Teen services is often overlooked, but it doesn’t have to be that way

Teen services is the illegitimate child of public libraries– it constantly struggles to get more funds and staff. Those born between 1982 and 2000—the millennials—certainly have the attention of marketing firms and big businesses. The Young Adult Library Services Association is the fastest growing division of the American Library Association. And there’s no doubt that YA librarians take the lead when it comes to blogging and using sites like MySpace with their patrons.

So why are we still struggling to get the support we need? Mainly because there’s no one out there backing us.

Parents seldom complain if the library doesn’t have teen programs. But, trust me, they’ll kick and scream if no storytimes are planned. Sure, many little ones are brought to children’s programs, but teen programming is complicated. We have to connect with teens in our community to develop services that they’ll attend. Teen programming requires time and resources, and not enough public libraries have dedicated teen services librarians. The most common scenario is a youth services librarian who’s juggling the two roles. Or there might be a part-time teen services librarian who’s trying to accomplish reference desk hours along with programming, outreach, and collection development.

Then there’s the issue of collection development money, the bulk of which is devoted to adults and little kids. The funds spent on purchasing teen materials are almost an afterthought. There are more than 5,000 titles published annually for teens, but we only have enough cash to buy a tiny fraction of that amount. If we spent as much on our teen collection as we do on picture books, our circulation figures would skyrocket.

Teen librarians like myself have very limited budgets and spend countless hours reaching out to schools and community service organizations. So often, we fight the fight alone. But it shouldn’t be this way. What will it take to change the philosophy of those in charge and for a shift in public library philosophy and for those in charge of the purse strings to give us what we need?

Here are some ways to help get your voices heard: Solicit teen opinions on comment cards or through blogging. Their voices are powerful and eloquent, so use it to your advantage. Ask teens and their caregivers to write letters to their local newspapers on the subject of library services. The local press is a powerful tool that gets extensive attention—and it’s read by local politicians. Include teen voices in your monthly report. So many of us serving teens have anecdotal stories and comments, but we often share them amongst ourselves. Let your manager know that after your latest school visit, teens came to your library asking for titles that you booktalked and recognized you as the “library lady.” Documenting your impact creates a permanent record. Form a teen advisory board and ask members to regularly prepare statements for your administration. Take pictures of events to provide documentation for funders and administrators. Solicit comments from school staff and community organizations following all programs. This provides additional testimony for the library’s decision makers and aids in evaluating teen programs. Encourage parents to advocate for teen library services. Let’s face it, mom and dad are the greatest cheerleaders!

Finally, ask other library staffers to attend teen sessions at library conferences. It’s a great way to get key decision makers excited about teen services.