2018 School Spending Survey Report
Interview - Adela Peskorz, Teens Know "Best" | SLJ Teen
One evening a month, Adela Peskorz, Faculty Librarian and Associate Professor of Adolescent Literature and Information Studies, Metropolitan State University (MN), becomes den mother to anywhere between 20 to 45 teens, all clamoring to get their hands on new galleys from teen and young adult publishers. The self-titled Teens Know "Best" YA Galley Group is part of YALSA's Young Adult (YA) Galley/Teen's Top Ten Project which uses 15 public libraries and school library media centers from across the country to provide feedback to publishers of young adult books. SLJTeen met up with Adela while visiting Minneapolis for the Public Library Association conference, and talked to her about a typical evening with her readers, the process used for reviewing the books, and the rewards of being part of the Teens Know "Best" group. SLJTeen: Okay, it's the second Tuesday of the month, just about 6:30 pm – what's happening at the Dayton's Bluff branch of the St. Paul Public Library and the Metropolitan State University Library and Learning Center? AD: Things would be buzzing! Waves of teens start arriving at the library, and even though they are supposed to wait until the end of the evening to pick up new galleys, a few always sneak in early to get the first pick. The smell of pizza is in the air (thanks to David Barton, our library dean, and the University's Center for Community-Based Learning!) and as the kids eat, I hold a short business meeting. Then we plunge into the booktalk round robin – this is what Teens Know "Best" is all about. They love to share their opinions, recommendations and criticisms. Even if teens can't make a meeting, they still can get to the galley collection any time the library is open. Our teens are issued special library cards that allow them exclusive access to the books, which our technical services staff catalogs so they're available for checkout (only to our teens—no one else in the library can access these books!). We even have a dedicated locked space for this separate collec tion. SLJTeen: Where do your reviewers come from? Do you have a waiting list? AD: There are kids from all over the Twin Cities, even Wisconsin. We had a big infusion of teens from a story about Teens Know "Best" in the St. Paul Pioneer Press in 2006, and that group still forms the core. Of course, Ginny Toms from the Dayton's Bluff branch, a collaborative partner in this program, is a great source of referrals. Friends tell friends, and a number of our reviewers have even joined the group after hearing about it from parents who are also students at our University. There are a lot of 11-year olds already on the waiting list. SLJTeen: When we first spoke about your group contributing reviews to SLJ Teen, it was shortly after a local publisher (Flux, part of Llewellyn Publishing) came to discuss book cover design with Teens Know "Best". I understand they were quite forthcoming with their opinions. AD: It was, hands down, the liveliest group meeting we've ever had. Andrew Karre, Acquisitions Editor for Flux, brought his Art Department and a presentation built around a "pick the cover" exercise where he offered five possible choices for each title, fielded responses, and then revealed the final design choice. It was a no-holds-barred kind of conversation, with the kids clearly articulating both the specific reasons behind their choices as well as the flaws they saw in the publisher decision. The entire process was wonderfully organic; both the publishing group and the teens walked away energized and excited and awakened to perspectives and considerations they hadn't considered before. This was one of the most empowering dialogues—for all concerned—I have ever had the privilege of witnessing, and I would encourage any publisher to consider this kind of interaction. Publishers truly are rock stars in the teen reading world and that impact becomes powerfully evident when these kinds of events occur. SLJ Teen: When we met your posse at PLA, we couldn't stop smiling. They were so excited to be on the floor, and put some of the professional conference goers to shame in number of galleys nabbed. A few even had a chance to speak directly with children's book publishers. What have you been hearing from them? AD: They were loaded down with mountains of books and even better experiences, having had a chance to speak with every publisher they've reviewed for through the YA Galley Group program. That was a real highlight—hearing directly from publishers who made it very clear how valued their review contributions have been. This extraordinary opportunity, thanks most of all to YALSA and its commitment to teen advocacy and participation, has changed the way they think about reading and their potential in the world. One parent wrote to say this group "is like oxygen" to her son, and another reported that her daughter is rethinking her future college plans. I just wrote my first college application support letter for a Teens Know "Best" veteran. It's an eclectic and exciting mix of people and institutions that truly underscore the power of participation and collaboration, and I certainly feel incredibly privileged to be a part of it all. I especially need to thank my university library staff for their support - not many academic libraries have the opportunity to engage teens from their community, and the staff has not only welcomed it, they embrace it! SLJ Teen: Thanks, Adela. We're looking forward to learning more about the reading tastes of Teens Know "Best"! 
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