Collaborating with Teens to Build Better Library Programs (ALA Editions Workshop)

Jennifer Velsquez

Getting to baseline: (homework.)

Of the population served by the library, approximately what percentage is made up by teens (13 to 18)? Look at demographic/ economic information about the community you serve. What picture forms about your typical teen user? In your library database determine how many teens have active library cards. How many students attend the high school closest to your location? Based on the size of the teen population vs. the number of active teen library cards is there potential to increase teen library usage? In the last year how many teens attended library programs? How many teen programs were offered?

You need to know

Does your library keep separate statistics on the number and attendance of teen programs? Does your library have a separate budget for teen programming? If there is a budget what is the funding amount based on? How do you report teen programming activities to: your supervisor, administration, library board?(like statistics, narrative, or both - or other) How are teen programming decisions made in your organization? Are there teen programming guidelines/ policy/ centralization? How do teens find out about teen library programs/ activities?
jv 11/11