This book goes beyond the "what" and "how" of teen services to get to the “why,” ensuring that all practitioners will understand the ways teens want to use public space, discover and create information, and interact with peers and adults.

There are plenty of resources about teen services that focus on YA readers’ advisory and programming ideas. But the basics of day-to-day service to teens in the library setting, a discipline requiring specific skills, is all too often glossed over in professional literature. As a result many LIS grads begin serving teens armed with an incomplete understanding of why their job is both important and unique, and what they need to know from day one. This compromises their effectiveness as both young adult librarians and advocates for teen services. In this down-to-earth book, former Library Journal Mover & Shaker Velásquez explores real-world challenges and obstacles to teen service that often present themselves, offering solutions and guidance for both new YA librarians and those wanting to freshen up their approach. Presenting fresh ways of thinking about the role of the teen services librarian and how it fits into the organizational structure, Velásquez Combines field-tested approaches with current research to tackle common teen library service issues such as truancy, curfews, programming philosophy and mission, privacy, and organizational resistance, whether subtle or overtAddresses each topic from the perspective of working with teens, family members, fellow colleagues, and community stakeholdersPresents realistic strategies to help shift a library’s culture towards one that embraces teens and teen servicesShows how to get the most out of a library’s teen space, discussing factors like location, age restrictions, time of day restrictions, and staffing, plus suggestions for using the shelf-space of the YA collection as a starting pointThis book goes beyond the “what” and “how” of teen services to get to the “why,” ensuring that both new and experienced practitioners will understand the ways teens want to use public space, discover and create information, and interact with peers and adults.

Why media panics about online dangers overlook another urgent concern: creating equitable online opportunities for marginalized youth. It's a familiar narrative in both real life and fiction, from news reports to television storylines: a young person is bullied online, or targeted by an online predator, or exposed to sexually explicit content. The consequences are bleak; the young person is shunned, suicidal, psychologically ruined. In this book, Jacqueline Ryan Vickery argues that there are other urgent concerns about young people's online experiences besides porn, predators, and peers. We need to turn our attention to inequitable opportunities for participation in a digital culture. Technical and material obstacles prevent low-income and other marginalized young people from the positive, community-building, and creative experiences that are possible online. Vickery explains that cautionary tales about online risk have shaped the way we think about technology and youth. She analyzes the discourses of risk in popular culture, journalism, and policy, and finds that harm-driven expectations, based on a privileged perception of risk, enact control over technology. Opportunity-driven expectations, on the other hand, based on evidence and lived experience, produce discourses that acknowledge the practices and agency of young people rather than seeing them as passive victims who need to be protected. Vickery first addresses how the discourses of risk regulate and control technology, then turns to the online practices of youth at a low-income, minority-majority Texas high school. She considers the participation gap and the need for schools to teach digital literacies, privacy, and different online learning ecologies. Finally, she shows that opportunity-driven expectations can guide young people's online experiences in ways that balance protection and agency.

ALA's popular and respected Whole Library Handbook series continues with a volume specifically geared towards those who serve young adults, gathering stellar articles and commentary from some of the country's most innovative and successful teen services librarians.

Working with at-risk teens, including those who are homeless, incarcerated, or in foster care, is a rewarding but often challenging endeavor, especially with a growing number of at-risk teens in both urban and rural areas of the country. Based on best practices and personal experiences from many leaders in the field today, including authors Angela Craig and Chantell L. McDowell, this book shows how libraries and communities can work together to find new ways to serve this population. Packed with accessible and affordable programming ideas, ready-to-use templates, and techniques, this addition to the Teens @ the Library series Demonstrates why serving at-risk teens is important, and offers advice for gaining institutional support for outreach services Shows how to understand the needs of at-risk teens, including a discussion of the factors that place teens at risk Examines diversity within the at-risk population Suggests ways to partner with youth facilities, with real-world examples of working with non-library personnel and caregivers Provides guidance for collection and resource development Gives examples of technology-based programs to promote literacy and connectedness

Need to amp up teen services, but you’re short on time or not sure where to start? Teen Services 101: A Practical Guide for Busy Library Staff provides useful information that will help staff put together a basic teen services program with minimal time and hassle. The author, Megan Fink, along with contributions from Maria Kramer, provides practical tips and instructions on how to build core teen services into the overall library program. Whether you’re a new teen services librarian, or staff in a one person library, this how-to guide on teen services can help you effectively serve teen patrons. Let’s face it, teens are sometimes overlooked by libraries when it comes to services and programs. However, there are over 42 million teens in the US, which makes them a sizeable and important demographic to serve. Many of today’s teens are struggling. More are living in poverty than before and nearly 7,000 teens drop out of high school per day. By setting aside some time to increase your library’s focus on teens, you will be providing a vital service and positioning your library as an indispensable part of the community. The resources and information in this book can help you achieve that.

Looking for some fresh program ideas for your teen patrons? Want to change those bored expressions on teen faces to eager smiles? This guide offers a stimulating selection of program ideas that will appeal to teens between the ages of 12 and 18 throughout the year! Recognizing that there is no such thing as a typical teenager, the programs represent a broad range of interests, from arts and crafts workshops to educational programs to purely recreational activities—from serious to serious fun. Programs for all seasons include Goth Gathering, Intolerance Forum, Night at the Oscars, Library Fear Factor, Find Your Future, and Cyber-Safety. Everything you need to get started is here—from the nitty gritty details like supply lists and approximate costs to practical, step-by-step instructions. Collection connections and ideas for promotion enhance the guide. And there are also suggestions for those times when time is short and money is tight. A wonderful combination of inspiration and practicality, and of start-to-finish guidance for successful teen programming. Grades 6-12.