Teen Services Development Day at #alsc26 had an amazing slate of breakout sessions, and choosing which ones to attend was a tough decision to make! I started the morning off by attending Don’t Leave Tweens Stuck in Between, led by Dania Souid, which focused on collection development and programming for tweens. Throughout my career, I have always worked with teens in grades 7-12, and I wanted to learn more about the tweens and how I can work to help serve that population at my library.
Tag: tweens
Engaging Teens and Tweens in Fan Programs
Often when I am at the library providing reader’s advisory services, I get asked by young folks, “Can you recommend a book to me?” My immediate follow-up is, “Well, what do you like?” I tell them that it doesn’t have to be a book; it could be a favorite character, movie, or activity. This sparks so many conversations about what youth feel very passionately about. Often, I pocket these conversations not only to help in the moment, but also for later programming ideas.
Working with Teens at the Library
Many library systems around the country rely on the help of volunteers to make our workflows successful. In my system, this includes teen volunteers, and in the summer paid teen employees. If you are new to working with teens, you may feel apprehensive about how to manage their workflow. Whether you work with teens as summer volunteers or school year employees, these tips can help you set them up for success!
Social-Emotion Growth and Resilience Through Manga
Over the past year or so, I have noticed an increased interest in anime and manga at my library. After starting an Anime Club, I knew that #alaac26 would be a great opportunity to expand my own knowledge and come back to my home branch with new ideas for programing nd collections development. I started my hunt today with GNCRT’s President’s Program: Social-Emotional Growth and Resilience Through Manga.
Code Breakers Club!: A STEM Program for Children
STEM activities have become a large part of children’s library programming, from coding to incorporating math into storytime. Admittedly, I struggled with STEM concepts in my own childhood, so I always found it to be an intimidating field and I know I am not the only one. In planning STEM programs, I try to make it as adventurous to the kids and low-prep as possible, which is how Code Breakers Club began. In this post, I will highlight what the program is, how each session works, and some resources for you to start your own program at your library!
Passive Programs Too Good to Pass Up
Whether you are a school librarian getting ready for the end of the year or a public librarian gearing up for summer reading, late spring is a busy time in children’s services. Passive programs are a great way to keep kids and families engaged when you have more things on your to-do list than hours in the day. Reader’s Advisory – Flipped When Chloe Foulk started working at the Edmondson branch of Enoch Pratt Free Libraries in Baltimore, Maryland, she wanted to get to know the kids in the community and to become familiar with the library’s children’s collection. So she came up with a way to do both: Chloe invited kids to recommend books for her to read with her cat, Nate Jr. She then took a photo of her cat with each book and posted the cat’s reviews. As Chloe shared the photos and reviews, more kids got…
Programming on the Fly
This year, I have been trying to boost library programming opportunities. Planning a program can feel daunting, but it doesn’t have to be such a challenge. If the goal is to get readers into the library and engaged with library resources, a program can be short, simple, and still fun! In addition, planning time can be quick and dirty but still deliver a result that gets readers into the library. I’ve chosen to focus on lunch & learn opportunities. I work in a middle school and want to catch kids while they are at school, and not outside school hours. The best time to do this is during lunch, which is 30 minutes for each grade level. Quick engagement sessions can be modified to work for a public library outside of school hours or for a school library at a different level with a different schedule as well. For each…
Art Therapy for Tweens
Starting off the new year can be both exciting and exhausting for children and adults. One way to alleviate the transition of getting back into the routine of returning to school after winter break, is a program we call “Art Therapy!” This program is for children ages 10 and up along with their older sibling and/or adult caregiver. Every month Children’s Librarian, Jennifer Chang leads the Art Therapy program at Cupertino Library. She is always thoughtful when selecting the art project for the month so that it appeals to both tweens and their adult caregiver. Attendees have been able to paint a bird bath dish, bookmarks, coasters, and canvas watercoloring.