An interactive Taiko performance–forming new connections brings fresh knowledge to the library.
Rural librarianship can mean a small staff, but it can also mean a tight-knit community full of residents and organizations happy to share their knowledge. Working with other organizations and local experts helps maximize impact and expand services to new audiences without overburdening librarians. How do you find new partners? Leave the library!
Earlier this week, April Witteveen wrote an installment in the YALSA Blog’s Back to School series about making new connections within the school system. She recommends “stepping outside your comfort zone” which also applies to forming community partnerships. If you want to form a partnership to deliver new programming opportunities, step outside the building and strike up a conversation. Take a trip down to the farmers market, visit with business owners, or attend a meeting with a local organization. You might meet a person or group with special experience or knowledge that they are eager to share with local teens. For example, a relationship established with the Montana Taiko Drum Community recently resulted in an interactive performance at the library. It was a new experience for all, but we achieved several mutual objectives including enhancing a sense of community and developing cultural competence.
AM radio made with snap circuits during a program facilitated by a local maker
Hobbyists can also help you develop programming in topics as diverse as your community. The maker movement is an excellent opportunity to call upon local knowledge. This summer my library borrowed a makers kit from the Montana State Library that included a Raspberry Pi and other fun technology that was largely unfamiliar to our staff of six. I reached out to a local makers group on MeetUp and found community members interested in facilitating programs on circuitry, Arduino, and MaKey MaKey. During our latest program, teens used snap circuits to build an AM radio–a result that may not have happened if I had designed the program on my own. Better yet, the maker group gained exposure, and we worked together to promote STEM education.
Forming new partnerships can bring programs and fresh knowledge to the library, but like all relationships, it’s a two way street. As you go out into the community, remember to listen. There are many ways the library can work with other groups to fulfill common goals.The Future of Library Service for and with Teens: A Call to Action report has a section on forming and sustaining partnerships. The report asks librarians to consider “how the mission and goals of the library complement and extend the mission of the other community organizations” (p. 32). By sharing ideas and working toward a common goal, we can bring more to the teens we serve. No single librarian can know or do all things, but we are pretty awesome at connecting the community with resources. Our “portfolio” should include connections with other people, organizations, and mentors.
Belgrade Community Library Teen Zone
In 2005, my community constructed a much needed 5,500 square foot library addition. The floor plan included space for materials, a community room, and storage, but it lacked something very important–an area for teens. Young adults browsed the collection, checked out items, then zipped right out the front door. As we turned our attention to youth programming, we realized the room was not helping our efforts. We wanted to encourage teens to linger, to come to the library because it was a safe, comfortable place. It was time for a Teen Zone.
With very little money and very little floor space, the library created a comfortable area that is frequently used by local middle and high school students to read, socialize, study, play computer games and craft. Here is how we did it:
- Paint - Even with limited space, you can create a defined area using paint. Belgrade teens voted on a color for the Teen Zone, and the shade “legendary blue” (aquamarine) won by a landslide. We complimented the vibrant color with a gray accent wall and black chalk board paint. By letting the teens pick the primary color, the library created a striking, teen-friendly look. If you are worried about ending up with florescent green, I recommend picking three or four shades everyone can live with before opening up the vote.
- Shelf placement – Originally, the teen shelves were placed back to back in one long row parallel to a wall of windows. Simply reorienting the shelves freed up a ton of room, allowed more natural light, and eliminated a hidden nook. Moving shelves is tedious, but you can make sure everything fits by tracing plans with masking tape on the floor before actually shifting.
- Furniture – Comfy chairs can become the most expensive part of the project if you are not careful. We searched the clearance list for durable, mobile furniture, and came up with modern looking wedges that match the feel of our space. The furniture is simple to clean, stack, and move around. Mobility has been the most important feature. Because the space is small, we occasionally host activities like Wii and DIY tech projects in a different space. The wedges come with us.
Shelf labels made with public domain comic books.
- Art – Windows cover an entire wall in our teen area so hanging space is limited. We decided to focus on recrafting our directional signs to add more color and visual interest. Using public domain comic books, I created colorful, visually appealing shelf labels. They are easy to read and are fun to look at. For more temporary displays, we installed a cork board. We also invested in a metal Teen Zone sign to pull the whole area together.
- And an unanticipated feature…floor coverings – Several months after creating the space, we purchased interlocking foam tiles in compatible colors and arranged them in a checker board pattern on the floor. Like many other libraries, we are exploring DIY and maker programs, and with hands-on discovery comes a bit of a mess. The tiles protect the carpet and minimize anxieties regarding spilled paint and sticky substances. They are also durable because they are made to go under exercise equipment.
For more ideas on how to create an effective teen space, take a look at YALSA’s Teen Space Guidelines. You don’t need a large budget to make many of the suggestions a reality.
Do you live in a rural area and have a teen zone? Did you create a teen space on a shoestring budget? Tell us about your space in the comments!
Belgrade Community Library Teen Zone in rural Montana.
Working in a rural library often means a small space, a small budget, and a small staff. Despite all the hurdles to overcome, teen library services are very important in rural communities where other facilities for teens may not exist. In my community, the need for productive teen activities has popped up in both community and library needs assessments. With just over 10,000 people in our service area, the library is one of the few places in the community open to young adults outside of school hours. We have an important role to play in providing a safe and enriching space for teens, but this can seem like a daunting task when your official job description ranges from baby story time to technical services.
I work directly with teens every day, but my job involves a wide range of other tasks. Like many other rural librarians, I sometimes start my work day singing with toddlers and finish it with offering assistance to older adults on the computer, but teens deserve to have services tailored just for them, even in the smallest public library. YALSA’s Public Library Evaluation Tool provides examples of basic to distinguished public library practices as they pertain to teens. One element of this tool that stands out to me is “equitable funding and staffing levels.” Step back for a moment and think about whether or not your institution is providing equitable resources and time toward teen services. Between fixing the printer, collection development, and desk schedules, we must find the time to offer quality services and programs to teens.
So with all the demands on our time, how do rural librarians make it work? You can maximize the potential of your space, time, and budget by carefully evaluating how your work will best serve YOUR teens. While many of the ideas out there on the web from sources like the YALSA Blog or the Teen Librarian’s Toolbox will convert easily to a rural environment, it is important to think about what is a good match for your community, specifically. There is no reason (or time) to devote limited resources on an idea destined to flop. Sometimes it’s hard to guess what will be a hit among local young people, so your best bet is to ask the teens directly. This could be in the form of a TAG or survey. If you don’t have a TAG, bounce some of your ideas off regular library visitors, or if you are trying to reach a new group of young people, put a feeler out to the school librarians or other youth serving organizations to see what is needed by their teens.
Teen volunteer creates a decoration for the summer reading program.
In addition to vetting your ideas, take a look at the community calendar. Recently, the Belgrade High School hosted a Day of Caring event where teens went out into the community to volunteer. While many teens spent time picking up garbage at the park or visiting older adults at the Senior Center, I asked if there were any artistic teens interested in spending the morning volunteering at the library. Several enthusiastic teens came over and decorated the library for the summer reading program. One of the students mentioned that she enjoyed using one of her talents to help the community rather than doing something else with her volunteer time (see the picture at right). What do you have going on in your community? Do you have an annual festival frequented by teens? Can you create a tie in program?
Also spend some time thinking about what goals you are accomplishing by offering particular services. Clearly defining your strategy will help you maximize impact even if you only have time to offer one or two teen programs a month. If you haven’t yet, make sure to read through the 40 Developmental Assets from the Search Institute. Are your programs relevant to teens’ social and emotional development? Maybe you can add an element to an existing program to offer more exposure to creative activities or to foster interest in service to the community. Linking your programs to the building blocks of adolescent development will also help demonstrate the value of the library to administrators and the community.
There are many things to think about in terms of youth services in a small community. You can look forward to more posts from me in the coming months that will explore rural, teen librarianship.
