Media Contact: Leanne Ingle, 360-704-4508, or outside Thurston County calling area: (877) 284-6237, ext. 2508; e-mail: lingle@trlib.org, or Kristine Mahood, 360-943-7790; e-mail: kmahood@trlib.org.

Middle and high school teens are being offered a chance to get their poetry published. Timberland Regional Library (TRL) is launching its sixth annual Teen Read Week events with a "Poets Know It" Teen Poetry Contest, October 1 to 31, at all 27 Timberland libraries in Grays Harbor, Lewis, Mason, Pacific and Thurston counties.

Throughout the year TRL offers teens opportunities to enjoy reading materials of their own choosing and to make a habit of reading for fun. Each October teen programs take up the national Teen Read Week theme. This year it’s "SLAMMIN’ @ your library" and the focus is on poetry as both a written and a performance art. The contest was developed by TRL Teen Services Librarian Kristine Mahood as part of Teen Read Week 2003 (October 19-25), a project of the American Library Association affiliate, the Young Adult Library Services Association.

Teens can pick up entry forms for the "Poets Know It" Teen Poetry Contest at any Timberland library starting October 1. Entry forms will also be available at Barnes & Noble Booksellers in Olympia. Between October 1 and 31, teens can enter up to three of their original poems. Each poem must be no more than 125 words in length and be accompanied by an entry form. Poems will be exhibited in the libraries from October 19 to November 21. Three winning poems from each of the five Timberland counties will be announced on November 24, 2003 and all 15 poems will be published as bookmarks and distributed in December 2003 and April 2004 (National Poetry Month).

During October the libraries will gather together poetry-related books that teens can check out for inspiration—books of poetry, books on how to write poetry, fiction in poetry form, and books about presenting poetry as a performance. Some Timberland libraries are also having special "SLAMMIN’ @ your library" events for teens. (A listing by county follows.) Information on other activities and resources for teens is available at the TRL website at www.trlib.org and at local libraries.

Oct. 18 - Oakville Timberland Library, Throwdown Poems, 11 a.m.-noon. Jump-start your poetry-writing at this workshop with Teen Services Librarian, Kristine Mahood. Find out how to grab a handful of words, throw them down on a page, and make them into a poem.

Oct. 22 and 23 - Amanda Park Timberland Library, Teen Read Week Café, 3-8 p.m. on Oct. 22, and 3-7 p.m. on Oct. 23. Have some refreshments and check out your library’s poetry books and books on writing poetry.

Oct. 23 - The Centralia, Chehalis, and Salkum Timberland Libraries and their Friends of the Library groups sponsor Poetry Open Mic, 7-9 p.m., for high school and college students. LOCATION: The Matrix Coffee House, 434 NW Prindle Street, Chehalis. Join Timberland library staff at The Matrix Coffee House for an open mic night. The featured poet will be Lucia Perillo, author of three books of poetry and numerous poems, essays and short fiction published in magazines and anthologies. After her reading, step up and share your own stuff, or sit back and support other poets.

Oct. 22 - North Mason Timberland Library (Belfair), Teen Poetry Coffeehouse and Open Mic, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Read a favorite poem—your own, or a poem by someone else. Hot drinks and treats will be served.

Oct. 20 - South Bend Timberland Library, Teen Read Week Café, 4-6 p.m. Have some refreshments and check out your library’s poetry books and books on writing poetry.

Oct. 23: Ilwaco Timberland Library, Teen Read Week Café, 3-6 p.m. Have some refreshments and check out your library’s poetry books and books on writing poetry.

Oct. 14: Yelm Timberland Library, Throwdown Poems, 7-8 p.m. Jump-start your poetry-writing at this workshop with Teen Services Librarian, Kristine Mahood. Find out how to grab a handful of words, throw them down on a page, and make them into a poem.

Oct. 16 - Tenino Timberland Library, Throwdown Poems, 3:30-4:30 p.m. Jump-start your poetry-writing at this workshop with Teen Services Librarian, Kristine Mahood. Find out how to grab a handful of words, throw them down on a page, and make them into a poem.

Oct. 20-24 - Lacey Timberland Library, Teen Read Week Magazine Contest. Match celebrities with the lyrics from their songs for a chance to win a magazine subscription. Look for the contest in the four Lacey area high schools or in the TeenZone area of the Lacey Timberland Library. One entry per person.

Oct. 21 - Tumwater Timberland Library, Throwdown Poems, 3-4 p.m. Jump-start your poetry-writing at this workshop with Teen Services Librarian, Kristine Mahood. Find out how to grab a handful of words, throw them down on a page, and make them into a poem.

Oct. 21 - Yelm Timberland Library, Teen Poetry Coffeehouse and Open Mic, 7-8 p.m. Read a favorite poem—your own, or a poem by someone else. Hot drinks and treats will be served.

Oct. 22 - Tumwater Timberland Library, Teen Poetry Coffeehouse and Open Mic, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Read a favorite poem—your own, or a poem by someone else. Hot drinks and treats will be served.

Oct. 23 - Olympia Timberland Library, Throwdown Poems, 7-8 p.m. Jump-start your poetry-writing at this workshop with Teen Services Librarian, Kristine Mahood. Find out how to grab a handful of words, throw them down on a page, and make them into a poem.

Timberland Regional Library serves Grays Harbor, Lewis, Mason, Pacific, and Thurston counties at 27 community libraries and 6 school-based cooperative library centers. For information on any subject, the public can telephone Timberland’s Central Reference Service librarians at 704-INFO (704-4636) from Thurston County, Shelton and Oakville or 1-800-562-6022, toll-free, from all other areas in the district. Or they can "Ask a Librarian" online at http://www.trlib.org/asklib.htm. Anyone needing special accommodations to participate in a library’s program may contact the library 4 days in advance.