Ak-Chin Indian Community Library Movie Club Receives A-List Recognition

Written by

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

The American Library Association – Young Adult Library Services Association (ALA-YALSA) recently recognized the Ak-Chin Community Library’s Movie Club as a Top 10 summer learning program. The association spotlights programs around the country that are using creative ways to keep kids reading.

The Ak-Chin Indian Community Library Movie Club started as a summer program in 2011 with a small group of about 10 to 12 kids. “The library staff wanted to give Ak-Chin children the opportunity to express themselves and build self-confidence,” said librarian Jeff Stoffer. The library staff also wanted to encourage kids age 12 and up to continue reading – something that children often lose interest in as they approach the teen years. The ability to read and write scripts is a fundamental element of the Movie Club, Stoffer notes, which was a deciding factor in ALA-YALSA choosing the program as an award recipient.

Starting out, the Movie Club evolved from a library reading program called Terror Tuesday, where kids would listen to readings of the Skeleton Creek book series by Patrick Carmen, accompanied by spooky videos. The group would then discuss how they could make the videos more frightening, which led to creating the club’s first movie, “Diebrary.” Diebrary was popular among those who saw it at the library and on YouTube, leaving people to wonder what the library movie group kids would create next. The Movie Club continued to meet and make new films.

Ak-Chin Library YouTube Presents: Diebrary

The Green Room Jeff Stoffer and Cecily Peters

Cecily Peters

Originally the Movie Club had one camera and a dated laptop and they would edit footage on an old laptop. Using creativity and what they had to work with the Ak-Chin Library made the first horror movie created at a library in the country. During this early period, the library made movies and started to build relationships with other departments in the community to help make films.

Now the Movie Club has more than 150 videos on YouTube ranging from short films to library commercials. In 2012, the Ak-Chin Indian Community Library secured funds to purchase a computer, professional camera and video editing program for the club’s use. This helped to grow the organization to what it is now. Over the years, 150 kids have participated and the club now regularly sees about 30 children during its weekly meetings.

Jeff Stoffer and Buddy

The Movie Club is the longest-running program at the Ak-Chin Indian Community Library and it is so popular that other Ak-Chin Indian Community departments now ask the Movie Club to make documentaries for them. This allows the Movie Club to contribute to the Community while also cultivating an interest in reading among its young members.

If you would like to view some of the creative videos created by The Ak-Chin Indian Community Library Movie Club visit https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCY0aVZh0vqF2OezcMik-f9A.

[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”27253″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” >

Carolyn Sostrom

Carolyn Sostrom is a long-time Arizona resident who loves desert sunsets, warm weather, Zumba, and the Western lifestyle. She attended Saguaro High School in Scottsdale and then Arizona State University, earning a bachelor’s degree in journalism. Similarly to the protagonist in *The Devil Wears Prada*, Carolyn moved to New York City right after college. She started working for the fashion magazine company Conde Nast but never transitioned to the dark side. After a few years, she left New York in the rearview mirror and returned to her home state, taking a reporter job at the *Apache Junction Independent*. With over 30 years of freelance writing experience, Carolyn especially enjoys writing about community events and profiling individuals who are making a difference in their communities. She had the pleasure of interviewing a variety of cowboy personalities for an article she wrote for the *Scottsdale Independent* about the history of DC Ranch and its roots as a working ranch. Now, her Western adventures with CLN have her diving into the rugged automotive scene, exploring the trucks and rigs cowboys rely on for work, home, and play, a niche where grit meets horsepower. She works at Raising Special Kids, a nonprofit resource center for families of children with disabilities and special healthcare needs. Carolyn also volunteers with the Autism Society of Greater Phoenix. Carolyn believes that everyone has a story, and she loves connecting with others to hear their stories. She’s dedicated to ethical journalism and accurate reporting, which shines through in her storytelling.