Ellis now works at the Greenwood Public Library in Indiana. Although her role has changed over the years, her enthusiasm for working with teens has not. Now, her office is no longer the teen hangout spot; instead, she has helped the teens at her library create a space of their own. Greenwood converted a former multimedia area into a teen room in 2012. Although the library had the space, they didn’t initially have the funding to remodel it. Ellis explains that this delay “in hindsight, [was] a blessing. While we lived with dirty carpet and unpainted walls for a while, it gave us the opportunity to really see how the space was used and could be used, leading to smarter decisions for our teens.”^[2] Ellis shared her experience designing her library’s teen space with PLOnline and suggests the following tips when starting a similar project.

Courtesy of Emily Ellis

Ask Your Teens

Teens are more likely to feel ownership of a space that they help create, and they should be part of the brainstorming process whenever possible. Teen advisory boards are a great place to start getting some ideas. Ellis advises that librarians to not only talk to teens but to pay attention to how they use the library. Teens are more likely to share “big picture” ideas but might not be thinking about the smaller details that can really make the space more functional. “The more you know and understand the group you are building a space around, the more information you bring to the drawing board.” says Ellis.^[3]

Visit Other Libraries

Take a road trip and visit libraries in your area that have recently remodeled spaces. Online pictures can be great, but nothing beats seeing a space in person. Be sure to schedule your visit in advance and for an after-school time, not only so library staff is available to answer your questions but also so you can observe how it is used by teens. It’s easy to start feeling like the “kid in a candy store” with all the cool new design elements for your own library, but just things that look great don’t always work great. Be sure to ask library staff what they don’t like about their new space. Learn from other libraries’ mistakes, and, hopefully, avoid some of your own.

Seek Out Community Partners

The budget is the most influential factor when planning a redesign, so you may have to reach out to your community for help in stretching it. “The Teen Room renovations were paid in part out of the library’s budget, and in part through grants and sponsorships from amazing community partners,” says Ellis.^[4] Describing a specific need (e.g. a new seating area, 3-D printer) can help attract potential donors because they know how their money will be used.

Get Creative

A total remodel may not be in the forecast, but you can spruce up your space without spending a fortune. Even libraries that are able to remodel usually have to make budget-minded design choices. When they found out that one of their favorite design elements, a Lite-Brite wall, was way out of their price range Greenwood Library changed tactics and opted for a less expensive version using a black peg board and brightly colored golf tees, creating a similar experience for their teen patrons. Even small changes make a big difference. A fresh coat of paint, for example, is easy, inexpensive, and transformative.

Avoid Following Trends

Inspiration from other libraries is great, but you must ultimately choose a design for your community’s needs. While it’s always exciting to see what’s new in library design, keep in mind that the space will be used today and well into the future, and must-have items (especially technology) may be outdated by the end of your remodel. Make your design flexible so you can easily make alterations as your library evolves.

Resources

YALSA’s Teen Space Guidelines

More Thrifty School Library Design Tips

New Teen Spaces From Coast to Coast

Maker Space Guide from Voya

References

[1] “Emily Ellis | Movers & Shakers 2012 — Community Builders,” Library Journal, March 13, 2012.

[2] Emily Ellis, head of Reference and Teen Services at Greenwood Public Library, in an e-mail interview, May 17, 2016.

[3] Ibid.

[4] Ibid.

The post Five Tips for Planning Teen Spaces first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Most public librarians don’t need to be sold on serving teens. However, not everyone understands the importance of connecting with this age group, so a little data to back up suggestions is great for the librarian wanting to develop teen services. When you’re able to show that a quarter of library users are between the ages of 14-24, that can help a discussion about funding. Besides serving all ages, another big reason that library services exist is to be an equalizing force. Many teens are experiencing situations dealing with poverty and homelessness. They are living in a world where prejudice–whether it deals with race, ethnicity, or sexual preference–exists.[2] The library should be a place where teens can come for help, acceptance, and learning.[3]

Not only do libraries need to serve teens, but they need to be doing so in a way that is responsive to how teens interact with the world. These connections are greatly affected by technology and high online engagement. If libraries don’t create a relationship with teens, it decreases the chance that teens will find information that allows them to explore their world and grow.[4]

Several tips are provided to help library staff connect with teens, with the first being to recognize “teens as thinking human beings.” Relating to others can be difficult, and adding an age difference can make it that much harder, but if staff talk with teens about what they care about, they can go a long way to connect. Understanding teens’ use of technology and taking risks with programs and services are also an important part of building a relationship.[5] When staff know what these patrons are interested in, they can help the teens to learn more about what excites them and impart other skills at the same time.[6]

The report recommends several changes from past library practices to possibilities for creating a better environment for teens. Seeing the library as a place for all teens, readers and gamers alike, and having a space and collection that reflect the desires of those patrons are integral. Programs must be created based on the interests of the users with learning opportunities incorporated. Devoted library staff need to be able to focus on creating services for teens, as well as making those connections with them.[7]

Looking at the values expressed in the report for what library staff should uphold while working with teens, you see many of the same things that should be used with all library patrons, which relates back to their point about seeing teens as thinking humans. With adaptability, respect, collaboration, diversity, inclusivity, equality, and intellectual freedom all being listed among the important principles, library staff need to remember that teens deserve the same kinds of services as adults.[8]

No matter what function you perform at a library, you can gain some piece of knowledge about how better to serve teens by reading this report. More and more libraries are actively working to engage their teen patrons through activities, like advisory boards where teens are able to express their interests, and outreach, where librarians offer booktalks on a wide variety of topics to show that all kinds of stories are available. Cliché or not, teens truly are the future of the world, and libraries can help to make a huge difference in making that future brighter for everyone.

References:

[1] American Library Association. YALSA Products and Publications. n.d. (accessed June 18, 2015).

[2] Braun, Linda W., Maureen L. Hartman, Sandra Hughes-Hassell, and Kafi Kumasi. “The Future of Library Services for and with Teens: A Call to Action.” American Library Association. January 8, 2014. (accessed June 18, 2015). Page 1-2.

[3] Ibid. Page 3.

[4] Ibid. Page 5.

[5] Ibid. Page 10.

[6] Ibid. Page 12.

[7] Ibid. Page 15-16.

[8] Ibid. Page 20-21.

The post The Future of Library Services for and with Teens first appeared on Public Libraries Online.