Urban Teens In The Library

This groundbreaking book is relevant to all librarians working with urban teens and looking for ways to reach out to them.

From a team of experts who have researched the information habits and preferences of urban teens to build better and more effective school and public library programs.

ALA's popular and respected Whole Library Handbook series continues with a volume specifically geared towards those who serve young adults, gathering stellar articles and commentary from some of the country's most innovative and successful teen services librarians.

Helping readers understand the challenges and barriers faced by teens in urban communities, this one-of-a-kind resource offers real-world recommendations, case studies, and experience-based programmatic solutions for fostering crucial media literacy skills.

"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.

A guide to creating interesting and exciting spaces for young adults in the library, explaining how to solicit input, and discussing planning, design and decor, and promotion. Includes worksheets and a list of resources.

Completely revised and updated, Reaching Teens provides communications strategies to effectively engage with today's teenagers. This groundbreaking multimedia resource combines video and text to show how recognizing, reinforcing, and building on inherent strengths supports positive youth development. Key Features New edition expands guidance on trauma, by reframing the approach to show that working with youth can be trauma sensitive and also incorporates positive youth development and resilience. Twenty-nine new chapters--93 total New website companion, which includes Full book content, plus references Expanded version of select chapters In-chapter access to videos and group learning and discussion Tailored learning resources for different audiences created in conjunction with subject matter experts: Youth development programs Education settings Health care settings Juvenile justice settings Foster care settings Substance use programs and recovery settings Includes 400 video clips. Earn CME credits/CEUs

Working with at-risk teens, including those who are homeless, incarcerated, or in foster care, is a rewarding but often challenging endeavor, especially with a growing number of at-risk teens in both urban and rural areas of the country. Based on best practices and personal experiences from many leaders in the field today, including authors Angela Craig and Chantell L. McDowell, this book shows how libraries and communities can work together to find new ways to serve this population. Packed with accessible and affordable programming ideas, ready-to-use templates, and techniques, this addition to the Teens @ the Library series Demonstrates why serving at-risk teens is important, and offers advice for gaining institutional support for outreach services Shows how to understand the needs of at-risk teens, including a discussion of the factors that place teens at risk Examines diversity within the at-risk population Suggests ways to partner with youth facilities, with real-world examples of working with non-library personnel and caregivers Provides guidance for collection and resource development Gives examples of technology-based programs to promote literacy and connectedness