Must-Have Teen Services

Mari Hardacre mhardacre@acpl.info June 2011

YALSAs Core Competencies

Area I: Leadership and Professionalism Area II: Knowledge of Client Group Area III: Communication, Marketing, and Outreach Area IV: Administration Area V: Knowledge of Materials Area VI: Access to Information Area VII: Services

http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/profdev/yac ompetencies2010.cfm

Collect data and create a service plan

Surveys Focus groups Dont forget teens who cant get to the library or dont use the library or are super-busy Informal chats with teens in library What services do they most want? What services are most needed? Big three: Collection, Reference/Readers Advisory and Programming (in library and outreach)

So many teens in the library! What to do?

Treat them the same as everyone else--Be fair in enforcing library policies and rules Reasonable accommodations Train staff to serve teens at all service points

Privacy
Library records Truants? Phone calls

Collections
Books
Fiction High Interest Nonfiction Curricular Nonfiction

Magazines Comics & Graphic Novels Audiobooks & eBooks Movies & Music & Videogames

Where to place the teen collection?

A: Close to the adult area? B: Close to the childrens area? C: Close to you?

Collection Development Policy

Selection: quality (reviews?), popularity, audience, format Something for every reader and reading level (consider emotional and intellectual development) Weeding: when and why Recommendation procedure Budget? Reconsideration procedure

Intellectual Freedom
For many people, adolescence is the first time they begin to think about the big issues that will affect their future.They start to form opinions for themselves.Teens are often interested in controversial topics. Subjects such as sexuality, religion, drug and alcohol use, music, philosophy and psychology are often explored for the first time during adolescence. --Vaillancourt, p 2.

Other considerations
Save $ for replacements of popular series volumes (fiction and comics) Will you provide a sampling of volumes from series or commit to buying/replacing all volumes of just a few? Balance need for multiple copies of popular titles with need for new titles and diversity of collection

Weed, Weed, Weed

Keep the collection fresh Weed for currency, condition For reluctant readers, fewer titles are not as likely to overwhelm Easier to learn to use the library on the smaller scale a YA area presents

Reference

Reference continued
It may take longer than with an adult to get to the actual question Talk to teen, not helicopter parent Be as discreet and unshockable as you would be with an adult patron Show the teen materials that relate to personal information as well as report information Roving reference: Are you finding what you need?

Readers Advisory

Readers Advisory
What type of books do you like? Is there a book or author youve enjoyed? What was it about the book or books by that author you liked? What tone of book do you enjoy? Dark v. Light debate. What movies, games, pop culture stuff do you enjoy ? How about nonfiction? True books. Read some YA books. Use available tools.

Outreach
To Schools To Juvenile Justice Facilities To Youth Serving Agencies Booktalks! Promote the Summer Reading Program Library Card Drives (Parks, Festivals, etc.)

Bibliographic Instruction
Orientations Tours Research Assistance

Homework Help

A Space for Teens

Space considerations
Teen involvement in planning Zones? Noise level? Computers and equipment just for teens Display fixtures for teen art, zines, etc. Enclosed programming space? Visibility Furniture maintenance & Flexibility Food?! Vending? Storage? A Phone

Youth Involvement Opportunities

Volunteer & Work Opportunities

Work
Volunteering (including TAB, Junior Friends, Friends, Teen Volunteer Corps) Internships Work
Year round? Summer? Grant funded opportunities (Team Read)

Marketing
Social Mediafacebook, Twitter Website and/or blog Newsletter Posters Mailings Word of Mouth via Teen Advisory Board (your Street Team)

Kicking Out the Rowdies

Get to know your teen regulars Have a written policy and enforce it for all patrons Hanging out vs. loitering Be able to explain whats disruptive or inappropriate about the behavior Dont let rowdies drive others away Dont escalate: remain calm, no sarcasm Give teens an extra warning (3 strikes rule) Follow through on repercussions Dont hold a grudge

A Sense of Humor

YALSA
All kinds of resources available! http://www.ala.org/yalsa

Helpful Books
Bartel, Julie and Pam Spencer-Holly. Annotated Booklists for Every Teen Reader: the Best from the Experts at YALSA-BK. New York: Neal-Schuman, 2010. Bolan, Kimberly. Teen Spaces: the Step-by-Step Library Makeover. Chicago: American Library Association, 2009. Flowers, Sarah. Young Adults Deserve the Best: YALSAs Competencies in Action. Chicago: American Library Association, 2010. Michele Gorman, and Tricia Suellentrop. Connecting Young Adults and Libraries, 4th ed. New York: Neal-Schuman, 2009. Graham, Warren. Black Belt Librarians: Every Librarians Guide to a Safer Workplace. Charlotte, NC: Pure Heart Press, 2006. Herald, Diana Tixier. Teen Genreflecting 3. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited, 2010. Middle and Junior High Core Collection. New York: H. W. Wilson, 2009. Miller, Donna P. Crash Course in Teen Services. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited, 2007. Senior High Core Collection: a Selection Guide. New York: H. W. Wilson, 2007. Vaillancourt, Renee. Bare Bones Young Adult Services: Tips for Public Library Generalists. Chicago: American Library Association, 2000. Welch, Rollie. A Core Collection for Young Adults. New York: Neal-Schuman, 2010.

Questions?