Advice for New Teen Librarians
What are the things you've learned, or wish you'd known, when you lept into Teen Services?
Get Involved
- See if your area has a professional group for Teen Services through the state library association or the state library. If they don't have one, start one. That's how CYAAL got started.
- Get involved in your library's outreach efforts, to the schools, parents, area businesses. Businesses need business and you need donations for the teen summer reading program, so you need to get to know these folks.
Be Professional
- Show up prepared and organized, and ready to work, contribute, and learn from your co-workers as much as you can. The era of the disorganized, Winnie-the-Pooh sweatshirt-wearing youth librarian is over (thankfully!)
- As much fun as it is to hang out with teens, remember you're there to be a positive mentoring force in their life. You are not there to be their "friend"