Lately, there has been a big push to give teens agency, a voice, and opportunities for action through our library services. The theme of last year’s YALSA Symposium was “Empowering Teens,” and YALSA’s Teen Programming Guidelines devote an entire section (number 3.0) to the imperative to “Facilitate teen-led programs.”
The most traditional way to do this is through a Teen Advisory Board. But as a Middle School Services Librarian, I had my doubts about handing any real responsibility over to a bunch of 11-to-14-year-olds. So it was with some trepidation that I took on an advisory board for middle schoolers, which we call Library Squad.
Library Squad has blossomed into a tight-knit community of library-loving middle schoolers whose opinions, ideas, and help form the foundation of all my programming. Library Squad meets on the second Wednesday of every month from 5-6 p.m., but its members are a significant presence in almost all programs.