Virtual Road Trip: Texas

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YALSA put out an extensive report on the future of library services (both public and school) for library teens as well as a summary report.’  After reading it, I knew this would make a perfect infographic to print and share or even send as a link to others who’d like this information.’ texas It’s important to know where library services should be going in the 21st century as teens and their culture, lifestyle and habits continue to change.

YALSA teen report

The link to the infographic is: https://magic.piktochart.com/output/1326505-yalsa-teen-and-library-report.

Submitted by Naomi Bates, Northwest High School Library, Justin, TX

YALSA Board Midwinter Update: Draft Programming Guidelines

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Have you ever wondered if programs you’re planning, creating and leading for teens in your library are like those that other libraries are offering? Have you ever been asked to justify or build support for the programs you’re offering or want to offer?

At the YALSA Board’s Midwinter meeting, we discussed the Draft Programming Guidelines that the Programming Guidelines Development Task Force created.

The group will continue to refine these guidelines based on Board feedback, which included the value of adding a section on outcomes and connections to YALSA’s new report, the Future of Library Services for and with Teens: A Call to Action

What are your thoughts about this draft document? How else can YALSA make this document as relevant as possible to your work with teens?

Virtual Road Trip: Massachusetts

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Annual Teen Summit Focuses on Professional Development for Librarians Working with Teens

This fall, Massachusetts librarians working with teens will be celebrating their 6th Annual Teen Summit. The Summit is a professional conference, focused on the needs of librarians working with teens. Originally developed as a concluding program for a LSTA Serving Teens and Tweens grant, the summit has grown to an annual event that includes national speakers, peer-led breakout sessions and much needed networking opportunities for our librarians.Mass

The summit was developed to address the need for professional development needs of our librarians working with teens. While our regional systems did an excellent job covering collection development, technology, and programming trainings, the state youth consultants saw a need for training on bigger themes as well as a great need for networking opportunities for those who work with teens.

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Virtual Road Trip: Washington

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‘ Mapping Out the Road to Adulthood

‘ Across Washington State, a familiar scene plays out in libraries each day after school in rural or urban branches alike. Teens stumble through the doors in a cluster of street noise and bravado, but a cloud hangs over them. Some of the cloud may be Axe Body Spray, but what permeates is the uncertainty. As adults, we expect so much, yet so little from teens. The world asks them to behave. And to participate. And to be quiet, speak up, work hard, worry less, relax, follow their dreams, get a real job and floss. Rarely do we show them how to accomplish these things.washington

The road to adulthood is a bumpy one, with potholes and flashfloods and lots of uncertainty. The vehicle to get there varies with each teen, with some still on training wheels and others needing a rev limiter. What remains constant is the need for a map. Somewhere within the library, wedged between biographies of presidents’ wives and costume encyclopedias and book groups lies that map.

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YALSA Board @ Annual 2013: National Forum on Libraries & Teens Update

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National Forum on Libraries & Teens logoIt’s been quite a nine months. Yes, just about nine months ago YALSA launched it’s IMLS funded project focusing on the future of library services to teens. At YALSA’s Board meetings during Annual Conference 2013 the Board was updated on the project and what’s coming up next.

The report to the Board included an overview of what’s transpired in the nine months since YALSA’s research on the future of library services to teens began. In that time the association:

  1. Hosted a national summit on libraries and teens that brought together library staff, educators, stakeholders, and others to brainstorm, listen, and plan what the future of teen services in libraries will look like.
  2. Sponsored three virtual town halls that gave a wide-range of people the opportunity to provide feedback on where library services for teens are headed. Topics covered included partnerships and collaborations and informal and formal learning spaces for teens.

Board members discussed what’s next on the project agenda: Read More →

Virtual Town Hall on Partnerships

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Earlier today YALSA sponsored a Virtual Town Hall on how libraries and stakeholders can work together successfully to support teens. The event is a part of YALSA’s year-long National Forum on Libraries and Teens that is looking at the future of library services to adolescents.

Conversation at the Virtual Town Hall focused on four key questions:

  • Why are partnerships important?
  • What opportunities are a part of partnerships between libraries and stakeholders?
  • What do successful partnerships look like?
  • What’s required of libraries and stakeholders in order to support teens into the future?

You can view the lively discussion .
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