University of Arizona

School of Information Resources & Library Science

IRLS 688 Section 1

Teen Services in Public Libraries

Elaine Meyers, Adjunct Lecturer

Office hours: one hour before class in meeting room or by appointment

Telephone: 602-262-4607 Fax: 602-953-9101

Emeyers_ulc@msn.com

Course Overview:

The lives of teens, their families and the institutions that contribute to their growth and well being are changing and in many communities experiencing stress. While concern for teens and their educational and social success appear at the top of our country’s opinion polls, resources do not always follow public sentiment. Our awareness of teens is also being transformed by the media, research, and public policy driven by the field of youth development. Daily advances in technology push us to use this mighty force in the most beneficial way for teens who are the most comfortable and social generation at work and play in cyberspace.

The role of the public library in serving teens has experienced peaks and valleys throughout our history. While the public library has the unique community mandate to serve all citizens from birth through old age, we have often overlooked our duty to youth in the second decade of life. Teen services librarians need a broad range of skills to effectively meet the needs of teens and to create developmentally appropriates services, resources and spaces for teens that allow libraries to provide holistic and seamless library service from childhood to the adult years.

This course will enable you to examine the full range of skills needed for working with teens in today’s public library. It will provide theory and practice and give you a framework for thinking about services to teens. Assignments are designed to have students work in teams and often require connections with teens, fellow professionals and community representatives. Students will be challenged to envision the best in library service to teens and to envision themselves as leaders in their libraries and communities in the next critical decades.

Objectives:

Texts:

Walter, Virginia A. and Elaine E. Meyers. 2003. Teens and Libraries: Getting It Right. ISBN 0-8389-0857-8 American Library Association.

Braun, Linda W. 2002. Teens. library: Developing Internet Services for Young Adults. ISBN 0-8389-0824-1 American Library Association.

Edwards, Margaret A. 2002. The Fair Garden and the Swarm of Beasts: The Library and the Young Adult. ISBN 0-8389-3533-8 American Library Association. Centennial Edition. Foreward by Betty Carter.

Chbosky, Stephen. 1999. The Perks of Being a Wallflower. ISBN 0-671-02734-4

Katz, Jon. 1996. The Rights of Kids in the Digital Age. http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/4.07/kids.html

 

Books, Periodicals and Websites:

Students are expected to review a sampling of articles from the following sources:

VOYA, Voice of Youth Advocates is published by Scarecrow Press, Inc.

School Library Journal. Magazine published monthly. Online companion at www.slj.com

Young Adults Library Service Association. http://www.ala.org/yalsa

Forum for Youth Investment. www.forumforyouthinvestment.org

 

Optional texts (will be on reserve in the U of A Library and the Burton Barr Central Library)

American Library Association (1998).Planning for Results: A Public Library Transformation Process. ISBN 0-8389-3488-9 (paper).

Walter, Virginia A. (1995).Output Measures and More: Planning and evaluating public library services for young adults. ISBN 0-8389-3452-8 (paper).

Jones, Patrick. (2002). New Directions for Library Service to Young Adults. ISBN 0-8389-0827-6

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A 3 credit graduate course, meeting weekly on Wednesday from 6:30-9 p.m. at Burton Barr Central Library, 1221 N. Central Avenue, Phoenix

4th Floor Lecture Room

SCHEDULE:
 

Topic

Current Readings and Assignments

Week 1 (8/25)

Overview and Thinking About Teen Services

  

Week 2 (9/1)

Where We Came From

Edwards, Walter Ch 1 , Assignment 1

Week 3 (9/8)

The Legacy of Margaret Edwards

Assignment 1

Week 4 (9/15)

Learning to Think Like MBA’s

Chbosky and Alex winner, Walter Ch 2

Assignment 2

Week 5 (9/22)

Three Pillars

Readings: Review readings to date. Review master packet of legend reports.

Week 6 (9/29)

Youth Development

Walter Ch 3, YALSA and FYI websites

Assignment 3

Week 7(10/06)

Youth Participation

Toolkit, Youth Participation Worksheet

Assignment 3

Week 8 (10/13)

Library Site Visit (no class)

Assignment 4

Week 9 (10/20)

Citizens of the Digital Nation

Walter Ch 4 , Assignment 4

Week 10 (10/27)

Teen Places

Walter Ch 5, Assignment 5

Week 11 (11/03)

Teen Voices

Walter Ch 6, Assignment 5

Week 12 (11/10)

Evaluation

Walter Ch7, , IMLS Outcomes, Assignment 6

Week 13 (11/17)

The Meta-Narrative

Walter Ch 8, 9

Week 14 (11/24)

No class

  

Week 15 (12/1)

Final Presentations

  

Week 16 (12/8)

Final Presentations

  

 

Syllabus

August 27: Overview and How to Think About Teen Services

September 3: Where We Came From

Readings: Walter: Chapter 1

Edwards: Betty Carter’s forward and Chapters 1-8

Assignment 1: Report on YA legends, submit topic by e-mail for approval individually or by committee

September 10: The Legacy of Margaret Edwards

Assignment 1: Complete report

September 17: Learning to Think Like MBA’s

Readings: Perks of Being a Wallflower and One of "Alex" award winners

Assignment 2: Booktalk

September 24: Three Pillars

Readings: Review readings to date. Review master packet of legend reports.

October 1: Youth Development

Readings: Review YALSA and Forum for Youth Investment Websites

Assignment 3: Interview a teen

October 8: Youth Participation

Readings: Walter, Toolkit Youth Participation Worksheet

October 15: Library Site Visit and Report (no formal class meeting)

For next class:

Assignment 5: Report on library visit

 

October 22 : Citizens of the Digital Nation

Readings: Walter: Chapter 4

Braun: Entire Book

Katz, Jon article

Assignment 4: Review of library teen website

October 29: Teen Places

Readings: Walter: Chapter 5

 

November 05: Teen Voices

Readings: Walter: Chapter 6 and Toolkit: Moderated Teen Panel and Teen Voices

 

November 12: Evaluation

Readings: Walter: Chapter 7

IMLS Outcome Document

Assignment 6: Outcome Measurement Design

November 19: The Meta-narrative

Readings: Walter: Chapter 8, 9 and Toolkit: World Café and Teen Bill of Right

November 26: No Class

Week of December 1: Final Project Reports

 

Week of December 8: Final Project Reports

Academic Code of Integrity

Students are expected to abide by the University of Arizona Code of Academic Integrity. "The guiding principle of academic integrity is that a student’s submitted work must be the student’s own. (paragraph one) If you have any questions regarding what is acceptable practice under this Code, please ask your professor.

 

 

Evaluation:

15 % Participation: Participation is defined as quality classroom discussion participation, coming to class prepared with readings and critiques, and quality group work.

60 % Assignments

25 % Final Project

Total 100%

 

Grading Scale:

93+% A

87-92% B

77-86% C

 

Assignment One (10 points)

Report on one of the legends of teen library service listed below. The names marked with an asterisk indicate that a major book/s has been written by the legend. A team of students (up to three) can report as a group on this individual. Extra credit will be given to any student who completes an interview (phone or electronic) with their legend.

Aronson, Marc

Bodart, Joni

Braverman, Miriam *

Broderick, Dorothy

Browman, Jennifer

Campbell, Patty

Carlsen, G. Robert

Cart, Michael

Carter, Betty

Caywood, Carolyn

Chelton, Mary K. *

Donelson, Kenneth L.*

Dresang, Eliza T. *

Jones, Patrick *

Kan, Katharine

MacRae, Cathi Dunn

Munson, Amelia *

Nilsen, Alleen Pace *

Printz, Mike

Scroggins, Margaret

Smith, Dora V.

Taylor, Deborah

Tuccillo, Diane

Tyson, Christie

Villancourt, Renee

Williams, Mable

Wilson-Lingbloom, Evie*

To avoid duplication in reports, instructor must pre-approve all topics. The report should not exceed 500 words per student (committee reports will be 500 words per member) and students must site their resources in an attached bibliography (not included in word count.)

Reports should be formatted using Brooke Sheldon’s leadership qualities as cited by Betty Carter in her forward to Centennial Edition.

  1. The vision of the legend
  2. Means of communicating the vision
  3. Consistency and professional trust in their work
  4. Examples of positive self-regard

 

 

 

Assignment Two: Booktalk (10 points)

Using Edwards’ "Tool Shed" instructions or modeling form from Bodart or Browman create a 3 minute booktalk based on Perks of Being a Wallflower or one of the "Alex" Award winning books.

Assignment Three: Youth Interview (10 points)

Interview a youth using the following questions and submit a written transcript of your interview:

  1. How do you know an adult cares about you?
  2. What are three things teenagers need to succeed at home, school and in the neighborhood?
  3. What is the most difficult thing about being a teenager?
  4. What do you do to make a difference in your community? If you can’t think of an example, what would you like to do make a difference?
  5. How would you like to make a difference in the services of the public or school library?

Assignment Four: Website Review (5 points)

Choose a library teen website and review it for teen appeal, ease of use and scope.

Assignment Five: Site Visit (15 points)

Select a public library that you are not familiar with. Begin the visit with an online search and determine the name of the staff person you hope to interview and capture as much information for your report. Your report must include basic data on the library’s mission, range of teen programs and services, planning and evaluation processes, and it’s role in the community.

A special section on teen place is part of this visit. Using Clark’s vision of place, comment on the physical place, cultural place and evocative place. Also document any teen participation in the design and maintenance of the teen space.

Email instructor your proposed site, name of staff member you will be interviewing, and interview questions. All sites and questions must be approved by the instructor prior to visit.

Assignment Six: Outcome Measurement (10 points)

Create an outcome measurement plan for a teen service that you would like to implement. If possible, complete a baseline for the service. (See instructor provided form for this assignment.)

 

 

Final Project:

Final Project: Design a service for teens. Select a particular clientele or existing need real or imagined within a public library. You will need to develop:

Copy for the entire project will be submitted in written from to the instructor. The class presentation will be a five-minute presentation designed for a city council or library board audience. Students are encouraged to consider this audience and create the most compelling case to build support for your project. Projects will be discussed by class members following presentations. Instructor will assign presentation dates.