YALS Spring 2017 Resources – From Awareness to Advocacy: An Urban Teen Librarian’s Journey from Passivity to Activism

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In the Spring 2017 issue of YALS, (digital edition available now
to members & subscribers via the Members Only section of the YALSA website) David Wang’s article describes his personal journey from passivity to activism as his library faced serious financial cuts. His article includes references and resources that shouldn’t be missed. The full list of those resources follows:

Invest in Libraries: http://www.investinlibraries.org/

Invest in Libraries Rally: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_39MpGQdKTw

YALS Spring 2017 Resources: Using Media Literacy to Combat Youth Extremism

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In the Spring 2017 issue of YALS, (digital edition available now
to members & subscribers via the Members Only section of the YALSA website) D.C .Vito describes how media literacy can be used to combat youth extremism. His article includes references and resources that shouldn’t be missed. The full list of those resources follows:

France Robles, (2015, June 20) “Dylann Roof Photos and a Manifesto Are Posted on Website” New York Times.

Jon Anderson (2015, April 20) “Hoover woman joins ISIS: Meet Hoda Muthana who fled U.S. to Syria” Alabama Media Group.

UNESCO “Internet and the Radicalization of Youth: Preventing, Acting and Living Together“.

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YALS 2017 Spring Resources: Libraries as Refuge for Marginalized Youth

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In the Spring 2017 issue of YALS, (digital edition available now
to members & subscribers via the Members Only section of the YALSA website) Rica G shares her experience of teaching Hip Hop as a way of life and a means to empower youth. Her article includes references and resources that shouldn’t be missed. The full list of those resources follows:

Brundin, Jenny. “Denver Teachers, Students Are Confronting The Anxiety Of A Trump Presidency.”CPR.org. November 16, 2016. http://www.cpr.org/news/story/denver-teachers-students-are-confronting-the-anxiety-of-a-trump-presidency

Debraski, Sara, Finney, Meg, Kolderup, Gretchen, Lalitha Nataraj, et al. “Core Professional Values for the Teen Services Profession,” Young Adult Library Services Association, July 25, 2015, http://www.ala.org/yalsa/sites/ala.org.yalsa/files/content/YALSA_CoreProfessionalValues.pdf.

National Safe Space. “What is Safe Place?” Nationalsafespace.org. December 22, 2016. http://nationalsafeplace.org/what-is-safe-place/

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YALS Spring 2017 Resources – Making a Case for Teens Services: Transforming Libraries and Publishing 

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In the Spring 2017 issue of YALS (digital edition available now to members & subscribers via the Members Only section of the YALSA website), Audrey Hopkins describes the connections between literacy and advocacy. Her article includes references and resources that shouldn’t be missed. The full list of those resources follows:

Bluestone, M. (2015, June 10). U.S. Publishing Industry’s Annual Survey Reveals $28 Billion in Revenue in 2014.  Retrieved from http://publishers.org/news/us-publishing-industry%E2%80%99s-annual-survey-reveals-28-billion-revenue-201

Lee, S.A. (2014, May 5). Beyond Books, Nooks, and Dirty Looks: The History and Evolution of library Services to Teens in the United States. Retrieved from http://www.yalsa.ala.org/jrlya/2014/05/beyond-books-nooks-and-dirty-looks-the-history-and-evolution-of-library-services-to-teens-in-the-united-states/

Strickland, A. (2015, April 15). A brief history of young adult literature. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/15/living/young-adult-fiction-evolution/

 

 

YALS Spring 2017 Resources – CYPHER as Youth Advocacy

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In the Spring 2017 issue of YALS, (digital edition available now
to members & subscribers via the Members Only section of the YALSA website) Rica G shares her experience of teaching Hip Hop as a way of life and a means to empower youth. Her article includes references and resources that shouldn’t be missed. The full list of those resources follows:

Clark, Trent. “The 15 Best Snap Music Songs Of All-Time.” Hip-Hop Wired. Hip-Hop Wired, 29 Nov.Web. 13 Feb. 2017. http://hiphopwired.com/483408/15-best-snap-music-songs-of-all-time/

Kelly, Lauren Leigh. “Hip-Hop Literature: The Politics, Poetics, and Power of Hip-Hop in the English Classroom.” The English Journal 102.5 (2013): 51-56. National Council of Teachers of English. Web. http://www.ncte.org/library/NCTEFiles/Resources/Journals/EJ/1025-may2013/EJ1025Hip.pdf

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YALS Spring 2017 Resources – Advocating for Teens in Public Libraries+

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In the Spring 2017 issue of YALS, (digital edition available now to members & subscribers via the Members Only section of the YALSA website) Tiffany Boeglen and Britni Cherrington-Stodart’s article on advocating for teens in Public Libraries explores ways staff can actively advocate for the teens they serve. Their article includes references and resources that shouldn’t be missed. The full list of those resources follows:

Act for Youth “U.S. Teen Demographics” -http://www.actforyouth.net/adolescence/demographics/.

National Institute of Health “The Teen Brain Still Under Construction” – https://infocenter.nimh.nih.gov/pubstatic/NIH%2011-4929/NIH%2011-4929.pdf

Search Institute “40 Developmental Assets of Adolescents” – http://www.search-institute.org/content/40-developmental-assets-adolescentsages-12-18

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YALS Spring 2017 Resources – The Library’s Role in Protecting Teens’ Privacy

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In the Spring 2017 issue of YALS, (digital edition available now to members & subscribers via the Members Only section of the YALSA website) Mary K. Chelton’s recently accepted position paper describes the library’s role in protecting teens’ privacy. Her article includes references and resources that shouldn’t be missed. The full list of those resources follows:

  1. Project Censored, “The Top Censored Stories of 2015-2016.” Intellectual Freedom News, (November 28, 2016) http://projectcensored.org/14-fbis-new-plan-spy-high-school-students-across-country/
  2. Office of Partner Engagement. Federal Bureau of Investigation. Preventing Violent Extremism in Schools. (January, 2016) https://info.publicintelligence.net/FBI-PreventingExtremismSchools.pdf.
  3. Homeland Security Committee. Final Report of the Task Force on Combating Terrorist and Foreign Fighter Travel. (September, 2015) https://homeland.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/TaskForceFinalReport.pdf
  4. American Association of School Librarians. Standards for the 21st Century Learner http://www.ala.org/aasl/standards/learning.
  5. Tucker, William and Amelia Vance, “School Surveillance: The Consequences for Equity and Privacy” Education Leaders Report Vol. 2, No. 4, (October, 2016) http://www.nasbe.org/education-leader/school-surveillance-the-consequences-for-equity-and-privacy/
  6. Hackman, Rose, “Is the Online Surveillance of Teenagers the New Stop and Frisk?” The Guardian (April 23, 2015) https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/apr/23/online-surveillance-black-teenagers-new-stop-and-frisk
  7. Privacy: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights. Adopted June 19, 2002, by the ALA Council; amended on July 1, 2014. http://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/librarybill/interpretations/privacy
  8. Access to Resources and Services in the School Library Media Program: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights. Adopted July 2, 1986, by the ALA Council; amended January 10, 1990; July 12, 2000; January 19, 2005; July 2, 2008; and July 1, 2014. http://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/librarybill/interpretations/accessresources
  9. Minors and Internet Activity: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights.  Adopted July 15, 2009, by the ALA Council%3B amended on July 1, 2014.  http://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/librarybill/interpretations/minors-internet-activity
  10. “Social Responsibility,” in Core Professional Values for the Teen Services Profession. http://www.ala.org/yalsa/core-professional-values-teen-services-profession

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YALS Spring 2017 Resources – Creating a Unique Brand for Your School Library

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In the Spring 2017 issue of YALS, (digital edition available now to members & subscribers via the Members Only section of the YALSA website) Kelsey Barker’s article on creating a unique brand for your school library explains why a brand is an important part of advocacy. Her article includes references and resources that shouldn’t be missed. The full list of those resources follows:

“What Is Advocacy?” American Association of School Librarians. December 15, 2015. Accessed February 04, 2017. http://www.ala.org/aasl/advocacy/definitions.

Young Adult Library Services Association,. 2017. YALSA Advocacy Toolkit 2017. PDF. Young Adult Library Services. http://www.ala.org/yalsa/sites/ala.org.yalsa/files/content/2017%20Advocacy%20Toolkit.pdf.

YALS Spring 2017 Companion: Answering the Call for Middle School College and Career Readiness: YALS “Future Ready”

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Laura Pitts, a librarian from The Scottsboro, Alabama Public Library shares how “rural, small, and tribal libraries are helping middle schoolers with college and career readiness” through YALSA’s first cohort of Future Ready with the Library funded by IMLS. The program’s mission is to “develop a way, through partnerships with community organizations or educational outlets, to address the issue of college and career readiness initiatives among middle school students.”

In her YALS article, Pitts mentions that “the workforce is moving towards 21st Century skills set that prides itself on encouraging students to look at various career, vocational, and educational opportunities that may be available to them in their own backyard.” Although working in the Future Ready program would be a great opportunity for any library, there are still many things a library can do to help middle schoolers on their own. Part of Pitt’s article discusses how it is important to work with your community, and this is extremely important. Libraries can reach out to local businesses and provide a Career Day program specific for middle school preteens. Preteens could come to their local library and meet local business owners, and learn about their career pathways, and what they do at their job.

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YALS Spring 2017: ADVOCACY: A FOCUS ON PRIVACY AND SURVEILLANCE

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This post is an invitation to check the Research Roundup column in the Spring issue of YALS. The column focuses on advocacy, activism and technology and provides a short overview on three resources and some ideas about how you might integrate the findings and recommendations into your work with youth.

Although I wrote the print column back in January, the column’s topic could not be more relevant. As I have been re-writing this post, both ALA and YALSA’s efforts to create awareness and action about the cuts in funding reveal the different forms that advocacy takes as well as its importance for libraries. At the same time, Congress decided not to pass a set of rules that would give consumers more control over what happens to the data regularly collected by Internet Service Providers (ISPs). While the exact consequences of this decision are not yet clear, this setback highlights the many challenges related to internet privacy. Coincidently, also in January, esteemed colleague Dr. Chelton published a Position Paper for YALSA on the protection of teens’ privacy from government surveillance. The paper examined the potential threats of a set of FBI guidelines that recommend the surveillance of Internet use by at-risk students in secondary schools in connection with recruitment by terrorist organizations. Among her suggestions, I would like to highlight the following two:

  • Take advantage of technology that protects library patrons’ privacy
  • Identify and work with community partners who are also committed to protecting teens’ rights

These two suggestions are directly connected to this month’s Research Roundup column and the two projects and the researcher that I invited teen librarians to explore. The two projects I discuss offer a manageable starting point for information professionals; easy for newbies and for those already involved in this type of tech-focused advocacy. Hopefully they will also strengthen teen librarians’ knowledge about privacy protection and data surveillance issues to feel more comfortable creating events and activities for and with teens about these topics.

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