7th Annual Massachusetts Library System Teen Summit

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Here is a write-up from the 7th 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.
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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.

 

OUTREACH SERVICES FOR TEEN LIBRARY STAFF: WHAT SOME STAFF ARE DOING OUTSIDE THE WALLS OF LIBRARIES

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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.

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YALSA CORE PROFESSIONAL VALUES: WHAT THEY MEAN TO YOU!

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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. 

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YALSA CORE PROFESSIONAL VALUES: WHAT THEY MEAN TO YOU!

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YALSA core professional values cover

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.

OUTREACH SERVICES FOR TEEN LIBRARY STAFF: WHAT SOME STAFF ARE DOING OUTSIDE THE WALLS OF LIBRARIES

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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. 

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Back to Afterschool: Tech Resources

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Over the month of August, posts will be up each day to share ideas on different ways to reach your teens through programming, outreach, college/technical/vocational school readiness and more in getting ready for school. This post highlights some free online resources to learn and incorporate with technology programming for and with teens.  These are all free online resources.

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Learn 3D Design

Autodesk 123D Design  is a powerful 3D design modelling tool.  Projects are shared on the site and can be downloaded or changed.

Sculptris  is a free digital sculpting software.  The workspace gives you a big ball of clay that you can digitally manipulate using tools to create anything.

Sketchup 3D  modeling software.  Where Tinkercad gives you a workplane and geometric shapes to connect Sketchup gives you the ability to create free flow designs.  Think architecture, geography, set design and more.

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Back to School Week -Day One

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September is traditionally back to school time, so get ready because it’s coming soon.  With some teens in their senior year of high school many may be thinking about what they will be doing when they finish with things like; jobs, vocational/technical/college.  How can you in your libraries help teens get ready?  Here are some links that provide resources and some possible program ideas you may incorporate to help your teens to make some decisions.

College/technical/vocational School Resources:

Accrediting Commission of Careers Schools and Colleges

Campus Pride Campus Pride represents the only national nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization for student leaders and campus groups working to create a safer college environment for LGBT students.

Casey Family Services – Information on financial aid and scholarships and much more for youth in foster care

College Board and Khan Academy free practice tests and other resources to help prepare for college.

Developing the Next Generation of Latino Leaders  internships, fellowships, scholarships, financial aid information and more for Latino students.

Federal Student Aid information through the U. S. Department of Education  lays out all of the steps in order to think about colleges, identifying colleges and applying to colleges.

Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEARUP) through the U.S. Department of Education a grant program to increase the number of low-income students to succeed in postsecondary education.

Homework Help Programs (webinar) learn how you can offer free or fee based homework help programs in your library.

List of Community Colleges in the United States 

NAACP Youth and College Division

Orphan Foundation of America – Scholarship opportunities and Educational and Training Vouchers for foster youth.

Real Work Matters vocational school database

Trade Schools Guide 

U.S. Department of Education Database of Accredited Postsecordary Institutions and Programs

U.S. Department of Education Career Colleges and Technical Schools

YALSA College and Career Readiness site

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OUTREACH SERVICES FOR TEEN LIBRARY STAFF: WHAT SOME STAFF ARE DOING OUTSIDE THE WALLS OF LIBRARIES

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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.

Rekha Kuver,Teen and Children’s Services for the Central Library Seattle Public Library

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OUTREACH SERVICES FOR TEEN LIBRARY STAFF: WHAT SOME STAFF ARE DOING OUTSIDE THE WALLS OF LIBRARIES

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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.

Each month I will profile a library staff person who’s 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.  For further information and resources on reaching underserved and underrepresented teen populations, visit YALSA’s wiki.
Nick Franklin is the Coordinator of Transitional Services for the Brooklyn Public Library (BPL)  Transitional Services focuses on providing services and programs for people who are homeless, people who are incarcerated and people who were previously incarcerated (re-entry).

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

Nick: Outreach Services here at Brooklyn serves a wide range of marginalized men and women of varying ages and we focus on bringing a wide mix of books both hi and lo, adult books that would appeal to teens, urban books both adult and teen and classics to the jails and shelters that we work with.  Brooklyn operates four mobile satellite libraries located at the Brooklyn Detention Complex, OBCC, AMKC and VCBC facilities. BPL partners with The New York Public Library’s Correctional Services to assist their library services at four additional jails. Each week librarians visit these facilities to hand deliver recreational and educational books, magazines and newspapers to hundreds of men and women.  Brooklyn also works closely with New York Public Library (NYPL) in their jail and juvenile justice centers work and we partner on the visits to the juvenile facilities as well.

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

Nick: If it is a day that I’m going to the jails I wake up early, pack up my two bags filled with books and make sure they are in a clear plastic bag to be seen by security going in, I get on a bus and then transfer to another bus that goes directly to Rikers Island.  The books I bring in are recreational and are most often direct requests from the inmates.  Brooklyn has a program called TeleStory where dads who are in Rikers can read stories or have their children read stories to them through a live video feed set up in the Central Library to a feed at Rikers, so I will also bring in children’s books for some of those dads.  I will spend about 3 hours a week when I go to Rikers sharing the books and engaging with the inmates.  Some of the inmates we serve are teens and also through our work with NYPL we work with teens in Passages Academy.  Passages provides educational instruction and counseling to teens ages 18 and younger in secure and non-secure placement settings.  If it’s a different day I may be meeting with shelter organizations to talk about setting up mini libraries in their shelters and going there to stock the books and meet and engage with families and teens in these shelters.  One of the big things we do when we do this outreach work is collaborate with the Brooklyn Public Library librarians in the neighborhoods of the shelters we are working with and have those librarians come out for visits to further connect the families to their libraries.  It’s important for the families to have a face they meet that they will then see in their library.  We are also doing the summer reading program in the shelters we work directly with.  Another thing BPL is doing is training the public services staff to understand sociological ramifications of poverty, incarceration and homelessness so we as a system can better understand and serve these populations.  We work with the Center for Urban Community Services to help provide some of these trainings, they are a team of social workers that are really able to provide context and a comprehensive understanding of the ramifications of homelessness and incarceration.

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

Nick: Working in New York City I feel my resources are very New Yorkcentric.  One of the big ones I use frequently is the New York Connections Guide and it focuses on providing a guide for formerly incarcerated people in New York City.  Another is the new book by Marybeth Zeman Tales of Jailhouse Librarian and the other is the New York Reentry Education Network

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

Nick: It is always so great to hear people say they are lifelong library users and they are so happy to see me and the other librarians providing these services.  It’s also great to hear someone learn about all the great things the library has and now that person wants to be a regular library user.  I’ve heard things like “seeing you is the highlight of my week” “I have been counting down the days till I see the library next”.  Another has been when guys will have their friends go in line to get them more books and those friends see things they want to read.

Nick

Impressions of ALA 2015

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Thursday-June 25

I arrived in San Francisco on Thursday and the first thing I was excited to do was to see The Mix at SFPL.  I received a tour from the awesome Teen Librarian, Erich Haddon.  The Mix is the new digital media and learning lab for teens ages 13-18 where teens can explore their passions.  The Mix is partnering with five San Francisco, Bay Area organizations that will be offering programs for teens in areas of STEM, video creating/editing, music making and more.  There is also a makerspace where teens can create, make and collaborate.  The Mix is offering roughly 15 programs per week for teens.

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Saturday June 27

I spent a couple of hours at the YALSA table with the fabulous Stephanie Charlefour, Teen Librarian at the Wixom Public Library.  It was the first time for me tabling at YALSA and it was a great opportunity to connect with other teen librarians focused on the meeting the mission of YALSA as well as connecting with librarians interested in joining YALSA.

Voices of Youth: Community Partnerships for video production session featured a panel of six teens involved in the San Francisco Public Library (SFPL) Board of Advising Youth and they talked about their involvement in working with the library, architects and other advisors in building and creating the new teen space; The Mix.  The partnerships that SFPL has built with five Bay Area organizations will bolster teen programming and expose teens to areas of video creation and editing through the organization BAVC, music creation and editing, a makerspace that has endless possibilities and STEM programs by the California Academy of Sciences

Empower Your Teens! Civic Engagement Strategies that Work.  Five teens from the Youth Leadership Council of the Oakland Public Library presented on their work with the library.  The presentation was a phenomenal, completely youth led panel where each member talked about what the YLC does; building leaderships skills by engaging with members of civic institutions, improving library services by having this group be so imbedded in a number of decision making endeavors for teens and bridging the gap between youth and library staff.  Hands down the best session I went to!  The teens took the lead to share what they do and what they’ve learned from their experience with the YLC.

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YALSA President’s Program: Taking a Deep Dive Into Digital Literacy:  Shark Tank for Library Staff

I’m one of the members of the YALSA President’s Program Task Force and it has been a great experience serving on a committee with such dedicated teen services librarians.  The Shark Bowl program is based off the reality show “Shark Tank” that features aspiring entrepreneurs pitching their ideas to business experts, the YALSA version features six teen librarians pitching their digital literacy ideas to a panel of sharks-Susan Del Rosario (Tutor.com), Crystle Martin (Digital Media and Learning Hub UC Irvine) K-Fai Steele (National Writing Project) and David ten Have (Makey Makey and JoyLabz).  The winners are; Ricah Quinto, Shanna Miles and Erin Durrett with their  projects.