Teen-Centered Library Service : Putting Youth Participation into Practice

Combining information, inspiration, and relevant examples, this guidebook encourages and enables both school and public librarians to advocate for and incorporate active youth involvement that will develop teen self-esteem and positively connect teenagers with books, reading, and libraries, now and into adulthood. Teen-Centered Library Service: Putting Youth Participation into Practice is a practical guide that can help you get teens involved in your library-in everything from book discussions, working with children, and author visits to collection development, community outreach, and even fundraising. Drawing on research and best practices, as well as anecdotes and success stories from around the country, Diane P. Tuccillo makes the case for youth participation and shows you how to achieve it. Carefully organized chapters focus on reasons to make library teen participation a priority, promote understanding of historical perspectives pertaining to library youth participation, and examine successful and exciting ideas that today's school and public libraries can emulate. School and public libraries that are ready to embark on youth participation endeavors for the first time, as well as those that want to improve or enhance programs already in place, will benefit equally from the information shared here. * Focus boxes and quotes highlight viewpoints and information from a variety of experts and diagrams illustrate pertinent points and solidify the chapters * Includes forms, flyers, applications, and other promotional materials that can be readily reproduced or adapted to various library goals and needs * Photos of real teens in action as they perform their youth participation duties serve to inspire readers and provide examples to emulate * A bibliography enhances the informational aspects of the book by offering further reading and references to supplement study and application, while further reading suggestions are also provided under various topics in each chapter