Connecting Young Adults and Libraries

Ten Vehicles

1. 2. 3. 4

support

. Programs 5.

A

dministrative

Collections

Outreach

Promotion

6. School cooperation 7 Spaces 8. Special projects 9. Technology 10. Youth involvement

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries http://www.connectingya.com

BEST PRACTICES FROM INDIANA Hammond Public Library Teen Pizza Game Night After Hours Program Battle of The Bands program held outside Funded by Friends of the Library and planned with Teen Advisory Board

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries http://www.connectingya.com

BEST PRACTICES FROM INDIANA Programs @ Clinton Public Library Movie nights (teens help pick and snacks), craft days (especially during the winter), and summer reading program (reached out to schools, partnered with middle school program where students win prizes and CASH!!). Teens 11 – 18 read over 38,000 pages for the middle school.

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries http://www.connectingya.com

BEST PRACTICES FROM INDIANA Programs @ St Joe County Friendship Bracelet program was run by teens.

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries http://www.connectingya.com

BEST PRACTICES FROM INDIANA Youth involvement @Jasper Public Library Summer teen volunteer program helped out. This past year did reading buddy programs. Teens would sign up to read on Mondays to younger children, who would sign up. Very successful. Teens enjoyed it, and continued to show up.

Programs @ Jasper Public Library Instant winner: put stop on certain books, if teen checked out book, would win something.

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries http://www.connectingya.com

BEST PRACTICES FROM INDIANA Youth involvement @ Perry County Youth advisory group Art Show @ Orlean Partner with high school art department, open house were parents were invited.

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries http://www.connectingya.com

BEST PRACTICES FROM INDIANA Graphic novel and manga collection @ Auburn Started with just 30, with over 1,000 graphic novel collection. High circulation, but be prepared for pitfalls of missing titles and high loss rate.

Scavenger Hunt @ Auburn Theme of the first one was Survivor, second was Beach scavenger hunt. Set up six stations, have to use library books to find clues in order to do the activity. Kids dressed up in costumes.

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries http://www.connectingya.com

BEST PRACTICES FROM INDIANA Programs / Admin Support @ Johnson County Public Library Formed YA committee made up of adult librarians and children librarian, one from each branch. Meet once a month to discuss system-wide programs. Programs @ Johnson County Public Library Professional ghost storyteller / ghost hunter during Teen Read Week. Successful in one branch, brought it back.

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries http://www.connectingya.com

BEST PRACTICES FROM INDIANA Programs @ Johnson County Acting workshop conducted by library staff member / community theater member.

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries http://www.connectingya.com

BEST PRACTICES FROM INDIANA Spaces @ Goshen Public Library Friends helped established YA area with 10K gift. Programs @ IMCPL Teen work with published artist to create a comic book, each teen had different tasks. Was supposed to last only one month, still going on until October.

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries http://www.connectingya.com

BEST PRACTICES FROM INDIANA Fuel Up for Finals / Program @ Goshen Volunteer tutors from local colleges brought in to help students during final week. And food!

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries http://www.connectingya.com

BEST PRACTICES FROM INDIANA Programs @ IMCPL Central programmer prepared material for poetry slam, staff reluctant to participate, but teens took it over. Success lead to a grant / monthly program – ideas came from brainstorming with teens. Sidewalk slam: could write poems / draw art on sidewalk which included working with artist. Frame art work. This lead to revamping teen area, which gives it unique look. Organized school club (poetry club) came to event and wants to continue to help out. Forthcoming is program on urban legends. Problem teen showed up at program, and asked when program would be repeated.

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries http://www.connectingya.com

BEST PRACTICES FROM INDIANA Program @ Westfield X-box game: hooked up two x-boxes together, shown on projector, and they played against each other. Game was Halo. Also Battle of the Bands, and henna tattoo. Success breeds success.

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries http://www.connectingya.com

BEST PRACTICES FROM INDIANA Program @ TCPL Friendship dinner for Valentine Day, complete with jazz band playing in meeting room.

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BEST PRACTICES FROM INDIANA Programs @ Monroe County Garage Band event: get out of the way of good people and let them do their jobs. More attention that paid to it by administration. Spaces in library designed so teen can hang out. No need for signs.

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries http://www.connectingya.com

BEST PRACTICES FROM INDIANA Collections @ New Castle Starting from scratch to build a collection / space. Has created excitement about graphic novel collection.

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries http://www.connectingya.com

BEST PRACTICES FROM INDIANA School cooperation @ IMCPL Public library staff go to frosh orientation: free card replacement, waive fines, etc.

School cooperation @ Crawdsfordville Shows us during school lunch to promote programs and do booktalks. (Reading Rave)

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries http://www.connectingya.com

BEST PRACTICES FROM INDIANA Youth involvement @ Carmel Clay Entire library staff keeps teens in mind to do tasks for each library department, such as “feng sui” the library instead of shifting and cleaning books.

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries http://www.connectingya.com

BEST PRACTICES FROM INDIANA Technology @ Greentown Public

Teach new students how to use INSPIRE service, then do a scavenger hunt using this tool

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BEST PRACTICES FROM INDIANA Programs @ Westfield Intergenerational program of teens reading to seniors in nursing homes. YAHOO program; funded by United Way youth as resources.

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries http://www.connectingya.com

BEST PRACTICES IN IOWA Youth Involvement @ North Liberty Community Library, North Liberty Hired a teen library assistant and gave him responsibility for updating library webpage (his brother designed the original webpage as a teen volunteer)

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries http://www.connectingya.com

BEST PRACTICES IN IOWA @ Mount Vernon. For our YA book discussion group we receive financial support from a local bank who provides the money to purchase each member their own copy of the books that we discuss to keep.

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries http://www.connectingya.com

BEST PRACTICES IN IOWA @Coralville Public Library Our TAB members wrote the script and put together a commercial to promote this years summer reading program. The city’s cable guy agreed to film and edit it. We will be showing it at the junior high school during morning announcements and also on the city cable network.

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries http://www.connectingya.com

BEST PRACTICES IN IOWA Promotion@Monticello Elementary School. Took pictures of all the kindergarteners and first graders with their favorite books. Also included all school personnel, secretaries, cooks, custodians. Put up a bulletin board before parent teacher conferences that said “Check Us Out”. Kids loved finding their pictures.

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries http://www.connectingya.com

BEST PRACTICES IN IOWA Promotion@Jefferson High School (C.R.). Read In for Teen Read Week. Students read throughout the day, 1,000 attendance for one day. Librarian dresses up as character. Staff serves snacks. Display of teachers’ favorite books is popular. Students entertained with dramatized poetry this year.

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries http://www.connectingya.com

BEST PRACTICES IN IOWA @Wilton Public Library. Developed a Reading Buddy Program during the summer partnering Teen Board members with students in Title I reading. Each week during June and July the students meet with their partner for half an hour to read and discuss books.

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries http://www.connectingya.com

BEST PRACTICES IN IOWA Programs@Betttendorf Public Library/Iowa Role Playing Group meets every other weekend for 3 hours. They play D&D, BattleTech, etc. Library is responsible for meeting room, promotion and photocopies. Teens run the games. Group has been in existence for well over 5 years.

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries http://www.connectingya.com

BEST PRACTICES IN IOWA Programs@Cedar Rapids Public Library Mystery Pizza Program: We got cheese pizzas donated by seven pizza places and then the kids guessed who made which pizza. This program attracted more boys than girls. We also did a craft program while results were being tabulated. We got good reviews from those participating.

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries http://www.connectingya.com

BEST PRACTICES IN IOWA Promotion @ Bet.

Send press release to student newspaper.

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries http://www.connectingya.com

BEST PRACTICES IN IOWA Programs @ Donate books to pay off fines.

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries http://www.connectingya.com

BEST PRACTICES IN IOWA Spaces / promotion @ Turn books into snickers: make them attractive, available, and they will go out

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries http://www.connectingya.com

BEST PRACTICES IN IOWA @ North English Public Library Partner with high school, formed a youth advisory group for school library (during school year) and at public library: do surveys, develop collections, etc.

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries http://www.connectingya.com

BEST PRACTICES IN IOWA @ North Liberty Local political types spoke with kids, also feed kids (Leaders are Readers); schools got extra credit at some schools for attending

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries http://www.connectingya.com

BEST PRACTICES IN IOWA @ Local paper’s cartoonist did a workshop, which lead to interest in reading newspaper (Newspapers in Education)

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries http://www.connectingya.com

BEST PRACTICES IN IOWA @ Summer reading program prize be “librarian for a day” – get to behind the desk, go shopping, buy stuff.

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries http://www.connectingya.com

BEST PRACTICES IN IOWA Collections@ Bondurant Community Library – Nintendo Game Cube Player and about 15 games to go with it. Youth, esp. boys ages 8-15 come to library regularly to have gameplay time, and from timt to time they checkout materials and read the magazines, esp. GameInformer & Nintendo Power

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries http://www.connectingya.com

BEST PRACTICE

Administrative support @ Hennepin County Library . To prepare for Teen Read Week, Library Director send memo to managers urging support of projects and programs by making services to teen a priority during the month of October.

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries http://www.connectingya.com

BEST PRACTICE

 Collections @ several libraries Japanese animation. Comic male readers.

. Developed collections of graphic formats. These include individual comic book periodicals, graphic novels, collections of comics, and collections may attract younger

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries http://www.connectingya.com

BEST PRACTICE

 Collections @ Dakota County Library.

Large young adult nonfiction area with lots of star biographies, coping type titles, pop culture, college guides, and other topics. Primarily trade books in paperback rather than from library focused publishers.

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries http://www.connectingya.com

BEST PRACTICE Collections / youth involve @ Pine Richland HS Teen Read Week survivor contest: vote the book off the island

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries

BEST PRACTICE

 Collections @ Anoka County Library.

Developed a strong collection of inspirational fiction, primarily in response to demands of teens and their parents. This was also found at

many other libraries, but seemed very popular and well focused in particular at Anoka.

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries http://www.connectingya.com

BEST PRACTICE



Collections/spaces @ several libraries . The shelving of magazines of interest to young adults directly in the young adult section, normally on face out shelving which allows covers to shown.

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries http://www.connectingya.com

BEST PRACTICE

Outreach @ Carver County.

Library has developed connections with a wide range of agencies which also serve teens, such as the workforce center, a program for teen mothers (New Beginnings), GED/ESL classes, key contacts in the mental health community, Juvenile Detention Center including donations of materials, and Scott/Carver educational community/alternative high school

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries BEST PRACTICE Programs @ Chess club

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries http://www.connectingya.com

BEST PRACTICE Program @ Mokena Public Library Teen coffee house program: Held in activity room. Food and drink. Wednesdays after school.

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries http://www.connectingya.com

BEST PRACTICE Spaces @ S.Library

Covered drinks

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries http://www.connectingya.com

BEST PRACTICE

Special Projects @ Stillwater Public Library Received funding from the Arts Council for an arts project work with artist to create large scale puppets, involving students ages 8 – 14. Student then used puppet during summer to put on programs at library and in the community

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries http://www.connectingya.com

BEST PRACTICE

Technology @ Hennepin County Library . Development of the Teen Links centers at each branch provides teen with computers near/in YA areas with Internet access, including Teen Links web page filled with links for homework, and word processing software. Teen Links under revision

with assistance of group of teen

volunteers.

http://www.hclib.org/teens

 Technology www.connectingya.com

http://www.hclib.org/teens

 Technology www.connectingya.com

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries Outreach: Serve parenting and pregnant teens developed program where students would read stories to kindergartners.

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries

Program: Card and comic book club on Saturday afternoons. Kids trade with each other and with library. Play card games such as magic the gathering. Door prizes and refreshments

.

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries

Spaces:

Contest to bulletin board: librarians gave a theme and students created the artwork.

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries PROGRAM LSTA grant buy dig cameras; grades 4 – 8; set up eye-spy teams with local historians; took photos of historic sites: zoom in, wrote clues; on the web .

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries TECHNOLOGY During summer, using Gates computers. Offered training beyond use of the Internet to use programs loaded on computers. Instruction in use: classes they could sign-up.

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries

YOUTH INVOLVEMENT

T-shirt decoration: teens create their own t shirts to wear when they volunteer .

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries

PROGRAMS

Contacted by historical society to do a program with an inner city branch. Activities, and also performer coming in costume. Tie in with Ohio history learning requirement.

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries

SCHOOL COOP

Program in schools a brown bag lunch program with middle school. Visiting twice a month, book discussion group over lunch. Library buys paperbacks for students. Librarian presented an award to teacher who organized project.

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries

PROMOTION

Poster designing contest for the summer reading program theme. Anime style was the winner: got used on the public relations materials. Teen was then hired to work at branch.

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries

PROMOTION

For Teen Read Week, photographer took pix of teens in various locations which were then used in libraries with slogans on them.

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries

Technology

Teen Arcade in Gates training room

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries

Promotion

Every time a teen attends a program or volunteers, ask them to give email address and get invites to school programs.

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries

PROGRAMS / YOUTH INVOLVE

Last September turned volunteens in puppet performing troupe (puppet teens). Help prepare scripts, make props, develop scenery, and perform.

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries

PROGRAMS

LIBRA teens only summer reading program. Teens complete a reading log, book review, and/or trivia fun sheets, (reading, write, and solve) Have to be going into 5 th grade or up (age 11) .Primary participants are ages 11 - 15, both genders.

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries

PROGRAMS

Developed a Mother and daughter book club. Program recognizes fact found in many suburban library systems that parents must be involved or be supportive of teen programs if they are to provide transportation.

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries

PROGRAMS

. Poetry contest in the spring. YAs could submit two poems. Capped off by an open mike night to announce winners (Friends group supply prizes). Over 70 Yas attended last event. Success due to teachers getting involved and interested. Also lead to the publication of the compiled poems. Short story contest following same plan in the summer.

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries

PROGRAMS

. Teen Art Show had over 100 entries. Art put on display in YA area and all over the library. Reception held to honor artists drew over 75 people to the library in the summer.

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries

PROGRAMS

Book discussion groups at the held during the summer. Teens read books, discuss, and have interacted with authors via telephone. One group member now leads a book discussion group for younger kids.

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries

PROGRAMS

Developed system wide summer reading program based on the number of pages read, which allows teens to allowing to read anything, including books they read younger children. Goal is 600 pages. Prizes were selected by young adults.

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries

PROGRAMS

Library has developed a close relationship with Girl Scouts. Scouts have done story times in the library where Scouts read to kids as parents were talking with WIC staff. Girl Scouts have done a craft project and a local history project. Girl Scouts do project cleaning books.

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries

PROMOTION

For Teen Read Week, librarians cooperated with cable access channel and high school to produce 30 second “spots” about using the library featuring leaders from local high school .

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries

PROMOTION

The Library’s Public Information Office has developed mailing lists to promote teen programs which include schools, churches, and youth organizations.

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries

PROMOTION

Developed partnership with parks and recreation department. In their promotional materials, they advertise library programs. Similar programs with community education to promote library programs.

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries

SCHOOL COOP

In September, push library cards with a table at open houses and parent/teacher nights. Also, send library card applications to all the media centers. Students can return completed application to media center, media center gets them to library, and then staff processes and mail cards to students.

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries

SCHOOL COOP

During the spring, students from Richfield Middle visit the Southdale Library on field trips for information literacy instruction and to use collection. Also used opportunity to conduct focus groups to solicit opinions about methods to improve library services to young adults.

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries

SPECIAL PROJECTS

Systems Library has become involved in community wide grants to develop after school programs and/or increase student achievement

.

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries

SPECIAL PROJECTS

Received funding from the Arts Council for an arts project work with artist to create large scale puppets, involving students ages 8 – 14. Worked with special program at high school off campus supply two teen interns who interested in art and education

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries

OUTREACH

Library has developed outreach programs with a wide range of agencies which also serve teens, such as the workforce center, a program for teen mothers (New Beginnings), GED/ESL classes, key contacts in the mental health community, Juvenile Detention Center including donations of materials, and educational community/alternative high school

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries

SCHOOL COOP

One branch worked with a nearby Catholic school which assigns student to read genre fiction. Library helped develop list and promoted titles with series of booktalks at the school.

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries

YOUTH INVOLVE

Loose leaf notebook: kids made suggestions of books they wanted to read, and also wrote reviews of books, positive and negative.

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries

PROGRAMS

PSAT study night: tips on how to take the PSAT. Teacher from Kaplan.

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries

YOUTH INVOLVE

Teen summer volunteer programs which allow teens opportunity to “manage” children’s summer reading program, help with programming duties, assist with shelving juvenile materials, and other tasks. Most successful are

those which allow teens opportunity to be creative .

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries

YOUTH INVOLVE

One branch designed a suggestion box to put in the teen area with form stating: “we listen to you” for suggestions of titles, genres, and music. Titled ordered through the suggestions are put on display.

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries

YOUTH INVOLVE . Library publishes “zines” filled with artwork, reviews, poetry, and short fiction. These are created and edited by small groups of teenagers, primarily high school students which are then distributed to area schools.

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries

YOUTH INVOLVE / SCHOOL COOP

. Internship program developed with Service Learning Coordinator where high school student learns about collection development and assist with other special projects for course credit . Expanded to another branch involving grant to hire two teens to assist youth librarian in all aspects of serving teens.

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries

PROGRAMS

.Sleepovers at the library; issued library cards, story times, food, and staff involvement. Staff was there to supervise. 11 and 12 year old who were not primarily library users.

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries

SCHOOL COOP

. Although at the low end of young adult age range, library visits every 5th grade class during the fall to promote children’s book week with 30 minute presentations about the library, including booktalks. Teachers like the visits with normally begin with a letter to principal, then a follow-up phone call to set schedule with secretary or librarian

Your best practices

Ten Vehicles

1. 2.

A

dministrative support

Collections 3. 5.

Outreach

4. Programs

Promotion

6. School cooperation 7 Spaces 8. Special projects 9. Technology 10. Youth involvement

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries Patrick Jones http://www.connectingya.com

THE NUMBER ONE WAY TO PLAN DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT A SUCCESSFUL SCHOOL AGE PROGRAM:

www.connectingya.com

For your consideration 

Things Change



(Walker and Company, April 2004)

www.connectingya.com

nailed

by Patrick Jones

(coming April 2006)

Walker Books for Young Readers

http://www.walkeryoungreaders.com/

www.connectingya.com

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries Patrick Jones http://www.connectingya.com

    Develop action plans Review objectives For more info: Connecting 3 rd edition One booktalk www.connectingya.com

For more information:

  

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries: A How-To-Do-It Manual, Third Edition

By Patrick Jones, Michele Gorman, and Tricia Suellentrop

Neal-Schuman, July 2004

1-55570-508-1. 8 1/2 x 11 . 438 pp.

www.connectingya.com

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries Patrick Jones http://www.connectingya.com

 

Consulting, training, and coaching for providing powerful youth services including library card campaigns and web projects

[email protected]

www.connectingya.com