Check out our full show notes page here, with links to all the things we discuss and the books we share.

Today we are going to talk about skills that will be useful in most libraries. Working with teens is not everyone’s favorite part of library service, but this is an important group in the library. We will walk through some steps to help you to serve these patrons who can be energetic advocates for your library!

Teens can be a great segment of your library community – filled with energy, and ideas, and ready to bring new things to your work! And those same attributes can make them a challenge to work with, especially when they turn that same energy to not-so-great ideas. This is true of any group of people in the library, but it seems to be more noticeable in teens. 

So today we will look at the latest work from the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) to help everyone working with teens to build their skills. For those who already enjoy working with teens: great! Here are some new ways to think about what you are doing, and how it can continue to build. And for those who have been hesitant to engage with this group: getting comfortable with some new ideas and strategies may make it easier for you both.

We are taking today’s material from the American Library Association’s YALSA page, and will link to all of this in our show notes. They provide a lot more material than we will discuss today, including charts and infographics, so check them out!