Celebrating 10 Years of TeenHQ: Where It All Began

The Beginning

TeenHQ first welcomed young people in middle and high school on August 20, 2016, on the mezzanine level of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library. Now, ten years later, San José Public Library is celebrating all that has grown from that start.

TeenHQ didn’t begin with a finished plan handed to teens. Instead, it began with their ideas. A group called the Teen Groundbreakers spent over a year working with the library and design firm Gyroscope to create the space from scratch. They brainstormed, drew floor plans, marked out areas on the floor, discussed ideas, built cardboard models, and moved furniture around until everything felt right. Their work led to the distinct zones that still define TeenHQ: the Gamer Lounge, Hangout Zone, Recording Studio, and MakerSpace with tools like a 3D printer and laser cutter.

This process built a stronger connection between San José’s teens and their library, setting the stage for ten years of youth-led programs. The completed space cost about $220,000, funded by Microsoft. It fit a recording studio, makerspace, gamer lounge, and a teen collection of over 7,500 items into 2,872 square feet.

The Grand Opening

At TeenHQ’s grand opening, 412 people came to the King Library for an 11 a.m. ceremony. Mayor Sam Liccardo, District 3 Councilmember Raul Peralez, City Librarian Jill Bourne, and Teen Groundbreaker Jaximus Park spoke, and guests toured the new space. The event also featured a display made by over 150 students from Latino College Prep. Local partners like California’s Great America, Camera 12 Cinema, Octave Systems, and Miemode joined in the celebration.

Behind the scenes, SJPL’s marketing and communications team spent two months preparing for the opening. They partnered with schools and classrooms, offered extra credit and field trip opportunities, and ran a multilingual campaign that reached over 200,000 people and generated 84,000 social media impressions. The campaign later won the library a John Cotton Dana Award and a $10,000 prize for outstanding public relations.

None of this would have happened without the SJPL staff who supported the project from the beginning. Teen librarians and talented library staff and interns have helped design TeenHQ’s programs and continued to shape them over the years.

The Present and the Future

Ten years later, TeenHQ’s purpose remains the same. It is still a space just for middle and high school students, open every day at the King Library. Teens can spend time with friends, play video games, create in the makerspace, or record music, all in their own way.

Now, San José Public Library is celebrating this milestone just as TeenHQ always has—by putting teens first. Starting this month, we’re marking TeenHQ’s 10th anniversary with special programs through May 2027. The celebration begins on August 22, 2026, with the ARTrepreneurs: Teen Craft Fair, opens a new window and a TeenHQ Theater Performance: BEOWULF AND THE BARD, opens a new window. It’s a great way to start a year that honors TeenHQ’s beginnings and looks forward to its future.