Recent Changes

Teen 9: (18-year-old female) I search through the newspaper or listen to wat my friends have to say about what is new and good out.
Teen 10: (15-year-old female) I ask friends what books they are reading. I ask if they think its good. If they say yes i read the back of the book and decide for myself. I also go to like Barnes and Noble or Border's and check out the literature that i like and see if there is anything i can relate to and if there is i write it down and im come home and google it and read about it to see if its a truely good read.
to borrow anything.Aanything. A welcoming atmosphere
Laura's Analysis: Again what this boils down to is word of mouth and trust, oh and bookstores. Now that we know what teens want all we need to do is give it to them. Using texting and Facebook to get info to teens is a great idea. They can be used to alert teens when there is an upcoming event at a library or teens can get alerts when new books are added to the collection. New books can be displayed on a table and accompanied by a short review or two by library staff (if the person has a good relationship with the teens) and other teens. This way we are giving teens the ease and convenience of a bookstore with the friendly recommendation/review they desire. It would be great if the library had a cafe, but for many that just isn't feasible. However, just allowing teens to bring in their own drinks would be a huge step in the right direction. There are at least three coffee shops within walking distance to my town library and they are definitely frequented by local teens. If these teens could bring their drinks with them into the teen area they probably wouldn't hang out in front of the library all brooding and menacing looking. Finally, if we are going to change the atmosphere of the library we really need to get the word out. Nearly every person I talk to about libraries sees them as quiet places for getting books and conducting research. It's not enough for librarians to talk about changing library's we need to get the buy-in from the community, and in this case the teen community especially.

Teen 9: (18-year-old female) for homework help i go to the bigger library in turners falls cause they have the best encylopedias to use there.
Teen 10: (15-year-old female) I usually go to my friends for help to see if they get whatever were doing and to see if they can explain it to me and if they can't or i just don't get it I ask my teacher, and if i really really need help i'll ask my parents.
those libraries need toshould at least go about
Laura's Analysis: I was absolutely shocked that only four of the ten teens (less than half) go to the computer for homework help. The teens would rather go to someone they trust for assistance then to the web, which makes sense and is probably at least partially due to the fact that they are constantly being told by teachers that they can't trust the accuracy of information on the web. If this is true, then why are libraries wasting their time with elaborate online pathfinders and live homework help services? It's clear that the majority of teens don't even think of the library as a place to get homework help let alone the library's website. It seems that teens are meeting their homework help needs just fine without the library, so why is it that we need to assert ourselves as a place for homework help? Instead of focusing on everyday homework help maybe we should focus on the library as a place to get together with friends to study or do homework and the strength of our non-fiction collection to support teens when they have research assignments. Most libraries have a great children's non-fiction collection and a great adult non-fiction collection, but what about the teens? More emphasis needs to be made on acquiring good quality non-fiction teen titles, which are out there, but hard to find, and making the library a comfortable and inviting space for teens to get together and collaborate.

Teen 9: (18-year-old female) for homework help i go to the bigger library in turners falls cause they have the best encylopedias to use there.
Teen 10: (15-year-old female) I usually go to my friends for help to see if they get whatever were doing and to see if they can explain it to me and if they can't or i just don't get it I ask my teacher, and if i really really need help i'll ask my parents.
of these? Perhaps the public library shouldn't bother with homework help at all, but some are going to try anyway. If this is going to be the case then those libraries need to go about it in the right way. For starters, libraries would need to 3). Libraries shouldwould have to be more needs. Libraries would also need
Laura's Analysis: I was absolutely shocked that only four of the ten teens (less than half) go to the computer for homework help. The teens would rather go to someone they trust for assistance then to the web, which makes sense and is probably at least partially due to the fact that they are constantly being told by teachers that they can't trust the accuracy of information on the web. If this is true, then why are libraries wasting their time with elaborate online pathfinders and live homework help services? It's clear that the majority of teens don't even think of the library as a place to get homework help let alone the library's website. It seems that teens are meeting their homework help needs just fine without the library, so why is it that we need to assert ourselves as a place for homework help? Instead of focusing on everyday homework help maybe we should focus on the library as a place to get together with friends to study or do homework and the strength of our non-fiction collection to support teens when they have research assignments. Most libraries have a great children's non-fiction collection and a great adult non-fiction collection, but what about the teens? More emphasis needs to be made on acquiring good quality non-fiction teen titles, which are out there, but hard to find, and making the library a comfortable and inviting space for teens to get together and collaborate.

Teen 10: (15-year-old female) What i do in my spare time is watch tv, go on the computer, or occasionally read if there is a good book im reading. I watch tv A LOT its my whole. Some people would say i watch it too much. I can't really give a specific time. When im on the computer im normally on it for four hours. When i read a book the timing really depends on how good the book is. If its really good I will read it till the end.
Amber' Analysis: Out of the 8 main things listed as spare time activities, reading seems to be the only solitary activity and the only one that is traditionally linked to the library. This gets to the point that libraries as they once were, and may still be, are not going to attract teens. Going to the mall, to the movies, and online are the most popular things these teens do and they are all social. Libraries are quiet places that discourage this social interaction. Even music was listed as a group activity, so sitting in a corner with headphones won't cut it anymore. Almost every teen mentions friends at least once. Obviously hanging out with friends is important and a main activity. I could have guessed at most of these; just being at the mall or the movies on Friday nights is evidence that these spots are teen magnets. Libraries need to evolve into more social institutions if they want to get on the teen radar.
supposed to go.go? If libraries

Teen 10: (15-year-old female) I ask friends what books they are reading. I ask if they think its good. If they say yes i read the back of the book and decide for myself. I also go to like Barnes and Noble or Border's and check out the literature that i like and see if there is anything i can relate to and if there is i write it down and im come home and google it and read about it to see if its a truely good read.
Amber's Analysis: Unsurprisingly, friends play a large role as critics and sources of information. Second to that are family members and bookstores, mixed with several online sources. Friends are trusted sources, and therefore teens naturally consider what their friends say as honest and important. Spreading information and news about events is a very social thing that is facilitated by technology like texting and Facebook. The interesting thing in this section is the use of bookstores as places that the teens get book ideas. The materials are the most recent and popular books/magazines/music available. Bookstores are also almost unanimously more inviting than libraries, so naturallty teens congragate there. Walking through a bookstore past interesting displays with a cappuccino is easier and more fun than walking through dark, crowded bookstacks in a library that doesn't necessarily want you to borrow anything.A welcoming atmosphere and teen-centric advertising will help libraries become information hubs for teens in the area.
Laura's Analysis: Again what this boils down to is word of mouth and trust, oh and bookstores. Now that we know what teens want all we need to do is give it to them. Using texting and Facebook to get info to teens is a great idea. They can be used to alert teens when there is an upcoming event at a library or teens can get alerts when new books are added to the collection. New books can be displayed on a table and accompanied by a short review or two by library staff (if the person has a good relationship with the teens) and other teens. This way we are giving teens the ease and convenience of a bookstore with the friendly recommendation/review they desire. It would be great if the library had a cafe, but for many that just isn't feasible. However, just allowing teens to bring in their own drinks would be a huge step in the right direction. There are at least three coffee shops within walking distance to my town library and they are definitely frequented by local teens. If these teens could bring their drinks with them into the teen area they probably wouldn't hang out in front of the library all brooding and menacing looking. Finally, if we are going to change the atmosphere of the library we really need to get the word out. Nearly every person I talk to about libraries sees them as quiet places for getting books and conducting research. It's not enough for librarians to talk about changing library's we need to get the buy-in from the community, and in this case the teen community especially.

Teen 10: (15-year-old female) I usually go to my friends for help to see if they get whatever were doing and to see if they can explain it to me and if they can't or i just don't get it I ask my teacher, and if i really really need help i'll ask my parents.
Amber's Analysis: Computers, friends, and family are the big homework help resources for these teens and probably many more. The library is mentioned only twice, and one of those is to say the teen would never go there. The family is convenient, the computer is all-knowing, and the friends are in their classes. How can a library even compare to any of these? For starters, libraries need to be more convenient. Two ways of doing that include extending hours or at least staying open some evenings, and teen transportation to the library (this was suggested by a teen in question 3). Libraries should be more knowledgable about specific assignments and topics of study. Ongoing collaboration with teachers will keep librarians informed about teen homework needs. Libraries also need to have the right resources to answer teen's questions. Class pathfinders and reference chat sessions are good services to start with because they are accessable online- where teens get homework help in the first place.
Laura's Analysis: I was absolutely shocked that only four of the ten teens (less than half) go to the computer for homework help. The teens would rather go to someone they trust for assistance then to the web, which makes sense and is probably at least partially due to the fact that they are constantly being told by teachers that they can't trust the accuracy of information on the web. If this is true, then why are libraries wasting their time with elaborate online pathfinders and live homework help services? It's clear that the majority of teens don't even think of the library as a place to get homework help let alone the library's website. It seems that teens are meeting their homework help needs just fine without the library, so why is it that we need to assert ourselves as a place for homework help? Instead of focusing on everyday homework help maybe we should focus on the library as a place to get together with friends to study or do homework and the strength of our non-fiction collection to support teens when they have research assignments. Most libraries have a great children's non-fiction collection and a great adult non-fiction collection, but what about the teens? More emphasis needs to be made on acquiring good quality non-fiction teen titles, which are out there, but hard to find, and making the library a comfortable and inviting space for teens to get together and collaborate.

Teen 10: (15-year-old female) What i do in my spare time is watch tv, go on the computer, or occasionally read if there is a good book im reading. I watch tv A LOT its my whole. Some people would say i watch it too much. I can't really give a specific time. When im on the computer im normally on it for four hours. When i read a book the timing really depends on how good the book is. If its really good I will read it till the end.
Amber' Analysis: Out of the 8 main things listed as spare time activities, reading seems to be the only solitary activity and the only one that is traditionally linked to the library. This gets to the point that libraries as they once were, and may still be, are not going to attract teens. Going to the mall, to the movies, and online are the most popular things these teens do and they are all social. Libraries are quiet places that discourage this social interaction. Even music was listed as a group activity, so sitting in a corner with headphones won't cut it anymore. Almost every teen mentions friends at least once. Obviously hanging out with friends is important and a main activity. I could have guessed at most of these; just being at the mall or the movies on Friday nights is evidence that these spots are teen magnets. Libraries need to evolve into more social institutions if they want to get on the teen radar.
Laura's Interpretation:Analysis: The central

Teen 10: (15-year-old female) What would probably make me want to go to the library is if they had a transportation system. Sometimes people's parents don't get home until late so they have no time to go or they can't go. So if someone really needed to go they could call the library and they could have a bus or have someone go and pick them up. I know my parents sometimes get home late and i need to go to the library maybe just for a book or use the encylopedia for something and i can't go because i have no ride.
Amber's Analysis: A lot of good ideas for teen services come up here, including getting a better selection of books. However, this group of teens cannot represent all teens nationwide. Each group will want different things than the next group and so on. A bmx contest sounds cool, but would anyone in your neighborhood show up? "Better books" means something different to everyone, so exactly what titles are missing from your collection? What qualifies as an exciting program? These are questions that each library will have to specifically ask teens in their areas in order to really cater to teen needs. Another interesting observation is that when teens were asked previously why they do or do not go to the library, none of them mentioned the lack/abundance of good programs which seems to be important in their answers here. It seems that the word library doesn't make teens think of programs even though it is something they want. This emphasizes the importance of advertising to teens. Again, libraries need to consider what teens do in their spare time, come up with activities that incorporate those interests and advertise in the right places.
Laura's Analysis: I agree with Amber that a lot of good ideas came up in the interviews and that it is clear that teens have some great ideas about what they would like to see in the libraries. In true teen fashion though none of the answers were very specific, except for the BMX contest, and this is where the librarians come into play. Teens have a lot of great ideas, but need to be encouraged to share those ideas and to really elaborate on them, without the fear of not being taken seriously or looked down upon. This may be difficult for teens who do not feel comfortable being open and honest with adults, or with teens who do not go to the library. Librarians need to reach out to teens in ways that they are comfortable with. So forming a TAB might sound like a great idea, but just getting five teens to answer questions for me was difficult. Part of this was because I was trying to arrange a time to all get together face-to-face, but all of the girls, and boy, had such different schedules it was impossible. I ended up reaching the teens via email, phone and Facebook. The teens were also very helpful in reaching out to one another for me, which shows that word of mouth can be an extremely powerful tool for librarians. Get a few teens you know well to ask their friends, and then their friends and so on. The most important thing when creating programs for teens is letting them be the driving force as much as possible - it would be really embarrassing to hold a gaming night and have no one show, which I'm sure happens from time to time anyways, but having an open dialog with teens in the community would help to ensure these events are attended.

Teen 10: (15-year-old female) I haven't been to my public library in awhile. So i would say i don't go to it. I don't go i think because i like to buy my books. I like to have my book right there so i don't have to keep going to check it out. I guess laziness plays a role in why I don't go.
Amber's Analysis: There is a good mixture of teens who go to the library and teens who don't. I think the overall feeling toward the librarians is that they're okay. The average feeling toward the collection seems to be a less enthusiastic 'eh'. The last person mentions that laziness is the reason she doesn't go and that she would rather own the book instead of worrying about it needing to be returned. Perhaps this is the way the others feel but would rather blame the poor selection. I wonder if the few who mention the poor selection continue to go after they've been turned off the first time. If not, this is an important group that libraries have to target when marketing new books and programs. Overall it seems like the determining factor for whether these teens do or do not go to the library has to do with what resources the library offers, and it doesn't necessarily matter how friendly (or not) the librarians are. Ideas for teen resources can easily be formulated using the answers from the first question (use of spare time) of this interview. Libraries have to change their image from a place to just get books to something teens need, like a place to play music, use the internet, and hang out with friends.
Laura's Analysis: Though there seems to be a good mix of teens who do or do not go to the library, there doesn't seem to be any teens who go to the library to hang out with friends, play video games or to attend cool programs or events like movie nights, these types of activities aren't even mentioned. All of the teens who go to their libraries go in search of books, because that's what libraries are for right? This mentality though is what is alienating a huge portion of the teen population who don't consider themselves readers - or not traditional book readers at least. What about the teens who read graphic novels, comic books, manga or just magazines? What about the teens that prefer to do all of their reading online, what is going to draw them into the libraries? Perhaps it would be CD or DVD collections or video game collections. The fifteen year old male I interviewed doesn't ever go to the library because he gets books from his sister and doesn't see any other reason to go. I do however know that the last time I was at his house he spent HOURS playing Wii, so maybe if the library had Wii games to play or check-out he would be more inclined to go. One final thing that will be an important factor in drawing teens in and keeping them there is the disposition of the librarians. Though the teens don't seem to care much right now whether or not the librarians are friendly or helpful, they would if they were trying to hang out there with their friends. No teen is going to want to hang out with a cranky, I hate all teenagers, librarian breathing down their necks.

How: Hold a movie/music party. Talk to teens about what is most popular right now then create an event around that and similar topics. For example, pair a movie like Step Up with current hip-hop cd's, then set up a platform to play the movie, Youtube dance videos, and remixes of the movies soundtrack songs. This is a good time to get their opinions about other movies and what they'd like to see in the future.
Why: Teens like music and movies, as was mentioned in their interviews. They also love hanging out with friends. The library can be the place that brings all those things together. Also, the library doesn't have to spend much money on this event because the movies and music are [hopefully] items they already own; if they don't, they should purchase them!
How: Offer a summer reading program that benefits teens and the library. The program will be more of a contest and will take place over 9 weeks in summer. Each teen will be able to submit as many book trailers as they wish about books they have read. Every three weeks in summer, one trailer will be selected as the winner, and that trailer will be displayed on the library homepage. The winner will also get 3 movie tickets to use at a nearby theater. Group submissions will be encouraged.
Why: Libraries benefit from creative advertisement that staff members don't have to do, and teens love the movies. This will cost the library almost $100, but for a three month program, that's not bad, especially considering the great things that come from it. Hopefully, teens will get their friends involved, and the library can be known as the place that hooked them up with free tickets to New Moon. Also, this is mostly virtual (minus having to pick up the movie tickets from the library), which will encourage tech savvy teens to join. The social aspect of this is that teens can hang out and do this together, or just share their winnings with their friends at the end.