YALSA Professional Learning Series: The Future of Library Services for and with Teens –Working with At-Risk Teens

by

gameboard

Welcome to the second in YALSA’s new monthly professional learning series. Each month we’ll highlight a topic and give readers the chance to learn about it as well as discuss it with others. Here’s how it works:

  • On the first of each month the YALSA Blog will post an overview of the topic of the month. That overview will include links to resources to read, watch, listen to, etc.
  • If you are interested in participating in the learning during the month, comment on the initial blog post to say something like, “yes, I’m in.”
  • Each week the facilitator of the topic – that’s me this month – will check-in with participants with a post that poses questions and helps to focus conversation on the topic.
  • Participants can converse with others about the topic by commenting on those posts.

We hope this is a low-stress way to learn something new or expand your knowledge on a topic. There is no pressure, just a desire to learn and discuss your learning.

Onto this month’s theme – Working with teens who may be at risk

In 2013 YALSA published the Future of Library Services For and With Teens: A Call to Action. That report, based on a year of research, prodded library staff working with teens to think differently about the teens they serve (and don’t serve) and think more broadly about who they are, where they are and what their needs may be.  Like the Future’s Report itself, this isn’t something that just happens, it takes time, conversations with your colleagues, really looking at your community and also thinking outside the box. 

The resources below should help you to begin thinking differently about your services for and with teens. It’s up to you what you read and/or watch. Pick and choose from the selections as a way to get started and to focus on what you think is most useful. You may make your way through them all, you may not. I’ve included some ideas of what to consider while you read or view so as to help provide context and focus.

Definition of “at risk youth” There are a lot of definitions of “at risk” youth and they can be loaded as well as sounding negative toward youth.  A broad definition can be that at risk teens can be at risk for not completing high school, may struggle socio economically, homeless, involved in drugs and/or alcohol, in foster care, court involved and each of these can put them at further risk and trauma.

Read More →

July Eureka Moments

by

School’s out, I’m no longer sick, and the blog is no longer down! In honor of the evolving focus of this column, I’ve changed its title and broadened my scope. But don’t worry; I’ll still be trolling the various databases for hard-hitting research, too. The first month of summer is usually the busy one, in which students are still finishing school, are already in summer school, or have begun to embark on busy summer adventures, like camp and travel. So the ideas I’m offering you are a bit more low-key or focused on the librarian, rather than the patron, since I gather that your patrons are not exactly in the mood yet for anything that requires a lot of commitment.

  • Last weekend, PostSecret put up a (trigger warning) postcard from someone who dislikes being labeled intolerant for saying that certain types of people are, maybe, hypocritical about oppression. That made me think of a tumblr I found once upon a time called Oppressed Brown Girls Doing Things, whose tagline, “Because we’re still oppressed,” is awesomely readable in a multitude of ways. You might just find this fun to read when there’s a lull in your day, but I know I’d love to see some of these posts find their way into a collage on a library wall, a bookmarks list on a library computer, or into the meeting of any group that meets in your teen room. While the content ranges from NSFW language to sarcastic gifs, the blog also brings up a lot of pertinent points about what it means to be a woman of color. Read More →

    • YALSA Online Course – Connect, Create, Collaborate: Supporting Teen Needs with Technology

    by

    This winter YALSA is offering a newly revised online course! ‘ Linda Braun, instructor for’  Connect, Create, Collaborate: Supporting Teen Needs with Technology, chatted with me about the course. This course is open for registration through the YALSA website.

    Eve: You’re teaching a class for YALSA that starts in February. Tell us about Connect, Create, Collaborate: Supporting Teen Needs with Technology.

    Linda: Connect, Create, Collaborate: Supporting Teen Needs with Technology is a revised version of a class I’ve taught for YALSA for the past several years, which focused on technology as a tool for supporting teen reading and writing literacy. I decided to revise the class because what I’m finding now is that it’s essential to focus not on the concepts of technology and print literacies as separate components but to focus on them as a part of the whole library experience for teens.

    Read More →

    Free webinar on Nov. 23 on using YALSA’s competencies for serving youth

    by

    Join YALSA President-elect Sarah Flowers for Young Adults Deserve the Best: Using Competencies to Serve Teens in Your Library, a free webinar on Nov. 23 from 2 to 3 p.m. Eastern.

    The current generation of teens is the most ethnically diverse and technologically plugged-in ever. Is your library ready to serve them? YALSA’s Competencies for Librarians Serving Youth play a key role in everyday service to young adult patrons. Join Sarah Flowers, YALSA President-elect and author of Young Adults Deserve the Best: Putting YALSA’s Competencies into Action, to discuss practical ways to promote and apply the competencies to ensure quality library service to the teens in your community. WebJunction is pleased to host this webinar in collaboration with the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA).

    The webinar is free, but you must register online first.

    New YALSA online course – Growing, Managing and Defending the Young Adult Budget

    by

    This fall YALSA is launching two brand new online courses! ‘ Monique Delatte, instructor for Growing, Managing and Defending the YA Budget, chatted with me about the course

     

    Eve: You’re teaching a new class for YALSA that starts in October. Tell us about Growing, Managing and Defending the Young Adult Budget.

    Monique: Times are tough, but librarians still want to provide patrons with exceptional library services. This course is about getting the support that you need, whether it is via grant money, Friends of the Library funding, or financial support from library management or boards. The class will also address developing a sustainable young adult services budget. Together, these skills help to build strong relationships with the funders who assist in providing the financial backing for much-needed services today and into the future.

    Read More →

    YALSA’s September Professional Development

    by

    YALSA is pleased to offer the following professional development opportunities in September. If you have questions about YALSA’s professional development, please contact Eve Gaus, YALSA’s program officer for continuing education, at egaus@ala.org or 1-800-545-2433, ext. 5293.

    Now through September 27, YALSA Fall Online Course Registration: YALSA fall online course registration is now open!’  The fall session takes place October 4 to November 1, and we have two classes available: Growing, Managing and Defending the Young Adult Budget, taught by Monique Delatte, and Tapping Youth Participation to Strengthen Library Services, taught by Amy Alessio. Both classes last four weeks and cost $135 for YALSA members, $175 for ALA members, and $195 for nonmembers. For details on both classes and to register (after August 2), visit www.ala.org/yalsa/onlinecourses.

    September 1, First Wednesdays with YALSA: YALSA’s First Wednesdays continue with an online chat this month at 8 p.m. Eastern. This month’s topic: Thinking Big with YALSA President Kim Patton. We will again be in Meebo and our room is http://www.meebo.com/room/yalsasept1chat. Password is yalsasept1.

    September 9, Ready, Set, Go! 30 Ways to Reach Reluctant Readers in 60 Minutes Webinar Jen Hubert Swan, author of Reading Rants! the popular book review blog for teens offers up 30 quick tips for connecting with reluctant readers in 60 minutes. Get display, booktalk and contest ideas and find out what “Roaming Bookmarks” and “Brown Bag Books” are all about. Participants will come away with some great ideas to kick start their programs and collections and help brainstorm some more! This webinar will take place on Thursday, September 9, at 2 p.m. Eastern.’  Register today! Registration costs $39 for individual YALSA members, $49 for all other individuals. A group rate of $195 is available. Learn more at www.ala.org/yalsa/webinars.

    Professional Development with YALSA in August

    by

    YALSA is pleased to offer the following professional development opportunities in August. If you have questions about YALSA’s professional development, please contact Eve Gaus, YALSA’s program officer for continuing education, at egaus@ala.org or 1-800-545-2433, ext. 5293.

    August 2, Fall Course Registration Opens YALSA opens registration for its fall online courses on August 2! The fall session takes place October 4 to November 1, and we have two classes available: Growing, Managing and Defending the Young Adult Budget, taught by Monique Delatte, and Tapping Youth Participation to Strengthen Library Services, taught by Amy Alessio. Both classes last four weeks and cost $135 for YALSA members, $175 for ALA members, and $195 for nonmembers. For details on both classes and to register (after August 2), visit www.ala.org/yalsa/onlinecourses.

    August 4, YALSA E-Chat In this month’s online chat, Eva Volin will lead a question-and-answer session about serving on a 2012 selection committee for YALSA. Interested in volunteering to be on one of YALSA’s booklist committees? Bring your questions to this session, which will be held in Meebo at 8 p.m. Eastern. You can access the August chat room with the password August4chat.

    August 19, Back to the Facts: YA Nonfiction Webinar Join host Angela Carstensen, 2010 YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction Award chair on Thursday, August 19, at 2 p.m. Eastern. Learn how to collect and evaluate YA nonfiction, and see where the future of nonfiction is headed! Register today! Registration costs $39 for individual YALSA members, $49 for all other individuals. A group rate of $195 is available. Details on this webinar, and upcoming webinars, can be found at www.ala.org/yalsa/webinars.

    YALSA’s July Online Professional Development

    by

    UPDATE, 6/2/10: Beyond Booklists is cancelled for the summer session.

    YALSA is pleased to offer the following professional development opportunities in July. If you have questions about YALSA’s professional development, please contact Eve Gaus, YALSA’s program officer for continuing education, at egaus@ala.org or 1-800-545-2433, ext. 5293.

    July 6, YALSA Summer Online Course Registration Ends: Registration closes on July 6 (next week Tuesday!)’  for YALSA’s summer online courses! In Beyond Booklists: Serving Diverse Today’s Diverse Teens, instructor Jennifer Velasquez will guide participants in serving today’s diverse generation, including ways to design, implement and evaluate more in-depth services and programs for today’s diverse teen population and recent teen immigrants. Participants will also gain skills in addressing issues such as language barriers, cultural differences, and institutional support. In Power Up with Print, instructor Jamie Watson will show participants how to boost the library’s circulation’ through the development of teen-centered programs,’ material evaluation and selection, booktalks and more, as well as discuss the latest trends in YA lit. Course registration now open at www.ala.org/yalsa/onlinecourses. Courses cost $135 for YALSA members, $175 for ALA members, and $195 for nonmembers and will take place July 12 to August 9.

    July 7, First Wednesdays with YALSA: YALSA’s First Wednesdays continue with an online chat this month at 8 p.m. Eastern. This month’s topic: finding a job, hosted by Courtney Young. We will again be in Meebo and our room is http://www.meebo.com/room/yalsa_july7chat/. Password is yalsajuly7.

    July 15, Risky Business: Taking and Managing Risk Webinar Join Linda Braun, immediate past president of YALSA, as she discusses how to effectively take and manage risk in YA services during YALSA’s July webinar. Participants will learn how to determine when a risk is a risk worth taking and how capable their library is of risk. This webinar will take place Thursday, July 15, at 2 p.m. Eastern. Register today! Registration costs $39 for individual YALSA members, $49 for all other individuals. A group rate of $195 is available. Learn more at www.ala.org/yalsa/webinars.

    Save the Date for Upcoming Webinars: YALSA has scheduled its next two webinars. Join us August 19 for Back to the Facts: YA Nonfiction, hosted by Angela Carstensen; and September 16 for Ready, Set, Go! 30 Ways to Reach Reluctant Readers in 60 Minutes, hosted by Jen Hubert Swan. Learn more about YALSA webinars at www.ala.org/yalsa/webinars

    YALSA’s Upcoming Professional Development

    by

    YALSA is pleased to offer the following professional development opportunities in June. If you have questions about YALSA’s professional development, please contact Eve Gaus, YALSA’s program officer for continuing education, at egaus@ala.org or 1-800-545-2433, ext. 5293.

    June 2, First Wednesdays with YALSA: YALSA’s First Wednesdays continue with an online chat this month at 8 p.m. Eastern, this time on managing your teen advisory board, hosted by Evie Wilson-Lingbloom. We will be using a private room in Meebo for the chat; the password to log in is available to YALSA members at this ALA Connect post. See you next Wednesday!

    June 17, YA Classics Webinar: Join Sarah Debraski, YALSA past president, for a discussion of YA classics. Sarah will highlight YA novels from 1951 -2003, discussing their themes and issues and how YA librarians can connect teens with these classics. Participants will receive a list of 25 go-to titles that they can use for readers advisory or to add to their collection.’  This webinar will take place Thursday, June 17, at 2 p.m. Eastern. Register today! Registration costs $39 for individual YALSA members, $49 for all other individuals. A group rate of $195 is available. Learn more about YALSA webinars at www.ala.org/yalsa/webinars.

    Read More →

    Join YALSA for Professional Development this May

    by

    YALSA is pleased to offer the following professional development opportunities in May. If you have questions about YALSA’s professional development, please contact Eve Gaus, YALSA’s program officer for continuing education, at egaus@ala.org or 1-800-545-2433, ext. 5293.

    YALSA Summer Online Course Registration: Registration is now open for YALSA’s summer online courses! In Beyond Booklists: Serving Diverse Today’s Diverse Teens, instructor Jennifer Velasquez will guide participants in serving today’s diverse generation, including ways to design, implement and evaluate more in-depth services and programs for today’s diverse teen population and recent teen immigrants. Participants will also gain skills in addressing issues such as language barriers, cultural differences, and institutional support. In Power Up with Print, instructor Jamie Watson will show participants how to boost the library’s circulation’ through the development of teen-centered programs,’ material evaluation and selection, booktalks and more, as well as discuss the latest trends in YA lit. Course registration now open at www.ala.org/yalsa/onlinecourses. Courses cost $135 for YALSA members, $175 for ALA members, and $195 for nonmembers and will take place July 12 to August 9.

    May 5, First Wednesdays with YALSA: YALSA’s First Wednesdays continue with an online chat this month at 8 p.m. Eastern, this time on encouraging reading by using Web 2.0 tools, hosted by Wendy Stephens. We will be using a private room in Meebo for the chat; the password to log in is available to YALSA members at this ALA Connect post. See you next Wednesday!

    May 20, VIPs: Why You Need Them for Advocacy Webinar: Join Karen Keys for YALSA’s webinar discussion on VIPs: Why You Need Them for Advocacy. Karen will explore how librarians and library workers can help grow their library program by improving communication and developing professional relationships with local town councilors, school board members, Chamber of Commerce members, etc. These folks are the movers and shakers in your community and it’s important that you reach out to them regularly and educate them about the critical role libraries play in helping your community thrive.’ Cultivating relationships to help your library meet its mission is critically important in the current economic climate, so join YALSA for this important discussion! This webinar will take place Thursday, May 20, at 2 p.m. Eastern. Register today! Registration costs $39 for individual YALSA members, $49 for all other individuals. A group rate of $195 is available by contacting Eve Gaus at egaus@ala.org or 1-800-545-2433, ext. 5293. Learn more about our webinars at www.ala.org/yalsa/webinars.

    Save the Date! June 17 Webinar on YA Classics: Sarah Debraski will lead this webinar on classic YA literature and how to highlight it at your library on Thursday, June 17 at 2 p.m. Eastern. Register today! Registration costs $39 for individual YALSA members, $49 for all other individuals. A group rate of $195 is available by contacting Eve Gaus at egaus@ala.org or 1-800-545-2433, ext. 5293. Learn more about our webinars at www.ala.org/yalsa/webinars.

    Mentoring Program Applications Open:YALSA’s new mentoring program will pair an experienced librarian (more than 6 years’ experience) with a new librarian (fewer than 6 ‘ years’ experience) or graduate student in a library science program. YALSA believes that we all have important skills and knowledge that we can share with one another and so this program encourages protégés to share their skills and know-how with their mentor. YALSA will accept applications through June 30. Learn more and apply at www.ala.org/yalsa/mentoring.