Socializing to Social Justice: WTF—Woke Teen Forum—at the Hartford Public Library

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An interview with Gabbie Barnes by Izabel Gronski

This post is part of the YALSA Presidential Theme: Youth Activism through Community Engagement

The YALSA Presidential Advisory Taskforce was recently brainstorming librarians that were out there in the trenches, working hard to support youth activism through community engagement. Immediately, I thought back to a presentation at the 2016 YALSA Symposium by Gabbie Barnes and Tricia George from Hartford, CT. Their presentation was called From Socializing to Social Justice: Connecting teens to community through social narratives. They tackle youth activism head on in numerous ways, but the Woke Teen Forum in particular was truly inspiring. Their passion for teens and youth activism was evident throughout their presentation and interviewing Gabbie Barnes over a year after their presentation shows that their programs are still going strong. Tap into their passion and find some inspiration for ways to promote youth activism at your library.

Izabel: Tell us about the youth activism programs that you have started at YOUmedia Hartford.

Gabbie: YOUmedia Hartford at the Hartford Public Library is a digital learning and makerspace for teens ages 13-19. We are only open to teens during our service hours, which makes our operations work a little bit different than traditional libraries without dedicated teen spaces. We also average upwards of 85 youth per day, which, as you can imagine, makes 1:1 connections slightly more challenging. To engage as many youth as possible, we use multiple entry points for program development. As a result, youth activism at the library happens in many different ways.

  1. We have structured programs, called “intensives”—these require youth to participate on a regular basis and invest in a desire learning outcome. Those include:
  • Woke Teens Forum (which spawned the youth-led Unconference)
  • YOUmedia Advisory Council
  • Strong Girls Camp
  • Short-term internships for youth to build proposals around issues they’re passionate about.

2) We have unstructured expressive outlets, which are drop-in and require limited commitment on the part of the youth other than showing up. Those include:

  • open mic nights
  • community conversations around controversial and “sticky” subjects
  • artistic workshops focused on messages of liberation.

We also work with a lot of community partners. I’m lucky to be friends with organizers in the community who want to engage youth, specifically. There is a vetting process for who does and does not work with our youth, but ultimately we create space for folks to work with the teens at the library if it’s mutually beneficial. Right now, we have an organizer who does one-on-ones with youth to find out what they’re passionate about and then organically offers gathering times to meet other teens who are similarly passionate. The end goal is a campaign, but the groundwork is starting with each conversation.

There is also a lot of grassroots work happening that I don’t know about–relationships being formed, meetings being had, and events being planned.

I: What inspired you to start the Woke Teen Forum, specifically?

G: We were in one of the most verbally abusive political campaign years of my adult life. The teens were always buzzing about it, and it felt like every day there was some new, horrible thing that they needed to unpack when they came to the library. As someone who stitched together a lot of what I know about systemic oppression in this country through self-guided learning, I felt like I could build a crash course for young people. My goal was to provide an entry point into what is—by design—a much more complex and complicated web than many of us realize. We talked about the intersections of race with housing, education, incarceration, voting, gender, food, and drug reform.

I: What is the most challenging part of pursuing these programs?

G: Scheduling. Even the most engaged teens struggled to make it to every meeting. Young folks are stretched so thin trying to build their resumes for college, be involved in their communities, and still maintain very active social lives. Finding a schedule that worked for everyone was just impossible. To boot, many of the teens I speak to wish that the library was open during their more “alert hours” which for many is in the middle of the night, but it made me ask myself just how effective we can be when we’re competing with after-school extracurriculars, sports, homework? In a perfect world, the public library would be open 24-hours to accommodate all of the schedules in our communities.

I: What was the reaction from your library administration?

G: We’re lucky to have an administration that is supportive of our ideas and believes that we were hired because we embed ourselves in what our community wants. I was most concerned about the acronym, but that was an easier sell than I expected.

I: And your teens?

G: Teens were on board from the beginning. They helped me determine what the topics were going to be; I didn’t want to build something for them without their input. After we finished the curriculum, two of the teens ended up organizing a youth-led design-thinking conference on educational equity. It was one of the most inspiring and awe-inducing moments of my career.

I: How about the community at large?

G: The community was so supportive. I had a few folks from various community organizations reach out to see if I wanted them to host one of the sessions related to their organization’s mission or personal area of expertise. Ultimately, I ended up leading all of the workshops, because of scheduling, but I’m going to try to make partnerships happen in WTF 2.0!

Youth are already doing activism work whether you know it or not. Rather than try to make something for them, figure out how to support what they’re already doing. Have conversations, create space, offer resources, make connections.

 

I: If you could share one piece of advice for librarians seeking to promote youth activism at their library, what would it be?

G: Youth are already doing activism work whether you know it or not. Rather than try to make something for them, figure out how to support what they’re already doing. Have conversations, create space, offer resources, make connections. Leverage your “power” as an adult to provide opportunities for youth to have a seat at the table in spaces they otherwise would not be included.

 

Activism is grounded in history, pain, and hard work. Many people have been doing this work long before it became a library buzzword, and many will continue to do the work long after it fizzles out.

 

I: Do you have any final words for our readers?

G: I fear that when we talk about activism and social justice in libraries that we’re buzzing in the way that we did with 3D printing and maker spaces—or whatever the next hot trend is. Activism is grounded in history, pain, and hard work. Many people have been doing this work long before it became a library buzzword, and many will continue to do the work long after it fizzles out.

Of course, too, I have to shout out my library elders: Spencer Shaw for promoting multiculturalism in libraries and their services and paving the way for black librarians in Hartford; Audre Lorde for being a womanist, anti-racist advocate, writer, and best of all, librarian; Margaret Edwards for advocating for youth and teens in the public library; EJ Josey for founding the Black Caucus of the American Library Association, and Ruth Brown for standing up for racial equality at the expense of her career.

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Gabbie Barnes is a Black, multicultural-dreamer living, working, surviving, and thriving in the Hartbeat: Hartford, CT. She is an auntie, soul sister, daughter, cat mother, mentor, librarian, consultant, mentee, and cinefile. She offers spiritual advising, tarot readings, and essential oil advice. Gabbie received her MLIS during a short, 4-year stint exploring life as a Pacific Northwesterner. She has institutional experience in academic, special, and public libraries. Find her on LinkedIn @hartfordlibraryninja or send her an email gbarnes@hplct.org.

Izabel Gronski is the young adult librarian at the Oak Lawn Public Library. She has experience founding and leading multicultural student groups at Northwestern University, including the International Students Association and the Polish American Student Alliance. She is passionate about expanding teens’ horizons by offering intercultural experiences and opportunities for community engagement. Follow her on twitter @izag or send her an email at igronski@olpl.org.

Teen Activist Board: Shifting the “A” in TAB

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By: Megan Burton

This post is part of the YALSA Presidential Theme: Youth Activism through Community Engagement

No one expected a conversation about national news to spark a call to action in a small town library’s Teen Advisory Board (TAB). It all began in June 2016 in the days following a tragic event that took place three-thousand miles away. Despite the physical distance, the violence felt close to home.

School was out for the summer. The sun was bright well into the evening and the added time off brought more teens to the library. We opened the room at 5pm and the 25 or so teens began to socialize before the program began. But the tone was different than a usual Wednesday Teen night. They were quiet.

We started our meeting with the welcome circle—a way to build community and prioritize youth voice. By summer 2016, we had spent a year co-creating these practices and norms. The teens themselves had crafted this protocol to be inclusive and give time for everyone to share their name, preferred gender pronoun (PGP), and age as part of their introduction. They also created a question of the week that we all would answer.  They set a tone of equity and an expectation of respect. After our introduction time, I opened the discussion by acknowledging a mass shooting had occurred in Orlando at the Pulse Nightclub and, without identifying them, I explained that a there were a few people in the group who wanted to discuss the tragedy. With caution, I urged them to think about this event in a personal way, to reflect on the fact that our physical distance to traumatic events does not keep us from feeling real empathy for those directly affected by trauma. And last, I encouraged them to actively listen.
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YALSA Governance Update from ALA Midwinter 2018

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Colleagues-

The YALSA Board was busy at Midwinter in Denver. I want to thank my fellow Board members Franklin Escobedo, Crystle Martin, Sarah Hill, Clara Bohrer, Kafi Kumasi, Kate McNair, Mega Subramaniam, Todd Krueger, Jane Gov, Kathy Ishizuka, Derek Ivie, Jess Snow, Kate Denier and Melissa McBride, as well as YALSA ED Beth Yoke, for making our meetings productive.

Here are some highlights:

On Friday, YALSA Financial Officer Clara Bohrer led the Board Planning session, taking us on a deep dive into ALA and YALSA finances.  Among the topics discussed were:

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Short-Term Volunteer Opportunities

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Colleagues-

YALSA has three short-term member volunteer opportunities. We are looking for:

  1. One member to conduct an inventory of YALSA’s portfolio of advocacy resources and submit recommendations to YALSA’s Board for improvements by no later than May 22, 2018.
  2. Three to five members to serve on a virtual taskforce charged with developing a new member Innovation Award. This award will recognize a member who has embraced YALSA’s vision for teen services. The award proposal will be due to the Board for review at our June 2018 meeting.
  3. Three to five members to serve on a virtual taskforce charged with developing a new Mid-Career Travel Stipend to be used by a YALSA member who expresses need and has not had the opportunity to attend an ALA Annual Conference or YALSA Symposium for five years. The stipend proposal will be due to the Board for review at our June 2018 meeting.

These are three great ways to get involved in the work of YALSA without having to attend in-person meetings or make a lengthy commitment.  If you are interested in volunteering for any of these short-term volunteer opportunities, or have any questions, please contact me (smhughes@email.unc.edu) by February 28th.

Thanks,
Sandra

Sandra Hughes-Hassell
YALSA President 2017-2018
smhughes@email.unc.edu
@Bridge2Lit

#neveragain – Students Demand Action

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In the wake of the tragic school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida this week, student survivors are demanding that adults take action to prevent tragedies like this from occurring. It is incumbent on all adults, including library staff, to support these youth as they speak out and call for change in their communities and in our country.

One way library staff can do this is by providing opportunities for teens to be positive agents of change in their communities. We can do this by offering a brave and welcoming space for them to discuss issues like gun control and mental health care, providing opportunities for leadership, helping them hone their skills in inquiry, evidence, and presentation, and facilitating engagement in their communities.

To assist library staff in their efforts, my Presidential Taskforce and I  have created the Youth Activism through Community Engagement wiki –  a resource designed to help library  staff build their knowledge and skills around youth activism and to help teens become youth activists. It contains research, toolkits, and  examples of youth activism in action.

Beginning this month and continuing through the end of my presidential year in June, the Taskforce will also be featuring examples of library staff supporting youth activism on the YALSA blog. Be on the look out for these blog posts and please contact me if you have stories about youth activists in your community that you would like to share.

I will admit that this is personal for me. I have a 15 year old son – he is a freshman in high school. As the young people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas have clearly and loudly stated, this is unacceptable! This must stop! I applaud their bravery in speaking out. It’s now time for us, the adults in the room, to step forward, to support them, and to amplify their voices.

 

YALSA Board Heads to Denver

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Hello, Colleagues-

The YALSA Board of Directors is headed to Denver for ALA’s Midwinter Meeting!

The agenda and related documents for our meetings are posted here.

Please feel free to attend our Board meetings on Saturday from 1:00-5:00 and/or on Sunday from 4:30-5:30. All of our meetings will be held in the Convention Center, room 210. YALSA adheres to an open board meeting policy which means we welcome all conference attendees and their contributions with the same respect afforded to fellow board members as detailed in this document.  Visitors to the board meeting are encouraged to share information and ask questions during the Open Forum part of the meeting, which is always the first item at the meeting.  To learn more about how in-person board meetings function and what to expect, visit the wiki.

YALSA Board members are currently using the YALSAblog to share more information about proposals that will be discussed at Midwinter. Make sure to read those if you want to learn more about what the Board will be considering at Midwinter.

Finally, make sure to check out YALSA at ALA’s 2018 Midwinter Meeting wiki page to find out about all the events YALSA is hosting in Denver. Come learn, network, and celebrate (the exciting Youth Media Awards!) with other YALSA members and supporters.

Safe travels to those of you coming to Denver. If you can’t be there in person, make sure to follow #alamw18 and @yalsa on Twitter.  For the ALA Youth Media Awards, follow #alayma

As always, thanks for what you do for YALSA and for teens!

Respectfully,
Sandra Hughes-Hassell
YALSA President 2017-2018

YALSA Executive Director

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Colleagues-

After 13+ years at the helm of YALSA, Beth Yoke, our Executive Director, has tendered her resignation, effective August 31, 2018, to begin the next chapter of her career. During her time with YALSA Beth has helped the Board to advance its mission and support our members.  She has led a dedicated team, each of whom play an integral role in the everyday running of our organization and in our success as an organization in supporting our members. While we are sad to see Beth leave, we are grateful for her leadership and wish her the best of luck in her next position.

YALSA’s Board has begun implementation of YALSA’s succession plan, with the goal of having a replacement in place by August 31st to ensure continuity and a smooth transition to a new Executive Director.  We will provide updates to the membership periodically as the search process progresses.

I am confident that as a community YALSA will be able to move forward in a productive and unifying manner.

If you have questions, please reach out to me or to any of the other Board members.

Respectfully,

Sandra Hughes-Hassell
YALSA President 2017-2018

YALSA President’s Report – December 2017

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Colleagues-

I apologize for getting this report out later than normal, but I wanted to wait until we had information on the funds raised in November. According to the ALA Development Office YALSA raised $7,962 from online donations and $1,886.50 at the symposium for a total of $9,578.50. Combined with other funds raised in December we met our challenge goal of $10,000 which means ALA added another $10,000. With this $20,000 YALSA can provide more support to our members in the form of awards, grants, and scholarships. Thanks to everyone who donated and to everyone who helped get the word out about the challenge!  A special thank you to the members of the Financial Advancement Committee who provide oversight and continued enhancement of the Friends of YALSA program, including promotion, fundraising and donor recognition!

As you may know, the YALSA Board works year round. The Executive Committee meets at least quarterly, more often if necessary, and the Presidents (current, elect, and past) meet once a month. The Board is divided into three Standing Committees, each with a task list aligned with the Organizational Plan. The entire Board meets monthly for “chats” which are often focused on our own professional development as Board members. And finally, we create, discuss and vote on Board documents virtually. Check out the documents we’ve approved since annual 2017 here. We are in the process of preparing for Midwinter so much of December was devoted to planning agendas, writing Board documents, and coordinating with other ALA divisions and offices.

Here are a few other items of interest:

Stats and Data

  • Funds raised in Nov. = $7,962 (online), $1,886.50 (at the symposium)
  • Member stats for Nov. = 4,808 (down 2.4% over this time last year)

Don’t Forget!

Thank you!

Respectfully submitted,

Sandra Hughes-Hassell, YALSA President 2017-2018

Follow me on twitter @Bridge2Lit

 

YALSA President’s Report – November 2017

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Colleagues-

I’d like to begin this month’s President’s report by talking about an issue of importance to YALSA and to our members – the search for a new ALA Executive Director.  You may be aware that Keith Fiels, ALA’s Executive Director, retired in July and that an interim director is filling the role until the position can be permanently filled.  In November the ALA Council voted to make the MLIS a preferred degree for the ALA Executive Director position. Prior to the vote, the YALSA Board communicated our support for this decision to ALA Council and the ALA Executive Board in this Board document. Our rationale for this decision can be found in this Board document, approved at Midwinter 2017. Currently, a petition is circulating among the ALA membership, and if the minimum number of required signatures is met, the issue of whether or not an MLIS for the ALA Executive Director position would be preferred or required would be put on the spring 2018 ballot for a membership wide vote.

The YALSA Board strongly favors retaining the ALA Council decision that the MLIS be preferred, but not required.  As we know, the library profession is overwhelmingly white and female; however, ALA has made a commitment to diversity by adding an Equity, Diversity and Inclusion goal to its strategic plan – a decision we applaud.  Yet, by requiring an MLIS, we believe ALA would be narrowing the pool of potential candidates to mainly white, female candidates – a contradiction to ALA’s stated commitment to diversity.  Also, industry best practice indicates that the CEO position of a nonprofit professional organization requires expertise in nonprofit and association leadership, in addition to passion for the organization’s mission and a strong commitment to libraries and library values.

Proponents of requiring an MLIS for the ALA Executive Director position feel that the issue is a matter of professionalism: that not requiring an MLIS de-professionalizes librarianship; however, ALA is not a library.  It is an association.  YALSA’s Board is a strong proponent of maintaining professional standards for librarians and for other occupations.  Professional standards for the leader of a non-profit association like ALA are degrees such as a Master’s in nonprofit management, or certification, such as the American Society of Association Executive’s “Certified Association Executive” designation. It is critical that the person running an association like ALA has the relevant credentials and experience to do an excellent job. YALSA is only as strong as ALA, so it is in our best interest to ensure that individuals who are highly qualified and from diverse backgrounds are eligible to apply for the ALA Executive Director Position.

The previous ALA Executive Director announced his retirement in the fall of 2016.  Earlier in 2017 a search was conducted for a replacement that led to a failed search, caused in part by the fact that at the time the job description stated that an MLIS was required.  During this current political climate, when institutions like libraries are under attack, ALA needs a strong leader.  We cannot afford to be without a leader any longer, nor can we afford to put up unnecessary barriers to highly qualified and diverse individuals to applying for this job.  I hope you will stand with YALSA’s Board and ALA Council and agree that an MLIS degree for the ALA Executive Director should be preferred but not required.

In addition to working with the YALSA Board on this important issue, here are some highlights of my other activities in November.

Accomplishments

  • Attended the YALSA Symposium in Louisville
  • Delivered a presentation about the YALSA Futures Report at the YALSA/COSLA National Forum on Transforming Teen Services through Continuing Education
  • Presented the keynote address at the NY City School Librarian’s Conference
  • Prepared for the November Board chat where we discussed the 2017 YALSA member survey results
  • Wrote President’s column for the winter issue of YALS focused on youth activism through community engagement
  • Led YALSA Executive Committee meeting where we discussed YALSA finances and ALA relations

Stats and Data

  • Funds raised in Oct. = $1,346.52
  • Member stats for Oct. = 4,793 (down 3.4% over this time last year)

Don’t Forget!

  • Double your impact!  Between now and Jan. 15, 2018 any donation to YALSA up to $1,000 will be matched dollar for dollar by ALA! Find out more here.
  • The YALSA Board approved a new version of YALSA’s Competencies. Make sure to sign up for the free webinars
  • Check out the YALSA Blog and The Hub for great ideas and the latest on YA services and resources!
  • Check out the Current Projects page to stay updated on what’s going on!

Thank you!

  • To Diane Colson for her 2 ½ years of thoughtful and passionate service as a YALSA Board member! We wish you the best in your new job!
  • To everyone who has donated to the YALSA Leadership Endowment Challenge and who gave on Giving Tuesday!
  • To all our members for all that you do to support teens and teen library services in your communities.

Respectfully submitted,

Sandra Hughes-Hassell, YALSA President 2017-2018

Follow me on twitter @Bridge2Lit

 

Update on the Transition of Selected Lists to the Hub

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Colleagues-

As may you know, in January 2017 YALSA transitioned the selected lists, Amazing Audiobooks and Quick Picks, to The Hub. The general goals of this transition were to provide these lists in a more timely, user-friendly way, provide increased opportunities for virtual member and teen involvement, and better address the needs of diverse teens.  You can read the complete rationale in this Midwinter 2017 Board Document.

In early 2017, YALSA members applied for and were selected to serve on an AA Team and a QP team to:

  • Find & read titles (publishers are still providing titles & members are still suggesting titles!)
  • Meet virtually to discuss and nominate titles
  • Write blog posts about the nominated titles
  • Review nominations and vote to create the Best of Lists at the end of the year (the 2018 lists are coming soon!)

Using the processes described in the Amazing Audiobooks Policies & Procedures and the Quick Picks Policies & Procedures the blogging teams have been busy at work! Currently they are choosing the titles that will be included on the year’s Best of AA List and Best of QP List. Stay tuned to the Hub for the announcement!

During the year, when the blogging teams nominated a title for the AA or QP lists, a short description of the title was posted to the Hub using the hashtags #QP2018 and #AA2018. By using these hashtags to search the Hub, library staff have been able to read about the books as they are being nominated, rather than having to wait until the final Best of Lists are compiled and published. This change has allowed library staff to learn about and purchase nominated titles throughout the year, thus putting QP and AA titles in the hands of teens who need them more quickly. It has also allowed library staff to learn about all the titles that are nominated (many of which may be perfect for their teens but may not make it to the Best of Lists), not just the ones that will eventually be selected for the Best of Lists.  Titles that make the final cut will also be added to the Teen Bookfinder Database and app.

In September I organized a call with the Hub Member Manager, QP and AA Blogging Team Coordinators and staff to talk about how the transition was progressing.  During this discussion we learned that due to a miscommunication nominees weren’t being posted regularly, and both teams had a backlog of nominees to go online.  We addressed this and some other issues, and have learned from this year’s first attempt so that next year will progress smoothly.

Beginning in January 2018, Best Fiction for Young Adults and Great Graphic Novels will be transitioned to the Hub, too. The volunteer form was open from Aug. through Sept. for YALSA members to volunteer to serve on the QP, AA, BFYA, and GGN Blogging Teams. Stephen Ashley, the Hub Member Manager, is currently working to select the Blogging Teams and orient them to the process. As the teams nominate titles for AA, QP, and BFYA and GGN lists, short descriptions will be posted to the Hub using the hashtags #BFYA2019, #GGN2019, #QP2019, and #AA2019 to facilitate ease of access.

YALSA staff and I continue to work with Stephen, the Hub advisory Board, and our members to ensure that the transition to the Hub of the YALSA selected lists continues, and to work out any challenges that arise.  Per a Board directive, I will also assemble a group of members in January 2018 to formally evaluate how the first transition year went and to submit recommendations for the Board to review and act on.  We are confident that working together the changes to the selected lists are benefiting teens, our members, and libraries!  I’d like to extend a big thank you to Molly Wetta, Stephen Ashley, the Hub Advisory Board and the AA & QP Blogging Teams for all of their hard work this year to make the transition as smooth as possible.  I’d also like to thank our members for their patience as we worked through these changes.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!

Sandra Hughes-Hassell, 2017-2018 YALSA President