Everyone who works in a public library serves teens, but some people are a little nervous about that. Others enjoy teens but struggle to find ways to serve them effectively. This round-up of resources will hopefully give you some ideas to help staff members that aren’t comfortable with teens and also with finding good ways to serve them!
One of the best ways to provide good customer service to teens is to understand some basics about teen development and what teens are facing right now. Some great places to learn about that:
- Yesterday’s Infopeople webinar with Lauren Hays: Welcoming Generation Z to Our Libraries
- MIT’s website on Raising Teens has some useful information for non-parents as well. Check out this useful resource about the Ten Tasks of Adolescent Development
- ALA’s YALSA has developed a series of short (4-5 minute) videos about teens called YALSA Snack Breaks
Some wonderful webinars and resources about programming for teens in libraries:
- YSS Powerhouse Presents: Getting Out to Get Teens In (February 23) with Emily Sanders and Alicia Woodland. Recording.
- 2019 Wild Wisconsin Winter Web Conference: 60 Teen Programs in 60 Minutes: Recording
- An oldie but a goodie: Wisconsin Library Association’s Youth Services Section created a document 52 Weeks of YA Programming. Still relevant!
- Webjunction has gathered some resources about serving teens
Sometimes once you make a connection with teens, you find they need more support for a variety of reasons. Here are some resources that might be useful in those instances:
- Infopeople webinar: Teen Suicide Prevention: How to Listen, Assess, and Guide Teens in their Time of Need
- Infopeople webinar: Teen Mental Illness 101
- 2020 Wild Wisconsin Winter Web Conference: Small Libraries and the LGBT+ Experience: Recording