YALSA’s Future of Library Services for and with Teens report‘ highlights the 2010 census data that confirms something we have all seen in our libraries: the changing demographics of our youth. When teens encounter our library space (physically or virtually), they come with very diverse backgrounds that include various cultures, ethnicities, family structures, gender and sexual identities, income, health needs, social issues, and education. Librarians work hard to ensure that all patrons feel welcome and respected, but sometimes trying to meet everyone’s needs can seem overwhelming. But, you’re not alone!
One YALSA Board discussion at Annual 2014 will be a proposal to create a cultural competencies task force to assist members in creating and maintaining welcome spaces for all young adults. We hope to engage our experienced members so that they can provide resources to members in support of cultural competence and develop competencies that best support diversities.
You can read the full proposal when the Board documents go online this week.
Please feel free to share your thoughts with me, Candice Mack or Shannon Peterson (co-authors of the proposal) via e-mail or Twitter, especially if you are interested in joining the taskforce.
Our contact information is below:
Carrie Kausch
Email: ckausch@gmail.com
Twitter: @DogearedCarrie
Candice Mack
Email: cmack [at] lapl.org
Twitter: @tinylibrarian
Shannon Peterson
Email: shannon.peterson@gmail.com
Twitter: @YALSAPresident