Developing collections that meet the specific needs of the teens in a local community is not an easy undertaking. It requires knowing who the teens are in your community – those teens that use the library already and those that are not library users, yet. It requires building relationships with the teens in the community to truly understand their needs and interests. It requires building relationships with others – librarians, educators, stakeholders, community members, and more. And, it requires ongoing work with and for teens and the community. This is not a one and done process.
That’s why YALSA’s new 4-week e-course, Building Reflective Collections….Always Teens First, is one that any library staff member that has a hand in developing teen collections will want to take. Taught by middle school librarian Julie Stivers the course will cover:
- Learning about the community – including how to collect data and how to ensure you are collecting that information from a broad spectrum of teens in the community.
- Looking closely at your current collection – including identifying and filling in gaps.
- Acquiring materials – including going beyond traditional topics and traditional sources.
- Making sure to keep it going – including collection development and social justice and moving beyond collections to be inclusive and reflective.
You can learn more about the course, the themes covered, and learning outcomes as well as register on the YALSA website. If you have any questions about the course or any of YALSA’s professional learning opportunities feel free to get in touch with me.
