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Introduction
The teen years are generally the ages 13-17 and in this era is the time for transitioning to
a young adult. Teens are in a stage of life where they are often looked over because they are both
capable now to take care of themselves and be more independent which can lead to this feeling
of being alienated and misunderstood by adults. This time should not be a forgotten era but a
time to help teens grow into those responsible adults as we expect them to be.
In this paper, I purpose that a Job Fair Youth Studio workshop provided by the library and
local shop owners along with teens will provide an opportunity to develop digital literacy skills,
community leadership skills, and give the teens opportunity to become better adults from the
skills they learn. I use theories from the Detroit Future Media Guide and author Margaret
Mccluskey of Transforming Libraries, Building Communities: The Community Centered
Library. chapter one as guides for my Youth Studio Workshop to help empower our teens.
Theoretical Framework
After reading the Detroit Future Media Guide, it was a great inspiration to see how they
helped the individuals from their community learn new skills to become better leaders. The DFM
taught not only digital skills but also entrepreneur, educational, and community organizing skills
all the while prioritizing on relationship building. By training small cohorts of people, we
generated ripple effects that traveled far beyond the individuals we trained. The DFM
successfully strengthened and expanded a network of small-scale community-based activities.
(Detroit 2014, 11) This is what I plan to accomplish with my Job Fair Workshop for the teens.
This workshop will help train an individual that will return to their community creating those
ripple effects, and inspire others.
The DFM gave individuals in the community opportunities to learn skills that they could
turn around and use to go back out to teach others those skills. This streamline of thinking
inspired the part of the workshop where volunteer teens that have job experience, resume
building skills, or work attire knowledge to be available as a mentor to assist others in these
areas. I try to focus on strategies rather than issues for my program. Another strategy goal is to
build pathways for the teens to connect. (Detroit 2014, 64)
Authors Edwards, Julie Biando, and Melissa S. Robinson of Edwards of, In Transforming
Libraries, Building Communities the Community-centered Library, believe that a library is the
heart of a community and as do I. They emphasize in the first chapter that libraries build and give
strength to them with the services and programs libraries offers. Throughout the chapter, the
authors describe the characteristics of a community-centered library. Libraries can help
individuals reach their full potential, develop skills, fulfill civic duties and more with providing
services and programs.
If the community is at the center of the librarys interest, the library will have to
recognize, meet, and eventually work with community members to anticipate the
needs of the community and design services and programs to address themas
the author Julie argues in another Edwards article, libraries should actively shape
the community and not be a passive player. (Edwards, Biando, and Robinson
2013, 5)
I believe the Community-centered library theory supports my premise that a Job Fair for
teens at the library is a good opportunity to provide a service to meet the needs of the community
and give strength to the individuals. Promoting this program to the libraries diverse public
stimulates community involvement with local shop owners and teens while also encouraging
social inclusion and equity. (Edwards, Biando, and Robinson 2013, 5)
At the end of the day, the goal of this workshop is to create opportunities for teens and
the community members to learn, build relationships, and inspire others. You can see the
purposed logic model for the Job Fair in the appendix. The two theories from the above authors, I
believe support my logic model and represents the expected outcomes and impacts this workshop
should have on the teens.
Overall Goal: To create opportunities for Teens while nurturing a community engagement
through developing new or already attained skills for job possibilities.
B. Materials Needed
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
C. Activity Sequence
Introductions (10 min)
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Librarian in charge will announce remaining time and will thank everyone for attending
Have people that attended the program fill out a short survey.
High lots of attendees, new skills learned, relationship building
Low Not enough time
Hope We can do this again bigger
Discussion
This program, Job Fair Workshop for teens, can either be done on one-day event or split
up into different programs. I originally pictured a one-day event but that would make it longer
than an hour and a half. If we were to give the teens time to make a resume, get interview tips,
dress nicely, and explore. If we were to split the different activities in the logic model we could
do one day a week build up to a big Job Fair event. For example, meet every Monday: first week
build resumes, second Monday practice interview skills, third Monday attend Dress for Success
seminar and maybe borrow clothes and last Monday would be the Job Fair.
After you have, everything set up for your program. However, you decide to host it, one
day or multiple, the beginning of the program you would need a librarian to make introductions
of the guests helping and give the goals of the program. This is about ten minutes.
Then the actual program should last about one hour for the teens to go around meeting
local shop owners and learning new things. Within this hour if you have any guest speakers that
want to speak with a group of teens you could announce that about 15 minutes into program.
They should speak no longer than 15 minutes at a time.
The Resume building stations can be a couple of computers or IPads connected to a
printer so the teens can use to make their resumes or fill out online job applications. In addition,
we can have out practice job applications the teens can practice filling out by hand to look over
for them.
The Dress for Success Seminar is a short conversation with the teens on how to dress for
interviews or for work. Give out tips on what to wear. There could be donated clothes that teens
could borrow for when they have the interviews.
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Workshop Evaluation
After every program, no matter how perfect they were, there is always room for
improvement and adjustment. This is why at every program it is a good practice to have an
evaluation of some kind so a program can get better. It is a good follow up to collect information
from the attendees and from the performers. This way you get both side of the coin on how to
make adjustments. I prefer simplicity when it coming to collecting data. The Detroit Future
Media guide suggests a high / low / hope post it note way of collecting data. I like this but
maybe to suit the Job Fair workshop I would have it on one sheet of paper. The purposes of
evaluation methods are to get a well-rounded perspective and give you a chance to aim your
program to the needs of your community. I also like how in the DFM guide, they ask a simple
one or two questions at the end of a students training. A simple question of who had experienced
from what they learned from this training? Who else has benefited from the persons experience
with DFM? I gave more examples above in the youth workshop section of this paper.
The goals of the DFM are not just to give people technology or just some new skills. The
DFM want to build lasting relationships with the individuals in their community and help them
help others. Consider conducting an evaluation on yourself if you ran it or the person running the
program. For each workshop program, consider these example questions: Did the program meet
the goals that were set forth? Did this workshop help the community needs? What could you take
from the program that you could use next time? Were there any challenges? Remember we are
here to build a pathway for teens and to help the community grow.
Another method of evaluating your program could be an Ethnographic Action Research
approach. This approach is to always be aware and observe the actions while they are happening
and to gather information for future improvement. This is why I like doing a logic model because
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just as this type of research it has you looking at each stage of a program and as a whole.
Conducting any program is hard work. You are always working, as a member of the project
team, to make your project better, to ensure its services are both appropriate and relevant.
(Tacchi, Slater, and Hearm 2003, 62) It can be overwhelming. There are four stages to making a
program and at every stage, you are reflecting and thinking how to make it better. This Job Fair
workshop is a big program and there should always be observing and reflecting as the
Ethnographic Action Research guide suggests. You are always investigating the impacts to the
program.
If you keep in mind, the questions the DFM suggested and the Ethnographic approach of
always observing, the Job Fair will be a great success and only improve more for it.
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Leadership Self-Reflection
What makes a person a leader or take leadership? I believe it has to do with trust. Is this
why people turn to libraries because they have a trusting face? No, I believe why people turn
to libraries for a leader is because libraries have built this trust from honesty and integrity. In the
beginning of semester, I did not think of me, librarians, or libraries as leaders but now I have
changed my perspective to agree that librarians and libraries can and should be leaders in a
community. A library is a great neutral on all sides leader. They can take that leadership role and
give reliable information on all sides of the issue for the encouragement of free discussion and
action. (Kranich 2013, 15) Libraries can provide that safe place where all sides can be freely
discussed, Kranich calls this a librarys civic mission to help the community become more
engaged in local issues. For me, I am not an engager; I am more of an inspirer. I want to be that
librarian that helps you find your information, helps to inspire you to keep researching/learning,
and after this semester, I come to learn that that is being a leader too.
Daniel Goleman broke down the basic styles of leadership for me. There are six styles:
Coercive, Authoritative, Affiliative, Democratic, Pacesetting, and Coaching. New research
suggests that the most effective executives use a collection of distinct leadership styles each in
the right measure, at just the right time. (Goleman 2000, 3) The leadership styles I would most
likely use would be the Democratic to use for collaboration and teamwork. I would also use
Coaching to help other improve and to be positive of situations. I believe I have that
Authoritative style also where I try to mobilize a group toward a goal and sometimes I just want
to be that Coercive leader where you get in that just do what I tell you too mode. All six styles
whichever you use are good. I believe along with Goleman that a great leader is one that has
multiple styles and knows how and when to use them. Librarians should try to develop multiple
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styles because we work with a diverse community and they need to know which style is best for
the customer.
After working with this group of teens, I can see that they want to be leaders of their own
and I discovered for myself that I could be that leader. I can be there for them. I can be there to
help them for research and to inspire them to continue throughout their adulthood.
To work together to create informed, engaged communitieslibrarians are well
positioned to join with the public to strengthen community networks that engage and empower
people. Together, we can fill a deficit in the information ecology of 21st century communities
(Beyond Books 2011). (Kranich 2013, 16)
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Conclusion
Teenagers are misunderstood creatures. They are between being a kid
to being an adult. They are able to take care of themselves to a point where
sometimes adults overlook them. This is why I am adapting the Detroit Future Media
principle of We are listening in my librarian career. I am going to make it a point to
listen to our young adults and assist them in any way I can at the library. I know it is
a scary transition from teen to adult. In this paper, I designed a workshop to provide
teens an opportunity the learn new skills that they will use for searching for jobs
and give others in their community an opportunity to better understand them. The
DFM are great entrepreneurs in giving back to their community and helping them
grow. They were a great inspiration to me. I will always use that thought process
when I am a librarian. This is why I took the DFM example for my workshop. I
wanted to help our youth be prepared for what they will encounter once they do
become adults.
I also find myself grateful for the lessons I have learned in this semester with
the teens and with the readings. I think I was that adult that misunderstood the
teens before this semester. I assumed all teens had devices these days and working
with our volunteers, I have learned that is not always true. I only hope they can
trust me to be able to help them whenever they come to the library. I will also take
my leadership role as a librarian more seriously to be better information server to
my customers.
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Appendixes
A. Fieldnotes 6 Weeks
14
9-29Special Speaker
Young Adult
Volunteers
Teen areas
Local school
Cool
Resource
Examples
Tools
Makerspace
Model
YA librarian
Community
garden
OU library lab
Teen Likes
Maker spaces
Teen Survey
Survey teen
ages
2015
15
We went through the survey for the teens input on the questions.
We made several little adjustments to the questions. A final draft
will be put together to be ready next time.
The teens helped us go through the questions on the survey and
made suggestions. For programs, the teens would like to see these
options: drawing, art, book, college prep, science, crafting, music,
homework help, cooking, and gamers programs.
What kinds of books do you like to read the question was unclear
if it would be useful towards our survey. The teens decided to keep
the question. Add formats, audio books, and non-fiction to the
choices.
What kids of technology do you like to use? The teens really like
the idea of a 3d printer and wanted to add that to the options. In
addition, the teens wanted to add something like Learning tools or
art tools for an option.
What types of furniture do you MOST want to see in the library?
The teens decided to change furniture to spaces. For the options,
the teens added crafts, music, recording, quiet, window seats, and
group study.
Next session we will be making display boards and possibly
suggestion boxes for the surveys. It was also suggested to make
announcements in their advisory classes and maybe make one for
this Norman public library .
Teens Input
Teen
programs
Teen books
formats
Library
Technology
Spaces for
teens
Next
session
Teen
Participation
16
10-6-2015
Teens
introductions
and get to know
you.
Final look of
survey to
finalize.
The importance
of grade level
question
The teen voices
were heard with
survey options.
Final additions
to two survey
questions.
Worked on
Decorating
boxes for
surveys.
Different
examples of
teen boxes
made.
OU students
made survey
sign.
Teens made
suggestions for
signage.
Observations of
teen opinions
about project.
17
We had six teens show up tonight. We let the teens choose their own
pseudonyms and explained how they were going to be used. We have a
Alex Mercutio
Ran-Ran Atticus
10-13-2015
Meeting fellow teen
volunteers
Picking out own alias
Results of library
Voting tonight
Choosing their own
aliases
Mercutio sets the
tone for aliases
Linsey - Athena
Ansley Primrose
Will - Castiel
Helping the
professor choose an
alias
3d art decorated
survey box
Distribution of
surveys question by
teen
Concern about
receiving bad data
Suggestions for
randomization of
surveys
Sketching a design
for bookmarks to
hand out
19
10-20-2015
Interior design
special speaker.
Not so many teens
here tonight.
Normans vote for
two new libraries
passed.
Description of what
the new libraries will
have.
Small discussion of
Gladiators.
Small group of
teens.
How to advertise for
upcoming event.
What grabs teens
attentions.
Teens speak at the
Event.
Teens seen the
bookmark draft.
Teens sketches were
used for the
bookmark.
Post on social media
about Nov 3rd event.
Hi -Pizza
Low long talk
The Hope for next week is Cant think of anything, Same pizza,
and To talk more.
Next week is the last meet with the teens to work on a project.
We plan to work on a diorama to maybe have for the November
event.
20
GOAL: To create opportunities for Young Adults while nurturing a community engagement through
10-27-2015
Inputs
Activities
OutPut
Teens le
Teens Practice
Teens
out applica
filling
attending,
ofteens
Teensand
Number
owners
local shop
Job
fair with
Relationship building alongside de
OutComes
Inputs
Activities
OutPuts
Teens Practice
Teens
22
GOAL: To create opportunities for Teens while nurturing a community engagement through develo
possibilities.
Impacts:
for
job
skills
learned
new
developing
Improved Teen skills, comm
nity mutual understanding, and better Future for everyone
t to wear and what not to wear for job interviews and workplace
hes
at to wear and what not to wear for job interviews and workplace
Bibliography:
OutComes
Edwards, Julie Biando, and Melissa S. Robinson. 2013. "Chapter 1." In Transforming Libraries,
Building Communities the Community-centered Library. Lanham: Scarecrow Press.
Goleman, Daniel. 2000. Leadership that gets results. Harvard Business School Publishing.
U.S. and Candada. Havard.
Kranich, Nancy. 2013. Libraries and strong democracy: Moving from an Informed to a
participatory 21st Century Citizenry. Indiana Libraries, V 32, n. 1.
Steele, K.-Fai, steelek@freelibrary.org. 2013. What We Think Actually Matters?. Young Adult
Services 11, no. 4: 12-15. Library Literature & Information Science Full Text (H. W.
Wilson), EBSCOhost (accessed December 1, 2015).
Stoecker, Randy. What If. AISHE-J 6, no. 1 (2014): 1661
Tacchi, Jo, Don Slater, and Greg Hearn. Ethnographic Action Research. UNESCO, 2003.
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