Post on 17-Jan-2016
Serving special populations Teens and the library
Do you know who these characters are?
If not – then you aren’t serving your teen readers
“Sometimes the biggest hurdle is simply getting the teens here, in the library,
to show them all we offer.”
– Jen Danifo
So how do you get kids through the door?
“They need not feel like second class citizens upon entering the building.”
– Rollie Welch
• Empower them to make decisions
• Get them involved in activities
• Let them decide on the direction of teen services
Teen Advisory Board
“We took the approach of empowering teens to choose what kind of program we were going to do.”
– Liz Kostandinu
• Offer tie-in speakers • Allow teens a chance
to get involved in planning
Suggestions
• On-site events like jewelry making and art classes
• Promote and celebrate Teen Read Week
• Comics and Manga • YA series• Video games• Gaming magazines• DVDs and blue rays• Music
Carry the types of materials they are interested in
Gaming and graphic novels
Popular YA titles
• Teens thrive on social media• Have a twitter and facebook page• Have teens contribute to a
library blog
Live where they live
• Dress up as characters from a book or series
• Do zombie make-overs• Have a spooky story contest
Teen Read Week
• Baur, J., & Lee, J. (2012). Talking Comics. Young Adult Library Services, 10(4), 17-21.
• Corradini, E. (2006). Teenagers analyse their public library. New Library World, 107(11), 481-498. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/03074800610713307
• Danifo, J. (2012). Hungry for Teen Services. Pennsylvania Library Association Bulletin, 67(2), 21-22.
• Welch, R. (2008). From Platforms to Books? I'm Game. Young Adult Library Services, 6(2), 30-31.
• Snowball, C. (2008). Enticing teenagers into the library. Library Review, 57(1), 25-35.
• http://teenreadweek.ning.com/
Biography
• www.calbook.org/bcb.html
• http://www.teenreads.com/
• http://www.barnesandnoble.com/u/must-reads-for-teens/379002318/
• http://www.readingteen.net/
• http://www.ala.org/yalsa/
Resources