An opportunity to increase your impact ARSL, Sept. 2014 The Future of Library Services for & with Teens Beth Yoke, @yalsa_director #act4teens .

An opportunity to increase your impact ARSL, Sept. 2014

The Future of Library Services for & with Teens

Beth Yoke, @yalsa_director

#act4teens

www.stayclassy.org

What We’ll Cover Today

Overview of the “Future of Library Services for & with Teens: a Call to Action” reportImplications for librariesLeveraging opportunitiesDiscussion, Q&A

The Issues Highlighted in the ReportTeens make up a significant portion of library usersLibrary services and resources for teens are in jeopardyThe demographics of teens has changed significantlyTechnology continues to have a large impact on communication, teaching and learningTeens are entering the workforce without critical skills

What Teens Need from Libraries

Bridge the digital and knowledge dividesLeverage teens’ motivation to learnProvide workforce development trainingServe as the connector between teens and other community agencies

The Report’s Impact on LibrariesAudienceCollectionsStaffingSpaceYouth ParticipationOutreachPolicyProfessional DevelopmentProgramming

Denverpost.com

Opportunities Galore for Libraries!

● Make a difference in teens' lives & for the community as a whole

● Get more mileage out of your existing resources

● Engage community members● Attract partners● Increase your visibility & value

www.dreamstime.com

Making a difference

● About 7,000 teens drop out of high school per day

● Approximately 40% of high school graduates lack the literacy skills employers seek

● The hours between 3 – 6 pm are the most dangerous time of day for youth

● 8 in 10 Americans want all children and teens to have some type of organized activity or safe place to go after school

Leverage Existing Resources

● Inventory your library’s assets to identify what exists to support connected learning activities– Staff and volunteers’ own expertise and interests

– Digital resources

– Items in the library collection● How to & DIY materials, career exploration resources,

etc.

– Partner resources and expertise

caustincounseling.com

Engage community members

People are willing to give time to a worthy cause

● Parents● Local business owners● Teachers● Retirees● Volunteers & Friends Groups● Your local VIPs● Others?

www.elmwood.k12.wi.us

Attract Partners

Workforce development, STEM and out-of-school are areas of focus with funders

● Local foundations● Chamber of Commerce● Youth serving groups● Government agencies● Not-for-profits● Schools (K-12, vocational, college)● Others?

www.socialh.com

Increase Visibility & Value

● Attract new audiences to the library● Gain new advocates● Become more visible beyond the library

walls● Create compelling stories that show how

your library makes a difference in the community

● Enhance/expand the perception of what your library does

Implementing connected learning activities can help you:

Ideas, Comments, Questions

Any ah-ha moments?

Any comments or ideas to share?

What would you like to know in more detail?

What ideas did you learn today that you’ll apply in your job or bring back to your institution for further conversation?

Thank you for participating!

q99.info

This presentation is on SlideShare: http://ow.ly/B4eg5

Selected Resources

The Future of Library Services for & with Teens: a Call to Action site, www.ala.org/yaforum–Full report & summary–5 recorded webinarsYALSA wiki http://wikis.ala.org/yalsa

TRW webinar http://ow.ly/B4beO

MAE Collection Development Grant http://ow.ly/B4blO

http://ow.ly/q6xPA

[email protected] or @yalsa_director