Teen Programming: Best Practices

This post was created by Mark Zimmerman, Milwaukee Public Library, Milwaukee, WI is a member of our Wisconsin Teen Librarian Services Group. He shares some great advice about increasing your teen program attendance.

During my Research Methods course at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee this past spring, I chose the topic of “Boosting Teen Programming Attendance Numbers in Libraries” for my final project.

During the literature review portion of my paper, I compiled a list of best teen programming planning practices that might help boost attendance at your teen programs.

Here are a few tips and tricks from that research:

• Use a mix of social media platforms (Facebook Live and Stories, Instagram, Discord, Zoom, GoToMeeting, YouTube, etc.)
• Find ways to tap into the creativity, personality, and culture of your teen patrons
• Be cognizant of digital divide issues and incorporate equity of computer and internet access when planning
• Host tech programs and scaffold their tech skills by learning or improving new skills or concepts along the way; incorporate tablets, phones, websites, videos, podcasts, and other web-based resources
• Engage with your library community to create funding opportunities and partnerships
• Incorporate teens of all abilities, income levels, sexual orientations, gender identities, ethnic and religious groups, underrepresented groups, etc.
• Try asynchronous, self-directed, or passive programming (coloring books, simple crafts, STEM/STEAM activities, take and make kits, etc.)
• Advertise on social media, school announcements, newsletters, bulletin boards, posters, newspapers, radio stations, television, etc.
• Create food-related programming (food tasting/cooking competition) or offer snacks during programs; when budgets permit, offer more substantial food options
• Try programs that focus on relationships and social-emotional strengths and values
• Build programs around workforce skills
• Connect teens with peer-supported, interest-based, academically-orientated, production-centered opportunities
• Combine age levels for intergenerational programs
• Interview and/or survey teens; ask them what they want, expect, or need from the library
• Advocate for teens so they will advocate for you and your library
• Create Teen Advisory Groups (TAGs) or Teen Advisory Boards (TABs) to assist with programming ideas and planning; add structure/leadership to provide teens with opportunity and responsibility
• Start with what works (opportunities for self-expression, pop culture tie ins, escape rooms, maker programs, gaming, trivia) and go from there; avoid programs that resemble school or provide little to no personal choice
• Meet teens where they are without judgment
• Don’t be afraid to experiment (or fail); you will learn either way
• Face your unfounded fears by building alliances with teens; you’ll be glad you did

Having worked as a high school English teacher for nearly two decades, I’ve learned that teens are often misunderstood, yet can be staunch advocates once you build a rapport with them. By committing the time and effort to establish and cultivate connections and symbiosis with them, barriers between both groups (teens and teen librarians) can be lifted and teen programs with high attendance numbers can become a reality in your library. Try one (or several) of these suggestions for yourself. You might just be surprised by the results!

If you're interested in joining our WI Teen Librarian Services Group, please CLICK HERE for more information.

Connecting with Homeschool Families During the COVID-19 Pandemic

*Pictured: Coffee mugs some of the teens created for my “Create Your Own Coffee Mug” outdoor program (Fall 2020).

Beth Van Curine, Baraboo Public Library, Baraboo, WI is a member of our Wisconsin Teen Librarian Services Group. She shares some great tips to make your teen programming for Homeschool families even more engaging.

 How I’ve Connected with Homeschool Families During the COVID-19 Pandemic

I came into my position as the Teen Services Coordinator at the Baraboo Public Library at a fascinating and transformative time. My start date was March 24, 2020, just a few days after the library closed to the public for several months. As a new teen librarian, and as a new resident of Baraboo, WI, I was completely unsure about how to connect with the teens in my community. I knew the homeschool population makes up a large part of the teens that regularly use the library, and began to think of ways to connect with them. While the ideas listed below helped me build relationships with both homeschooled and non-homeschooled teens, I do believe that without these aspects, it would have been much more challenging to connect with our homeschool population. As the pandemic waged on, and as the library stayed closed completely, or more recently, open by appointment, I tried many different ways to form some kind of relationship with these teens. These are some avenues that worked for me.

Outdoor Programming

During the Fall 2020, right as school was starting, I began outdoor programming. I felt confident that I could safely execute social distancing and enforce mask rules. I planned two months of activities, from September 1 through October 31, realizing that it would be too cold to meet outside after Halloween. I tried to think outside the box for these activities, knowing that teens would be itching for something unusual and fun to do together, while I could make sure we all stayed safe. To maintain safety measures, I spread out blankets outside 6 feet apart and each teen got their own sheet. We also sanitized before and after each program, and each teen had to keep their mask on during the program. The teens were happy to comply so we could be together.

This programming, some of which included trivia hours, a photo scavenger hunt around downtown, and game days, among others, opened a door to some of the homeschool families in town. Many places were still closed, and this programming provided a meeting place and social outlet for the teens, but especially the teens that were homeschooling. I was so grateful for the chance to connect with them in person. As we moved through the winter, we have been playing Among Us on Zoom for an hour every week, and that has been such a fun way to stay connected through the depths of winter when we were unable to meet outside. I am so excited for the summer, when we will once again be doing outdoor programming.

Subscription Bags

In the Winter 2021, I started my subscription bags program. Every book in the bag was to be personally tailored to each teen reader. Since I read a lot of new YA, I was excited to give the teens surprise books that I chose for them. These books were based on their preferences on a Google form that they filled out when they registered for the program. Because I haven’t been able to perform reader’s advisory at

the library while we were closed, this was one way that connected me to the teens, and particularly the homeschool families during this time. I have had several conversations via email with teens and their parents about the kinds of books they were looking for, as well as content that maybe they didn’t want to surprisingly discover in a book. Through these emails, I learned more about our homeschool families than I could have otherwise during the closures, and these conversations have also helped me better understand what kind of content I should be adding to the collection. As a result of these conversations, I have been able to discover new publishers and work with them to get ARCs of books I would never have looked for before. The subscription bags made a huge difference in the way I think about collection development, and have significantly helped how I think about ways I can best serve our homeschool families. Whem I can put new books aside for a teen who I know will love them, the teens and their families appreciate it so much. While subscription bags and boxes are great for grab-and-go programming on their own, the added benefit of learning the reading habits of my homeschool families made all the difference to me.

Social Media

In our community, there are several Facebook groups for our homeschool families. If it’s possible, join those groups. It’s a great way to spread the word about programming you’re working on, and opens doors to communication between you and your local homeschool groups. These groups have been a key way for me to not only perform online outreach, but to introduce myself to local families as their teen librarian.

Connecting to homeschool families has been challenging, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. If you have any questions about my programs or the way I’ve connected to our families, feel free to contact me at beth@baraboopubliclibrary.org.

So You Want To Start A Bitmoji Library Space?

                                         

Our library is back to computer-use and curbside services only, meaning that our teen patrons aren’t able to come in and explore our collection the way that they normally would: Through browsing, cover admiration, and asking for recommendations from their Teen Librarian. On top of that, I’ve heard many of them say that they just don’t use or really know how to find new books by using our library catalog. I get it, and I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s heard this. But how could we help our teens browse through the collection in a way that’s appealing to them? How could we share new and exciting titles with them in a way that was engaging and appealing to them? 

Let's Get Started: 

Well, for starters, let’s take our Teen Spaces to a virtual format that’s visually appealing, interactive, and easy-to-use. One of my co-workers mentioned an article about libraries and classrooms using Bitmoji spaces for their patrons to explore their collections and I loved that idea! But where should I start? And what did I want to include in our virtual space? 

What Do I Need?:

To start, I needed a Bitmoji avatar, a Google Slides presentation, and a picture from my department that our patrons might recognize. I made myself a Bitmoji and started a brand new, untouched Google Slides presentation. Before organizing my page, I had to figure out what would be necessary and helpful to my teens. I knew that this new webpage needed to offer my teen patrons access to our library resources, be easy to follow, and, while we were at it, promote our teen programs and activities.

Promote Your Collection!:

As I mentioned earlier, we’re limited to curbside services, so I needed to find the best way to show off our newly added books in our collection. When I took my background photo for the slide, I intentionally cleared off one shelf so I could use it to display my virtual collection. Then, I found images of each book that I wanted to display and pasted those on top of the bookshelf. After this, I manually linked each book image to their records in our library catalog so patrons can place their holds quickly and easily.

Don't Forget Your Programs: 

After the books were added, I added a few other details that I thought my teens would find useful. I added the image of a blackboard and on it I listed our catalog, and all of our current programs on it. I linked each program to their description pages on our library’s main website to save space on my Teen Room landing page. My Bitmoji also has a link that would take teens to a slide of my personal reading recommendations. And last, but not least, I inserted a video tutorial of how to use this interactive page and what’s all included on it.

Google Slide Formatting & Settings:

Once I finished creating all of my slides, I made sure all, but the main slide, were skipped. This allowed my Google Slides presentation to feel more like a webpage and less like a slideshow. Then, I clicked on the File button in the toolbar, and published my Google Slide presentation to the web. This is very important! It will make it so the link to your presentation opens up like a webpage/link as opposed to taking your patrons to a Google Slide presentation.

Keep It Simple and Engaging!:

Overall, I think it’s important to keep these interactive pages simple and fairly easy to explore, as they are still resource pages for your teen patrons. If there’s too much hidden, it can easily get overlooked or become too overwhelming for a patron. If you have the time, update it at least once a month and change up the books on your shelf so it’s new and engaging to your patrons. And while this method might be working for me, you can definitely customize your interactive page to best fit the teens (or other audiences) in your area best. You know them better than I do! Maybe you want to advertise your movie collection someway, or showcase a new service that your library is providing during these crazy times! That’s completely up to you and them.

P.S. Don't forget to share this resource with your school librarians as well! They might want to share it with their teachers, and they with their students.  

I hope this is helpful and if you ever have any questions, feel free to send them my way! 

Tools & Resources Used in Creating My Virtual Space:

• Google Slides
• Bitmoji (There’s an add-on you can use on your Google browser, but you may need to download the Bitmoji app on your phone/tablet to edit what your Bitmoji character looks like)

Want to see some examples? The virtual spaces featured below are from the Waupaca Area Public Library.

Waupaca Area Public Library - Teen Department

Waupaca Area Public Library - Children's Department

RESCHEDULED: YSS Powerhouse Presents: Where Are They?! Getting Out to Get Teens In

Where Are They?! Getting Out to Get Teens In

Friday, Feb 23, 1:00 - 2:00 pm

 

Are you struggling to get teens in your doors?  Let YSS members Alicia Woodland (Appleton) and Emily Sanders (Williams Bay) share their stories about doing programming where the teens are and turn your struggle into success.  Co-sponsored by IFLS. 

Stop here to register (and find out about a YALSA Teen webinar series) and stop here to find archived webinars to fill your head with YSS-sponsored learning!