For this class I have had the opportunity to do my group project on visually impaired youth.  While my group and I got to discuss and create a library program for visually impaired teens, I have come across another interesting potential programming idea for this user group.

Storytelling: a visually impaired person’s perspective

In Storytelling: a most accessible art form Kim Kilpatrick discusses how storytelling is an art form that can be equally enjoyed by sighted and visually impaired people.  Through Kilpatrick’s interest in storytelling she has been able to become a storyteller (in a volunteer and paid capacity) and develop a social network.

The benefits of storytelling

“Listening to stories, like reading books or watching films, can serve as an outlet and testing ground for the strong emotions that young adults are experiencing and, in many instances, trying to camouflage” (de Vos, 2000). Additionally, Bishop and Kimball (2006) suggest that storytelling is method that can connect others and help them understand each other.  Also, Caufield (2000) suggests that “storytelling can help foster self-confidence and poise” (as cited by Bishop & Kimball, 2006) because storytelling allows the tellers to develop oral presentation skills.

A program possibility for libraries?

So, it can be seen that there are benefits to storytelling to teens and benefits to becoming a storyteller.  Using the information from Kilpatrick’s (2008) article that storytelling can be enjoyed by visually impaired people a possible storytelling program could be constructed to allow visually impaired teens to participate.  A program could allow teens to select and prepare a storytelling session that could result in coffee house experience.

Resources

If you are looking to find resources on storytelling for teenagers, there is a book called Storytelling for Young Adults by Gail de Vos.  The book includes storytelling suggestions for people in grades 7 to 12.  The suggestions include supernatural, horror tales, contemporary legends, fractured fairy tales, word origins, tall tales, myths and more.

References

Bishop, K. & Kimball, M. A. (2006). engaging students in storytelling. Teacher Librarian, 33(4), 28-31.  Retrieved November, 2008, from Wilson Education Abstracts database.

De Vos, G. (2000). Storytelling for young adults. School Libraries in Canada, 19(4), 8-9.  Retrieved November, 2008, from Research Library database.

Kilpatrick, K. (2008). Storytelling: a most accessible art form.  Canadian Blind Monitor, 27.  Retrieved November, 2008, from http://www.blindcanadians.ca/publications/?id=1255.

According to Chapters, Twilight is bigger than Harry Potter.  On Thursday, Chapters released information that stated that over 600, 000 copies of the Twilight series have been sold in 2008 which is more than all Harry Potter sales in 2007. 

When I read Kiirstin’s first post on Twilight one of the items that I thought about discussing was the Twilight movie.  At the time, I didn’t want to seem like a crazy fan, but that spring someone had recommended the series to me and I read and enjoyed the books.  I then recommended the series to my sister who has since helped me keep track of the news about the movie.  I remember her IMing me when she first found about the latest Harry Potter film delay. I think that the delay of Harry Potter movie only helped the Twilight movie gain popularity and start the comparisons between Harry Potter and Twilight.

Chapters is profiting from the sale of the books as well as the sale of related movie stuff.  There are bracelets, t-shirts, key chains and bookmarks sporting Twilight movie images as well as team Jacob or team Edward stuff.  Chapters went so far to ask fans of the Stephenie Meyer saga on which team they were as they purchased a copy of Breaking Dawn last summer.  Also, at the Chapters parties of the launch of Breaking Dawn, there were many opportunities for fans to decide which team they were on including voting on the Edward or Jacob punch.  There were also activities for the fans to participate including a craft and a dance floor.  Although I did not see anyone on the dance floor, the craft was a big hit and both Chapters locations that I visited had long lines of fans waiting to pick up their novel.

Also, discussions of the hype surrounding Twilight seems to be increasing with the movie opening.  In addition to the movie opening, there have been articles about when the cast visited MuchMusic.  Apparently fans were waiting for days to get tickets to view the show and on the day of the show fans were waiting outside the show.

There is a lot of hype going on with this movie, so much so that as of November 21 at approximately 4:45 there are 230 holds on 20 copies of the book Twilight at London Public Library. There are approximately 74 holds on New Moon and Eclipse, which are the subsequent books in the series.  The final book in the series Breaking Dawn has 114 holds on 14 copies.  Clearly, this phenomenon is big; so how can the public library capitalize on the success of Twilight or even should public libraries be capitalizing on the success of Twilight?

Some libraries have created pathfinders for fans of Stephenie Meyer; London Public Library has a pathfinder that I could find.  But is there more that libraries could be doing? 

But who is really going to see the movie, attending these events and reading the novels?

Clearly, teen girls are going to the movie, attending the events and reading the books, but with the Twilight series selling more than 600, 000 copies it is likely more than just a teen novel.  While I was speaking with my friend, she said that she was a part of a book club of women that read Twilight when Twilight had just been released.  She said that everyone in the club did enjoy the book although some acknowledged that the book was fluff.  At the movie on Friday afternoon, many of the movie goers were teen girls; however, there were a few older people in the audience.  At the Chapters event in the summer, there were mostly teen girls in line for a copy of the book (with their parents milling around the store waiting for them to be done).  And clearly, I have read the books, but it seems like to whomever I mention the books to always ask me if they could borrow the books.  So, it seems to me that Twilight will be able to cross some of the gaps to other readers.  Perhaps this means that we as potential teen librarians need to consider how to serve others who read YA fiction.

For those of you who aren’t in their final, last terms, some information on the special topics course I’m offering next term:

Young Adult Materials: http://readingspaces.typepad.com/youth_readingspaces/

Pro-ana and Pro-mia groups are organized social movements that many would argue promote eating disorders, specifically anorexia (pro-ana) and bulimia (pro-mia). While some of the sub-groups within the larger movement acknowledge anorexia as being a real medical disorder, and attempt to provide a space in which to discuss their illness, and  recovery while supporting those who defer treatment, others encourage their members to see this illness as a ‘lifestyle choice” that should be respected (www.wikipedia.com).

The majority of pro-ana literature is found on the Internet, where members can share dieting and excercising tips, compete with each other at losing weight, purging techniques, participate in collective fasting, and share pictures of their bodies.  ‘Thinsporation’ is often shared on these sites, which includes musical montages, pictures of ultra-thin celebrities, models and members for inspiration to continue during the weight loss process, as well as promote what their concept of ‘beautiful’ looks like. The majority of the audience for these sites are young woman (ages 15-30) who have often already been diagnosed with an eating disorder (J.Head, BBC News).  It is important to note, that many of these young woman are socially excluded and often report that pro-ana sites connect them to their peers.

Recently, the prevalence of these sites (due to social networking technologies) have become of great concern for various health care providers, organizations and concerned parents/educators and various Internet service providers have been asked to get rid of these sites.  This raises some important ideas for those who are interested in issues of censorship, freedom of expression and/or those who work/care for young people.

In 2001 Yahoo (after receiving a complaint from ANAD)-began removing pro-ana sites from its Yahoo Clubs

2007-Microsoft shut down four pro-ana sites on the Spanish language version of its Spaces social networking service

2008-The UK is attempting to pass a motion for government action against pro-ana sites

2008- a bill outlawing pro-Ana material was passed in France, that gives heavy fines for those distribute potentially harmful material, and imprisonment if material results in a death (www.wickepedia.com)

BUT Facebook and Myspace has stated that it will not close pro-ana groups on its service. “A spokesman for MySpace says it can be ”very tricky” to distinguish between support groups for users who are sufferingfrom eating disorders, and groups that might be termed as pro anorexia or bulimia” (J. Head, BBC News)

Consequently, MySpace has suggested that rather than “censor these groups, we are working to create partnerships with organizations that provide resources and advice to people suffering from such problems, and we will target those groups with messages of support” (J. Head BBC News).  These partnerships could include advertisement banners on pro-Ana sites that relate to recovery, and health information.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

I think the idea of censoring pro-Ana sites raises some difficult issues for librarians.  On the one hand, our job is to provide responsible and accurate information to our patrons, and clearly the information found in pro-ana material doesn’t fit this bill.  On the other hand, these sites do provide those suffering with an eating disorder with support (although some more misguided than others), and as a profession we don’t support censorship.  The idea of creating partnerships is also rather interesting. If we choose to support pro-ana sites, than clearly this ‘advertising’ of a completely opposite perspective in the midst of their activities is a rather sneaky way of interfering with our own opinions and agendas.

Any thoughts?

thinspiration4life.blogspot.com/

www.prettythin.com/

pro-ana-angels.wetpaint.com/page/Real+Thinspiration

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNlwKa1FWLA -

For one of my classes, I had the opportunity of creating a seminar presentation about consumer health information and the public library.  While researching for this presentation, my group and I visited numerous public library websites to see what public libraries were doing in regards to health information.  There were several trends that were apparent, but what I found the most intriguing was that many public library teen websites did not have links (or at least I could not find them and if I can’t find them when I am actively pursuing this information, will teens be able to find these links?)  Several questions became apparent to me as I began to reflect on the information found on library websites for teens.

 Do you think that public libraries need to be providing access to health resource links on their teen websites?

 I haven’t yet decided where I stand on this issue – I think that there are many different items that should be considered.  For example, when I was searching for health information on library website teen spaces I was not including the databases that are offered by the library.  Some library websites for teens did have links to their databases; for instance, the Stratford Public Library has links to their online health databases.  Would this be sufficient for teens?

 I don’t know if this would be sufficient for teens.  Are teens using their library card to access this information online?  I know that when I was a teen, I was not using databases to access this sort of information.  But then again, I was a teenager a number of years ago.  However, I don’t know if I would have used this to search for information if I hadn’t grown accustomed to searching databases in this program.  Also, what about the days that you are just too lazy to go find your library card to get the barcode to be able to access the information? 

 Another interesting point about searching for health information on library websites for teens is where the health links on the websites are found.  Understandably all libraries do not place health links in the same location, but are there spots where the links would be more easily found? Personally, I found it easiest to find the health links when they were located under Internet Resources or a similar title.  But when library teen websites had categories like “my life” and “homework help”, it could be difficult to determine where to find the resources I wanted.  However, I could always find the information. 

 Would a teen that was looking for health information look under the homework help for links to Internet materials??

 For me personally, I thought that I would find the health links under the life section that included life Internet links. However, I can see the reasoning behind placing the health links under homework help for teens that need the resources for school work. However if I was looking for health information because I had a particular illness or a question about a specific issue, I wouldn’t necessarily think to look at the homework section.  Perhaps this point is moot if teens are regularly using the teen library website, as they may already know where to find this information.

 I would be interested to hear other opinions on this topic.

I read this interesting article about a recent study by the MacArthur Foundation:

“It may look as though kids are wasting a lot of time hanging out with new media, whether it’s on MySpace or sending instant messages,” said Mizuko Ito, lead researcher on the study, “Living and Learning With New Media.” “But their participation is giving them the technological skills and literacy they need to succeed in the contemporary world. They’re learning how to get along with others, how to manage a public identity, how to create a home page.”

Read more at: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/20/us/20internet.html?_r=1&em&oref=slogin

I have always been interested in the literature of First Nations people, as I find that they address themes not often found in the work of those ‘belonging’ to the dominant hegemony.  I have chosen 3 books that I have found particularly engaging and deal with issues of coming to age, and discovering cultural identity and community which may be of relevance and interest to young adults. All have been written by First Nations people.  I recognize that some of these texts are rather mature in theme and literacy level, so I would probably recommend them for a slightly older teen/young adult for these reasons.

Richard Wagamese  (2006).  Keeper ‘N Me. 

This is a novel about a young Ojibway man (Garnet Raven) who was raised in foster homes, away from his Aboriginal community.  In his mid-teens, he finds himself dealing with street life in Toronto, and winds up in trouble with the law.  Through a series of events, he finds himself back at his place of birth- an Ojibway Indian reserve where he begins to learn about his heritage through his peers and elders, specifically Keeper who is the oldest surviving oral story-teller and gateway to ancient customs. 

While this novel is really about re-connecting with your heritage, which can be rather somber issues, its actually a very funny read, and Garnet is a very relateable character.  The language isn’t difficult, although there are numerous areas that employ a lot of slang (some profanity included).  Furthermore, it is a really useful book for understanding Ojibway culture both past and present.

Louise Erdrich (1986). Tracks

This novels is set in North Dakota over a ten year span, during a time in which Indian tribes were trying to maintain their land, which provides a reader with a more historical understanding of First Nations people in the U.S.  It deals with issues such as love, parenting, mythology and the struggle to survive.  The major characters are female, which really lends itself to a female readership.  Fleur who is one of the main characters, has a wild spirit, and everyone I know who has the read this book has fallen quickly in love with her.  Although this can be a more challenging book (as it weaves in between dreams and reality), it is beautifully written!  Nanapush, an important First Nations construct is also present, which is a really important faucet in First Nations story-telling, and is used here incredibly well. 

Kateri Akiwenzie-Damm [ed] (2003). Without Reservation:  Indigenous Erotica.

I can completely understand why some may take issue with putting this on a reading list for young adults.  But recognizing that people as young as 17 are in post-secondary education(where I first encountered this book), I think it does have a place. 

This compilation looks at the ways in which First Nations communities construct issues of sexuality (quite different than some more ‘mainstream views’), and arguably far more beautiful and respectful.  It includes poems and stories of over 40 different writers who address this topic in really different ways- some more explicit than others. I also think that it is important this this compilation goes beyond heterosexual sex, but includes a lot of different kinds of love and intimacies.  Lastly, its really great for those who just love poetry in general, and are interested in different styles of writing.

I was browsing through StatsCan today, and came across this document called How do Teenagers Spend their Time? (September, 2008).

The article discusses and compares responses from male and female teens concerning their daily habits and routines — such as time spent watching t.v., finishing homework, working outside the home, completing domestic duties, etc.

It’s a concise, three-page document, so take a moment and take a look at the latest trends!

Youth violence frequently makes news headlines but none impacted the Ontario Government as much as the shooting death of 15 year-old Jordan Manners in May of 2007.

Jordan Manners died after being shot at school in Toronto over a year ago and sadly, it took “death” to make the issue of youth violence in Ontario a priority. Since then Premier McGuinty has appointed experts to conduct a Review of the Roots of Youth Violence. Its purpose was to identify and analyze the factors contributing to youth violence, as well as provide recommendations for change.

The multi-faceted report consisted  of three components: research, consultations with youth agencies and organizations and community feedback. The report was made public last week and has since been a hot issue with the media and social activists, as the Ontario government is considering collecting “race-based” data to  help further their research.

As reported by Canwest News, McGuinty claims that this issue needs a “new look.” He admits that the idea of race-based research is controversial but experts working on the project explain that this data allow them to create effective programs, as they will know more about the population that they are dealing with. Of course the experts would “recommend” further research…they are financially influenced by that fat paycheck they get for completing these reports! The government spent $2-million on this report and I have to wonder how much of that went to “the experts.”

The reports recommendations sound great in theory but are lofty and idealistic is reality. The recommendations even suggest that Ontario create a Cabinet Comittee to deal with social inclusion and anti-racism. So, the same government proposing to collect race-based data, is ironically thinking of creating a comittee to deal with racism? Wow! In my mind, emphasizing race only segregates and marginalizes minorities even more that they already are. Critics in the National Post, ask if this collecting this data will really help the issue of violence or will it just give the government someone to blame?

Getting communities, organizations and the government on board to deal with youth violence is a great first step. However, I question whether the pricey Review of the Roots of Violence could have been better spent on intiatives involving more action (as opposed to a lengthy report) that only provides recommendations. I understand that you need to know your target groups in order to provide effective services for them but further isolating minorities will only contribute to the stereotypes-is that really helping in the end?

Sex and the City (SATC) has always been big, but since the movie has been released-it has literally exploded in popularity. There has been talk of a sequel, but in the meantime, Candace Bushnell (the author responsible for putting SATC on the map) is taking on a new project. She is creating two young adult novels based on the main character, Carrie Bradshaw’s teen years entitled the “Carrie Diaries.”

I have to admit, I was a SATC “virgin” until this year. Everyone seemed to talk about it and though I had read the SATC novel; everyone said that I just had to watch the TV series. Six seasons later…..I have gotten to know a bit more about Carrie Bradshaw.

This independent fashionista has as many shoes (and cosmopolitans) as she does sexual encounters. While that makes for interesting TV, I am not sure how the “sex” can be left out of a SATC teen novel. According to the New York Observer,  the novels will not be quite as racy as the TV show content and it is undecided whether Bushnell will be writing about Carrie’s loss of virginity (which, for the record took place in grade 11, on a ping pong table after a joint).

If there won’t be much “sex”-what will the “Carrie Diaries” be about? They will discuss Carrie’s relationships, romances, her struggles as a teenager and her dream to become a journalist…….will this heroine cause a new generation to dream of becoming sex columnists upon obtaining their high school diploma?

This leaves many of us wondering what the teenage Carrie will be like. Will she be portrayed as the 80’s teen she was? And if it so, would young adults be able to relate to a life prior to text messaging, cell phones and Ipods? Will she be a leader or a follower? According to Bushnell, she will be a leader. Is this the making of another Mean Girls or Gossip Girl, where the pretty, fashionable and popular girls are almost always bitches? But let’s face it, that stuff sells and Carrie Bradshaw’s teenage years will too!

Finally, will the “Carrie Diaries” inspire young women to follow their dreams and lead independent lives? Or will it lead to a generation armed with designer handbags and Manolo Blahniks looking for their next cosmopolitan or sexual encounter?

In keeping with my theme of intergenerational programs, I am discovering that when given the opportunity and when done correctly, library programs that partner teens with senior citizens often work with overwhelming and surprising success. Senior citizens have a lot of wisdom to dispense and more often than not they are able to give a human face to issues teens want to discuss.

In one summer program called “Facing History and Ourselves” at Putnam County Library in Cookeville, Tennessee, they try to teach history in a way that creates personal connections with teens. Teens read and then discuss books on a central topic based on historical events but which are still relevant to the teens’ lives today. To foster discussion, guest speakers come in to give a personal touch to the issue. In this particular program, they discussed the Holocaust and related it to issues of  identity, hate, citizenship and activism and had a Holocaust survivor discuss her experience to wrap up the program. Was it a success? Absolutely. The participants didn’t want it to end and the program was extended from 8 weeks to 10.

And the wisdom and talents don’t just flow from senior citizens to teens. It’s a two-way street. A common way to bring youth and seniors together is to have teens teach seniors about new technologies.

The ‘Senior Computer Lab’ in Lewiston, Maine’s public library lets teens instruct seniors in basic computer skills using one-on-one tutorials. The result: teens show their willingness to volunteer their time and expertise and seniors show their trust and belief in teen talent and abilities. http://www.ci.lewiston.me.us/news/2007/07-18-07b.htm

Hello all,

While doing some research I stumbled across an article in the April 2008 v.31 (1) issue of Voice of Youth Advocates about a library in Lancaster, Pennsylvania who created teen space by partnering with a senior citizens group. The Life of the Mind Consortium was created by two seniors (and former library educators) Jane Hannigan and Kay Vandergrift and partners with three higher education institutions to “foster intellectual exchange between retirees and academics and to give back to the  larger community”. The community service aspect of the group focuses on youth facilities in local libraries.

Lancaster Public Library (LPL) was in need of teen space (aren’t they all?). They had a youth advocate, Teen Advisory Board and had chosen a place in the library to create it, but as always money was a factor. Enter the Consortium. They had applied and received a grant of $10,000 from the H.W. Wilson Foundation to use for projects that improve youth library services in the county. With money in hand they toured LPL and immediately saw the need for a teen space.

What resulted was a partnership between teens and seniors with teens giving input about how they wanted the space to look and the volunteer seniors helping out wherever they could. Teens and seniors had a newfound respect for each other and often appreciated the others ideas and talents. For example, the older adults were unprepared for the quality of art created for the space by teens. On one occasion a group of retirees agreed that a portrait created by a teen should be moved from the wall….but to a place of more prominence. The artist was so pleased with this praise that she eventually created more art to be placed in the space.

The opening of The Hub and the positive response of teens and seniors to the entire project show that unlikely partnerships can work. This was the first project of the Consortium and they have already moved onto more library projects. Check them out, including the one at LPL at http://lifeofthemindconsortium.info/TheHub.htm

What do you guys think? I love the idea of looking for unlikely partnerships that benefit both sides in unsuspecting ways and with the overwhelming need for funding, libraries could use all the help they can get.

Okay everyone, pull out your wallet and take a look at the $10 dollar bill. Who exactly is that guy? (and no, I don’t mean Sir John A. MacDonald). Flip it over and look at the man in the corner, the one standing with the two kids. Yes, that guy! Ever wonder who the veteran is that’s depicted on your money?

I never really thought about it until a friend recently sent me an email about the identity of this particular veteran. According to the email, the man is Robert Metcalfe, a WWII veteran who survived the Battle of Dunkirk and served in North Africa and Italy. But is it really him? The Bank of Canada and Royal Canadian Legion assert that the image is a composite of many veterans because the banknote is “intended to represent all Canadian veterans”. Friends and family of Robert Metcalfe insist the image is of him. You can read the full Globe & Mail article and decide for yourself.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081110.wbill1111/BNStory/specialComment

So why did I bring this up? As everyone knows, yesterday was Remembrance Day and it seemed appropriate to talk about this day in relation to youth. Every year I hear and read the same thing in the media about how Remembrance Day is also about passing along those memories to the younger generation. Think about it; how many of us wrote poems, watched films, and participated in Remembrance Day ceremonies in our schools? I certainly did. It’s part of the education of youth in this country to teach this part of history.

Veterans Affairs Canada is one group, along with the Royal Canadian Legion, that works to promote Canadian history and educate youth in schools about Remembrance Day. Their website has a youth corner, kids’ zone and resources and links for educators to promote this topic.

Hey all,

This is the citation I somewhat inarticulately described earlier today, which is accessible via the UWO library website:

Liang, L.A. (2002). On the shelves of the local library: High-interest, easy reading trade books for struggling middle and high school readers. Preventing School Failure 46 (4): 183-188.

Please take a moment to laugh at the name of the journal.

Cheers!

Patrick

CNN-“Yong People who Rock!” CNN’s weekly column about young adults features political activists, entrepreneurs, community contributors and amazing talents (artists) all under the age of 30 who are remarkably successful. These CNN stories featured on http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/living/2008/10/31/ypwr.noah.gray.cnn?iref=videosearch or http://ypwr.blogs.cnn.com/ make a fascinating read. While these stories do not emulate the whole teenage experience nor capture the majority of the teenage picture, they are however a part of the young adult fabric and must be mentioned. Stories of exceptional young adults have been told throughout history—we cannot forget Anne Frank!

On July 1st 1992 Connecticut’s Hartford County Public Library elected its first Teen Board member and during the same year Virginia Beach Public Library also elected its first Teen Board member (Caplan, 2003; Caywood, 2003). On May 16, 2008, the associated press reported on CNN, ABC, MSNBC and other media outlets that a nineteen year old had been elected Mayor of Muskogee, Oklahoma. Check out this story at: http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/05/14/freshman.mayor.ap/ http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=4855333&page=1 http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24671030/

These are all impressive stories however the story that captured my attention was the Teens for Teens project in Croatia’s Rijeka City Library. In a 2005 Young Adult Library Services article, Verena Tibljas, discusses Rijeka City Library’s amazing and extraordinary teen program. Her article states that from the fall of 1998-2001, Rijeka City librarians trained teenagers to become trainers, so they could train other teens and manage their own youth programs, activities and workshops. As Tibljas reveals, this successful project which produces 4000 children and teenagers participating in daily library activities has garnered national and international awards coupled with media attention nationwide.

What struck me in this article was that the training required librarians to introduce programs to teenagers who then had to carry out activities for the most part independently. Teenagers, Tibljas described would later become creators, developers and moderators of their own programs with the Children’s Librarian the coordinator. Croatia’s example reminded me of Elaine Meyers’ 2006 article in Young Adult Library Services titled “The Coolness Factor” where teens declared that given an opportunity they could not only promote existing services but could create fascinating new ones.

Maybe teens need to be more involved in the library as co-supervisors and managers of youth projects as well as being volunteers, participants and working in advisory roles. Library Consultant Kimberly Bolan’s 2006 article “Bridging the Gap” in Young Adult Library Services describes libraries with Junior Friends programs where teens not only promote and produce library events but manage fund-raising activities as well. These articles demonstrate that teens have the capacity and time to respond to service they are invested in. Teens know which collections, programs and services they have an affinity for and what they have no interest in, so why not capitalize on teen knowledge and talent to create, develop and carry out services.

In most libraries not having a Young Adult (YA) librarian is nothing new nor as (Jones,1992; Alessio & Buron, 2006) affirm is having decreasing teen participation in libraries with no YA librarians a myth. The idea that occurred to me and maybe has occurred to others is since most libraries do not have the funds for a YA librarian, why not hire teens at minimum wage to manage teen projects? Maybe this will not work out (I really do think this will work out though), but I think it is worth a try. A pilot program where libraries hire responsible teens to create, develop and execute teen projects for teen clientele could be undertaken on a trial basis. It is imperative that library directors and managers acknowledge teenagers who will be future tax payers, library advocates and most importantly lifelong learners/library users notes (Jones, 1992). Therefore, to increase teen participation in libraries why not emulate an already successful project?

Yes, teens are busy but they do work in the service or retail industry at this stage in their lives. This demonstrates that they do have some time to work, so why not put them to work in the library with more responsibilities than previously entertained? Teens could help raise money to fund their own training so they can participate in “serving the underserved training workshops” (a training program developed by Young Adult Library Services Association). Hopefully with dedication and hard work teenagers in North America can one day follow the example of the Teens for Teens project in Croatia with as impressive a result as Rijeka!

Sources Consulted:

ABC.com website: http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=4855333&page=1

Alessio, A. & Buron, N. (2006). Measuring the impact of Dedicated teen service in the public library. Young Adult Library Services, (4)3, 47-51.

Bolan, K. (2006). Bridging the gap: Proactive approaches for adult working with teens. Young Adult Library Services, (4)4, 32-46.

Caplan, A. (2003). Making a difference. Young Adult Library Services, (1)2, 9-10.

Caywood, C. (2003). Giving back to the community. Young Adult Library Services, (1) 2, 16-17.

CNN website: http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/05/14/freshman.mayor.ap/ or

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/living/2008/10/31/ypwr.noah.gray.cnn?iref=videosearch

Le Conge, M & Fine, J. (2004). Ten years and counting. Young Adult Library Services, (3)1, 6-12.

Meyers, E. (1999). The coolness factor. Young Adult Library Services, (30) 10, 42-45.

MSNBC website: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24671030/

Tibljas, V. (2005). Growing up in a library; teamwork leading to personal autonomy. Young Adult Library Services, (3)2, 22-27.

Posted in Uncategorized      

In August 2001, Chicago launched it’s one book one read program. Sponsored by the Chicago Public Library and launched by Mayor Daley, Chicago, decided to read To Kill A Mocking Bird amidst great media fanfare! Find out more about this program at http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9907E0DA1F31F93BA1575BC0A9679C8B63&scp=2&sq=book+bars+not+libraries&st=nyt.

This citywide reading initiative had responses that surpassed expectations drawing young adults as well as adults in a web of unprecedented and impressive reading. The excitement for books during a massive book reading and discussion is invigorating to everyone but especially young adults on the brink of adulthood who have yet to cross the threshold.

Young adults during these reading marathons, I believe feel included. They are part of the “one voice” that we all become when teamwork or group work is required. The feeling of belonging, fitting in or being thought of us an “insider” is relevant in these instances. I liken it to book spotting— a trend which occurs when I see someone reading a book I love. Suddenly there is something I share with the other person who might be sitting by me on a bus or a train and is a total stranger, but in that instance the person becomes someone I can relate to. A stranger no longer exists because we have something in common! I talk to them we laugh and talk about the book like old friends re-connecting, and we say good-bye with a familiarity which did not exist before.

This is the reason why during seven weeks of one book one read, teenagers do not complain. It is the same reason why 8,000 children and young adults all across Scotland read the same books and choose four books out of the shortlist titles as winners. It is the same reason why 6 counties in the Eastern region of England each having their own favourite book, read and vote on all six favourite regional books to find out which book is “king of the pile.”

These nation wide reading revolutions should be done more often than just during the summer! They are the most innovative way of getting teenagers to read. In Chicago, according to Stephen Kinzer from the New York Times, the One Book One read program developed into a “A Mocking Bird fever.” This is what librarians aspire to inspire in teenagers as well as other patrons a reading fever!

Sources consulted:

BBC website: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/glasgow_and_west/7022297.stm

BBC website:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/northamptonshire/content/articles/2007/03/01/favourite_childrens_book_east_feature.shtml

BBC website:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bradford/content/articles/2006/09/11/rob_wilson_reading_feature.shtml

New York Times website: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9907E0DA1F31F93BA1575BC0A9679C8B63&scp=2&sq=book+bars+not+libraries&st=nyt

NPR’s all things considered website:

http://www.npr.org/programs/atc/features/2001/aug/mockingbird/010807mockingbird.html

The United States Conference of Papers Website:

http://www.usmayors.org/usmayornewspaper/documents/07_15_02/daley2.asp

Posted in Reading and Literacy   Tagged: Library Programs, public library, Reading and Literacy   

I loved this title from the New York Times! It is absolutely true that no matter how advanced technology has evolved in today’s world, one cannot curl up with a good web site, however, one can curl up with the Kindle!

A relatively new invention, the Kindle, thinner than a book and easily transportable was created by Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon.com. A portable wireless reading device which ensures immediate access to more than 190,000 books, magazines, newspapers, a dictionary, and blogs in less than 60 seconds, the Kindle is the delight of book lovers everywhere. Having the capacity to hold 200 downloadable books and the ability to retain a total of 4000 books (with a memory card), the appeal of the Kindle which is in its amazing abilities and instant accessibility has Oprah and a mass following of book lovers sold!

Featured on October 24th, 2008’s Oprah Winfrey show one can learn more about the Kindle at http://www.oprah.com/dated/oprahshow/oprahshow_20081024_fridays , http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/browse/-/133141011 and http://www.engadget.com/tag/kindle.

In 2007, Norman Oder news editor of the Library Journal wrote an article which restated the expression “May we Kindle your interest” a new catch phrase in the notice posted at the affluent and proactive Sparta Public library (SPL) in New Jersey. According to Norman Order’s 2008 Library Journal blog post, another library, the Rancho Mirage Public Library, in California, like SPL recently acquired two kindles and is testing out the loaning, buying and downloading process. Both libraries he notes are not sure how this will work, however, SPL library already has a wait list of 22 people.

Although a new device, the Kindle is fast becoming the “book of the day.” Manhattan City Journal editor Guy Sorman in the article, The Revolution Will Be Digitalized (why I love my Kindle), could not stop waxing lyrical about it! Check out his delightful story about the “Kindle phenomenon” at http://www.city-journal.org/2008/eon0613gs.html. Newsweek’s 2007 and 2008 articles also give acclaim to this new invention at http://www.newsweek.com/id/70983/output/print or http://www.newsweek.com/id/70983

Are books going to become the next age old invention to disappear, I wonder? What about Libraries? One can create a whole library on a Kindle and with teenagers’ affinity for all things “electronic” there is no doubt that they will embrace this new device wholeheartedly.

However, I doubt that books will become extinct that easily (this is my optimistic self speaking) and this is why. A book embodies different things for each reader. Memories are held in worn, dog eared and slightly discoloured pages. Preferences for book formats, cover design, art, and the summary at the back of a book (treasured snippets of a story) are unique to book culture and adds to its cache, experiences the Kindle cannot duplicate. Books cannot be deleted but with a press of a button on a Kindle your e-book can be erased. I guarantee most people will appreciate the nature of a book when accidents delete e-books from their Kindles! Also, loaning a favourite book to a friend will be quite difficult if a Kindle contains all the collections one possesses.

Children’s picture books and young adult books with beautiful cover art and illustrations are part of the constituents of a book as well as its attraction. Will illustrations (artwork) which help to tell a story eliciting understanding, critical thinking, questions and themes while giving meaning, colour and texture to the layers of a yarn have more or less of an effect in a Kindle? I am not sure. Since this is a new device there is no research available to answer my question. In addition, artwork also capturing powerful emotions, reactions, and excitement therefore adding value to a story while stirring the imagination creates an incredible experience for children and young adults. Therefore, I wonder what the degree of experience and involvement children and young adults will have reading from the Kindle as opposed to a book. Whether a book or the Kindle is a better medium for children and young adults is a question which will most probably be answered in the future.

I realize the great capacity of the Kindle to encourage reading at all levels. Also, children and teenagers will have less of a load in their backpacks when all their textbooks are downloaded into one device therefore eliminating the problem of heavy backpacks. However, I envision books being utilized according to the convenience and needs of people in conjunction with the Kindle which will definitely have its place in our 21st century world. As fascinating as a Kindle is, books, I believe will continue to remain a relevant and wonderful experience with the Kindle a delightful addendum.

Sources Consulted:

Amazon.com website: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/browse/-/133141011

Engadget.com website: http://www.engadget.com/tag/kindle.

New York Times Article Title website: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B03E3D8153FF937A1575AC0A96F958260&scp=6&sq=book+bars+not+libraries&st=nyt

Newsweek article: http://www.newsweek.com/id/70983/output/print

Newsweek article: http://www.newsweek.com/id/70983

The Oprah Winfrey Show Website: http://www.oprah.com/slideshow/oprahshow/20081024_tows_kindle

Order, N. (2007). A New Jersey library starts lending kindles. Library Journal. Retrieved October 29, 2008, from http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6512445.html?rssid=191

Order, N. (2008). Another public library tests the kindle sort of. New Jersey library starts lending kindles. Library Journal. Retrieved October 29, 2008, from http://www.libraryjournal.com/blog/1010000101/post/1400031340.html

Sormon, Guy. (2008). The revolution will be digitalized: why I love my kindle. Manhattan City Journal. Retrieved October 29, 2008, from http://www.city-journal.org/2008/eon0613gs.html

Posted in Uncategorized      

A book bar in Manchester, England, a youth café in Somerset, England (both initiatives of the national reading campaign head space program for 11-19 year olds) and the Dewey less library in Gilbert, Arizona, are all unique spaces with interesting service ideals.

Check out articles and materials about exciting library spaces (book bars and cafés), the headspace program, reading initiatives, and the reading agency for young adults!

Library Book Bar: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/manchester/6237402.stm

The Youth Café: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/somerset/6275041.stm

Barcode youth café:

http://www.weston-super-maretowncouncil.gov.uk/infopage.asp?infoid=482

Headspace program:

http://www.n-somerset.gov.uk/Leisure/Libraries/youngpeople/headspace.htm

Reading initiatives for young people:

http://www.literacytrust.org.uk/campaign/youth.html

The Reading Agency:

http://www.readingagency.org.uk/

The Dewey Less Library:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/14/us/14dewey.html?_r=1&scp=13&sq=book+bars+not+libraries&st=nyt&oref=slogin

I don’t have too much to add to this article. The gist of it is that excessive talking about problems can cause anxiety and depression, especially in adolescent girls. This phenomenon is called “co-rumination” and it has intensified significantly with (surprise, surprise) Facebook, text-messaging and instant messaging technologies. I’m not sure what implications this has for us professionally (perhaps none) and I realize that it’s only relevant to the female half the population, but I thought it was interesting and (if this is really what’s going on with a large number of teenage girls) at least a little relevant.

During the third year of my undergrad, my perception professor showed the class a time-lapse video of a plant moving to track the sun. It was something like this video, of tomato plants, though this is much cuter: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ze8NV7cvW8k. And to save you the effort of even clicking the link, I’ll  experiment with that funky embedding business…

(And my font’s changed, for some reason. Oh well.)

At any rate, the idea was to illustrate movement that was too slow to perceive normally. I remember the professor telling us that even if we sat in one place all day and watched the plant, we still wouldn’t be able to tell when it had moved; it was motion that was just too gradual to excite our visual system.

Before we watched the Merchants of Cool the other week, Dr.Rothbauer told us that the youth in the film are probably our peers, as they were in their teens about 8-9 years back. She also asked us if we could recognize our teenaged selves in them, from our current vantage point. Which momentarily distracted me from the more pressing concerns and my typical idle thoughts…

Like most things, personality change occurs along a gradient, ranging from the subtle to the significant. While it seems likely that most people change between their adolescence and their adulthood, is it really possible to perceive the changes that are occurring? For some changes, yes – see the blog posting from September 29^th for some examples. But can attitude and behaviour changes be observed as readily? Or are they akin to the movements of the tomato plants, too slow and gradual to be perceived?

The Merchants of Cool stands alone; there’s no follow-up for the players onscreen, so we have no idea what they have become or how their thinking has changed over the years. This is not the case with the Up Series, however. On the offchance that one of the readers of this blog has not heard of it (or has only encountered it in the Simpson’s parody), the series has tracked a group of English schoolchildren since 1964, interviewing them first when they were 7 years old and re-interviewing them every seven years thereafter. The most recent volume was 49 Up!, in 2005, offering viewers a window into their lives 42 years after their first interviews.

The beauty of the series is that it almost functions like a time-lapse video of the lives of its participants. Changes that pile up gradually over seven years happen all at once, from the audience’s perspective, so it is possible to see how significantly attitudes and perspectives can change. And for those with an interest in youth, 14 Up!, 21 Up!, and 28 Up! might be of particular interest – a chance to see maturation from teen toyoung adult made obvious (at least for some of them).

(And now my pagination’s changed. Better and better!)

If you’re curious about the series, it is available from the London Public Library, ready to occupy your volumes of leisure time. The URL pasted below should lead anyone interested to the catalogue record; if not, try an advanced search for “seven up” and the form limiter of “DVD,” and the correct record should be at the top of the list.

For anyone interested in reading theories about the deplorable state of my gender, there was an article in the Globe and Mail last week that’s worth a look (I’m big on pointing you lot to other sources, aren’t I?). Alas, it was accessible via their website for free up until the morning I posted this, and now is not (fan-FREAKING-tastic). My quick-and-painless link has thus transformed into a citation, whose record you can access via the Factiva database:

Pearce, T. (2008, October 21^st). Binging and hookups and dead-end jobs. The Globe and Mail.

Just plug the title into the free text box, in quotation marks, and it should come up.

At any rate, the article’s an interview with author and sociologist Michael Kimmel, who has just released Guyland: The Perilous World Where Boys Become Men. It’s his belief that men spend the decade between 16 and 26 engaged in binge-drinking, shallow sexual liaisons and general idiocy with their friends. UWO gets a special mention in the interview, too, which made me laugh. The book is available from LPL, if what you’ve read thus far has sparked a feverish interest.

Some random thoughts on issues in and arising from the article:

1) The specimen Kimmel’s describing seems a lot like the mook from the Marketing Cool documentary, no? The mook being the classy sort of guy from Jackass, The Man Show, and so on. Granted, excess in university and young adulthood isn’t exactly anything new, but I wonder if it has been exacerbated over the past decade by becoming more prominent in mainstream culture. In other words, if we’re seeing another instance of Malcolm Gladwell’s “feedback loop” in action – youth seeing a lifestyle and exaggerating it in turn.

2) This interview is something of a companion piece to the article that Dr.Rothbauer posted for us on October 13^th, The Class of 2012: Mr. Google’s Children by Patrick White. To spark your memories, this was the article in which the journalist observed a group of Toronto youth to see if they really were as vapid, shallow and narcissistic as argued in sociology books. The opinion of the author by the end of his piece was that this was an inaccurate impression; in effect, that the so-called “Dumbest Generation” was getting something of a raw deal. Kimmel would appear to be part of the mindset that White was reacting against, so I guess the Globe should get some credit for balanced reporting. I love that you can look at the same population and draw two completely different conclusions, though.

3) At least in the interview, Kimmel seems to be linking the Guyland culture to the fact that young men jump from dead-end job to dead-end job. But this strikes me as nonsense. Casual employment has been one of those cost-saving techniques that employers have embraced over the past decade (Luke, 2008). Jobs may have grown in number recently, but they are temporary or part time jobs (CTV, 2008). It’s not easy for anyone to get stable, full-time jobs with advancement opportunities, regardless of whether they were louts in their youth. Kimmel’s trying to link two phenomena that have no relation to one another, which bothers me.

Your own random thoughts, on any of the above?

Sources

CTV News. (2008, October 10). Record job creation keeps unemployment rate steady. Accessed October 26^th, 2008 from http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20081010/employment_ figures_081010/20081010/?hub=TorontoNewHome

Luke, P. (2008, August 13). Casual workers get tough deal; Low wages, no benefits and unfavourable new gov’t regulations sting. The Province. Accessed October 26^th, 2008 from

http://proquest.umi.com.proxy2.lib.uwo.ca:2048/pqdweb?index=99&did=1534039841&SrchMode=1&sid=1&Fmt=3&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1225038487&clientId=11263

Hello, all!

I just wanted to draw the attention of anyone who is interested in sleep deprivation among students to an article in the Toronto Star, from two weeks back:

Rushowy, K. (2008, October 18^th). High school to let pupils have extra hour of sleep. Toronto Star. Accessed October 20^th, 2008 from http://www.thestar.com/article/519788

It provides a local (if Toronto can be said to be local) example of a school starting later to let its students get more sleep, an idea that was discussed in one of the documentaries that we watched a few weeks back. Apparently this is a pretty enduring idea in education research, with papers appearing every few years to endorse it with new research or studies (See Wahlstrom (1999), available via CPI.Q for an example). For some reason, I’d always thought of this as happening somewhere else, far removed from anywhere I was likely to encounter as a matter of course. In actual fact, it turns out to have been surfacing in Ontario here and there over the past few years (Hain, 2005), so I’m just my usual stunned self, but it’s still odd to see a school trying late start times so close to where I live.

There’s one thing I find a bit strange, though; some of the papers report late start times as having a positive impact on prettymuch everything under the sun, including helping to diminish levels of student depression. But this doesn’t mesh very easily with something one of my undergraduate physiology classes discussed. For reasons that no one understands, sleep-deprivation is actually an effective, short-term therapy for depression and dysthymia, a mild but prolonged melancholy. Self-reports of mood improve as the number of hours without sleep increases; in other words, the more tired you are, the better you feel. It’s not an effective strategy, mind, given that the positive affect is lost once the person finally goes to sleep, but it does result in a significant improvement in mood while awake (Carlson, 2004; Demet et al., 1999). Given this context, I wonder if there’s a benefit to early start times that hasn’t been noticed – specifically, improved mood later on in the evening, when it’s not being looked at by education researchers – and whether this is affected by late-start times.

Random thoughts, I know. But isn’t that the point of a blog? ; )

Sources

Carlson, N.R. (2004). Physiology of behaviour. 8th ed. Boston : Pearson.

Demet, E.M., Chicz-Demet, A., Fallon, J.H., and Sokolski, K.N. (1999). Sleep deprivation therapy in depressive illness and Parkinson’s disease. Progress in Neuro-psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry 23 (5): 753-84.

Hain, B. (2005, Jan 21). Early-start times damaging, student says. Orillia Today: pg. 12. Accessed October 21^st, 2008 from http://proquest.umi.com.ezproxy.torontopubliclibrary.ca/pqdweb? did=782532121&sid=2&Fmt=3&clientId=1525&RQT=309&VName=PQD

Wahlstrom, K.L. (1999). The prickly politics of school starting times. Phi Delta Kappan 80 (5): 344.

Wahlstrom, K.L. (2000). School start time and teen sleep. High School Magazine 7 (9): 40-41.

Wolfson, A.R. and Carskadon, M.A. (2005). A survey of factors influencing high school start times. NASSP Bulletin 89 (642) : 47-66.

Growing up in rural Elgin County, I frequently saw and occasionally interacted with the Amish who live in the area. Their community is a source of fascination for me. They are both a part of and separate from contemporary society. Their hard work and physical activity conflicts with the increasingly slothful lifestyle of their “English” counterparts. Yet, they continue the practice of limiting schooling to the eighth grade believing that “any more education would be harmful to their way of life” (Haddix, 2005). Despite this, and perhaps surprisingly, the Amish can be frequent library users. For example:

The Geauga/Trumbull County Amish settlement is the second largest in Ohio and the 4th largest in the world. We estimate that approximately 50% of the customers we serve at the Middlefield Library are Amish. They are avid readers and read primarily for entertainment. We check out a large amount of inspirational fiction, westerns, and comic books. They also enjoy reading about historical figures and events. The children enjoy classic titles such as Curious George or Old Yeller (Sue Becker, personal communication, February 28, 2008).

Amish teens, then, would make the ideal constituency for the Young Adult librarian if only libraries were more accessible by horse and buggy.

I blogged yesterday about the crisis facing young men who are increasingly delaying adulthood. For all their differences,  the Amish, too, face a time of great personal, emotional and intellectual struggle. Called rumspringa, this is the period in an Amish teen’s life when they are freed from the usual constraints of the community. They are allowed to experience the outside world to decide if they want to remain Amish.

We spoke in class recently about multiple literacies and the Amish would make an interesting case study. Their lives are devoid of most of the technological advances that we take for granted. It is during rumspringa that Amish teens get their first exposure to telephones, television and the internet.

Kellner (n.d.) discusses these issues:

Sometimes “the media” are lumped into one homogeneous category, but it is important to discern that there are many media of communication and forms of cultural pedagogy, ranging from print media such as books, newspapers, and magazines to film, radio, television, popular music, photography, advertising, and many other multimedia cultural forms, including video
games, computer culture, CD-Roms, and the like.

Media literacy thus requires traditional print literacy skills as well as visual literacy, aural literacy, and the ability to analyze narratives, spectacles, and a wide range of cultural forms. Since media are a central part of our cultural experience from childhood to the grave, training in media literacy should begin early in life and continue into adulthood, as new technologies are constantly creating new media and new genres, technical innovations, aesthetic forms, and conventions are constantly emerging.

There is…the danger that youth will become totally immersed in a new world of hightech experience and lose its social connectedness and ability to interpersonally communicate and relate concretely to other people.

The conclusion of the quote is a particularly apt warning about the risks for Amish teens. Communication is extremely important to the Amish and the reason why they shun telephones. They distrust technology which they feel can be deceptive and rely on face-to-face conversation as a means of judging an individual’s motives. Amish teens lack the training Kellner describes and can become overwhelmed as they try to navigate a world that appears foreign although it surrounds them throughout their childhood.

Amish youth could generally be said to posses, at most, one form of literacy and it does not advance beyond an eighth grade level. This may be an explanation for why the Amish population is surging, with “retention rates of 85 percent or higher” (Burke, 2008). This figure suggests that, without any preparation, encountering so much technology at such a crucial time in their development leads them to often return to the safety of the community. This deprives them of potentially far greater opportunities outside the Amish community. Or, as the conclusion of the above video indicates, when they choose to permanently leave it is often accompanied by conflict with the new world they are experiencing.

This is not to imply that the Amish are unhappy. In fact, studies suggest the opposite. “Their depression rates are negligibly low relative to the rest of societys. Their happiness levels are consistently high” (Surowiecki, 2005). But it must be asked if they are truly enjoying a high quality of life.

References:

Burke, D. (2008, October 11). Surging Amish spreading out. The Washington Post. Retrieved October 23, 2008, from:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/10/AR2008101002884.html

Haddix, G.L. (2005). A historical overview of Amish education in Lawrence County, Tennessee. (Doctoral dissertation, Tennessee State University.) Retrieved October 23, 2008, from: http://e-research.tnstate.edu/dissertations/AAI3187591

Kellner, D. (n.d.). Multiple Literacies and Critical Pedagogy in a Multicultural Society.
Retrieved October 23, 2008, from: http://www.gseis.ucla.edu/faculty/kellner/essays/multipleliteraciescriticalpedagogy.pdf

Surowiecki, J. (2005). Technology and happiness. Technology Review. Retrieved October 23, 2008, from:
http://www.technologyreview.com/BioTech/14091/

It is possible to define adulthood using factors such as chronological age, financial and/or domestic independence as well as the nebulous concept of maturity. There was a discussion at the beginning of the course about how to define “young adults.” Is the label best applied to the traditional age range of 13 to 19? Or is it necessary to expand the parameters in order to reflect a social shift?

Statistics Canada reports that there has been a significant increase in the “the proportion of young adults aged 20 to 29 who resided in their parental home” (Human Resources, 2008). It is interesting that they exclude teenagers altogether from this category. The decision to return home can be the result of graduating from university, changing or losing a job, planning marriage or a divorce. All of these life circumstances often include some form of debt. They have been referred to as the “boomerang generation” or going through “adultescence” (Powers, 2007).

Consequently, young adult librarians may find themselves answering as many questions about resources for proper resume formatting and child custody as they do for high school projects on the solar system and the life cycle of trees.

In most cases, the aforementioned scenarios are temporary and individuals will resume their independence once their situation has stabilized. Unfortunately, there is a more worrisome trend that has been a focus of research by sociologists in recent years.

“Boys are in serious trouble. Doing worse in the classroom now than they did ten years ago. Hard to talk to. Unaware of their emotions. And the most violent in the industrialized world” (Thompson, 2008)

This can lead to a life characterized by endless drifting and insecurity. Many young males are abandoning or delaying responsibility as much as possible. They do this in favour of a life of recreation. This has most recently been addressed in State University of New York professor Michael Kimmel’s “Guyland: The Perilous World Where Boys Become Men.”

In it he describes “the wasteland between ages 16 and 26″ (Tucker, 2008) (an echo of the Statistics Canada figure that seems to be the common redefinition of young adulthood) when:

The guy is in no hurry to shed youthful egotism and hedonism and take up the mantle of adulthood. The Guy mentality is rooted in resentment, drenched in booze and dedicated to pervasive, sometimes violent denigration of women and gays. It’s a perpetual carnival of pornography, violent video games, hypermacho music and blustering talk-radio hosts who stoke resentment by constantly reminding Guys of the lost paradise that should have been theirs (ibid).

One of the problems is a lack of suitable role models for boys as they grow up. This problem is recognized in the school system. In a report by Ontario educators, the province was urged to “act immediately to boost the already low and rapidly shrinking number of male teachers” (CBC, 2004).

However, I believe it is equally important to have male representation in public libraries, particularly in youth services departments. These males can be available throughout a youth’s academic career, whereas exposure to a teacher typically lasts only one year. Furthermore, boys are required to go to school. Yet it is often observed that boys are not physically present in the library. There is some exciting and innovative library programming to address this issue. The ALA awarded its 2007 Diversity Award to Break-4-Boys: Male-2-Male Mentoring in which men speak and do activities with tweens and teens (ages 11–18) on a consistent basis. Mentorship is performed free for males by males (Nichols & Wilcox, 2007).

This is is no way intended to deride the contribution of women to librarianship. However, at a time of decreasing literacy, particularly for recreation, the value of male staff in the library as role models for boys cannot be overstated.

References:

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 2004, November 13). Ontario urged to counter drop in male teachers.
Retrieved October 23, 2008, from: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2004/11/12/male_teacher_041112.html

Human Resources and Social Development Canada. (2008). Family Life — Young Adults Living with their Parent(s) .  Retrieved October 23, 2008, from: http://www4.hrsdc.gc.ca/indicator.jsp?lang=eng&indicatorid=77#MOREON_1

Nichols, K.D. and Wilcox, L.J. (2007). Male-2-Male Mentoring Is Working in Chicago Libraries. Information Today, Inc.  Retrieved October 23, 2008, from: http://www.infotoday.com/mls/nov07/Nichols_Wilcox.shtml

Powers, G. (2007). What to do with boomerang kids. Sympatico MSN Finance. Retrieved Retrieved October 23, 2008, http://finance.sympatico.msn.ca/retirement/gordonpowers/article.aspx?cp-documentid=5767869

Thomspons, M. (2006). Raising Cain: Protecting the emotional life of boys. Retrieved October 23, 2008 from:
http://www.michaelthompson-phd.com/media.htm#cain

Tucker, C. (2008, October 5). ‘Guyland’ by Michael Kimmel: No girls or gays allowed. The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved October, 23, 2008, from: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/ent/stories/DN-bk_guyland_1005gd.ART.State.Edition1.269f7db.html

Though My Own Café focuses on teens living in the Southeastern Massachusetts area, I think the website is worth looking at, as librarians from anywhere in the world could easily create similar websites and perhaps enjoy similar success. According to the website:

“My Own Cafe is a place where teens in Southeastern Massachusetts can find out what other teens in their own, and nearby communities, are talking about, reading, listening to, watching, playing, and doing. It’s a place to find information and post information. It’s a place to do research and get help with research.
My Own Cafe was started by the Southeastern Massachusetts Regional Library System with funding from federal grant funds authorized by the Library Services and Technology Act, administered by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners.”

My Own Café offers library services, including 24-hour ask-a-librarian research help. Additionally, the site features an event calendar of upcoming community events for teens, job postings and career help, scholarship information, message boards, and a music page where teens can review new artists and albums, as well as catch up on the latest music news.

The following links are (respectively) the website’s address and a link to a news article from the Boston Globe which covers aspects of the site more in depth, and interviews Kathy Lussier, the Southeastern Massachusetts Regional Library System’s assistant administrator for technology:

http://www.myowncafe.org/

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2005/12/15/libraries_using_web_to_snare_teens/