How to use this Page

Last month, I started an anime club at my branch library because anime is still, and always be, popular. In fact, we had six teens show up to the very first meeting and, needless to say, they are super excited to be a part of this program. During our first meeting, I asked the teens what they want to see in anime club and the first thing they asked me was: “Can we do more than just watch anime? I literally screamed “YES!” because I have every intention of diversifying this program and I will definitely need the teens’ help in making this club thrive.

During our discussion about the club, the teens asked for a variety of programs that would include a cosplay event, a history of manga presentation, a Japanese food program, an anime inspired craft workshop, and other programs that celebrate the Japanese culture. Not only are these ingenious ideas, these will transform an already popular program into something else even more awesome. By taking a different approach to anime club, and asking teens what they want from a program, we, as teen services librarians, are demonstrating what it is to be innovative. According to the Core Professional Values for the Teen Services Profession, innovation “approaches projects and challenges with a creative, innovative mindset. ¹” By changing the concept of anime club (aka. sitting around and watching anime), we are adding elements that have the potential to not only bring in more teens, but help us re-evaluate our approach to programming in general. For example, when starting a new service or program, it is absolutely essential to consult our teens; by going straight to the source, we establish the outcomes we want to reach, which will shape how we plan and implement a successful program. Once we get a consensus of what teens want from programs and services, we need to figure out the best ways to get teens into the library, which is why we need to get innovative with our outreach.

Although many of us use social media and other marketing methods, the one method that we can always rely on is reaching out to our community. Whether it’s a concert venue, a teen center, a school event, or even a college fair, we need to meet teens face-to-face and tell them what services are available. If we don’t have the means, or the opportunities to go out into the community, we can easily apply that idea to every teen that walks into our library. In other words, we need to be vigilant in making sure that every teen is welcome and that we are available to serve them to the best of our ability. Furthermore, we need to do everything in our power to establish some sort of contact with them, which can easily start with “Hi! I am the Teen Services Librarian. What’s your name?” By initiating, and creating an ongoing dialogue with teens, they will realize that there are actual adults who are dedicated to serving them, which is not only great for us, but incredibly beneficial for those who need a safe environment to be who they are and for those who feel the need to be a part of something. With this new anime club, my hope is to not only involve the teens in the planning process, but give them the chance to be involved in the implementation. Whether it’s passing out flyers, using their massive social network to promote the program, or setting up the program, teens will experience all the necessary steps to finish what they started. Anything is possible with teens so let’s give them the chance to show the community their passion and dedication to providing something unique and fun!

Along with consulting teens, their involvement is essential. By working with our teens, we are not just encouraging youth participation, which is defined in The Future of Library Services For and with Teens: A Call to Action report, we are getting the feedback we need to get in touch with our teen community to ensure that we are supporting their interests and needs ². By hosting a variety of events that celebrate anime, manga, and Japanese culture, teens will not only be able to interact with their fellow anime and manga enthusiasts, their excitement will lead to other programs and services. In other words, the teens who built the anime club will want the library to provide other programs that relate to their interests, so why not create an art program? What about a Sushi making class? How about an animation workshop? Another great aspect about transforming the traditional anime club is that teens will learn how to communicate, and work, with teen services staff and one another.

With every program we plan, it is imperative we implement a component that prepares teens for adulthood. In this case, teens will learn the importance of working as a group, the need to respect each other’s ideas, the need for positive relationships, and the benefits of being organized and thorough. Moreover, teens will have the opportunity to interact with us, which is not only rewarding, but necessary for teens as they develop. According to The Future of Library Services For and with Teens: A Call to Action report, teen services librarians are being asked to build relationships with teens to support academic, career, and civic engagement and growth². By developing programs with teens, it is imperative that we help our teens develop the skills they will need as adults, which is why programming can be a great teaching moment. More importantly, we need to help our teens build the confidence to follow through with their goals, which is why it’s important that we work alongside them instead of telling them what to do. By giving teens the opportunity, and the tools, to change our services, we are not only telling them that they matter, but their interests and well-being matter as well.

With all of the ideas that the anime club members came up with, I am very excited to see how our anime club will develop. More importantly, I am more excited about getting to know these teens, which will help me help them become civic minded adults who are confident and willing to take on the challenges of this world and are ready to do what they have to do to become successful.

References:

1. http://www.ala.org/yalsa/sites/ala.org.yalsa/files/content/YALSA_CoreProfessionalValues.pdf
2. http://www.ala.org/yaforum/sites/ala.org.yaforum/files/content/YALSA_nationalforum_Final_web_0.pdf

As a new member of the YALS Editorial Advisory Board I’m excited about the direction of the journal and how it supports the future of teens and libraries.  I’ve just finished reading the fall issue and I can tell you that there are great, inspiring pieces you won’t want to miss. You’ll see the hashtag #act4teens throughout, and that is the focus of this issue.  How can libraries and library staff work with community organizations in new ways to support and promote youth? What I appreciated about each #act4teens feature is that while each is about a fairly large-scale program, they can all be adapted to libraries and communities of different sizes.

As a public radio fan I was really interested in the piece about Radio Active, an amazing program out of Seattle’s NPR radio station which teaches teens how to create radio stories.  The article clearly outlines how you can implement similar workshops and programs in your own library.  It’s a modern take on connecting people to stories and each other.

The article about Sociedad Latina is a great example of reaching out to cultural communities. It is co-written by a teen involved in the organization, yet another example of how the group promotes teen voices. The third community organization highlighted is LA Commons, a public art project, which also reaches out to cultural communities. Youth are engaged in seeking out stories from the community and conducting interviews. And speaking of cultural connections, be sure to read the update from the Cultural Competence Task Force. This new YALSA taskforce has been hard at work for the past year and the results are outlined here, including links to resources.

Have you ever wanted to be a published author? Or had a great library experience you wanted to share with others? 50 Tips for Writing and Publishing with YALSA has everything you need to know to make that happen.

And, finally,  don’t skip YALSA President Candice Mack’s message about shaking up the status quo in libraries.  Her message is both motivational and practical.  There are new ways to reach out to our communities and connect with youth.  You can make that happen and the fall issue of YALS is there to get you started. 

Unsurprisingly, this month's searches of #yalibrarian, #schoollibrarian, and #teenlit turn up two main themes: Teen Read Week and Halloween. I sought a sub-theme that could neatly demonstrate passive programming, but it felt forced. Instead of fabricating a unifying theme of the week, I decided to zoom out and identify some October trends.

• Displays are easy and plentiful in October

Between Teen Read Week and Halloween, teen services librarians and library workers easily come up with some of the most creative displays of the year. Fall is also a prevalant theme. Additionally, book awards begin announcing finalists (hello National Book Awards) that can be incorporated into displays.

• Book talks - also easy

"Easy" meaning "lots of bookish ideas to work with". (If you are like me and get stage fright, book talks are always a *gulp* moment and never "easy".) Summer blockbusters are finished and we are approaching the season of franchise and Oscar-bait films. Considering how many book-to-film adaptations just left theaters, are in theaters, or coming-soon, librarians and library workers are more likely to find a common ground with teens. I tried pushing The Martian several times in the past, with marginal success. Now, it can't stay on the shelf.

• Passive and active programming - plenty of options for both

The school I work for does not allow for tons of "active" programming time. There are challenging months that don't mesh well with passive programs. However, the features of October mentioned above allow for creative passive programming ideas. If you are a school librarian with little time for active programming, or October is too busy for involved programs, peruse the Instagram posts below for excellent passive program ideas.

I hope your October was busy and fun. Please share your programs and book displays/talks below!

The American Library Association (ALA) defines outreach as providing library services and programs outside the walls of the library to underserved and underrepresented populations; populations such as new and non-readers, LBGT teens, teens of color, poor and homeless teens, and teens who are incarcerated. As these populations are often marginalized and underserved, it is crucial for libraries to recognize these populations and provide services and programs to them where they are.

The President of YALSA, Candice Mack, is focusing her year as President with an initiative, "3-2-1 Impact: Inclusive and Impactful Teen Services," which will focus on building the capacity of libraries to plan, deliver and evaluate programs and services for and with underserved teen populations.  Visit YALSA's wiki to find and share information about serving diverse teens and building cultural competence.

Each month I will profile a teen librarian or staff working in teen services providing outreach services and programs outside the walls of the library to underserved and underrepresented teens. The purpose is for us to learn, connect, network and share with each other the crucial work we are doing in this area.

Kelly Czarnecki is a Teen Librarian at ImaginOn with the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library.  The following is from an email conversation in  September.

J:  What kind of outreach services do you provide for teens?

In answering this question, I'm including my response as an individual as well as working as a member of a department of seven that serve teens where outreach is part of what we do but isn't all that we do.

In my library system we do have an Outreach department whose job is solely focused on going out into the community to provide library services to those that cannot use the library in a 'traditional capacity' (i.e. homebound, incarcerated, etc.). Though what 'traditional capacity' means could be another discussion in itself. This differs from the outreach that my department provides in that one of the goals is to increase the number of teens that visit the library.

I serve as the Teen Librarian in my department. I have one supervisor and five co-workers who are 'Teen Library Service Specialists'. The kind of outreach I provide typically has been to incarcerated male teens and schools. I have been involved with jails as part of library services since the beginning of my library career. Most recently I ran a podcasting program where the youthful offenders chose their topic of interest or style (gun violence in spoken word, etc.), researched more information by looking through the resources that I provided and recording themselves using Garageband. They enjoyed using the technology though putting it down on paper without just 'freestyling' was sometimes challenging. I am also currently running the same podcasting program, Turn it Up Teen Radio, in a charter school with eight middle schoolers and my co-worker from the Outreach department. We go to the school once a week for ten weeks and give the students the opportunity to record a topic of interest that is related to a theme of their choice. They also get to meet and network with professionals in the industry.

My coworker Jay facilitates a monthly Guys Read program. He works with approximately 7-10 7th grade males who read and discuss a book as well as other topics in their life such as school, their future, and positive behaviors. Some of the popular titles they've read include Inkheart, Iron Man, Crash, and Lightning Thief. The school is chosen by the library as a partner and the students are typically at reading levels below their grade. They do need to maintain positive behaviors in schools in order to remain in the program. Jay is an excellent mentor to the young males and relates to them well by sharing with them that he grew up on a similar side of town as they did and how he succeeded in his life by going to school, reading, and staying positive.

Lastly, my supervisor, Amy, shared with me her approach to outreach for our department. She has been the supervisor for a little over a year and approached outreach by working with the manager of the Outreach department in our system to develop a strategic plan. The goals for the plan include; increasing the number of teens that come into the library, building relationships with other organizations that serve teens and to give staff an opportunity to have more of an impact in the community. Together, the two identified organizations to target as a department. The approach also includes identifying committees in the community that are made up of organizations that serve teens and to serve as a member as the library to have a presence and voice at the table.

Some of the outreach initiatives Amy is or has been involved in including promoting the One Access library card to the local public school system. This is a virtual library card that enrolled students automatically get and it will allow them to check out ten print or audio books and have access to online resources. This approach to outreach mostly involved administrators that serve teens though some student classrooms were presented to as well.

Amy has also been involved with Time Out Youth, the local LGBT center where she informally discussed topics that were teen appropriate such as library resources, the library in general, and modeling that the library is a welcoming place to all.

J: Describe a day in the life of you providing outreach

I approached this question from the perspective of my coworker Pamela who works in my library's Outreach department and her position mainly serves teens. She shared with me that a typical day could include anywhere from 2-4 visits. She also leaves time during the week for planning, writing reports, and networking to continue to find additional partners in the community the library could serve. When her schedule starts, depends on the structure of the organization she is serving. For example, she works with teens in a hospital that receive 'partial treatment' (they are dropped off here during school hours but can then return home). She may arrive at 9am and spend 45 minutes involved in a book discussion. After that visit, she may visit another hospital an hour later, which is a bit more restrictive due to the teens' behavioral and emotional issues. Pamela has to be buzzed into each door, cannot bring her purse, and can only bring pre-approved items. Though in addition to book discussions she has brought such technology as the Makey Makey computer invention kits. After the two morning visits, she may return to the library to write reports, eat lunch, etc. She will then return to the community for an after school visit. One of the organizations are students who need to get their high school diploma but they are not necessarily high school age. They also frequently have children. Pamela will primarily focus on library resources that will help them achieve their goal of getting their GED.

Pamela has said that flexibility in outreach is key in that you might have a program prepared all the way through but because of an unplanned interruption (i.e. a student is called out of the room, has behavioral issues, etc.) you might end up going in another direction and that's not necessarily a bad thing.

J: What resources would you recommend for someone new to outreach to look for ideas for inspiration as well as best practices?

I think the YALSA blog has a lot of great posts from various libraries that provide outreach. I would also look at the Future of Library Services for and With Teens report. It gives a great foundation in understanding how libraries are to be relevant to teens. Outreach is definitely a big part of that, particularly in identifying organizations with similar missions as libraries and teens that are underserved.

J: What are some of your favorite things you have heard from teens while providing outreach services?

From my coworkers and I:

When I provide outreach in the jail and several months later they come to the library and ask me, "do you remember me?"

Are you going to do this next year? (in regards to the Guys Read program)

Can we come to your library?

The library offers that? (mostly in regards to downloadable music, movies, etc.)

The YALSA Local Arrangements committee for ALA MIdwinter Meeting in Boston, January 8-12, 2016 is recruiting teens for the  Best Fiction for Young Adults (BFYA) Teen Feedback Session.  This session is scheduled on Saturday from 1-3pm.  All teens who participate in the BFYA Teen Feedback Session will receive a free Exhibits pass to visit the Exhibit Hall prior to the feedback session, and then there is a publisher sponsored lunch (with authors) right before the session.  During the session, teens will be giving their constructive feedback on titles that have been nominated for BFYA.  The books the teens will be discussing are the titles that are nominated for the 2016 list:  http://www.ala.org/yalsa/bfya-nominations  

YALSA takes input from youth very seriously, and in order to get a wide representative of area youth, we are seeking up to 50 teens to visit and participate in ALA Midwinter 2016.  Preference will be given to local teens and groups facilitated by YALSA members. Participating teens are asked to read as many of the BYFA titles as possible, but all titles don’t need to be read by each teen.

Participation consists of teens (ages 12-18) speaking in front of an audience of the committee, publisher representatives, and conference attendees. The Teen Feedback Session runs from 1 PM-3PM.

YALSA Goals for Youth Participation:

1. To organize and implement youth participation to support division goals,
2. To collect a wide range of ideas from as diverse a young adult population as possible,
3. To incorporate youth participation into programs and services in order to provide a richer experience for YALSA members,
4. To create valuable experiences for the participating young adults in which they can gain knowledge and/or skills useful in future endeavors.

All expenses, other than registration for the day of the Teen Feedback Session, are the responsibility of the group.

DEADLINE EXTENDED : November 9, 2015

Here are some reasons to get excited.

Everything happens in the same hotel.

If you've been to any big conferences, you know you can spend at least as much time getting from session to session as you do in the sessions. Maybe you made a special effort to trek to a particular program, only to discover that you had the time right, but it was happening in the other Hyatt. The more intimate scale of the Symposium means you'll have an easier time getting where you want to go, and more chances to interact with other attendees.

Everyone attending is interested in teen services.

Have you ever told someone enthusiastically that you work with and for teens, only to have them respond with something like "Better you than me!"? That won't happen at the Symposium! It's a fabulous opportunity to connect with like-minded professionals who are engaged and excited about working with teens. Tip: When you meet someone and exchange business cards, write a note on the card with a bit of what you talked about; it's a good way to make sure you remember them after you get home. Example: "graphic novels + STEAM, shared love of banh mi and Hamilton"

Powell's is great. So are a lot of other places to find books, comics and zines.

Powell's is our fantastic local bookstore juggernaut, but there are a lot of other gems (some walkable, some a public transit ride from the hotel) including Reading Frenzy, Mother Foucault's, Green Bean Books, A Children's Place Bookstore, Bridge City Comics, Floating World Comics, Cosmic Monkey Comics, the Independent Publishing Resource Center. And Multnomah County Library's Friends of the Library operates a store in the downtown Central Library.

The Portland Art Museum is close to the conference hotel and stays open until 8 pm on Fridays. Check out their Seeing Nature exhibit.

It's true: Portland has a lot of super tasty food carts.

Full day at the Symposium isn't enough for you? Consider the Lit Crawl on Saturday night.

Have time to decompress on Sunday after the Symposium ends? Try the Lan Su Chinese Garden, or if you prefer your decompression a little louder, the Ground Kontrol Classic Arcade.

Sara Ryan writes books and comics for teens and others, most recently Bad Houses with art by Carla Speed McNeil, and works as the Teen Services Specialist for Multnomah County Library.

Happy Fall!

Here is what I worked on in September:

Accomplishments

• After board discussion, called for board to vote to approve location for the 2016 YA Services Symposium
  • The 2016 YA Services Symposium will be held in Pittsburgh, PA
• Filled various strategic committee vacancies
• Led second monthly chat with the YALSA Board, where we discussed YALSA’s Brand and Reputation
• After board discussion, called for board to vote on Rachel McDonald’s board vacancy
  • The board vacancy will be left open until next YALSA election in Spring 2016
• Met with colleagues at Wattpad, National Writing Project, Connected Learning Alliance, and DeviantArt to discuss possible design challenge partnership in conjunction with Teen Tech Week 2016's theme: Create It @ Your Library
• Completed bundled registration for ALA Midwinter and ALA Annual 2016
• RSVP'd to attend ALA Information Policy workshop at ALA Midwinter

Works in Progress

• Preparing for YALSA’s YA Services Symposium & Fall Executive Committee meetings
• Preparing for YALSA Strategic Planning at ALA Midwinter
• Seeking out partnerships with ALA ethnic caucuses, ALA GLBT Round Table, ASCLA, and more

Stats & Data

• Friends of YALSA raised $0 in September 2015
• Membership: 5,088 (down -0.8% over this time last year)

Last, but certainly not least -

THANK YOU

• All of our members for all that you do to support teens and teen library services in your communities, every day!

Until next time!

Respectfully submitted,

Candice Mack, YALSA President

A huge thank you to everyone who volunteered by the Oct. 1 deadline to serve on YALSA selection, award, and strategic committees and task forces! I'm still busy reading through hundreds of committee volunteer forms and hope to have the process finalized by the end of the month.

In the meantime, don't forget that as YALSA members, you're also a member of ALA! And that means that you can apply to be on an ALA or Council committee. Serving on an ALA or Council committee provides members with leadership training, networking opportunities and experience in working on specific association topics.  Additionally, your service on ALA committees strengthens YALSA by ensuring that the Division is well-represented throughout the organization.

Express your interest in​ ALA ​committee service by filling out a volunteer form. When you click “submit” at the end, your completed form will be sent to ALA President-Elect Julie Todaro for consideration by either the Committee on Appointments (for ALA and Joint Committees) or the Committee on Committees (for Council Committees). The committees will carefully review your completed form and consider your requests and preferences. This form closes on Friday, November 6, 2015, and appointments are made throughout the spring of 2016, with terms starting July 1, 2016. To volunteer, please complete and submit the form electronically (be sure to select ALA in the drop-down menu on the main form to volunteer for both ALA and Council committees).

Potential ALA Committee members should:

• Consider whether they can attend Annual Conferences and Midwinter Meetings while serving on a committee in order to participate in the F2F meetings and activities of the committee.  Check with the current chair to see if attendance is required.
• Have an interest in the work of the committee, and relevant experience or skills to contribute to the group.
• Have the time and skills needed to work between conferences via email, conference calls, Google docs, Skype, etc.

Additional information:

• Committee descriptions are found on the ALA website.
• Members may serve on no more than three committees (across ALA, Divisions, etc.) at a time, and may only serve on one Council committee at a time.
• Consider volunteering as an intern! Serving as an intern is a great way to gain valuable ALA experience. The Intern Program is open to any ALA member who has never been appointed to a position on an ALA or Council Committee, nor held an elected office within ALA or any unit of ALA (including Divisions, Round Tables, etc.).
• Please note that the italicized committees below have specific requirements. Please review the text in parentheses before volunteering for these committees.

The ALA Committees are:

• Accreditation
• American Libraries Advisory
• Awards
• Chapter Relations
• Conference
• Constitution and Bylaws
• Election (members responsible for travel costs to ALA Headquarters in Chicago one day per year in late April or early May)
• Human Resource Development and Recruitment Advisory
• Information Technology Policy Advisory
• Literacy
• Literacy and Outreach Services Advisory
• Membership
• Membership Meetings
• Public and Cultural Programs Advisory
• Research and Statistics
• Rural, Native and Tribal Libraries of All Kinds
• Scholarships and Study Grants
• Training, Orientation and Leadership Development
• Website Advisory

The Council Committees are:

• Budget Analysis and Review
• Council Orientation (current or former ALA Councilors are desired)
• Diversity
• Education
• Intellectual Freedom
• International Relations
• Legislation
• Library Advocacy
• Organization
• Policy Monitoring (only ALA Councilors with terms through 2018 are eligible)
• Professional Ethics
• Public Awareness
• Publishing
• Resolutions (must have experience as an ALA Councilor or have served on a Council Committee)
• Status of Women in Librarianship

The ALA Joint Committees are:

• ALA-Children's Book Council (meets twice a year in NYC and members cover their own travel costs)
• ALA Society of American Archivists/American Association of Museums

For technical assistance or for more information on the committee appointments process, contact Kerri Price, staff liaison to the Committee on Appointments and the Committee on Committees.

Makerspaces are popping up everywhere and the definition of makerspaces is constantly evolving like the spaces themselves. Makerspaces, sometimes also referred to as hackerspaces, hackspaces, and fablabs are creative, DIY spaces where people can gather to create, invent, and learn. The focus, actually, is on the type of learning that goes on, not the stuff.  Making is about learning that is: interest-driven and hands-on and often supported by peer-to-peer learning.  This is often referred to as connected learning.  Also, you don't need a set space to facilitate this type of learning.  You can have pop up makerspaces at various library branches, afterschool programs, community centers, etc.  Or you can set up a 'maker cart' that can travel anywhere in the library.  Perhaps what your teens need most are maker backpacks that are stuffed with resources and activities they can do at home.

Why focus on maker programs and spaces in your library?  These types of activities help teens explore their interests and build skills that they need for college and careers.  The Institute of Museum and Library Services has a great two page informational sheet (.pdf) that talks about making and libraries. Share this with your supervisor to help them understand why these types of learning activities are important.

If you are thinking about ways to bring in some maker programs into your library, begin with  identifying what kind of  learning activities your teens want/need the most.  Digital, craft, technology, a mix?   Maybe your teens want you to work with them to create activities to do a little  bit of the above.  What do you need to get started?  First, build your knowledge of connected learning.  Your one stop shop for that is the Connected Learning Alliance.  Be sure to check out their free webinar archive.  Another very good connected learning resource to explore is remakelearning.org

Here are some other resources and ideas to help get you started.  

YALSA's 2014 Makerspace Resources Taskforce put together this awesome (and free) Making in the Library Toolkit

YALSA's wiki on Maker and DIY Programs has resources, funding opportunities, program ideas and more.

The Makerspace Lab has a good starting list of websites of hackerspaces, list of starting supplies/resources/costs as well as videos so you can get a sense of what some of the spaces look like and what they do.  

Tech Activity Ideas

Makey Makeys are an invention kit for the 21st century. Turn everyday objects into touchpads and combine them with the internet. It's a simple Invention Kit for Beginners and Experts doing art, engineering, and everything inbetween.  Kits start at $49.95

Little Bits DIY electronics for prototyping and learning.  Kits begin at $99.  The Little Bits site has a forum for people to share, lessons that you can download and you too can share your work and get ideas for programs.  Lots of great stuff and a community of people!

Raspberry Pis are a capable little device that enables people of all ages to explore computing, and to learn how to program in languages like Scratch and Python. It’s capable of doing everything you’d expect a desktop computer to do, from browsing the internet and playing high-definition video, to making spreadsheets, word-processing, and playing games.  The Raspberry Pi website has a lot of helpful videos and resources you can explore to help you and your teens get started.  The Pi’s are $30 a piece.  Youtube has lots of videos to see them in action and get adept at what you can do with them.  Recommended to play with them before breaking out for makerspace.

Squishy Circuits The goal of the project is to design tools and activities which allow kids of all ages to create circuits and explore electronics using play dough.  

What about low tech or tech maker ideas?

The Instructables website has lots of maker programs that are craft based, low tech, no tech and more.  Each of the projects are complete with pictures and instructions.

The Make it @ Your Library website Make it @ Your Library came together in association with ALA in 2012 as part of ILEAD USA, an IMLS grant funded library program, with the intention of helping librarians realize makerspace projects in their communities.

Some free stuff

Code Club World is a worldwide network of coding clubs for youth, they have some great resources and curriculum that can be used for your own code clubs.

Scratch is a free programming language and online community where you can create your own interactive stories, games, and animations. Scratch can be used with Makey Makeys, Raspberry Pis on its own and more.

Check out the YALSA Blog post in September that shared a bunch of free sites and resources.

What about finding funds to help support your maker activities?  

Here’s an article that can help get you started from Edutopia 

Here’s a list of makerspaces, resources, funding ideas, hashtags and more

IMLS (Institute of Museum and Library Services) has a lot of grant information for small and large grants 

LSTA (Library Services and Technology Act) is the only federal program for libraries and is administered through the IMLS.  These funds are distributed to libraries through their state library agency.

State library associations and state library systems will have grant resources available as well, look at your state resources.

YALSA has awards, grants and stipends and you could apply for to help with your maker programs for Teen Tech Week or a Summer Learning Grant 

How are you supposed to learn how to do all this making stuff?

YALSA has some free archived webinars to help get you started, but don't forget that you don't have to be the expert on everything!  Be sure to identify teens who can help you plan and carry out maker programs, as well as experts out there in the community who could be retirees, business owners, artists, teachers, hobbyists and more.  Use the Map My Community Tool to find other youth serving organizations in your area and connect with them.

In our last Teen Programming post, we outlined the importance of outreach and how to integrate it into your programming arsenal. Since “outreach” can translate to a wide range of ideas and actions, narrowing it down will help you take your next step towards effective methods of community engagement. This is where partnerships come in! This, however, opens a whole new can of worms. How does one establish positive community partnerships? How do you ensure that your goals aren’t lost in translation? How do I secure beneficial opportunities for teens through partnerships?

When I first began working in my position, I was immediately overwhelmed by the need my community has for the library and its community organizations. During my first few months, I had grand plans to “do it all” and open up so many more opportunity and learning experiences for my community’s teens. What actually happened was that I got burned out and became discouraged. I realized very quickly that I was not going to be able to accomplish many of my goals alone. I needed support from others who were positioned in the community to help me achieve what needed to be done.

So let’s break it down. YALSA’s Future of Library Services report states that today’s teens need libraries to connect them to other community agencies, but how do you establish these connections? Network, network, network! This may sound simple, but community leaders need to know who you are. Start by attending committee and board meetings to get a sense of the issues and climate of your community. PTO (Parent Teacher Organization) meetings are another community body that is important to engage with as they are directly connected to the teens that your services will affect. Are there task forces or coalitions that are specifically directed at alleviating a specific need? Don’t be hesitant to insert yourself into the community conversation because you have your library’s resources to back you up. As a library representative in the community, you are an integral voice in the larger network of organizations that are committed to improving the lives of teens. Pinpoint individuals whose resources are in line with your goals and begin a dialogue with them.

When starting this dialogue, how do you make sure that your goals don’t get lost in translation? Communication is so important when you are making efforts to partner with an outside agency. Before any communication begins, make sure that you have your goals and plans clearly defined. What is it that you want to accomplish? What role do you see this partnering organization offering? Additionally, offer your resources and begin a dialogue about how this partnership would benefit both organizations mutually.

How do you make sure that your partnerships bring beneficial opportunities to teens? Last month we discussed ways to discover your community through outreach. During this discovery process, locate areas that your community needs more from your library. Is there a group that’s being under-served? Who can help you bridge that gap? A few months ago, I recognized a gap in the services that we were offering. At the time, we had reached out to just about every group of teens to make sure that our programs and services were reaching our diverse teens’ needs. However, we hadn’t reached out to teen survivors of domestic violence. I made a connection with the director of a local organization that acts as a transitional agency for teens and families who are leaving abusive situations. They offer temporary housing, counseling, and resources to help them take control of their futures and I wanted the library to be a part of this transition. My goal in partnering with this organization was to bring enriching programs to the teens at this facility, as they might not have access to these opportunities during this transitional period of their lives. Upon meeting with the director, my goals were clearly defined and I listened as she described how our organization could benefit these teens. We agreed upon a plan and programs were implemented at their location. We also offered books from our collection that we had discarded. We wanted to give the teens that she serves the opportunity to continue reading since many of them were temporarily not in school. This partnership was a simple way of offering integral library services to a new demographic while still connecting to the larger community.

Ultimately, libraries must work with partners to alleviate their community’s needs. Start small, make connections, and be diligent about following through. YALSA’s Futures Report pinpoints the shift that libraries are experiencing in the 21st century. We have gone from quiet, solitary locations that provided relatively uniform services to spaces, both physical and virtual, that offer a broad range of resources that empower teens and grow their skills, interests, and goals. Partnerships are integral to meeting this standard because they allow us to continue to broaden the services we offer, bridge gaps in your community, and build a better future for teens.

What are your partnership success stories? How do you bridge the gap in your community with partnerships?

Here is a write-up from the 7^th annual Massachusetts Library System Teen Summit

Thank you to Catherine Halpin, Youth Technology Librarian, Teen Central of the Boston Public Library for her help with the post.

For seven years the Massachusetts Library System has offered a wonderful daylong conference opportunity, the Teen Summit for youth services and teen services librarians in the states of Massachusetts and Rhode Island.  The theme this year was Connect the Dots, connected learning.

Crystle Martin, postdoctoral research scholar at the Digital Media and Learning Research Hub at the University of California, Irvine was the keynote speaker and spoke about her research in connected learning.  Youth learn beyond the classroom yet many struggle to connect the unique and valuable experiences outside of school with more traditional learning pathways.  Libraries and library staff are uniquely situated to support bridging this gap; helping to create personally connected learning environments.  We can meet learners where they are and tap the power of peer to peer learning, seek recognition in the wider world.  What are some ways to see connected learning in action? By using youth expertise, relying on teen mentorship and we can help youth connect their interest with academic and future pathways.

Jessi Snow, the Teen Services Team Leader at the Boston Public Library's Central Library, spoke about what went into the design of the newly renovated Teen Central  space, including selecting software and hardware, program development, identifying partners, and, most especially, working with teens to help the design the space.

The new space for teens in grades 6-12 opened in February 2015. When creating Teen Central, BPL staff and administration looked at teen spaces across the country, gathered pictures of teen rooms, and got input from teens on what they wanted to see in their space.  HOMAGO is the focus of the new room: hanging out, messing around, and geeking out. The digital makerspace, the Lab, offers creative software including Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop, In Design, Flash, Illustrator, and more), 3D software like Autodesk and Sculptris, and the 3D Makerbot printer. Teens can attend programs in the Lab to learn more about the software, or they can use and experiment with the technology on their own whenever Teen Central is open. Teen Central also houses a Media Lounge complete with PS4, Wii U, and Xbox 1 with two 80 inch screen monitors for teens to use.

Shannon Lake, Teen Educator/Librarian, Providence Public Library and Kate Wells, Rhode Island Collection Librarian, Providence Public Library presented on their program, Teen Tech Squad.   Teens met weekly over the course of 9 weeks to work together on their projects. Teens worked directly with historical documents from the Rhode Island Collection that related to their neighborhood of interest.  Cross department collaboration (Special Collections, Teen Services, IT Department) community partner collaboration (Rhode Island Historical Society, Providence Preservation Society, and Brown University Center for Public Humanities).  Applied connected Learning strategies that was teen focused by having teens choose a local neighborhood of interest to them to explore further.  Teens were connected to mentors at the library as well as through staff at partner organizations.  Teens were able to tap into technology tools and new skills as they photographed and edited video on iPads and added content to the project website.

The project allowed them to make, create, and produce for greater understanding of their community. The final project website will aid others in their research of historical Providence and provides increased access to the libraries Special Collections.

The project culminated in a website that highlights the digital neighborhood profiles teens researched and was celebrated at an open house where teens were able to present and share their work in a gallery setting.  The program has continued in new iterations focusing on music and theater venues, and locations around downtown Providence.

If you didn't know by now that the City of Roses (Portland, OR) has been named best city in the world for street food, now you do. However, these options will strictly focus on the non-food truck options. That being said, if the street food is good, the eateries without wheels have to be off the hook! Of course they are! Here's a smorgasbord of eats and drinks one can indulge during the #yalsa15 Symposium:

La Panza Cafe is good for breakfast/brunch and dinner, but this option should be reserved for when time can be spared because of possible long waits. According to our peer reviews, this is definitely a spot to experience for “True New Mexico Cuisine”.  The Waffle Window is an option if you are looking for your waffle fix.  The Darkest Desire, The Bee Sting, or The Whole Farm, but if those don’t convince you, then maybe a peanut butter chocolate dipped waffle will.

Considering a lunch pick-up? Call, email or drop by Elephants Delicatessen to pick a sack or box lunch. Add a little swankiness to your dinner and try Bamboo Sushi, because according to Willamette Week, it’s the best sushi in Portland! Or veg out at Veggie Grill. The dining choices in Portland are varied and the options nearly endless.

It’s been noted that Portland is known as Best Beer City in the world. They have a booming craft beer scene with many local breweries and brewpubs.  Not a fan of beer? Then have no fear, because there are plenty of other poisons to choose from. Here are a few mentionable watering holes--one is even referred to as a library: Multnomah Whisk{e}y Library, also known as “whiskey dreamland in beervana” is a great choice.  They even have a Friends of the (Whiskey) Library membership! If you’re thirsty for creative mixology, the Teardrop Lounge should not disappoint you.

There is another thing Portland is well known for: coffee!  Coffee and I go way back, hopefully besties for life. If you have the same connection, try these for your caffeine boost.

--Annie Snell, YA Services Symposium Marketing and Planning Task Force

A brief look at 'grams of interest to engage teens and librarians navigating this social media platform.

On page 8 of YALSA's The Future of Library Services for and with Teens it says, "... in many communities, opportunities for teens to connect to libraries is primarily limited to school-related work and activities. They use school and public libraries for homework and school-related research, but prospects for engagement beyond that are often lacking. This lack of engagement results in fewer opportunities for teens to connect to resources that support their personal independent growth—resources that allow them to explore their passions, connect with others who share their interests, and turn their learning into 'academic achievement, career possibilities, or civic engagement.'”

After a week-long celebration of the freedom to read, it is sobering to think that in many libraries around the country library services for teens is reduced to school-related research, and the freedom to explore interests and have FUN is seen as a burden on staff and library resources. This is often a very real reality for vulnerable teens in communities were access to the internet, technology, and creative space is very limited. WE must keep in mind that we are advocates for teens, and that although school-realted research is important, so is FUN!!! We must continue to be champions for young adults and facilitate spaces that are engaging, inspiring, and serve as incubators for connected learning. How are you facilitating fun in your library? Here are a few of the best examples on Instagram of libraries having pure unadulterated FUN this week! Enjoy!

The American Library Association (ALA) defines outreach as providing library services and programs outside the walls of the library to underserved and underrepresented populations; populations such as new and non-readers, LBGT teens, teens of color, poor and homeless teens, and teens who are incarcerated. As these populations are often marginalized and underserved, it is crucial for libraries to recognize these populations and provide services and programs to them where they are.

The President of YALSA, Candice Mack, is focusing her year as President with an initiative, "3-2-1 Impact: Inclusive and Impactful Teen Services," which will focus on building the capacity of libraries to plan, deliver and evaluate programs and services for and with underserved teen populations.  Visit YALSA's wiki to find and share information about serving diverse teens and building cultural competence.

Each month I will profile a teen librarian or staff working in teen services providing outreach services and programs outside the walls of the library to underserved and underrepresented teens. The purpose is for us to learn, connect, network and share with each other the crucial work we are doing in this area.

Peggy Simmons is a Library Assistant for the Oakland Public Library at the Elmhurst Branch. The following comes from a phone call with her in August, 2015.

1. What kind of outreach services do you provide for teens?

I have been volunteering for seven years at the local juvenile hall, Alameda County Juvenile Justice Center, working with the teens there in writing workshops with The Beat Within.  The Beat Within is an online and newspaper format publication that provides incarcerated youth with a consistent opportunity to share their ideas and life experiences in a safe space that encourages literacy, self-expression, some critical thinking skills, and healthy, supportive relationships with adults and their community.  The Beat Within has been working with in this juvenile hall for 17 years providing writing workshops.  The workshops are structured in way that different writing topics are brainstormed, critical thinking is a part of that, there is time to write and then the writing can be shared with the group.  I work with the teens in juvenile hall and take the writing home, help edit and then publish the teen’s writing in The Beat Within.  There are very few programs like this that ask the teens to be themselves and be true to themselves.  I was very lucky in my job at the Oakland Public Library for my supervisor and administration to see this work as important and valued and to, last year, make this work a part of my job as outreach for my branch and other Oakland libraries.

2. Describe a day in the life of you providing outreach.

The Oakland Public Library began a Youth Poet Laureate program four years ago that partners with other outside organizations, especially Youth Speaks and Pro Arts and really adds breadth to the opportunities for teens in Oakland.  Oakland Public Library made sure Alameda’s juvenile hall could be involved in the program for the past two years by having me facilitate Amherst Writers and Artist writing workshops and do one-on-one support for about 20 teens each year, partnering with Alameda County’s Write to Read program. This year, two incarcerated teens applied  for the Youth Poet Laureate program.  One teen got really involved in poetry, never had been before. He started reading a lot of it, got into Jimmy Santiago Baca, and worked really hard on his poetry in and outside of my workshop.  He ended up being one of the Oakland Youth Poet Laureate finalists. He didn’t win but the love of poetry really stayed with him.  Through Write to Read, Coe Booth came to speak at juvenile hall and he was invited to go with her and speak to teens in other units.  So he went with her and talked about getting involved with poetry and how it helped him.  He talked about how there are resources at juvenile hall and to take advantage of them.  He said to the younger kids that if he knew at their age what he knew now, he would not be in jail. It was very powerful.

3. What resources would you recommend for someone new to outreach to look for ideas for inspiration as well as best practices?

One of the things I’ve really learned is that with this type of work it’s helpful to go slowly, keep in mind we are visitors in juvenile detention centers and we’re under their jurisdiction and rules.  Be courteous, anything can happen, be ready to roll with the punches.  Go in wanting to learn and ask a lot of questions. Have an open mind. Be helpful.

4. What are some of your favorite things you have heard from teens while providing outreach services?

I think a lot of what I see isn’t very positive I am always learning more about teens and what they have been exposed to.  Knowing about some of their grief and trauma can help me serve them better at my branch.  For example, in one of the Beat Within workshops, one of the topics was ”the phone call that changed your life.”  The boys shared stories about a phone call that told them someone they loved had been killed.  Every single one of them knew someone in their life who had been killed, and then their lives were changed.  This made me think about the communities where there is constant loss, whole communities constantly grieving. This is something that has stayed with me and something that I keep in mind when I’m serving patrons in these communities.

According to the 2013-2014 Core Values for the Teen Services Profession, developed by the Young Adult Library Services Association’s (YALSA) Professional Values Task Force, there are “nine core values that define professionalism for those who work for and with teens through libraries. ¹” One of the nine core values is “Compassion,” where librarians who work with teens “strive to identify with others’ experiences. Shows concern, empathy, and consideration for the needs and values of others.^” Within this value, librarians will demonstrate the following:

• Communicates effectively, both verbally and non-verbally, with others, taking into consideration individual differences in learning styles, language, and cognitive abilities, etc.
• Builds and maintains knowledge of teens’ social, emotional, mental, and physical development and how they shape the teen experience
• Strives to understand teens' lives from their perspective in order to create genuine connections
• Places the needs of teens above one’s own
• Provides services for and with underserved and underrepresented teen populations

After reading through this report, the one core value that speaks the loudest to me is compassion. If we, as teen librarians, were to prioritize these values, compassion needs to be the number one value that we need to act upon; not only is compassion the key to solidifying honest relationships with teen patrons, these connections provide us with the information and insight to support many facets of teen services including connected learning. According to The Future of Library Services For and With Teens: A Call to Action: “To support their learning—personal, work-related, and academic—library staff must connect with teens as individuals. As one participant noted: “Many teens don’t have relationships with non-supervisory adults…teens need more adults who are not “in charge of charge” of them” (2014, p.10). By showing compassion, we are conveying to teens that we are genuinely interested in their opinions and thoughts, which is why we develop teen advisory boards and similar programs. These programs allow us to build rapport with teen patrons because we are providing a dedicated forum for teens that tell them that we do value their input. If we are unable to create these kinds of avenues, we need to get up from behind the reference desk and actually talk to teens when they walk into the library. What exactly do we talk about? Talk about anything and everything! If you have a question about the latest trends, or don’t understand what’s going on Twitter, they are going to be your best resources. More importantly, if we want to know about the school curriculum, teens will tell us all about their assignments, which help us purchase materials they will need. In fact, about six years ago, I remember working with one teen who was so painfully shy that he couldn’t look at me when I said “Hello.” After a few weeks of trying to have a conversation with him, he opened up and was literally my go-to for everything anime and technology. In fact, he ended up joining the Teen Advisory Board, which was super awesome because he brought a ton of his friends to our events and some of them joined as well! It is amazing how word of mouth spreads and, if you can influence one teen, they will tell their friends, which means great turnouts for events and a whole army of minions as my colleagues once said.

As we build working relationships with teens, we also need to understand that teens want to relate and confide in us. Along with wanting to be seen as individual, teens need an adult to seek advice and to listen to them. In other words, they are searching for a neutral third party that isn’t exactly a parent, but not a stranger. When teens confide in us, they trust and value our opinion because they know that we have compassion and we are mentors who genuinely care about them. At the same time, we also need to draw clear boundaries. In other words, if teens can’t behave, they will suffer the consequences; if teens need help, we will do everything we can in our power to make sure they get what they need. It’s not always easy dealing with goofy teenagers, but, with a little love, patience, respect, and kindness, teens will see that they have someone in the library that will help them succeed and win at life.

References:

1. http://www.ala.org/yalsa/sites/ala.org.yalsa/files/content/YALSA_CoreProfessionalValues.pdf
2. http://www.ala.org/yaforum/sites/ala.org.yaforum/files/content/YALSA_nationalforum_Final_web_0.pdf

A short list of tweets from the past week of interest to teens and the library staff that work with them.

Do you have a favorite Tweet from the past week? If so add it in the comments for this post. Or, if you read a Twitter post between August 28 and September 4 that you think is a must for the next Tweets of the Week send a direct or @ message to lbraun2000 on Twitter.

Last week I attended a Literacy Summit at the Mid-South Book Festival in Memphis, Tennessee. I was inspired by speakers like Jeff Edmondson of Strive Together and David C. Banks, the founding principal of the Eagle Academy. I learned that 73% of students in local Shelby County Schools were reading below grade level. That statistic might be specific to my area, but similar numbers can be found elsewhere. (The KIDS COUNT Data Book has extensive information broken down by state.)

I learned that there are ways we can change this unfortunate trend. I sat in an auditorium surrounded by teachers and tutors who were specifically told “You can do THIS.” And I looked around, wondering where the other librarians were.

Librarians might not have as much, nor as consistent, access to students as teachers do. Librarians certainly don’t have the one-on-one access that tutors do. But librarians can help improve reading levels in their own ways.

• Find out about students’ and patrons’ interests and grade level. Find books appropriate for that grade level—and below.

• Encourage patrons to pick books that they can handle, regardless if the book is below their grade level. To enjoy reading, youth need to be able to do it independently. Picking books they can read on their own will improve their reading skills so they can select more advanced books as they are ready. Reassure them that there is no judgement about what they check out from the library.

• Make web resources readily available. Children and teens naturally gravitate towards technology, and we can use this to our advantage. Just because they’re online doesn’t mean they are wasting time. Bookmark literacy sites and games on the library computers and walk patrons through them as an introduction. Encourage them to use these resources each visit, before they move on to other computer work.

• Makerspaces are incredibly popular and appealing, but also offer a variety of reading-based programs.

• Book clubs and book discussions are great for a variety of ages, and even storytime programs can be adapted for teens. Spice up the programming so it doesn’t feel like another English class—let them pick books that are popular with their peers and allow them to lead the discussions, while you sit back and step in only when they get off topic. Don’t be afraid to encourage attendance by offering food or prizes!

• Partner with the school system. Libraries and schools can make a huge difference for area youth if they work together. Get a list of each grade’s required reading and use those as book club selections. Sponsor after-school study groups for certain grade levels or classes so students can work together to achieve more, as well as use library staff and resources for help.

• Encourage different methods of reading. Audiobooks are easier for some youth because they can listen more often than they can sit and pick up a book. Hearing words aloud also helps with vocabulary development and pronunciation skills. Graphic novels get children and teens turning pages to find out what happens next, and empowers reluctant readers by showing them there’s something for everyone. Both of these methods of reading help improve reading comprehension, which will help in other school subjects.

• Ask students and patrons what they need. Reading for tests is different than reading for pleasure—do you need to hold ACT/SAT prep classes on Saturdays? Older teens might need help with certain literacies that will help them find employment.

• Use YALSA’s Professional Tools to help you brainstorm. There are links to grants that might help you get needed resources for your library. You can find out the demographic background of the youth in your county so you can assess your library’s collection and make sure you’re offering the resources you need in the languages you need. There are links for helping English Language Learners and Struggling Readers, who are often overlooked when it comes to standardized test scores bringing down the overall average.

• Read through Section IV of the Futures Report: “How Will We Get There? What Do Libraries Need to Do?” This section has information about being a facilitator rather than an expert, and how to reach beyond the library’s walls and the traditional role of librarians to serve teens.

Librarians not being represented in the Literacy Summit might have been an oversight by the city government, which oversees the libraries in Memphis. Or it might have been an oversight by the nonprofit that held the summit, or by the speakers who failed to mention what librarians can do. But if there’s one thing I took away from that day, it’s that we can’t sit around with this reality and expect someone else to change it—we have to take matters into our own hands.

YALSA identifies 9 Core Professional Values in the Teen Services Profession;  accountability, collaboration, compassion, excellence, inclusion, innovation, integrity, professional duty and social responsibility.  

These core values were developed in 2013-2014 by the Professional Values Task Force of the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). Members of the task force were Sarah Debraski, Meg Finney, Gretchen Kolderup, Amanda Murphy, Lalitha Nataraj (chair) and Vivian Wynn. YALSA’s Board of Directors adopted the guidelines on June 27, 2015.

What does social responsibility  look like?

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY is defined as-promotes the mutual trust between the profession and the larger public.  Responds to societal needs as they relate to  teens and libraries

A person practicing this value;

• Can articulate the teen perspective when friction arises between adults (patrons or staff) and teens in the library

You are able to capture the potential issue between teens and adults (patrons or staff).  You do this by being an advocate for teens and helping to sometimes be the conduit between teens and adults.  You have the ear of teens because you listen, respect and communicate directly with them and can be the teen voice when needed.

• Seeks opportunities both inside and outside the library to speak up and act for teen services rather than waiting to be asked to do so

Do you share teen services, programming and teen successes with your staff regularly?  You may do this in meetings with staff from other departments, maybe through your library’s online or paper newsletter that is shared through your library/system.  Communicating with your staff what is happening with and for teens helps staff know what is going on programatically/services but also makes teens and teen services more relevant and understood to them and can in turn create additional advocates for teens and teen services.

• Advocates for the educational, developmental, and recreational needs of teens, especially as they relate to library services

You do this by thinking about the 40 developmental assets and incorporating those outcomes with the programs and services you provide.  You think about the YALSA Futures Report and incorporate those outcomes into your programs and services.  And you share these reports, outcomes, assets and more with the staffs you work with. 

• Promotes policies that support the needs and interest of teens and their families

Teens should be aware of policies and procedures that may affect them in the library.  You share and involve teens in the setting of policies and procedures that may affect them.

• Advocates for changes in laws, regulations, standards, and guidelines that affect the ability of libraries to deliver excellent library services for and with teens

A great example of how to involve teens, and more importantly teens actively being involved in advocating for changes in laws is what teens in cities in Maryland and San Francisco have done in  affecting the voting ages.  Look at what these cities are doing and how teens especially are the motivating and driving force to getting these changes made.  This serves as a model as to how big changes are made.  You share stories of change like this with your teens and help them lead to make opportunities happen.

• Promotes community volunteerism

How do you share information about opportunities for and with teens in your city?  You make information like this available to your teens in a multitude of ways; in person, online, on paper.  Have information on your library’s website on volunteer/internship opportunities, bring in organizations that have opportunities available for teens to connect your teens, go to schools/outside organizations and share what opportunities you have available for teens in the library.  Be that community organization to offer opportunities for teens to learn how to develop leadership/workforce readiness skills.

• Provides leadership in the community

What type of teens are you helping to build in your library?  Look at what the Oakland Public Library is doing with the Youth Leadership Council and the amazing opportunity it provides for teens to develop leadership skills and to LEAD.  You are aware of opportunities in your library and you create leadership opportunities for and with your teens .  You know your community and the organizations that offer leadership opportunities for teens and you connect your teens with these opportunities.

• Participates in collaborative relationships with other youth service providers and the public at large

You are connected with many organizations in your community that work with and for teens and you collaborate on programs in and outside of the library with these organizations.  You connect your teens with these organizations.  

• Ensures the blending of social justice and economic efficiency of services

You know your community, you understand the possible socioeconomic challenges, race relations globally and locally, gender inequality and more.  You work to incorporate the feelings, thoughts and input of your teens to include their voices and views into programs/services so there are teen views as well as  more representative viewpoints.  You work with and for teens to create a safe space in your teen space.

The core values are a powerful tool for you to use to help strengthen your existing values and develop others you may want to bolster.  Share the core values with your colleagues as well as administration and your community.

Road Trip by Geneva Vanderzeil (CC BY 2.0)

This year Teen Read Week is Oct. 18 - 24 and the theme is Get Away @ Your Library. There are endless ways teens from all backgrounds could interpret this positive reading message. For some, it may suggest finding a quiet spot in the sunshine to reread a favorite book, letting the everyday pressure of school, friends, or family slip to the background for awhile. For others, it might mean reading the newest sci fi hit and blasting into space, leaving this universe for another. Reading true tales of escape may help some young people feel less isolated in their emotions and feelings. Whatever teens select to read, we know that getting away with books can be a rewarding part of teens’ lives. For resources to help you reach out to underserved teens this TRW, visit YALSA's wiki.

In our small, rural community in the southwestern corner of Virginia, many students do not have the opportunity to travel the world. Our young readers venture to the far reaches of the globe through the beauty of language. Great novels transport them out of their seats and into the Egyptian pyramids, stormy seas, or dank trenches they may never see in person.

Globes by Sam Howzit (CC BY 2.0)

Our library’s Teen Read Week plans are modest, yet thoughtful and engaging. Old suitcases will display favorite reads and titles with traveling themes such as Walk Two Moons or A Wrinkle in Time. Travel brochures and maps will be strewn about for perusal, and hanging globe lights will set the mood. Morning announcements will suggest titles, and an online poll will invite students to nominate favorite reads.

DIY Party- Wishing Travel Map 3 (1) by Geneva Vanderzeil (CC BY 2.0)

Students will challenge their imaginations by creating book-inspired travel memes. Displayed around the building, these will serve as reminders about the joys of reading for pleasure. Students will share book scenes and sites they would love to visit, and express these future travel dreams by pinning manilla luggage tags to our travel wishing map. We will also craft travel journals in an after school workshop. Here students can write and draw notes from journeys, whether by road, bike, plane, or mind. These activities combine library, English, geography, and math tie-ins, creating a week of cross-curricular fun.

DIY Travel Journal by Geneva Vanderzeil (CC BY 2.0)

Our Pinterest Board has links to all of these ideas and is a great resource for planning and inspiration. Teen Read Week is the perfect opportunity to remind teens of not only the significance of reading, but its magnificence as well. Be sure to join the Twitter conversation at #TRW15 for the latest resources and news. Visit the Teen Read Week site for checklists, publicity tools, and discussion forums, and check out YALSA's Teen Programming Guidelines for information about what makes a good program. Happy planning!
Aimee Haslam is a middle school English teacher in Abingdon, Virginia and a library science graduate student at Old Dominion University.

A brief look at 'grams of interest to engage teens and librarians navigating this social media platform.

Libraries are all about literacy and following the pattern of time, media literacy is now on the forefront. How do we, as librarians from many different backgrounds, educations, and communities make sure that we are doing the most we can with media literacy? How do you steer them with social, print, or any other kind of media literacy? You can start with using the devices your teens already have. As shocking as it may seem, there are always things they can learn on their devices. Play and Learn. Are you a system that has devices that you can use in a program and let them use in a petting zoo fashion? Allow teens to experience new technology if your system has access. If your library doesn't have the means, take a look at teaching a class about how to analyse messages. We know all too often we misinterpret messages and this is a good way to steer them in a direction of thinking in a different manner. Don't let the word "media" scare you. There's an aspect that we all can dabble in. Media literacy is also in print fashion, so look into research and paper writing. Also try a workshop where teens look at their social media and see if some of their past posts could have had multiple interpretations. These are just a few of the ways that media literacy can be a part of your library. More steps and tips are outlined in The Future of Library Services for and with Teens: A Call to Action How do you use media literacy in your library? Comment below.

Early bird registration for YALSA's Young Adult Services Symposium, which takes place Nov. 6-8 in Portland, OR is only open through Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2015. Register now for the best rate!

The symposium will focus on the theme “Bringing it All Together: Connecting Libraries, Teens & Communities” and is a great opportunity for educators, researchers, and library staff to explore the entire spectrum of topics related to providing services for and with young adults.  From the opening session with Aija Mayrock, author of "The Survival Guide to Bullying," to the Book Blitz with over 35 participating authors, riveting programs and events, including a ticketed luncheon with Jack Gantos, and the Teen Poetry Slam closing session, attendees will leave with an unforgettable experience and equipped with newly gained insights and skills to help you better serve young adults.

We hope to see you in Portland!

YALSA identifies nine Core Professional Values in the Teen Services Profession;  accountability, collaboration, compassion, excellence, inclusion, innovation, integrity, professional duty and social responsibility.  

These core values were developed in 2013-2014 by the Professional Values Task Force of the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). Members of the task force were Sarah Debraski, Meg Finney, Gretchen Kolderup, Amanda Murphy, Lalitha Nataraj (chair) and Vivian Wynn. YALSA’s Board of Directors adopted the guidelines on June 27, 2015.

What does collaboration look like?

COLLABORATION Fosters relationships within the library and within the community in order to best serve teens.

A person practicing this value;

• Works with other departments within the organization to create a holistic approach to serving teens

Do other departments in your library understand the developmental difference of working with teens versus children and or adults?  Are you able to share with your colleagues information about ways to work with and for teens?  Serving teens is our mission and we can help our colleagues learn skills to help them better serve teens too.  Linda Braun’s paper The Importance of a Whole Library Approach Public Library Young Adult Services: A YALSA Issue Paper points out ways to work with your colleagues by identifying possible trainings, modeling, providing professional development and more.  The practical things the paper points out are easy ways in which you can work with your staffs to better serve teens.   The same can be said for collaborating with outside organizations, by sharing your knowledge, offering training and professional development.

• Fosters partnerships with schools and other community organizations that serve youth

The partnerships you form outside of your library is just as important as the partnerships you form and foster inside the library.  This means they see the library as a resource, understand the role of the library and use the library (in person, online or through outreach).  Are you fully aware of all kinds of the schools (public, private, alternative, technical and vocational) in your community and working with them?  Are you aware of organizations in your community that work with and for teens?  Go to these schools and these organizations and if they don't know about the library tell them about the all of the great resources you have for teens, invite them to come to the library regularly and you go visit those organizations and schools regularly.  

• Leverages the talent, expertise, and resources available in the community

Having a comprehensive knowledge of the organizations, schools and community members is a  resource for your teens as well as your library.  How? Think of the community members you could reach out to/connect/network with, to partner with and how they may be able to informational sessions/programs for your teens in their areas of knowledge.  Our community members are incredible resources and more often than we may think are very accessible and interested in partnering with the library, all we need to do is ask.

The core values are a powerful tool for you to use to help strengthen your existing values and develop others you may want to bolster.  Share the core values with your colleagues as well as administration and your community.

The American Library Association (ALA) defines outreach as providing library services and programs outside the walls of the library to underserved and underrepresented populations, populations like new and non-readers, LBGT teens, teens of color, poor and homeless teens, teens who are incarcerated.  As these populations are often marginalized and underserved it is crucial for libraries to recognize these populations and provide services and programs to them where they are.

The President of YALSA, Candice Mack is focusing her year as President with an initiative, "3-2-1 Impact: Inclusive and Impactful Teen Services," which will focus on building the capacity of libraries to plan, deliver and evaluate programs and services for and with underserved teen populations.  Visit YALSA's wiki to find and share information about serving diverse teens and building cultural competence.

Each month I will profile a teen librarian providing outreach services and programs outside the walls of the library to underserved and underrepresented teens.  The purpose is for us to learn, connect, network and share with each other the crucial work we are doing in this area.

Ady Huertas is the Manager of Teen Services at the Pauline Foster Teen Center, San Diego Central Library

J:  What kind of outreach services do you provide for teens?

I work with the Lindsay School (a local school for teen moms) and conduct life skills courses through a State funded program called STEP (Skills for Teen Parents). We meet with approximately 40 teen moms on a weekly basis and we focus on different topics each week.

I work with Southwest Key which is an organization that provides temporary housing and services for recent unaccompanied migrant youth coming to the United States. I conduct regular tours in Spanish to introduce the library as a friendly and welcoming place and work with the Reforma Children in Crisis Taskforce to provide free books for all of the youth in these facilities.  Working with REFORMA on a national level for me has really helped support and expand this partnership with Southwest Key into the great partnership that it is. The youth in Southwest Key could be in the shelter for a week or up to three months.  The San Diego Public Library provides twice monthly 2 hour tours for the youth at Southwest Key to introduce them to the library.  90% of the youth may not have ever used libraries so it is really a chance to highlight all of the great things the library can provide.  This year we also registered the entire center for our Summer Reading Program. 

I serve as an advisor for our SPECTRUM Youth LGBTQ+ group and host weekly meetings for the group and provide a space for community youth to meet and share their experiences as well as plan activities to reach other youth in the community and raise awareness. Our current focus is services to transgender and queer youth.  Right now the teens have been very busy in planning their involvement with the San Diego Trans Pride https://www.facebook.com/SDTransPride  and the San Diego Pride Parade in which they march as well as have a high profile visibility assisting at booths where they are able to share with others the work they are doing in the library for and with LGBT youth.

I also work with libraries in Tijuana Mexico and collaborate with librarians internationally to exchange best practices and ideas by hosting a yearly conference titled Creando Enlaces. 

J:  Describe a day in the life of you providing outreach

When I do the twice monthly visits from Southwest Key I organize a cart of books in Spanish, grab all the program information flyers, library card applications and other resources that might be helpful and have those ready to share.  I do a full on two hour tour of the Central Library with an emphasis on the teen space and the services and programs we provide as well as encouraging the teens to see the space as a safe place and a place to come and be themselves. The visits really focus on introducing the teens to the library and all we provide. With the work I do on the national level with REFORMA and the REFORMA Children in Crisis Project it has really helped to establish the partnership with Southwest Key and with their help it has given the ability to provide each teen with books to serve as companions on their journeys.    

For the Spectrum program, we meet weekly and my role is mostly as a facilitator as well as supporting the ideas the teens will have for programs, possible organizations or guests to bring in to share their knowledge and to try and connect the teens to some of those outside organizations.  In the month of June they were working on being a part of San Diego Trans Pride https://www.facebook.com/SDTransPride and assisted at a clothes swap booth at the event to share information about their group as well as sharing zines and books in a mini library at the festival.  They work on programming and helping to make the space a safe space for teens.

J:  What resources would you recommend for someone new to outreach to look for ideas for inspiration as well as best practices?

I really look at what organizations that works with immigrant and refugee youth provide and focus on, not just libraries but those organizations that do work with those youth.  REFORMA  and REFORMA Children in Crisis Project are both organizations I really look to as well as value the work they are doing. There are great book titles I will look to on the booklists that the Children in Crisis Project  to provide to youth.   I also use social media and see what people are talking about on Twitter.  I also use, recommend and value the YALSA Future for Library Services for and with Teens

J:  What are some of your favorite things you have heard from teens while providing outreach services?

It warms my heart to hear teens say things like coming to the library was fun, like maybe they weren’t expecting it to be.  I love to hear they can’t wait to come back to the library.  It’s always rewarding to hear that I helped them.

Follow Ady Huertas on Twitter at @adyhuertas

A short list of tweets from the past week of interest to teens and the library staff that work with them.

Do you have a favorite Tweet from the past week? If so add it in the comments for this post. Or, if you read a Twitter post between September 4 and September 11 that you think is a must for the next Tweets of the Week send a direct or @ message to lbraun2000 on Twitter.

What do accountability, excellence, innovation, and social responsibility have to do with the teen services profession? The quick and easy answer is a lot. However, a more specific answer is that these 4 ideas are a few of the Core Values listed in YALSA's new Core Professional Values for the Teen Services Profession. This Professional Values document was published by YALSA last month after a year-long development process by the association's Professional Values Task Force. The Task Force began their work after discussions by the YALSA Board of Directors during their 2013 Annual Conference meetings The Board wanted to develop and support the professional development of library staff serving teens and to help others in the library profession understand the value of what library staff working with and for teens work towards every single day of the year.

The document, a one of its kind in the area of library teen services, is an excellent framework for the values that all those working with teens in libraries should embrace. Not only does it list the Core Values but it includes ways of demonstrating those values. For example, if you demonstrate Innovation, which is defined in the document as:

Approaches projects and challenges with a creative, innovative mindset

Then you demonstrate that by:

• Recognizes that learning comes from failure and experimentation
• Demonstrates a willingness to take calculated risks to improve teen services

It is important for all staff working with and for teens in libraries to go through the Core Values and assess strengths and weaknesses in demonstrating each value. Weaknesses aren't a bad thing as knowing where you are weak gives you the chance to find out what to improve on in order to serve teens even more successfully. Actually, the Excellence Core Value includes continuous learning as an area to focus on:

"Engages in acquisition of new knowledge throughout one’s career" as a demonstration of that value.

Along with assessing your own personal strengths and weaknesses related to the YALSA Core Professional Values, it can also be really useful to use the document as a way to help colleagues, administrators, trustees, principals, superintendents, community members, funders, and more understand what you do and why you do it. You can go over the document with them or make it a point to highlight different sections of the document for them over several months. You can talk with them about how you already achieve the values and what you are working on in order to do an even better job to support the needs of teens in the community. You can give those you talk with ideas about how they can support the Core Values by demonstrating at least some of the practices outlined in their own interactions with and for teens.

The Core Values are a core tool for you to use as you continue to work with and for teens in your community. Use it professionally as a way to make sure you are doing what you need to do and as a way to inform and advocate for the value of teen services in the library and the community at-large.