Starting from Scratch: Building a Teen Library Program

ISBN-13: 9781598846072

202 pages • 6⅛ x 9¼ 
Year Published: 2011

Libraries Unlimited Professional Guides for Young Adult Librarians Series.

This book offers a practical, comprehensive guide to creating a successful, vibrant, and youth-centered teen services program with limited resources.

More libraries are adding young adult departments in response to the increasing size of the teen population. In addition, more and more students and practitioners are entering the field of YA librarianship as the need to meet the demands of this specific demographic grows. However, YA librarianship offers challenges that often aren't covered in textbooks.

In order to develop a young adult department from the ground up, librarians need to be informed about a myriad of interrelated tasks and responsibilities: creating policies, purchasing materials, program scheduling, outreach, and budgeting. Even for libraries that already have teen-oriented materials within their facilities, keeping them current and fresh is a challenge, especially when budget or physical space is an issue.

Starting from Scratch: Building a Teen Library Program is an instrumental resource for librarians who are either entering an established teen program with no previous experience, or establishing a new teen program in a library. It covers all steps in the process of becoming a successful teen librarian, from getting the job and advocating for a teen department to adding qualified staff and ongoing professional development.