Initially, I was going to wait until this project was finished before I blogged about it, but since we received such a positive response from the teens I wanted to share this venture with everyone.
THE IDEA: Fashioned after the PostSecret project and the I’m Afraid: This is a Book About Fear zine, our untitled project focuses on the question “What Are You Afriad Of?” or “Somthing Horrifying”. Teens respond to these prompts by creating art upon blank standard index cards. Materials needed include: colored markers/pencils, googly eyes, glitter sticks, ect. This project will run the length of summer reading, will be compiled, and finally, displayed in a large binder using photo corners.
THE RESPONSE: One of my teen volunteers taped newspaper and put other materials onto a table in the teen area, created a sign about the project, and made a box for completed entries. Within 2 hours, a dozen cards were completed. Woohoo!
As an intern at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh (CLP) - Main Teens facility, I currently work with teens on a podcast project. A podcast is a digital audio file in mp3 format that can be downloaded onto a computer for listening, or saved to an mp3 player such as an I-pod. Our digital media project is essentially a virtual pen pal program between the Trails West Teen Advisory Council (Kansas City Public Library) and the TAC at the main Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh facility. Each advisory group creates a podcast that addresses the other group, with information about activities, books being read, and even the music we enjoy.
The purpose of the program is three-fold:
1) To introduce teens to digital media creation. After we have created a series of virtual pen pal podcasts, we will be able to identify whether or not we wish to use this technology to pursue bigger media projects. For example, the teens might embark on an ongoing podcast radio show about new books or library programs. But for now, this simple media project allows us to get our feet wet without making a big commitment to an ongoing radio podcast, as we are unsure if such a program would be sustainable.
2) To participate in an exchange of ideas. The podcast project provides teens with an opportunity to share and exchange ideas with another teen advisory council. We hope to gain ideas about library programs, books to read, and projects to pursue. We also want to get to know some other cool teens!
3) To market teen library services. The podcast expresses proof of the engaging teen library programs at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, and can be used to market library services to teens. It is posted on the CLP teens blog, allowing web visitors to become acclimated with Teen Services through the digital media provided. Additionally, the podcast might be used during school visits to audibly demonstrate teen library activity. Finally, it can be used to show the community and constituencies the positive way that teens are interacting at the library through constructive social activities and advisory council projects.
Listen to Our Podcast!
The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh teens created the first podcast a couple of weeks ago, and it can be listened to on the player below, or at ourmedia.
I’m just finishing up the second day at Book Expo 2006. Back hurts. Feet hurt. And everything else you can name. However, I had to hop onto an internet terminal to tell about some highlights from the numerous author signings.
For a chuckle, check this out: Stephen Baldwin writes Spirit Warriors
Also funny was Christopher Moore’s reaction to being told to STOP talking to readers and to START blindly sign as many A Dirty Job copies for the waiting multitude. (Review coming soon.)
A very long line for a signed copy of the 25th anniversary edition of Bunnicula! Fear the bunny!
Amongst the many appreciative and enthusiastic authors, Obert Skye was, by far, the coolest. Not only did he sign his advance reading copy of Leven Thumps and the Whispered Secret (due out in September) for my Teen Advisory Group, but he also signed a hardcover copy of the The Gateway to Foo, and gave away handy-dandy canvas bags with the Leven Thumps logo and mulitple bookmarks. Obert was sincere and eager to have teens respond to his work through his website. So, Thank you authors for a memorable experience, and especially to OBERT SKYE!!! YOU ROCK!!!
I have moved the information in our popular Library 2.0 list to the Lib Success Wiki, under a section titled: Library 2.0 Services to Teens - Best Practices. The reason behind this move is to open the list up to all who wish to contribute their findings. However, I am accepting suggestions on the old blog post, and will add the findings of any commenter onto the new wiki page. This seems like a silly move because the post was so popular and generated a lot of hits. But it’s all about freeing up information for all to utilize.
Finally, I found a VERY practical use of web videos within teen libraries. The teens at ImaginOn have created a Summer Reading video that is not only comedic, but also an informational pitch about summer read. Watch it on the ImaginOn MySpace profile: http://www.myspace.com/libraryloft
Girl Stories
Author: Lauren R Weinstein
ISBN: 0805078630
Format: Paperback
Price: $16.95
Due to a bumbling error on the corporate level, I found this young teen graphic novel shelved in the children’s paperback picture books. So, I picked it up and read it during lunch. If you’re table-mannered, you won’t want to read this while eating or else you may end up, as I did, spraying food. Girl Stories playfully addresses teen-pressure tribulations, including: egging; bullying; pop star crushes; friendship; and self-image. These slightly edgy and zine styled comics would appeal to young teens who aren’t “bad”, but are consistently pushing that line. Also, anyone who doodles may appreciate and/or be inspired by the illustrations.
In the Resources to Young Adults class this past semester at the University of Pittsburgh, we embarked on a class discussion about the correlation between teen spaces and teen behavior. The class was assigned the task of observing a teen library, taking note of teen behaviors, and finally, discussing our findings as a group.
A handful of my classmates visited a particular library that had problems with teen patrons. The children’s librarian did not like teens, and there was not a teen librarian around to balance out this viewpoint. She referred to the group of repeat teen visitors as a “gang of goth teens” — the “gang” association being the disturbing part of that description because it assigns a criminal attribute to the group. The behavior of the said “gang” was exhibited by their congregation around the entrance of the library. The librarian reported that the teens gave patrons bad looks and made them feel uncomfortable. They also talked loud when they were inside the library, usually hanging out around the teen books section.
This example is just one of many where librarians associate the teen demographic with negative behavior, and refuse to see things from the perspectives of teens. In most libraries the reaction of staff to disruptive teen behavior is to label the group as troublemakers, and to disassociate them from the status of “library patron.” Through this disassociation, the librarians are no longer liable for trying to work with the said group of teens, and can instead see them as intruders that need to be carefully watched. But we teen services advocates know that by treating the teens like criminals, we will set ourselves, as well as the teens up for failure. Staff members are usually baffled to hear that the way we can solve problems with teen behavior is to create a space for them in the library, because to them this means bringing more problems into the library, not diffusing the problem.
Throughout our class discussion, we also reflected upon the experiences that took place at libraries that had dedicated staff and space for teens. These library environments had fewer issues with disruptive behavior, and in most of these cases teens were seen to be engaging in constructive activities. Our class came to the conclusion that by giving teens recognition and tailored services, they will generally engage in positive models of behavior.
However, not all libraries have the recourses to hire teen staff or create a teen space. In these cases, even the smallest improvements can make a mile of difference. One of my classmates noted that after she moved near the “goth gang” to browse the teen collection and acknowledged the group with a smile, she found that the volume of their discussion lowered and they quit “horsing” around. Her observation was that by having some small interaction with teens, and recognizing them as being worthy of attention, their behavior can suddenly change to a more constructive mode. A smile and small conversation is something even the smallest of libraries can certainly afford.
I think the significance of these observations is that they illustrate the need for teen librarians to be advocates. We are still in an age where teen library services are not exactly a top priority. How do we respond to this lack of awareness? One of the best ways that we as teen librarians can make a difference is to inform our peers and colleagues about the importance of teen services in the most informal, grassroots way possible. Slow days at the circ desk can result in some progressive conversation about the value of serving teens, and the reasons we do what we do. I also personally believe that infiltrating a culture from the ground up can make a large difference, which is why I tend to advocate for grassroots methods of gaining support.
What are the techniques you use to advocate teen library services at
your place of work?
Recent events have made us realize that authors plagarize and blatantly lie for their novel more than what we may have previously acknowledged. Sure we realize that these things probably happen, but it’s angering to find out you’ve been duped, and even more frustrating to have paid these people money for this service. As I was taking notes for this weekend’s New to the Scene, I was disheartened to learn that there’s another aspect of re-publishing I had not previously considered.
On the cover of Melvin Burgess’s Doing It, a paperback reprint that was released this past week, the cover depicts a teen couple, poised on a couch, with the guy’s hand hovering just inches above the chic’s knee. With such a striking color scheme and a composition that portrays a scene of eager anticipation, it’s easy to understand why this photo was selected for the cover of a teen novel. However, this same photograph was also used for Steven Herrick’s Love, Ghosts, and Facial Hair.
I wonder: Is this is an act of laziness on the publisher’s part? Does anyone have any knowledge that can help explain this situation? If not, I’ll be going to Book Expo in a few weeks and I’ll make sure to ask someone there.
In December a link was posted to VOYA’s December teen pop culture quiz. This April they added a new quiz, bringing the total up to 18, 10 of which are posted on their website . I scored a whopping 30 out of 58 which according to their scoring system is not so great. Give it a try yourself and see how you do.
“I didn’t quit because everyone, including Dad, thought I would. Instead I took the hard road.” - Bret Hendricks
ISBN: 0802780776
Format: Hardcover
Price: $16.95
Bret Hendricks is fed up with the macho egotists at Southwestern High School. Over the years, most nonconformists students have learned to ignore their bullying taunts. As for Bret, his days of silence are at an end. What begins as witty sarcasm leads to political speech, vandalism, school suspensions, and a brutal fist fight remniscent of Fight Club. Bret’s attempts to rise above his persecutors’ abuse is just one challenge, however, as other issues crowd for attention: struggling father-son relationship; love interest turned sour; back-stabbing friend and through it all, a steady stream of concerned adults eager to step in and offer out-of-touch advice. Patrick Jones shows a knack for creating characters that may speak to disaffected teens. However, there are times when he has too many ideas, and his reach exceeds his grasp. To better harness this exciting and engaging voice in teen literature, and to realize his potential as a novelist, he may need to scale back some of his superfluous ideas, in order to bring his true strength, his characters, to the forefront.
FYI for teen reader’s advisory folks: - You might try promoting this to teens who demonstrate the “sticking it to the man” attitude.
- If you’ve met Patrick Jones, you’ll recognize the similarities between the author and main character including: a dedicated passion for wrestling; Monty Python jokes; an honest and free spirited individual.
- Also check out this interview with Patrick Jones and teenlibrarian blogger Miranda Doyle.
The Alternative teen services blog is maintained by teen librarians who share ideas, resources, and advocacy about serving teens. By sharing our ideas in a fun and supportive environment, we will gain perspectives that improve our library services to teenage youth.
“I didn’t quit because everyone, including Dad, thought I would. Instead I took the hard road.” - Bret Hendricks 
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