Essential Elements: The Lessons We Learned

Technology

"Library staff should expect to support YA's use of electronic resources, but ALSO expect to help students integrate these sources of information with those in traditional formats."

From the moment the needs assessment was analyzed, it was clear that technology must have a place in young adult services. When the computers arrived at Garfield Park, word spread around the neighborhood immediately. Use of the library doubled almost as quickly. The network is the first thing mentioned in our user satisfaction surveys, and sign-up for a time is generally the first order of business when a teen enters the branch.

Somehow the presence of these information resources makes it "okay" to also be using reference tools, magazines and books in the same location. To be sure, when students first seek information, they want to try the net and then CD-ROMs. Books seem like "settling" to many, until they see their peers using them, too.

Library staff, then, should expect to support young adult's use of electronic resources, but ALSO expect to help students integrate these sources of information with those in more traditional formats.

Experimentation

"An expectation of the unexpected will be an asset to the library staff who wants to expand YA service."

Because we saw A PLACE OF OUR OWN as an experiment, we were ready to try almost anything. Our operating philosophy since 1994 has been to try to offer what the teens say they need. Slowly our relationship has grown so that young adults, especially our Young Friends and "regulars", have become more willing than ever to help the staff with whatever it needs--be it instructing other kids, helping make the rules work, or even teaching us hopeless over-twenty's how to hook up helper apps for net downloads of video clips.

Because young adult service is noisier, messier, and often more eclectic than typical service to adults, the ability to expect the unexpected, and deal with it, is a valuable asset for any staff hoping to expand its YA service.

Then again, maybe this service actually predicts how library environments for all ages will change as technology is introduced and expanded in public library work.

We didn't have the opportunity to try everything we could have. Food is very important to adolescents, and we would have liked to have experimented with some sort of library café but it would have required a different building. The limits of the building have heretofore limited our programming experiments to internet classes and the electronic newsletter, but we would like host babysitting certification classes, writing groups, and SAT preparation sessions if we can figure out how.

Keep Asking

"Even when things finally seem routine, keep asking."

As important as the needs assessment is, its results aren't valid indefinitely. It is important to build checks and balances into each part of the plan. A new need will surface, or an old one will develop a corollary. YA service will always offer adventure and late-breaking developments.

A PLACE OF OUR OWN counted on its Young Friends and Teen Advisory Council at first. Happily, later on, library users felt free to offer their suggestions, too.