To connect with that part of her identity, Hamilton crafted a traditional garment—inspired by the Chinese moon goddess Chang’e—as one of three teens selected for Carmel Clay (Ind.) Public Library (CCPL)’s teen artists-in-residence program. She used a silk-screen process to print emerald-colored clouds on the garment and accented the white outfit with sheer green sleeves … Continue reading True Colors
In summer 2021, several parents and community members challenged a handful of books at the school, including the memoir Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe. In response, Kirtley and about 40 of her peers met that fall at a student-run social justice club to discuss how to respond. They made plans to attend the next school … Continue reading Meeting The Challenge
Usually, very few respondents say they have relationship-building skills. When participants are asked to reflect on what they want to get better at, most list skills related to connecting with community members. For example, respondents have said they want to get better at being outgoing, be okay with asking for help, eliminate social anxiety, and … Continue reading Community over Comfort
Oxley, along with fellow PGCMLS librarian Teresa Miller, co-presented “Queering the Library: Strategically Creating Space for the LGBTQ+ Community” on Sunday, June 26, at the American Library Association’s 2022 Annual Conference and Exhibition in Washington, D.C. Throughout the country, a spate of high-profile challenges and attempts to ban or destroy LGBTQ+ books, including in bookstores … Continue reading ‘We Are Not Okay’
On the surface, the staffers who decided to put up the banner most likely wanted people passing by to know that libraries provide a variety of services that go beyond checking out materials. Perhaps they also hoped that if members of the community knew more about these services, they would perceive the library as a … Continue reading Achieving Relevance
Consider, for example, a library activity in which teens can talk about the spaces that make them feel comfortable and can help design an area of the library that is just for them. In this exercise, teens articulate what evokes happiness and calm—two emotional states that are central to positive mental health—and are given an … Continue reading Crisis Averted
Creating safety At “Safe Haven: Creating Safe Education Spaces That Destigmatize the Teen Mental Health Experience,” authors Rocky Callen and Nora Shalaway Carpenter—coeditors of Ab(solutely) Normal, a YA anthology of mental health fiction slated for 2023—moderated a panel that examined how youth and teen services staffers can support teen mental health. Callen and Carpenter began … Continue reading Making Space
The pandemic has only reinforced questions youth services staffers have asked themselves before: What skills, knowledge, and mindsets are needed to serve young people and their caregivers in the modern age? And in particular, what does it take to reach nondominant youth and families? (That is, those who belong to historically marginalized groups and may … Continue reading What Does It Take?
With the pandemic prompting us to step back and think critically about our users and the programs we bring online, it’s also a good time to reflect on past missteps. I’d like to share some of the wrong ideas I’ve had and why some of my original thinking was incorrect, as a reminder of the … Continue reading It’s Okay to Be Wrong
In Episode 56, Call Number looks at library efforts to support and engage teen activism. First, American Libraries Associate Editor Sallyann Price speaks with Donnell Washington, senior library assistant at Charlotte Mecklenburg (N.C.) Library, about the Better Hope for Tomorrow virtual summit for teens that he helped organize. Next, American Libraries Managing Editor Terra Dankowski … Continue reading Call Number Podcast: Let Them Lead
This year’s symposium focused on partnerships, empowerment, and using YA literature to promote equity. At the Saturday, November 7 session “Our Teens Have a Voice: Methods in Planning and Executing a Youth Conference on Social Justice,” the two presenters—Erin Hoopes, branch manager of Philadelphia City Institute of the Free Library of Philadelphia, and Gabrielle Miller, … Continue reading Teen Librarians Talk Empowerment
1957 Year the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) was founded. 6–8 Dates in November that YALSA will host its 10th symposium, “Biggest Little Spaces: How Libraries Serve the Expanding Worlds of Teens.” Originally scheduled for Reno, Nevada, the symposium will be held virtually. 15 Number of groups that helped create this year’s Teens’ Top … Continue reading By the Numbers: Teens and Libraries
