Better Serving Teens Through School Library Public Library Collaborations

In this practical guidebook, experienced librarians—a public librarian and a school librarian—share advice and ideas for extending resources, containing costs, and leveraging capabilities between school and public libraries, offering insights and strategies to overcome today's economic challenges. The current economic crisis has had a drastic impact on both public and school libraries. As budgets shrink, resources become scarcer, and the job of the librarian becomes harder. The conundrum of doing more with less challenges even the most seasoned professionals whose institutions face service cutbacks, disappointed patrons, and possible job eliminations or closures. This book asserts that a collaboration between school and public libraries can effectively serve the needs of two populations—teens and the community at large—while minimizing the cost to do so. Better Serving Teens through School Library–Public Library Collaborations offers thought-provoking advice and ideas for practical use in real-world libraries. The authors provide step-by-step guidance for those who wish to start, strengthen, or extend a partnership with colleagues at a sister library, covering topics ranging from teen advisory boards and collaborative programs to homework help and professional development. Veterans in the field, as well as beginners, can utilize the wealth of tools within—including worksheets, timelines, and checklists—to leverage the capabilities of other agencies tp fortify both their own and their institutions' value.

In this practical guidebook, experienced librarians—a public librarian and a school librarian—share advice and ideas for extending resources, containing costs, and leveraging capabilities between school and public libraries, offering insights and strategies to overcome today's economic challenges. The current economic crisis has had a drastic impact on both public and school libraries. As budgets shrink, resources become scarcer, and the job of the librarian becomes harder. The conundrum of doing more with less challenges even the most seasoned professionals whose institutions face service cutbacks, disappointed patrons, and possible job eliminations or closures. This book asserts that a collaboration between school and public libraries can effectively serve the needs of two populations—teens and the community at large—while minimizing the cost to do so. Better Serving Teens through School Library–Public Library Collaborations offers thought-provoking advice and ideas for practical use in real-world libraries. The authors provide step-by-step guidance for those who wish to start, strengthen, or extend a partnership with colleagues at a sister library, covering topics ranging from teen advisory boards and collaborative programs to homework help and professional development. Veterans in the field, as well as beginners, can utilize the wealth of tools within—including worksheets, timelines, and checklists—to leverage the capabilities of other agencies tp fortify both their own and their institutions' value.

"Getting it right means understanding our roles as adults and professionals. Getting it right requires a genuine commitment to youth participation. Getting it right is about shifting our perspective from the library to the community in which it is located. Getting it right makes it imperative that we give teens a place of their own in our libraries."—From the Preface Libraries have opportunities to make a positive difference in the lives of teenage customers and become a primary support for teens in the communities they serve. Truly excellent library services for young adults (YA) need the collaborative efforts of both teens and librarians. To build this partnership, the authors share an inspiring narrative of YA history, and also offer a plethora of new voices and stories that advocate the power of technology and teen spaces. These story lines are then melded to highlight practical tools to involve teens at the library and make a bright future possible. As the authors explore what has been done well—and what hasn't —in the world of young adult librarianship, they identify key issues from the plethora of new voices: How librarians can work with not for young adult customers Why the power of place means actual square footage designed for teens Ways to incorporate technology to achieve developmental outcomes Listening to teen voices to better serve their needs How evaluation and being accountable will close the loop on effective advocacy The authors guide both librarians and administrators to make promises for the future and present a strategy for keeping those promises so that young adult audiences can become active library and community participants. From building partnerships to implementing successful programs to incorporating technology that helps teens assume leadership and responsibility, this is an inspiring yet practical take on what it means to "get it right" for teens in the library.

As a teen librarian, you are more likely than not to encounter teens with mental health issues. Will you know how to help them? This guide explains what to do and what not to do. Mental illness among teens has risen to epidemic levels. When mental health issues come to the library, what is the librarian's role? This book asserts that you don't have to be a social worker or mental health professional to provide guidance to teens with mental health issues. By creating collections that contain mental health resources, working with community partners, and initiating dialogues with library patrons that de-stigmatize mental illness, you can serve a positive and proactive role in helping teens to get help. This book provides readers with practical guidelines for building collections, programs, and services that support teens experiencing mental health challenges and explains how to create a supportive, welcoming environment in the library. In addition, it shows how to forge partnerships with other community agencies in this endeavor, how to advocate for mentally ill teens, and how to teach them to advocate for themselves. Lastly, it discusses how to evaluate these programs and services, and how to take care of your own needs while serving others.

This book is a toolkit for youth and young adult librarians—school and public—who wish to incorporate science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM) into their programs and collections but aren't sure where to begin. Most educators are well aware of the reasons for emphasizing STEAM—topics that fall within the broad headings of science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics—in the curriculum, regardless of grade level. But how do librarians who work with 'tweens in middle school, high school, and public libraries—fit into the picture and play their roles to underscore their relevance in making STEAM initiatives successful? This book answers those key questions, providing program guidelines and resources for each of the STEAM areas. Readers will learn how to collaborate in STEAM efforts by providing information on resources, activities, standards, conferences, museums, programs, and professional organizations. Emphasis is placed on encouraging girls and minorities to take part in and get excited about STEAM. In addition, the book examines how makerspaces can enhance this initiative; how to connect your programs to educational standards; where to find funding; how to effectively promote your resources and programs, including how school and public librarians can collaborate to maximize their efforts; how to find and provide professional development; and how to evaluate your program to make further improvements and boost effectiveness. Whether you are on the cusp of launching a STEAM initiative, or looking for ways to grow and enhance your program, this book will be an invaluable resource.

Engage teens and 'tweens with library programs that nurture developmental and social needs—and keep young patrons entertained. Want to get students tuned in, learning, and having fun? Covering programs ranging from DIY Modern Crafts to CSI Science, these simple plans will give you all the knowledge you need to create complete programs for 'tweens and teens—activities that students will find engaging and entertaining. For each activity, the author identifies aspects that link to STEAM learning objectives. The educational ties help students learn about new topics while fostering the development of important life skills. While the plans are geared towards public librarians, they can easily be adapted to the school or home environment so parents, teachers, and anyone else who works with teens and 'tweens can create and implement these fun and unique programs.

When teens volunteer at the library, they gain new skills, make connections, and build their resumes, while libraries benefit from a new generation of advocates. This guide shows librarians how to establish or develop a teen volunteer program. Advocating a flexible approach, this book speaks to every library, including both public and school libraries. From small libraries with no budget to large libraries with seemingly endless budgets and everything in between, all of the concepts covered can be scaled up or down to meet the needs of the community being served. The book begins with the big picture, discussing benefits to teens, libraries, and communities; it then reviews volunteer types and volunteer possibilities for teens, including the traditional roles of shelving and programming as well as passion-led projects, programming opportunities, and special initiatives and drives. Specific volunteer roles are described in depth, with instructions for practical applications, and concrete examples and experiences from various types of libraries illustrate principles discussed. Readers will also learn how to establish volunteer partnerships within and outside of the library. The book ends with a discussion of methods for evaluation and assessment.

Gaming offers a great way to reach teens. This book gives library staff the tools to deliver game programming that goes beyond the basic video and board game format. Games aren't just for fun; they can also play a critical role in learning. Libraries have an opportunity to integrate a variety of games into the services and collections they provide to the community. This book shows library staff how to do exactly that through a diverse variety of popular games, some that have been around for many years and others that are new. The authors present a comprehensive overview of the topic, supplying good practice examples from successful libraries, providing necessary details on format and implementation within a library program for teens, and covering different game formats ranging from live action role-playing (LARP) and Dungeons & Dragons to Minecraft and traditional board games. Whether you're adding games and gaming to your collection and services for the first time, or looking for ways to expand your existing gaming program, this book offers solid guidance.