LibGuides Home: Children's and YA Services: Teen Services

Professional Resources Available at MLSC

Teen Summit

Teen Summit is a free, day long, virtual event full of presentations, training, and the occasional author focusing on teen services.

ALA Guidelines

Teen Services Workshops

Teen Services, Division of Library Development YouTube page

Teen Services, Division of Library Development Workshops

The Division of Library Development offers a wide range of teen services programs. In addition to expertise offered by CT State Library staff members, partner organizations offer information on various programs, services, and resources to share with the greater CT community.

Teen Service, Niche Academy Workshop Playlist

Teen Services, Niche Academy Workshops

Niche Academy provides an easy-to-use learning platform & professional training to help mission-driven organizations solve big problems together. Through the CT State Library, every library staff member has free access to Niche Academy workshop. Just create a user name and password!

Transforming Teen Services

Transforming Teen Services is a series of trainings designed to help improve library services for teens. There are five basic content areas: The Pursuit of Equity, Ages and Stages of Teen Development, Connected Learning, Computational Thinking, and Youth Voice and Program Facilitation. This series was developed as part of an IMLS grant partnership between YALSA and COSLA. In the fall of 2019, State and local library staff from around the country were trained to implement the Transforming Teen Services trainings in their states.

The Transforming Teen Services workshop is now available on the Connecticut State Library Niche Academy. There is a section for each of the five subject areas, and a workbook to help you keep track of notes and assignments. After completing the entire tutorial, you will have the knowledge and skills (and maybe even a plan!) to provide high quality programs and services for and with teens.

Unlike previous online Transforming Teen Services trainings, there will be no mandatory Zoom sessions for this tutorial. You can work through it at your own pace. Fair warning: it’s long. But, it’s worth it. Here are some ideas on how to take the course:

Do one module each week for five weeks. If you have questions or would like one-on-one coaching, contact Kym Powe Kymberlee.powe@ct.gov
Connect with others from your library system or school district to learn the material together.

Transforming Teen Services Niche Academy

Teen Services Trainings

ConnectedLib
The ConnectedLib Toolkit was created to help librarians incorporate digital media into their work with youth to promote connections across learning contexts. Faculty members from the library and information science (LIS) schools at the University of Washington and University of Maryland teamed with public libraries to create this professional development resource that supports librarians in their efforts to leverage new media technologies and promote youth’s connected learning experiences in libraries.
One Trusted Adult
One Trusted Adult works with both adults and youth, because having a shared language and understanding of healthy relationships and boundaries, is essential. in addition to high quality programs delivered in person, virtually, or, on-demand interactive online modules, we offer the tools (slides, video, activities), strategies and suggestions for you to lead the next One Trusted Adult discussion in your community, and make it your own.
A Teen Walks into the Library Course
In this self-directed course, learners will gain a beginning-level understanding of working with teens in the library setting.

Teen Services Resources

Real-World Examples of How Libraries Are Re-Envisioning Teen Services
The following case studies are real-world examples of how libraries are reenvisioning teen services based on the ideas and recommendations expressed in YALSA’s report.
Reimagining Youth Services During a Crisis
This Field Guide maps the essentials tasks that public library staff must enact pre and during crises. While this Field Guide focuses on supporting non-dominant youth and families, we believe this Field Guide can be adapted to serve the needs of other age groups and can also be used at any time.
Teen Discord Libguide
This libguide use the 210teenlibrary Discord server's experiences to demonstrate how Discord is equipped to provide virtual library services to teens. This information is not a step-by-step guide on creating / managing a Discord server or facilitating virtual library programs for teens - instead, this information serves as a tool to assist teen-serving library staff.
Evaluating Library Programming
A practical guide to collecting and analyzing data to improve or evaluate connected learning programs for youth in libraries.
Partnering With Future Ready With the Library
The Capturing Connected Learning in Libraries (CCLL) project—a research and practice collaboration between the Connected Learning Lab, CU Boulder, SRI International, Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL), YALSA, and YOUmedia—enables libraries to better assess learning outcomes for their connected learning programs and spaces, and it boosts their ability to use evaluation data to improve their programs. It is focused on identifying challenges that connected learning programs face and helpful ways of addressing those challenges.
This project is generously funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
Transforming Library Services for and with Teens (2018)
The report described a paradigm shift in library services for teens which takes a “Teens First” approach where youth engagement, youth voice and youth leadership are embedded throughout teen services.
The Future of Library Services for and with Teens: A Call to Action (2013)
Crisis Averted Shifting to proactive support of teen mental health

Credits

This project is funded by the State of Connecticut and the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered by the Connecticut State Library.

Children's and YA Services