Successful Reading Programme In Three Words

For the second year running, the teen reading programme In Three Words has been running across South Taranaki LibraryPlus centres during the month of May.

By reading books and writing three-word reviews, teens have had the opportunity to win weekly spot prizes and a major prize at the end of the four-week programme.

South Taranaki District Council Senior Community Outreach Librarian Katherine Bosworth says this programme was designed to help build the relationship between teenagers and their local LibraryPlus and encourage positive interaction with as few barriers as possible.

"Our LibraryPlus centres are traditionally places that teenagers tend to come in, hang out and leave. It wasn’t often we saw them coming in and wanting to engage with staff in a positive manner," she says. "In Three Words has seen a shift in the way teens in our local communities view the libraries and we hope this continues beyond the programme."

There have been 84 teenagers consistently using our LibraryPlus to issue books and enter the weekly prize draws with 109 three-word book reviews entered across our libraries. A 26.6% increase in our teen issues was noted when comparing May 2025 to May 2024.

"The success of this programme was never going to be measured by numbers, but by engagement that teens had with the libraries and whether it was positive or if we noticed an increase," says Katherine. "This month has shown once again there are teenagers in our communities who want to connect with their local LibraryPlus and running a programme as simplified as this has resonated with so many, helping to knock down the barriers teenagers once saw when visiting the South Taranaki Libraries."