Here are my notes from two afternoon sessions on November 7, 2015, at the YALSA Institute in Portland, Oregon.<\/p>\n
If You Build It, They Will Come: Establishing Teen Services in Public Libraries
\nPresented by Molly Kelly and Kat Tigges<\/p>\n
After months of research and proposals, they got a renovated teen space at a branch of Chicago Public Library and established a dynamic Teen Services department.<\/p>\n
How They Did It:<\/p>\n
Build a Framework: Why?<\/p>\n
Theoretical Framework: What informs your practice? Consider the developmental needs of teens.<\/p>\n
Structural Framework: Work out how your practice will be organized. Their Teen Services became its own department. Where does Teen Services fit in your library?<\/p>\n
These speakers recommended putting Teen Services under Adult Services if they can\u2019t have their own department. It\u2019s more attractive to teens than when part of Children\u2019s Services.<\/p>\n
HOMAGO: Hanging out, messing around, geeking out.<\/p>\n
These are different levels of engagement:
\nHO: Spontaneous, Flexible, Natural
\nMA: Self-directed, interest driven, experimentation
\nGO: Focused, Instruction, Advancement (Level Up)<\/p>\n
Connected Learning:
\nLearning principles: Interests, peer culture, academically oriented
\nDesign principles: Production-centered, openly networked, shared purpose
\nCore values: Equity, social connections, full participation
\nWant to be a link between home, school, and community<\/p>\n
Legwork
\nAfter you know why, assess what you\u2019ve got and where you are. This was a huge long process. Start with the big picture and work your way down.<\/p>\n
Break it into the component parts.<\/p>\n
Know your audience: Administrators like options. Make a timeline of component parts.<\/p>\n
Empower the whole staff and community: Get input.<\/p>\n
Research: Look on the internet for photos of teen spaces.<\/p>\n
Prepare patrons. They will offer valuable input (in their case, providing enough outlets) and will feel valued when you use their ideas.<\/p>\n
What You Can Do<\/p>\n
Work with what you\u2019ve got.
\nCapitalize on your resources no matter what they are.
\nThey kept board games out and available without check-out.
\nRemember Numbers lead to Funding!<\/p>\n
Be visible. \u201cHey! I saw you at my school!\u201d Outreach and marketing don\u2019t have to be perfect. Be out there! Show them what they\u2019re getting in terms of programs and impact.<\/p>\n
Get input from teens. Make it easy for them to tell you what they want.
\nHave a Suggestions Box: It\u2019s your space. What do you want to do with it?
\nSurvey for gift cards
\nLet Volunteers give you info \u2013 rather than shelf-reading
\nJust Ask!<\/p>\n
Then make their wishes come true! Ask what they want, then make it happen.
\nYou gain credibility when you follow their suggestions. They heard one teen say, \u201cI asked for couches, and they got couches!\u201d If one teen believes in you, they\u2019ll tell their friends.<\/p>\n
Remember Teen You. Be honest with yourself about who you really were.<\/p>\n
Be Real. Teens can smell BS a mile away. Teens really like honesty. They really like being treated like adults. Your interests are valid points of connection. You can get them to respond to you.<\/p>\n
It won\u2019t be easy!
\nGet support. Online if not in person.<\/p>\n
Funding is a numbers game. Have proof teens are interested.<\/p>\n
It really takes: Two YEARS of constant effort to get regulars.
\nKeep existing participants engaged. Where are they? (including online) Go there.
\nKeep track of what you\u2019re doing.<\/p>\n
Remember: It\u2019s worth it! You can make a difference in a teen\u2019s life!
\nYou\u2019re playing the long game. Look and listen. Try things, and see what works.
\nEvery failure is the chance for a new beginning.
\nDone is better than perfect.<\/p>\n
The next session:<\/p>\n
A Series of Fortunate Events: Library Collaborations that help LGBTQ Young Adults Transition to College Life First, report from librarians. Their program is in the 5th largest school district in the nation. They built a partnership between a high school and a local university.<\/p>\n Look up the GLSEN Report on LGBTQ teens.<\/p>\n High school victimization means teens are less likely to go to college, more likely to miss school, and more likely to be depressed.<\/p>\n The more supportive staff, the more helpful. Supportive staff can help keep kids in school.<\/p>\n Recommendations: The library supported high school and university LGBTQIA organizations. The library is a way of connecting people. They brought in many different groups from the community.<\/p>\n UNLV partnered with a high school Gay-Straight Alliance \u2013 made kids excited about going to college.<\/p>\n Then there was discussion with the authors present:<\/p>\n Question: Major barriers to LGBTQ teens in education? Question: Why is LGBTQ Literature important? Question: Talk about \u201cpoliticizing\u201d of the issues. Question: What can we do as librarians to improve the lives of LGBTQ teens? Question: Talk about the transition to college. Question: What are the needs of young adults after graduation? Question: What groups can libraries connect with to support LGBTQ teens? Summing up: Here are my notes from two afternoon sessions on November 7, 2015, at the YALSA Institute in Portland, Oregon. If You Build It, They Will Come: Establishing Teen Services in Public Libraries Presented by Molly Kelly and Kat Tigges After months of research and proposals, they got a renovated teen space at a branch of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[207],"tags":[372],"class_list":["post-28979","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-conference-corner","tag-yalsa-institute-2015"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28979","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=28979"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28979\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=28979"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=28979"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=28979"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nAmanda Melilli \u2013 Curriculum materials
\nAshley Nebe \u2013 AP teacher
\nRosan Mitola \u2013 Outreach librarian
\nDavid Levithan \u2013 Author of Another Day<\/em>
\nSusan Kuklin \u2013 Author of Beyond Magenta<\/em>
\nAnn Bausum \u2013 Author of Stonewall<\/em>
\nMariko Tamaki \u2013 Author of Saving Montgomery Sole<\/em><\/p>\n
\nSupport student clubs such as Gay-Straight Alliances
\nProvide training
\nIncrease student access to appropriate and accurate information.
\nThe first day of school can be stressful for trans students.
\nStudent success in college is measured by retention, progression, and completion.
\nFor student engagement, focus on: Active & Collaborative Learning, Student-Librarian Interaction, and Supportive Campus Environment.<\/p>\n
\nThey began with Banned Books Week. Did a Book Tasting with Banned Books.
\nAn event for all people, highlighting LGBTQ issues in everyday events.
\nCharger Coffee House event \u2013 a Talent showcase
\nAuthor events
\nPartnered with UNLV for the Las Vegas Pride Parade.<\/p>\n
\nMT: The word \u201cappropriate\u201d Comfort level is tricky. In her books, she talks about boundaries and feelings more than sex.
\nDL: Talking about identity. Kids aren\u2019t seeing people saying, \u201cI\u2019m ___.\u201d They think their identity is invisible. If adults aren\u2019t willing to talk about it, how can they?
\nAB & SK: Safe places are important?<\/p>\n
\nDL: Interesting and frustrating that we still have to defend it. We are reflecting the population of our students. They need actual stories, getting emotional context from fiction and historical context from nonfiction. This is what books do so well.
\nAB: Historical events allow you to have a conversation about difficult topics.
\nMT: LGBTQ literature is important and also amazing.
\nSK: To provide windows and mirrors.
\nThe four authors write on the same subject, but write so differently.<\/p>\n
\nSK: It\u2019s about identity, individuals, and human beings. How do we treat the marginalized?
\nAB: How can a school have integrity if they won\u2019t look at difficult issues?
\nDL: Volunteer to take out all books dealing with social issues! It\u2019s who you are. It\u2019s the challenging that politicizes it.<\/p>\n
\nDL: Let LGBTQ teens know you\u2019ve got books for them.
\nAB: Provide books that put human faces on the community.
\nSK: Creating very safe space to all come together.
\nMT: Include LGBTQ books in their broader context.
\nModerator: \u201cWe\u2019ve all read Harry Potter and none of us are wizards.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nMT: It was amazing \u2013 She made gay friends. It was an opportunity to put on a new identity.
\nDL: Freedom is exciting, but also scary. The narrative of their lives has gotten more complicated. Still an exploration.
\nAB: Trickiest part: A very vulnerable place. They don\u2019t have allies and friends yet. Knowing about resources helps. Safety nets are critical.<\/p>\n
\nMT: Very similar: Community and support. In high school, you\u2019re trying on personalities. Same thing in university.
\nAB: New generation grows up at a different pace. More vulnerabilities.<\/p>\n
\nMT: Activist groups in every community.
\nDL: Trevor Project. Try to get 4 different generations in the room at the same time.
\nSK: Queer Theater. See the back matter in her books.<\/p>\n
\nDL: Teens don\u2019t make as much of a distinction any more. It\u2019s no longer true that only queer kids are in the queer books.
\nSK: It\u2019s a natural thing to write characters as a picture of the community.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"