What I Learned

Here are the 5 things I took away from the 2008 YA Literature Symposium in Nashville, TN

1. Know your demographics: Don't just know the numbers of who you are serving but know who they are. What do they do in their free time? Who do they hang out with? What TV shows do they watch? Become a fan of them and they will become a fan of you.
2. Be where the teens are: This is not literal. I don't want you to follow them around. I mean if they are already using a certain technology, be there for them to find. Don't try to create something and try to make join. Go to them.
3. Reading is not just books: I love the printed and bound word just as much as the next librarian but that doesn't mean it is the only way to read. Open up your mind to all the different ways that teens absorb information.
4. Give them what they want: Don't imagine that we know what is best for teens to be reading or doing. That is not our job. Instead, give them what they want to read and want to do and be there to help when you can. Teens need a place where they won't be judged and the library can be that place.
5. Listen to the teen voice: If you can't hear what teens want...ask them! Get a group together who you can run ideas by, who can give you ideas. They will be invaluable. And the best part is that when they contribute to the library they get a feeling of ownership which means that they will take care of the library and keep coming back again and again.
   

Mark your calendars for the next symposium, November 5-7, 2010 in Albuquerque, NM.