Get That Girl a Milkshake!

Over a year long, and my gaming programs are still going strong. They numbers vary from month to month, and our committee is hoping that it will be possible to get separate systems for each branch.

Even barring that, I have good news.

My gaming program got coverage in the local newspaper! My ebbing and flowing numbers may just get the jolt they need! Hurray!

Oh, that bit about me needing a milkshake?

That comes from the fact that I learned about the reporter's visit just a few hours before the start of the program (at least I got notified at all!), and my numbers this month were certainly not as high as I would have liked. So, two, count them, two, whole teenagers showed up for the program. I ran around like a mad chicken, grabbed some young-ish departmental aides to fill the room, made two global announcements, and soon had nine authentic teenagers in the program.

Any newspaper photographer worth his salt can make that look like a full room, right?

The reporter didn't seem too disappointed, and, fortunately, I had told her that my numbers vary and haven't yet topped 20. She had plenty of folks to talk to, including my loyal volunteer who runs the "board" and ensures that people of equal skill and/or age compete against each other in early rounds, and at least one parent.

The departmental aides, young though they looked, were stomped by the authentic teenagers, and a triumphant teen took home the final prize, gloating all the while.

And yes, I did get a milkshake.

Magnet Madness

A colleague asked if I could think of any way our particular teens could get involved in our Poetry in the Park event in May. I mulled over options ranging from the ridiculous (open mic poetry! thousands will come! let's do it!) to the completely simple (poetry display! that's enough, right?) and finally settled on one of my favorite things in all the land: Magnet Poetry.

Now, that program is nearly three months away, and I simply can't wait to do a magnetic poetry program until then. So, I'm planning two more. One today with my book club, and one with my teen moms (I'm running out of ways to make cover letter writing fun, haha).

I happily perused one of my favorite sites, Craftster and found links to a two very helpful resources.

The first is HP's creative site, and I found a list of Shakespearean words for use with magnetic poetry -- perfect for our discussion of Alex Flinn's Beastly.

The second is a list of basic words teachers use with new readers. The list works quite well for constructing simple poetry, and I think it's an option that I'll have available at the larger magnetic poetry event in May.

Armed with my lists, I feel rather excited about this activity.

Other materials needed include:
*Self-adhesive magnetic strips
*Scissors
*Clean tins for storing the magnets (think Altoid tins)
*Poetic teens :)

Info Literacy and You

I am beginning to think that after the need to do YA Services runs its course through me, I may be very interested in moving forward with consulting or supervising or something that involves less direct service and more planning.

I promise you, that is not a complaint.

In the past couple of weeks, I have worked on a couple of projects that have my brain turned on and my interest tuned in -- both in ways that helping a customer use our print software just can't quite accomplish.

My projects have included researching urban literature for teens, building connections between gaming and literacy and, now, researching information literacy standards (I haven't yet found them for the State of California). This newest project will help my public library decide how to bridge partnerships with the local school district in coming months...and years.

I have, however, found some valuable resources that I will need to use in the near future...so, they'll live here!

AASL's Information Literacy Standards for Student Learning

An Educator's Guide to Information Literacy (a book I need to buy)

Building a Partnership Between Public Schools and Public Libraries

Information Literacy Standards at Los Angeles Public Schools (not my school district, but it's a guide post)

WestEd's Evaluation of Workforce Readiness Programs

National Education Technology Standards for Students

California Technology Plan Requirements (as required by No Child Left Behind)

Chavez Bill

They're Back

It's September.

And the teens have returned in their full glory.

This fall, my second as an official, actual, degreed librarian, I have a different plan. I'm not trying to lure them in with promises of great programs, prizes and snacks. Ah, no, instead I'm going out into the community and trying to develop partnerships. So far, I have two successful community partnerships that directly involve me and one that's more passive on my part.

There's the teen mothers' program, a continuing program that I'm totally stoked about, and a new program where I get to do a once-a-month read-aloud and craft with one of the local high school special ed classes. These are both programming at their finest and offer me the relief of a built-in audience.

The passive program is a partnership with Kaplan - they come in every other month to do a practice SAT and PSAT test followed by a results/study seminar a few days later. Those folks are great, and at my most recent program, there were thirty participants! I don't have to do anything but reserve the room. FANtastic!

Since I've got some wiggle room and some space for creativity, I don't mind the less guaranteed programs, the ones that leave me hoping and praying for attendance.

They're back....

and I'm ready.

SRP Wrap-Up

This post contains two main points, one that my first SRP could have been better and could have been worse. If I'd spent more time planning individual programs and less time trying to pack in as much as possible, I think I could have reached more teens. This summer, I cast a wide net and caught rather few fish. In the upcoming year, I'll be concentrating more on the programs that work (book club, Dance Dance Revolution, etc.) and only sparingly introducing new programs. My volunteers will get more of the attention they deserve, and in cooperation with the children's librarian, we'll be be offering service opportunities for teens and services to children. Homework Help! Computer Docents! Reading Buddies! Oh my!

The second of my points is that I think I've reached that point in my life where I want to stop teenagers, give them a shake and tell them a few things. I want to tell that 15 year old girl running around vastly pregnant that her life is about to CHANGE and that she needs to spend a wee bit more time figuring out how to be a mother and a bit less time running amuck and rolling her eyes at librarians. I want to congratulate that 17 year old who has turned his life around and is now concentrating on improving all skills from typing to library research just so he can graduate. I want to stop the seventh graders, force a book in their hands and tell them to get off MySpace.

Of course, I can do none of those things, save quietly encouraging the 17 year old, putting up interesting and enticing book displays for the fifteen year old and the middle schoolers and offering exciting programs that lure kids away from MySpace (a daunting task, I know).

This has been a professionally challenging summer for me. I'm grateful for my supportive supervisor and my patient family and friends who have listened to me whine (because honestly, that's what I did, whine) all summer.

Now, I'm heading into a new season. I'm excited about pursuing more outreach opportunities and dropping fruitless programs.

Harry Potter

It's HARRY POTTER DAY.

This is a Children's/YA/Adult book with which I have absolutely no problem.

Nothing negative to say.

Simply great smiles all the way around.

I must go now...have to frizz my hair for our branch Harry Potter Party (I'm going as Hermione, you see. Dedicated, aren't I?).

What Actually Works

Last night I tried to have a Warcraft III program. The computers freaked out on me, and so, the program was cancelled.

This morning, I told a couple of co-workers and my supervisor that the program was a no-go.

"Oh, no one showed up?" They said, down to a person.

"Well, actually...," and I explained what had happened.

Their initial reaction, though, sparked something within me. They know that it's hard enough to get teens into this library on a Thursday evening, but getting them into play a game that's WAY more fun to play when you pay for it and it's called World of Warcraft? Now, that's a tough sell.

Sure, I'm one of those truly dedicated YA Librarians who has learned how to use My Space (blech), Facebook (yay!) and has even played World of Warcraft (I'm a rogue! yay!), all for the sake of teens who visit my library.

If I were to offer free My Space access for three hours on a Thursday Night, I'd likely have a better turn out...and I wouldn't have to rely on software. Now, there's a thought. Open, supervised My Space.

Wait a minute. That's just a regular day.

p.s. Why is M.T. Anderson so freakin' awesome? Well, because he's a great writer, he's funny, AND because he said that my teens could e-mail him any questions they have about Feed, which we're reading in August (plus, making this face in public? how could he not be awesome?).

DDR Revolution

Yes, I know that's redundant. But there is a revolution in my library, and it's all surrounding Dance Dance Revolution. On the second Tuesday of every month, we have "DDR Tuesdays," and this means that from 4-6 p.m. I host a DDR tournament. During the first half hour, the teens can practice. They organize who gets to practice by "duking it out," as I call it, because I care more about how the tournament flows than who gets in extra practice time before the official tournament begins. They are pretty good at self-regulating. The tournament begins at 4:30, or when everyone has finished practicing, whichever comes first.

I have hosted this tournament three times now, and each time, we have had more and more teens participate. At one point during yesterday's event, I had over 30 people in the meeting room, and for a teen program in my town, that's fairly extraordinary.

What does this have to do with books? Well, I'm not entirely clear on that, and I'm grateful that no one has asked me to defend the program. Mostly, it gets the teens up and active and OFF OF MYSPACE. Yesterday, I saw faces that I had seen in the library before but never at a program. I also am pleased to say that two of my teen volunteers are practically running the program. They are in charge of "the board," the foam board that contains the "brackets" for the tournament as well as the final scores. I dole out the prizes (a mix of freebies from conferences and some various ALA related swag), and I announce the winner, but the teens are gradually learning how to run the program themselves. And that's a good thing! I want them to know what the library offers, but I don't want them to depend on me to make all of the decisions.

So, DDR is revolutionizing what my library can do for teens and how local teens view the library.

It's Spring break here.

I was worried about how many teens would actually show for the tournament this week.

I told this to my volunteers and warned them that they might end up doing something else for their two hour shift.

"It's okay," they said, "We brought people."

Why Program?

There are some weeks when I look at my low levels of attendance at a particular program, or I get just one too many eye rolls from the teenagers abusing their computer privileges, and I wonder, "Why do something for a group that doesn't even want anything done for them?"

If they really don't want me around, then why bother?

And then there are days like today.

I walked into the classroom of teen moms. A few rolled their eyes at my pink sweater and flat shoes. Others just kind of yawned when they saw I was from the library. Two girls who met with me last month, though, hurried over to see what books I'd brought, what advice I had to offer. Soon, the other girls caught on that something interesting was about to happen, and they sat down to listen.

The conversation started out slowly. I gathered some information from the girls who had completed a homework assignment from the last session. The two talked excitedly about the books they've read for fun, the books they read to their babies and books in general. Another girl said reading just wasn't "her thing" and so she didn't read.

Since this particular session focused on collge and careers, I started out asking the girls what they want to do after high school.

That classroom contained one future doctor, at least two future nurses, a merchandise buyer, a pre-school teacher, a police officer and a cosmetologist. These girls have dreams, some more definite and thought out than others, but dreams nonetheless.

As the girls left to go to their next class, they called out their requests for next time: more information on scholarship programs, cosmetology careers and child development. The two teachers called out their thanks, and I walked to my car filled with joy.

This is why we program for teens.