Selection, self-censorship, and reading choices
I recently got some new high-interest, low-reading level series in the library (when I shelve them and book talk them, I call them “Quick Reads”, but that’s a subject for another post!). About two...
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Developing your Personal Teen Services Model
This year, my library is working on a new strategic plan. For those unfamiliar with the process, this includes surveying the public and staff, identifying a few key areas for improvement, and...
View ArticleSo You Want to Present at a Conference? 5 Tips for Submitting Proposals
Tip #1: Have Confidence You can do this. I’ve presented at a couple different conferences and applied for a few more and it’s almost always an incredibly simple form. You don’t need to have every word...
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Adventures of a Super(visor) Librarian
When I write about my work as a Youth Services Librarian, it’s usually about a recent teen program I had, or an awesome book display we created. What I do not typically talk about it is something that...
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Adults in the Teen Space
It’s one of those awkward issues we deal with as Teen Librarians: adults hanging out in the Teen section. Depending on how your library is set up, this may or may not be an issue. It was for me. Some...
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Blogging: How to Start and Maintain a Youth Services Blog
So, you want to start a blog related to librarianship? Great! Here are some thing to keep in mind as you get started. Choose your platform. You’ll need to decide what platform you want to use for your...
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Honor System Books for Teens
A few years ago I attended a conference where a high school librarian gave me a great idea. Among the many awesome services she had for her students, the one that really struck me was her bin of honor...
View ArticleDay in the Life of a YA Librarian
Today I’m sharing what a typical day looks like at my library. For context: I’m a YA librarian in a Youth Services department at a large urban library. My library, the central branch, is part of a...
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Starting from Scratch: A Primer on Building a Teen Services Program
You did it! You’ve gotten your master’s degree and you’re starting as a Teen Services Librarian on Monday. The public library hasn’t had a Teen Services Librarian in 6 months, or maybe they never had...
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Teen Services vs. Customer Service
A few months ago my library held a multi-library staff training on customer service. This is one of the areas I have always felt our staff really excelled at, and our library is widely known for being...
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Teen Services vs. Customer Service
A few months ago my library held a multi-library staff training on customer service. This is one of the areas I have always felt our staff really excelled at, and our library is widely known for being...
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Please Don’t Call It a Bibliography – A How-To Guide
Do you feel like some great titles you’ve ordered recently aren’t getting the recognition they deserve? Do other staff always refer teens to you for YA recommendations, even when you aren’t available?...
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Committees: Beyond the Books
If you are a member of your state, round-table, or national organization, you see the emails constantly. JOIN A COMMITTEE! WE’RE LOOKING FOR A FEW AMAZING VOLUNTEERS! And of course you’re tempted...
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Accidental Website Manager (because I sort of know slightly more about...
Librarians – especially teen librarians – tend to wear many hats. You might have been hired with that in mind, as a Teen Services/Reference Librarian, or Children’s and Teen Services Librarian or,...
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Save Yourself From Burnout
As librarians we live to serve the public. We strive to ensure every patron receives quality library services through organized program planning, thoughtful technology instruction, and providing...
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Tween or Teen: Where to Draw the Line
With youth and teen service specialists having to cover more and more duties, we’re often asked to cover programming for younger patrons whose developmental needs are different from those of true...
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Searching for a Library Job
So, you’ve finally obtained your Master of Library Science degree and you’re ready to find a job. Congratulations! Working in a library can be very rewarding, but finding a library job is a challenge...
View ArticleHow to Get the Most Out of Your Student Status
When most of us were in grad school all we could think about was finishing and getting our MLIS and getting into a full time job, but there are so many benefits to being in school that tend to be...
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Library Interview Tips and Tricks
You’ve searched for the perfect job, and now you’ve got an interview scheduled! Congratulations! Here are some things to do in order to make yourself stand out at the interview. Months Before the...
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Starting over in a new Library
Getting your first job as a librarian is exciting! When it’s only part time though, one often is aware there is a chance of leaving that library in order to become full time somewhere else. When you...
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