Publisher's Synopsis
"Getting it right means understanding our roles as adults and professionals. Getting it right requires a genuine commitment to youth participation. Getting it right is about shifting our perspective from the library to the community in which it is located. Getting it right makes it imperative that we give teens a place of their own in our libraries."-From the Preface
Libraries have opportunities to make a positive difference in the lives of teenage customers and become a primary support for teens in the communities they serve. Truly excellent library services for young adults (YA) need the collaborative efforts of both teens and librarians.
To build this partnership, the authors share an inspiring narrative of YA history, and also offer a plethora of new voices and stories that advocate the power of technology and teen spaces. These story lines are then melded to highlight practical tools to involve teens at the library and make a bright future possible. As the authors explore what has been done well-and what hasn't -in the world of young adult librarianship, they identify key issues from the plethora of new voices:
- How librarians can work with not for young adult customers
- Why the power of place means actual square footage designed for teens
- Ways to incorporate technology to achieve developmental outcomes
- Listening to teen voices to better serve their needs
- How evaluation and being accountable will close the loop on effective advocacy
The authors guide both librarians and administrators to make promises for the future and present a strategy for keeping those promises so that young adult audiences can become active library and community participants. From building partnerships to implementing successful programs to incorporating technology that helps teens assume leadership and responsibility, this is an inspiring yet practical take on what it means to "get it right" for teens in the library.
