Teens in the Library

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Teens in the Library

• Instructor
• Kelley Worman
• kelley.worman_at_fresnolibrary.org
• An Infopeople Workshop
• Fall 2005

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This Workshop Is Brought to You By the Infopeople
Project
Infopeople is a federally-funded grant project
supported by the California State Library. It
provides a wide variety of training to California
libraries. Infopeople workshops are offered
around the state and are open registration on a
first-come, first-served basis. For a complete
list of workshops, and for other information
about the Project, go to the Infopeople website
at infopeople.org.
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Workshop Agenda

• The Basics
• Serving Teens
• Teens Technology
• Programming Outreach
• YA Spaces

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Teens in Todays World

• Family
• Peer pressure
• Media bombardment
• Less free time

• Physical Change
• Child/Adult?
• Relaxing of values
• Rapid technological advances

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40 Developmental Assets

• Go to bookmarks.infopeople.org
• Open teens_bk.html (last on list)
• In the section Adolescent Development find and
  open Search Institute

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Behavior That Works with Teens

• Be approachable and open-minded
• Listen well and be patient
• Show empathy
• Be fair and consistent
• Have a sense of humor

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Toward Becoming One of the Best!

• YALSAs Young Adults Deserve the Best YALSA
  Competencies for Librarians Serving Youth
• Continuing Education
• Workshops Infopeople and other
• Attend conferences ALA, CLA, CSLA, PLA
• Print and Online Resources

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When Planning Ask Yourself

• What are we doing already?
• What would we like to do?
• Does this fit into the librarys mission?
• What steps can be taken to achieve our desired
  outcomes?
• Do we have the time and staff to make this
  service successful?

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Ask the Teens

• What do you like about the library?
• What kinds of things do you do at the library?
• What do you wish the library would do?
• How can the libraryhelp you more?

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Ask the Staff

• What are teens doing in your library?
• What questions do teens ask most frequently?
• What do teens tell youabout themselves, their
  families, etc?
• What do you think the library should be doing for
  teens?

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Whats the Difference?

• Working for teens
• library staff chooses the services and
  programs for the teens
• staff does most of the work
• Working with teens
• staff serves as advisor to teens
• activities, programs and services are driven by
  teen councils, focus groups, Jr. Friends, etc.

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EMPOWERMENT

• Empowerment refers to increasing the
  political, social or economic strength of
  individuals or groups. It often involves the
  empowered developing confidence in their own
  capacities.
• - WIKiPEDIA
• http//www.answers.com/empowerment

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Ways to Empower Teens

• Program and Service Development
• Seat on Library Board
• Presentations to City Councils, Philanthropic
  Groups, etc.
• Create a Blog or Website
• Showcase Talents
• Space Planning
• Collection Development

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Why Have a Collection Development Policy?

• Provides a guideline for collection development
• Assists with challenges to materials

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Young Adult Collections

• Print Materials
• Other media
• Digital Resources
• Hardware

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Involve Teens

• Survey Top 10 picks CDs, movies websites
• Field trips to book and music stores
• Suggestions for purchase in library and online

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Promoting the Collection

• Bibliographies
• Newsletters
• Face Out on Shelves
• Displays
• Booktalking
• Readers Advisory

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Readers Advisory

• Read your collection
• Know readers advisory websites
• Ask teen questions
• for school?
• just for fun?
• what kinds of things do you like to read about?
• Dont wait for teens to come to you!

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The Tech World of Teens
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How Do Teens Use and Want Their Tech?

• For communication
• Multi-tasking
• Easy access
• High speed

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Technologies Teens Love

• Internet
• Chat
• Gaming

• iPods
• Cell Phones
• Instant Messaging
• Blogging

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Instant Messaging
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AIM
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• Personalize
• It!

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Whats a Blog?

• A personal diary, a collaborative space, a
  collection of links, memos to the world
  whatever you want it to be!
• A website, easy to set up and maintain
• Updated regularly posts appear in time order
• Readers can comment, link to it, or email you

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12,000 new blogs are created every day! -
Oatman, Eric. Blogomania! School Library
Journal. August 2005, pp. 36-39.

• Ninety percent of those blogging are between 13
  and 29 years oldOf those, more than half are
  teenagers.
• - Perseus Development Corporation

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Definitions

• Programming
• Programs and events that take place at the
  library which serve to foster lifelong learning
  and library use.
• Outreach
• Interaction that take place at a site in the
  community other than the library, either
  physically or virtually and targets reluctant or
  nonusers and/or those unable to use the
  library.

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Finding Out AboutHot Trends

• Talk to teens
• Immerse yourself in teen culture
• Find out what kind of clubs are at your local
  schools
• Surf websites and blogs by and for teens

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Share Your Resources

• Share ideas with Colleagues
• - list serves
• - professional journals
• - in-house publications
• - program boxes
• - program binders

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To Market, to Market

• The tried and true with a twist
• Key - think non-traditionally
• Bottom line engage teens any way you can

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Types of Outreach

• Teen Parents
• Youth Detention Facilities
• Community Events
• Online Resources
• Booktalking

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Why Booktalk?

• Effective for reaching a high volume of kids
• Sells the idea of reading for pleasure
• Appeals to different types of readers
• Introduces new or theme-related titles to
  students and teachers
• Promotes the library as more than a homework
  center
• Creates personal connections to literature

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YA Space Design
What to Consider

• Service Levels Elements
• - What you have now
• - What you want to have
• Design Criteria
• Teen Involvement

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YA Space Design

• Service Elements
• - Tier approach

• Service Elements

• - Elements
• - Technology
• - Homework Centers
• - Seating
• - Collections
• - Programming
• - Recreation

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Design Criteria

• ADA Compliant
• Name of space signs

• Reflects function
• Reflects how teens use and decorate space
• Chosen theme or design style

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Thinkbedroom wall
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Try something different!
Funkyard.com
Funkyard.com
Funkysofa.com
www.pbteen.com
www.topdeq.com
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Teen Involvement

• How we get input from teens
• - focus groups
• - teen councils
• - surveys
• - talking!
• Areas of Input

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Easy Things to Do Now

• Wrap Shelves
• Rope Lighting
• Cardboard Cut outs
• Rearrange furniture
• Paint tables, benches
• Games chess rubics cube 8Ball magnetic
  poetry
• Bulletin board
• Teen art mural or drawings, etc.

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Follow these practices
theyll come storming in!