personal attacks. This includes, but is not limited to, racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic, ableist, and violent language.
We want you to share your creative content, and we want you to be safe when you do, so protect and respect your privacy and the privacy of others:
- Don’t post photos with your face or the faces of your friends, family, or other community members.
- Don’t share personal details like home addresses, personal email addresses, phone numbers – your own or anyone else’s.
- Don’t record what happens here – no screenshots, no video recording, no audio recording.
We’re happy you have an etsy shop or are working to fundraise for your school, but please don’t sell, advertise, or fundraise here.
We know you’re awesome and aren’t planning to break any laws. But we’re the grownups and we have to remind you to act legally and ethically here on the server. So:
- Don’t break any laws
- Don’t encourage anyone to break any laws either online or elsewhere
- Don’t impersonate anyone else or take over their account
- Don’t violate copyright – only use publicly published photos, gifs, memes, etc. Give credit where credit is due.
The library is not responsible for activities taking place on the STPL Discord server. You’re responsible for your own actions. SO, if something is happening that’s against these rules, let us know. If we find out you’re doing stuff that’s against the rules, we could suspend your account or ban you, depending on what happened.
Join the Teen Advisory Board (TAB)!
What is TAB? I’m so glad you asked! TAB, or Teen Advisory Board, is a group of youth in grades 9 – 12 who meet once a month to help plan and promote exciting programs, talk about ways to make the library a more inclusive space for youth, and discuss books, movies, music, and websites! It’s a great way to have your voice heard, make friends, and earn volunteer hours. This year, we’re doing a lot of different activities on Discord! If this sounds like something you’d like to be part of, please fill in the following blanks. The “*” means these are the things we need to know about you. The other stuff is what you can tell us if you want.