Resources for YA Librarians

Bernie McCann, Haverhill Public’s behavior specialist and a school guidance counselor, discussed the history of behavior problems and responses, fielded questions from the participants, and basically modeled his approach to the youth of Haverhill.

There is no magic solution; so much depends upon staffing, facility, and even the youth. A clear and vital behavior policy should be in place. By vital, I mean that the policy should be reviewed periodically to ensure it is still serving its purpose.
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In attendance: Georgetown, Danvers, Haverhill, Wakefield, Amesbury,Wilmington plus Shelley Quezada from the MBLC!

In this roundtable, participants shared ideas with each other. Questions about the grant were fielded by Shelley.

In general, here are some of the ideas which were discussed.

If you are thinking about starting a Teen Advisory Board (and it’s part of the Teens and Tweens grant), it’s a good idea to try to visit one in action and observe what happens at the meeting. Some libraries who have active TABS are Andover, Littleton, Reading, and Peabody. Library Teen Advisory Groups By Diane P. Tuccillo, published by Scarecrow, provides a valuable resource for starting such a group.

How do you select the kids for a TAB? You can ask teachers for suggestions, put out a bulletin requesting members, or use the powerful word of mouth. If you can offer volunteer credit to the teens, that’s been effective. Letters of invitation, interviews, and applications also make the process of recruiting teens for a group more effective and business like. Teens are more apt to stay engaged in a group if membership is somehow “exclusive”!
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The Reuben Hoar Library in Littleton dedicated their new Teen Space on Valentine’s Day at 2:30. Following a short ceremony, the events were turned over to the teens with DDR, pizza, and other games.

The Teen Space is the culmination of a lot of hard work on the part of Linda Schreiber and her teens who helped design the space. Littleton got help from a Teens and Tweens grant.

You can see pictures under the Teen Space photographs!

March 12, 2008
10:00-12:00
Wilmington Public Library
Two grants - Serving Teens and Tweens and Equal Access Youth - have been awarded to 13 libraries in the Northeast, both last fiscal year and this fiscal year. That’s a lot of action in teen services!
Join this discussion of grant writing, program strategies, teen advisory boards, collection development, and facilities. Share your ideas and come away with more!
This workshop is a follow up to one held in September. You don’t need to have attended that workshop to attend this one!

Register at http://www.eventkeeper.com/code/events.cfm?curOrg=NMRLS

In attendance: Manchester, Danvers, Reading, Marblehead, Peabody, Carlisle, Wilmington, Chelmsford, Hamilton-Wenham, Ipswich, Littleton

All but two communities have grants going or had grants.

The discussion began with a couple of libraries who have gone through the grant experience. Roberta from Chelmsford related her experience with the Equal Access Grant. The focus was on creating a teen advisory group. Chelmsford teens aren’t engaged by programs for them as much as being able to volunteer and work with small children. A successful Volunteer Fair was held. 85 teens attended this event. As an offshoot, Chelmsford wants to create a volunteer database where teens can view upcoming opportunities for volunteering. The teens have also put together programs and crafts for the little ones. Bottom line - traditional programs don’t work. This shouldn’t be a huge surprise - it seems Chelmsford is meeting the asset needs of their teens! Empowerment, constructive use of time, positive values and identity to name a few.
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Lots happening on the Teen Read Week page!
Check it out! And let me know your plans!

Two grants - Serving Teens and Tweens and Equal Access Youth - have been awarded to 13 libraries in the Northeast, both last fiscal year and this fiscal year. That’s a lot of action in teen services!
Join this discussion of program strategies, teen advisory boards, collection development, and facilities. Share your ideas and come away with more!
Bring your lunch - a yummy desert will be provided!
Location: Peabody Institute Library, Danvers
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Register Here!

Linda Schreiber of Littleton has done a wonderful job with creating a teen space! With the help of a grant but also a lot of creativity, Littleton has a real teen space!
The design, the colors, the rug, and the furniture were all chosen with the help of the teens.
The “aquarium”:

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There’s a distinct YA area in Burlington, marked by shelving placed in a diagonal formation.

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Billerica’s teen space offers a nice little nook for the magazines.

The internet policy is well put to teens!