Youth Services And Public Libraries

Youth Services and Public Libraries offers strategies to match the information needs and wants of children and young adults in public libraries and translates these into knowledge for providing relevant services. The latest trends in service provision are covered within the context of appropriate management, programming and marketing of services. The book is grounded in the principles of public library services to children and young adults everywhere. Links practical application of library programming to theoretical foundations of service Illustrates concepts with reference to the developmental needs of children and young adults Describes how to implement library policies which recommend, design, direct, supervise and evaluate active youth services programs

the findings are presented of 1994 surveys on services and resources for children and young adults (ages 12-18) in public libraries. Each survey was conducted with a different nationally representative sample of public libraries. Data was collected for individual buildings rather than for library systems. Findings indicate the following: (1) children and young adults represent 60% of public library patronage; (2) 30% of public librarians specialize in youth services; (3) 39% of libraries employ a children's librarian, 11% have a young adult librarian, and 24% have a youth services specialist on staff; (4) 30% of all public libraries have only one librarian on staff; (5) ethnic diversity of children and young adult patrons has increased over 40% in the last 5 years; (6) computer technologies are among the most heavily used children's and young adult resources in public libraries and are also the most scarce; (7) many library programs primarily target preschool and kindergarten children; (8) only 76% of public libraries report working with schools; (9) only one in seven libraries offer homework assistance programs; (10) 11% of public libraries have neither a young adult collection or section; and (11) insufficient library staff is a leading barrier to increasing services and resources for children and young adults. Survey data is provided in 21 tables and 14 figures. Appendices present survey methodology and data reliability, a list of tables with standard errors, and survey forms. (AEF)

There seems to be little resistance to the idea that children and teens learn in public library spaces. However, many public librarians do not see themselves as teachers. This implies that much of the learning that happens in public libraries is incidentalÑtangential to the ÒrealÓ purpose and design of these spaces and programs. In this book, we make the case that public librarians should embrace an explicit instructional role as a core part of their professional practice. Inside, youÕll find both a comprehensive review of what is known so far about instruction for youth in public libraries and a primer on core educational concepts and frameworks for current and future public librarians. Each chapter includes real-world examples of libraries and librarians who are already practicing powerful teaching.

These standards provide measures for evaluating communities' needs for public library services, and summarize the essentials for quality service for youth and those who work with youth. New management tools, specifically guides for planning and role setting and manuals for defining output measures, the challenge of electronic access, as well as the State of New York mandate that public libraries provide Outreach Services necessitated a revision of standards. Forty-two standards are divided into the following chapters: "Philosophy of Service"; "Recommendations for Planning for Public Library Service for Youth"; "Recommendations for Staffing for Public Library Service for Youth"; "Recommendations for Service for Children"; and "Recommendations for Service for Youth Adults." Appendices include a list of the Standards; a discussion of the effect of the Americans with Disabilities Act on library services for youth; a summary of the planning process; a chart illustrating developmental characteristics of youth and their relationship to library services; the American Library Association competencies for librarians serving children and youth; recommendations on furniture and equipment for children; and minimum standards for public libraries in New York State. (Contains 31 references.) (AEF)

A set of standards for children's and young people's sections of public libraries in New York State.

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.

Planning and assessment are both crucial elements of a public library that functions efficiently and flexibly. So why are they often treated as separate processes? This concise book combines planning and evaluation in a holistic approach, helping public library managers and staff put library resources to work for the community. Based on a series of successful workshops, the workflow presented by the authors is made up of manageable steps for integrating outcome-based planning and evaluation (OBPE) into the routine functions of the public library. Offering step by step guidance that’s transparent and easy to follow, this book introduces the concept of OBPE and explains how it can be a streamlined, effective method of getting library users’ feedback; defines “outcomes” and shows why public libraries should use them to plan and evaluate services;shares methodologies for assessing community needs and interests, including key informant interviews, surveys, focus groups, and environmental scans;demonstrates how to use community assessment data to create outcome statements that not only guide the creation of new library services, but also provide targets for measuring the effectiveness of those services;offers techniques for designing services that directly serve the community while also achieving the outcomes the library has targeted; andprovides tips for sharing the results with stakeholders and maximizing successful outcome-based programs to leverage the library’s role in the community.Featuring plentiful examples of how to proceed through each phase of the OBPE model, this book boils down planning and evaluation into an approachable, easy to understand process for public librarians, library managers, and grant writers.