Teen Talk Table: we talked!
March 24th, 2006 by Suzi Wackerbarth(even though our facilitator didn’t come–but we got the hand outs!!)
We also got cool YALSA post-it notes, YALSA pens, a few things on YALSA events, and a glossy trifold brochure called “Competencies for Libraries Serving Youth: Young Adults Deserve the Best”
(YALSA is ALA’s Young Adult division and stands for Young Adult Library Services Association.)
When the room was full, we had about 35 people. (I counted.) The numbers dwindled when folks learned we didn’t have a facilitator, but a very brave library student got up to the podium and said something to the effect of “Don’t leave, this is important!” And those of us who stayed already had been “talking amongst ourselves,” so we continued.
Some great ideas that I gleaned:
- Duct tape crafts (did you know you can make duct tape roses?)
- Gifts at Christmas (tales of formerly unruly boys obsessing over noses on “shelf elves” and sewing!!)
- Book clubs: one group was being ruled by the boys (as in they were choosing all the books) so the girls asked for their own, but still attended the one ruled by the boys.
- Don’t say “don’t cuss.” It is too old fashioned. Say “don’t use curse words.”
- Greet the teens when they arrive at 3:20, in elephant stampede fashion. (They are the elephants stampeding, you are the one with the candy sweet smile)
- Take digital pictures and take them to the schools. Compare them with yearbooks. Tell the principal.
- Say things like, “I think you’re smarter than that,” as opposed to “That would be really stupid.”
- Read books like I’m OK, you’re OK and Games People Play which talk about transactional analysis as a route to conflict management.
- Staff training, attitude (esp. since some staff have no previous experience dealing with teens and conflict)
- Having teens involved in planning the programs!
I think this was the best idea: Every library should have a hand ball court, enclosed in a fence of course. (We know this probably won’t happen, but it speaks to the concept that most teens have been in school all day and should go play soccer to run off their energy.)
We also learned that this is not a US problem alone. We had a very well spoken librarian from Singapore who described some of the same problems that we have here in the US. She said they like anything that has to do with music.
Tags: conferences, PLA, PLA2006
|
Print this post
March 24th, 2006 at 4:29 pm
i’m jealous
March 26th, 2006 at 10:15 am
Hi - I’m your facilitator. Personal emergency prevented my getting there, I’m sorry you didn’t get the word.
I’m glad people stayed to talk! The handout has a great list of SUS trainers who will come and help train or re-train your staff.
The big message is that working with teens is like working with any other group in that you have to prepare. We weren’t born knowing how to conduct reference interviews. We need to learn to work with teens as we learn to work with other user groups.
There are great new publications like Linda Braun’s Technically Involved (technology projects with teens), Sheila Anderson’s Working with Older Teens, Kelly Gillespie’s Teen Volunteer Services in Libraries and Diane Tucillo’s Library Teen Advisory Groups. There are great publications like VOYA and YALS. Finally, YALSA is now doing online courses - they just finished one on technology and literacy for teens.
Take advantage of these new opportunities to learn how to work with teens. It works.
For anyone with questions or comments, my email is . Thanks, again, for being there and staying to talk!
- Cindy Welch
March 27th, 2006 at 10:41 am
And this is why we connect, how we connect. Isn’t the Internet grand? Thanks Cindy, for posting your email and for having the concept to have the talk table. All who participated learned a ton and the one thing that we knew already but had forgotten was reinforced:
TEENS may be foriegners, but library X doesn’t have the answer. Each one of us has to discover how to serve these important patrons who will grow up and we hope become life long users of the library.
March 29th, 2006 at 7:44 am
I respectfully disagree. They aren’t foreigners. They’re us. We’ve all been there and most of us are productive, respectful people. They can be, too, if given the supports and chances to excel that they need.
And the idea behind gathering at conferences is that we CAN learn from library X. Teens are teens. They come in different flavors and have a few differentiating experiences because of environment and geography, but they’re a lot alike, too.
Anyway, teens will rise or fall to our expectations. We must play fair with them, give them spaces within our rigid library buildings to be themselves, showcase their talents and abilities - beyond the open mic experience - and appreciate that they have something to offer NOW, not just in the future.
Thanks for letting me get my 2.5 cents in.
cw