Metamorphasizing Your Library for teens and tweens: Transforming your library into a teen magnet

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Metamorphasizing Your Library for teens and
tweensTransforming your library into a teen
magnet

• Patrick Jones
• Connecting Young Adults and Libraries
• www.connectingYA.com

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• If I could run the library for one day I would
  have have bands in to entertain us, workshops
  like creative writing programs, game days so kids
  could play Magic the gathering or D D, and
  events for parents and teens about college and
  financial aid. --quote from a teen in a focus
  group in Minnesota.

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WHATS THE FREQUENCY

• WHO (you, me, them)
• WHEN
• WHERE
• WHAT (learning objectives)

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Objectives

• I. Objectives
• Answer FAQs about summer programming for teens
  and tweens
• Identify the elements of successful summer
  programs for teens and tweens
• Investigate techniques such as booktalking to
  attract for teens and tweens

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Methods

• Lecture with Power Point
• Discussion with small group activities
• Handouts and accompanying web pages

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WHY do teen after school programming?

• Increase use of the collection and other core
  services
• Inform, entertain, and enrich teens
• Attract new users or current users to use the
  library differently
• Promote the library in a positive light in the
  community
• Increase youth involvement opportunities
• Support healthy youth development

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Everything to scale
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Program This!
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WHATS THE FREQUENCY a how-to-do-it workshop

• But I put out the flyer
• - Stock excuse number 1 on why a program or
  service didnt meet expectations.

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Exercise 1

• What are the biggest obstacles to getting teens
  and tweens to attend programs?

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WHAT is programming for teens?

• Staff intensive
• Involve a hired presenter
• Use a teen presenter with knowledge or expertise
  
• Be totally teen planned, implemented and
  evaluated.
• Be highly interactive on the teens own time and
  always available
• Be almost spontaneous

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The Developmental Needs of Teenagers

• Physical Activity
• 2. Competence and Achievement
• 3. Self-Definition
• 4. Creative Expression
• 5. Positive Social Interaction with Peers and
  Adults
• 6. Structure and Clear Limits
• 7. Meaningful Participation

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What types of programs appeal to teens?

• Cultural -
• Informational
• Educational
• Recreational

14
Connecting Young Adults and LibrariesPatrick
Joneshttp//www.connectingya.com

• Exercise 2
• Dewey or dont we know good topics for school age
  programs?

15
Connecting Young Adults and LibrariesPatrick
Joneshttp//www.connectingya.com
16
HOW do you plan teen programming?

• Ideas
• Ask and answer the 5Ws
• Implementation
• Evaluation
• Education

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5W 1H

• WHAT IS THE PROGRAM (title / description /
  objectives)
• WHO IS THE AUDIENCE (age, gender, target
  schools)
• WHEN/WHERE WILL IT TAKE PLACE (date, time, and
  location)
• WHY WILL IT SUCCEED (partnerships, youth
  involvement, development needs)
• HOW WILL BE PROMOTED

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• What are examples of successful tween and teen
  programs?

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Connecting Young Adults and Libraries

• BEST PRACTICE
• Teen drama club over the summer on weekly basis.
  Picked and then presented a play. Now, monthly
  basis.

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Connecting Young Adults and Libraries

• BEST PRACTICE
• 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.

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Connecting Young Adults and Libraries

• BEST PRACTICE
• 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.

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Connecting Young Adults and Libraries

• BEST PRACTICE
• 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.

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Connecting Young Adults and Libraries

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

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Connecting Young Adults and Libraries

• BEST PRACTICE
• 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.

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Connecting Young Adults and Libraries

• BEST PRACTICE
• 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.

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Connecting Young Adults and Libraries

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

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Connecting Young Adults and Librarieshttp//www.c
onnectingya.com

• BEST PRACTICE
• Mystery night written her own script, involving
  police department, etc. Clue(Upstart Doubledog
  Press Plano

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Connecting Young Adults and Libraries

• BEST PRACTICE
• Teen Arcade in Gates training room

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Connecting Young Adults and Libraries

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

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Connecting Young Adults and Libraries

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

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Connecting Young Adults and Libraries

• BEST PRACTICE
• 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

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Connecting Young Adults and Libraries

• BEST PRACTICE
• 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.

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Connecting Young Adults and Libraries

• BEST PRACTICE
• . 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.

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Connecting Young Adults and Libraries

• BEST PRACTICE
• . 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.

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Connecting Young Adults and Libraries

• BEST PRACTICE
• 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. Article in October VOYA.

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Connecting Young Adults and Libraries

• BEST PRACTICE
• 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 .

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Connecting Young Adults and Libraries

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

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Connecting Young Adults and Libraries

• BEST PRACTICE
• 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

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Connecting Young Adults and Libraries

• BEST PRACTICE
• Teen summer volunteer programs which allow teens
  opportunity to manage childrens summer reading
  program, help with programming duties, assist
  with shelving juvenile materials, and other
  tasks.

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Connecting Young Adults and Libraries

• BEST PRACTICE
• . 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.

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Connecting Young Adults and Librarieshttp//www.c
onnectingya.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

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Connecting Young Adults and Librarieshttp//www.c
onnectingya.com

• BEST PRACTICES FROM INDIANA
• Programs _at_ 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.

43
Connecting Young Adults and Librarieshttp//www.c
onnectingya.com

• BEST PRACTICES FROM INDIANA
• Youth involvement _at_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 _at_ Jasper Public Library
• Instant winner put stop on certain books, if
  teen checked out book, would win something.

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Connecting Young Adults and Librarieshttp//www.c
onnectingya.com

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

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Connecting Young Adults and Librarieshttp//www.c
onnectingya.com

• Programs _at_ 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.

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Connecting Young Adults and Librarieshttp//www.c
onnectingya.com

• BEST PRACTICES FROM INDIANA
• Programs _at_ IMCPL
• . 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.

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Connecting Young Adults and Librarieshttp//www.c
onnectingya.com

• BEST PRACTICES FROM INDIANA
• Program _at_ 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.

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Connecting Young Adults and Libraries

• BEST PRACTICE
• Programs _at_
• Chess club

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Connecting Young Adults and Librarieshttp//www.c
onnectingya.com

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

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Connecting Young Adults and Librarieshttp//www.c
onnectingya.com

• BEST PRACTICES IN IOWA
• Youth Involvement _at_ 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)

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Connecting Young Adults and Librarieshttp//www.c
onnectingya.com

• BEST PRACTICES IN IOWA
• _at_Coralville Public Library
• Our TAB members wrote the script and put together
  a commercial to promote this years summer reading
  program. The citys 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.

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Connecting Young Adults and Librarieshttp//www.c
onnectingya.com

• BEST PRACTICES IN IOWA
• Promotion_at_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.

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Connecting Young Adults and Librarieshttp//www.c
onnectingya.com

• BEST PRACTICES IN IOWA
• _at_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.

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Connecting Young Adults and Librarieshttp//www.c
onnectingya.com

• BEST PRACTICES IN IOWA
• Programs_at_Betttendorf Public Library/Iowa
• Role Playing Group meets every other weekend for
  3 hours. They play DD, 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.

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Connecting Young Adults and Librarieshttp//www.c
onnectingya.com

• BEST PRACTICES IN IOWA
• Programs_at_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.

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Connecting Young Adults and Librarieshttp//www.c
onnectingya.com

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

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Connecting Young Adults and Librarieshttp//www.c
onnectingya.com

• BEST PRACTICES IN IOWA
• Collections_at_ 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

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Connecting Young Adults and Librarieshttp//www.c
onnectingya.com

• BEST PRACTICES FROM INDIANA
• Programs _at_ 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.

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Connecting Young Adults and Librarieshttp//www.c
onnectingya.com

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

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Connecting Young Adults and Librarieshttp//www.c
onnectingya.com

• BEST PRACTICE
• Special Projects _at_ 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

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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.

62
Connecting Young Adults and Libraries

• YOUTH INVOLVE
• Teen summer volunteer programs which allow teens
  opportunity to manage childrens 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.

63
Connecting Young Adults and Libraries

• BEST PRACTICE
• .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.

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Connecting Young Adults and Libraries

• BEST PRACTICE
• PSAT study night tips on how to take the PSAT.
  Teacher from Kaplan.

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Program This!

• Acting class
• Author visit by Anna Pearl Barrett
• ASPIRE Olympics
• Bats! (Nature to go)
• Bead crafts
• Birthday bashes
• Blue Gnus

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Program This!

• Ice Cream
• Juneteenth
• Kid Kix
• Kung Fu
• Mad Science
• Magic show
• Magic the gathering
• Modeling with clay

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Program This!

• Clown show
• Computer camps
• Computer shirt
• Father's Day craft
• Fly hip hop dance
• FotoFest
• Galveston trip
• Game Days

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Program This!

• Scrapbook
• Sign language
• Snakes!
• Solar system
• SPCA
• Stain glass craft
• artist Teena Goldstein
• Tie Dye shirt

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• Exercise 3
• What are your successful teen and tween programs?

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What are the elements of developing successful
teen programs?

• Popularity of the topic
• Promotion, not just publicity.
• Making connections with what is happening in the
  lives of teenagers.
• High touch the best model for teen programs is
  NOT story time (we perform the audience
  watches), but toddler time we provide an
  interactive experience consist with the
  development needs of the child.
• Youth involvement
• Define success and expectations
• Partnering with schools, school group, and youth
  serving organization

71
Connecting Young Adults and LibrariesPatrick
Joneshttp//www.connectingya.com
ask kids

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

72
Connecting Young Adults and LibrariesPatrick
Joneshttp//www.connectingya.com

• THE PROGRAMMING TAPESTRY
• RECREATIONAL
• EDUCATIONAL
• CULTURAL
• BUSINESS
• YOUTH SERVING

73
Connecting Young Adults and LibrariesPatrick
Joneshttp//www.connectingya.com

• PARTNERSHIP ROLES
• COMMUNICATIVE
• COOPERATIVE
• COLLOBRATIVE

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An equation for programming success

• Collections plus cooperation plus customer focus
  equals success

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Dont Tell, Sell The importance of booktalking

• Patrick Jones
• Connecting Young Adults and Libraries

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Don't Tell, Sell

• FAQS
• 1. What is booktalking?
• 2. Who is the audience?
• 3. What are the models?
• 4. What are the rules?

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Don't Tell, Sell

• FAQS
• 1. What is booktalking?
• What it is and
• What it is not

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Don't Tell, Sell

• FAQS
• 2. Who is the audience?
• Teens
• Teachers
• Tepid managers

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Don't Tell, Sell

• FAQS
• 3 What are the models?
• Blurbs Music
• Trailers WWF
• Comics Stories

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Don't Tell, Sell

• FAQS
• 4. What are the rules?
• Dos
• Donts
• Types

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Don't Tell, Sell

• FAQS
• Types
• Mood
• Plot
• Scene
• Character

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Don't Tell, Sell

• 3 Golden rules
• Remember the audiences wants
• Remember the audiences needs
• Be dramatic, not theatrical

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Don't Tell, Sell

• Preparing
• Reading
• Writing
• Performing

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Don't Tell, Sell

• Preparing
• Reading
• Themes
• Lists
• Collection sitters
• Reviews/booktalks

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Don't Tell, Sell

• Preparing
• Writing
• Start with the ending
• Write backwards
• Notes/index cards
• Look for the hook

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Don't Tell, Sell

• Preparing
• Performing
• Set rules
• Relax and enjoy
• Be realistic
• Learn from mistakes

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Don't Tell, Sell

• Improving
• 1. Learning the hooks
• 2. Learning the books
• 3. Learning the elements of success

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Cliffhanger

• Crazy Horse Electric Game by Chris Crutcher

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Repetition

• Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause

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Unexpected

• The Silver Kiss by Annette Curtis Klause

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Know a secret

• Staying Fat for Sarah Brynes by Chris Crutcher

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Don't Tell, Sell

• Improving
• Learning the hooks
• The Surprise Party

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Don't Tell, Sell

• Improving
• Learning the books
• What authors work
• When and where
• Core list

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Don't Tell, Sell

• Improving
• Learning the elements of success
• Know the crowd, not too proud/too loud.
• Speak to feelings, not lofty ceilings.
• Don't just speak out seek out.

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Don't Tell, Sell

• Use your style, not cards from a file.
• Think stage, not printed page.
• Be yourself, lose yourself.
• No matter what you try, answer the questions
  "why"
• Find the hook, push the book.
• Don't tell, sell. .

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Don't Tell, Sell

• PREPARING PRESENTATIONS
• 1. Questions to ask
• 2. How to begin/end/survive
• 3. What to include/what to leave out
• 4. Problems/solutions

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Don't Tell, Sell

• PREPARING PRESENTATIONS
• Questions to ask
• demos
• reading interests
• reading levels
• reading assignments
• problems

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Don't Tell, Sell

• PREPARING PRESENTATIONS
• How to begin/end/survive
• Get over
• Leave with a question
• Sense of humor

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Don't Tell, Sell

• PREPARING PRESENTATIONS
• What to include/what to leave out
• mix of formats
• mix of materials
• mix of subjects

100
What are some of the best practices for promoting
library services to teens?

• Be a good host
• Be bilingual .
• Book reviews
• Book store look Post new book covers using
  color copies from Amazon
• Build transportation money into grants.
• Cable access TV

101

• Date due slips
• Email lists of teens
• Fast Food .
• Flyers which go anywhere but lying buried in a
  pile of other flyers.
• Give away.
• Loyalty
• Mouse pads

102

• Parks and recreation departments
• PTAs and other connectors
• Regular open house or program
• Reward teachers, other librarians, and library
  staff.
• School announcements
• School newspaper
• School visits
• Sell and show

103

• Student ambassadors
• Student clubs
• Sun days
• Tickets
• Use the calendar
• Web pages .
• Youth group and youth serving organizations
• Youth involvement

104
Connecting Young Adults and LibrariesPatrick
Joneshttp//www.connectingya.com
ask kids

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

105

• HardcoverISBN 0-8027-8901-3Price 16.95224
  pagesApril 2004PaperbackISBN
  0-8027-7746-5ISBN 13 978-0-8027-7746-1Price
  7.95224 pagesApril 2006

106
Final thoughts

• Date Thu, 15 Sep 2005 163426 -0700 (PDT)
• From "Amanda
• Subject Hi I loved your book
• To Patrick_at_connectingya.com
• My name is Amanda!!! I am 15 years old and I have
  just finished reading your book "Things Change".
  It has been the most inspiring thing that I have
  read in my life!!! See normally I do not enjoy
  reading but, this book just captured me and
  sucked me in!!! I have never finished a whole
  book, but this one I read it in two days flat!!!
   I have never read a book that related so well to
  teens today. You were so real when you wrote this
  book........ I was shocked to find that this
  was your first book dedicated to teens!!! I only
  wish that you write more!!! The girl Johanna was
  so strong it only made feel good about my self!!!
  I could relate to every single thing in the
  book.......  and it can only show to others that
  real things can happen to real people!!! And
  you told it like it was in the book..... I just
  wrote to tell you that you are now my favorite
  author!!! And I HOPE that you write many more
  teen books because I can guarantee you I will the
  first to get one!!!

107

• nailed
• HardcoverISBN 0-8027-8077-6ISBN 13
  978-0-8027-8077-5Price 16.95224 pagesSize
  5-1/2 x 8-1/4April 2006

108

• Chasing Tail Lights
• HardcoverISBN 0-8027-9628-1ISBN 13
  978-0-8027-9628-8Price 16.95304 pagesAugust
  2007

109
For more information

• Connecting Young Adults and Libraries A
  How-To-Do-It Manual, Third EditionBy Patrick
  Jones, Michele Gorman, and Tricia Suellentrop
• Neal-Schuman, July 2004
• 1-55570-508-1. 8 1/2 x 11 . 438 pp.

110
Connecting Young Adults and LibrariesPatrick
Joneshttp//www.connectingya.com

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