You Are But IM: Connecting Young Adults and Libraries in the 21st Century
March 24th, 2006 by Beth Gallaway“If you say that we need to serve teens because they’ll vote on a tax levy, you are sending a message that teens do not matter to us WHEN THEY ARE teens.”
Patrick Jones, Michele Gorman, and Tricia Suellentrop, authors of Connecting Young Adults and Libraries, third edition (Neal Schuman) delivered a program in grandstand showman style on ten values we share and ten trends in that drive young adult services.
1. Youth Development
2. Developmental Needs
3. Developmental Assets
4. Youth Advocacy
5. Youth Participation
Above all else, youth participation must be meaningful:
- Allows teens to take responsibility
- Allows teens to take action
- Allows teens to make significant decisions
You must be prepared to follow through on their actions or justify WHY you are saying NO.
6. Collaboration
By teens, for teens, with teens - benchmark your policies programs etc against this philosophy.
7. Information Literacy
Researcher Keith Curry Lance has found a positive relationship between strong school library media programs and student achievement; we can extrapolate and say strong public libraries are also hepful in student achievement. For more information, please visit the American Association of School Librarian’s webpage at http://www.ala.org/aasl.
The best way to teach information literacy? “Turn the screen around” said Patrick. “They’re all on swivels anyway!” and say “Here’s how WE are going to find this information.”
8. Adolescent Literacy
Teens go through stages in their reading that models what they are going through physically. It’s OK if they read repetitive text (series books) - so do adults! Teens will move on eventually (generally, to tragedy books – bad things happening to people they don’t know).
The demand, the need for reading has NOT decreased because of technology:
- You need to read to IM
- You need to read to decipher cheat codes for video games
- You need to read for a lot of things
Find the continuum and serve them where they are!
9. Learning and Achievement:
Kids who do well on reading tests read a lot.Everyone reads and learns differently; toddlers like to eat books - BAM! We change the format and get board books. Seniors lose visibility, BAM! We change the format and get large print books. Comics’ mix of text and image is developmentally appropriate to teens. If you are not buying comics, weed the large print and board books.
Never say, “The important thing is, at least you’re reading something.”
10. Equity of Access to Intellectual Freedom
Our job is to provide information not judge it. Recite this mantra: “As a professional, I don’t have to like it, I just have to provide access to it.” Learn to RAP:
Remember (what is was like when you were at 15)
Accept (that 15 year olds are going to behave a certain way)
Project (imagine the teen in front of desk as you at 15)
BEST PRACTICES:
1. Digital Divide & Diversity
Old school digital divide – low income neighborhoods no access
Old school digital divide - Digital immigrants (over 30) vs digital natives (under 30)
We need to meet them where they are and live in their world of technology
Go out and physically hands on experience new generation technology for yourself, such as
text messaging, Wikipedia or Flickr.
- IM: Homer Township Public Library IM for 8 years
- Podcasting: Cheshire Public Library in CT
- Music downloads/online communities: Southeastern MA Regional Library System’s MyOwnCafe
- eFlicks: Denver Public Library
- My Space: Thomas Ford Memorial Library
2. Format Explosion
Graphic Novels: widespread!
Video Games: Ann Arbor District Library, MI; Bloomington Public Library, - Baker & Taylor carries more than a 1000 games for teens and 4000 games for adults
Anime: Burbank Public Library, CA; Youth (wired) at San Antonio Public Library, TX
iPod Shuffles: South Huntington Public Library NY
3. Information Literacy
Reference Desk pod that you can walk all the way around: Imaginon, N.C.
Student Web Instruction For Teachers (SWIFT), Hennepin County MN
Texas Information Literacy Tutorial (TILT) for juniors & seniors in high school and college freshman
Info Search: Where’s the Information? Internet Public Library
4. New Spaces
Physical space is the hottest commodity in a public library. If they are way in the back maybe with a painted bookshelf, they get the message that sends.
Ideally, every library should have a dedicated space with seating and collections, form follows function.
VOYA has a regular feature on YA spaces: “YA Space of My Dreams” Current feature: Starbucks Teen Center, Seattle Public Library
Teen Central, Phoenix Public Library – “the gold standard”
5. Output measures
Teen circulation is the highest when you divide it by budget, by staff, by square feet; a high number of people in some programs doesn’t mean success.
6. Outreach
Outreach Services, Laramie County Library
7. Programming
Gaming Tournaments: Ann Arbor MI
Camp Chaos: Johnson County Library KS
8. Teen Volunteers – meaningful participant – letting up control
No more fluff tasks! They should be allowed to more than cutting out die cuts or cleaning books – programming and collection development are better options
Create win-win situations
9. Youth Development
We are paid not for our job tasks, but to make our communities a better place to live and to create a stronger, healthier youth. “It’s not about how many books we check out – it’s about how many lives we change.”
International Teen Club, Hennepin County Library, MN
Curtis Memorial Library, Brunswick, ME
10. Youth Involvement
Sit back and let them try it. Send them a message that you trust them
Think outside of the box. We all know about the TAB model. “Don’t call it an advisory group if you are not letting them advise you.” Invite them to join the library board or friends board. Let teens see what you do! Create internship opportunities.
- Offer a suggestion box
- Include teens in focus groups
- Administer a survey
- Engage teens in peer tutoring
Library Interns: Queens Borough Library, NY
Teen on library board: Virginia Beach Public Library VA
Puppetry troupe: Imaginon, NC
School/public library TAB: Arlington County Public Library in VA
Teen ‘zine: Minneapolis Public Library, MN
YA Drama group: East Islip Public Library
Intergenerational programming: Dawson County Public Library, TX
RESOURCES:
Brehm-Heeger, Paula. “Keeping Up with the New.” School Library Journal, March 2006. Connecting YA http://www.connectingya.com
Gorman, Michele. “Stir It Up.” School Library Journal, February 2006
The Search Institute
YALSA
Tags: conferences, PLA, PLA2006
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