YA Services Minutes - August 19, 2020

Looking for people to create programming, lead programming; create content 

Live videos; make & take; resource sheets  

Landing page on the Metro website  

Calendar on landing page 

Have ideas – send to [email protected]  
 

Kara Riddle (CT) 

Collaboration and Beyond – Teen-Led Library Programming 

Expanding volunteer opportunities (older teens) 

Presenters travel with teen volunteers – clean parks, murals (might not be possible due to liability) 

Fostering Five Cs – empower teens to create their own programs; let teens learn own their own by giving budget and use their creating; open that dialogue as they’ll come to the realization that not all programming is feasible 

40 Developmental Assets  – relationships and qualities that young people need to thrive; support (family), library can help with this with intergenerational programming  

Do not be reliant on the same teens always being there; have a note taker and pick up where you left off 

Concrete ideas – leave signs on tables, adding cultural snack to existing programs 

Kassy Nicholson (NW) 

Transgender Literacy: Serving and Engaging Transgender Teens  

Gender identity – visual representation diagram for understanding (genderbread.org – on the handout) – teen struggling on how to talk to parents about gender identity (use the diagram)  

Information for serving transgender teens in the library – support, hobbies, communication style, name, pronouns (helpful to assist any teens in the library)  

Never need to know – surgery status; sexual orientation; relationship status; acknowledge any mistake and appreciate the correction; do not apologize repeatedly; do not dwell on any mistake  

Transgender ally – safety pin, I will go with you, pronouns in email signatures, “Ask me about gender neutral bathrooms”  

Zero tolerance for hurtful language; think how you use your language (necessary to use gendered language? – think about alternatives) 

Ryn Lewis (ED) 

Staff Vs. Teens – Ensuring the Odds are Ever in Your Favor 

Sometimes all staff are not enthusiastic about helping teens; can cause problems  

How to smooth this over – responsibility to work well with ALL customers; must bridge gap  

Change “us versus them” mentality 

Need to understand why teens are the way they are (brain development)  

Teens are focused on peer inclusion and validation  

Teen mental health issues (30%) – probably higher; may not react as expected 

Set expectations for staff – learning the teen regulars; recognize teen needs, redirect behavior, relationships are key 

Help them have ownership; have a community to take care of  

How to approach – sit down and you tell me what happened; how perceived by others, put together = understanding; no yelling 

Respect, relate, redirect – staff needs to be held accountable for their bias – give teens the same courtesy  

If the behavior is not damaging, disruptive, or dangerous – let it go, especially if you would not say anything to an adult/child 

Emily Williams (EPS) 

Teens, Zines and the Library – Empowering Youth through Self-Expression 

Zine Club – help teens express themselves, cheap and low-key program  

Zine exchange program across the country  

Zine kit in EPS (virtual program idea – QuaranTEEN Zine) 

Shelbie Marks (DC) 

LARP at Your Library: Teaching Life Skills Through Play 

Improv – Yes and…  

Social and emotional learning in a LARP event – out of comfort zone 

Gives confidence to make decisions; work as a team; meet others  

Community partnership built – police; youth organizations in area; boys to men (volunteers) 

Storytelling skills  

Outcome – collaboration of teens and adults; meaningful experiences  

Natasha Parker (AL) 

Read Eat Grow 

Functional literacy 

Combat food insecurities in the library; many parts of our population live in a food desert (35% of the population in Oklahoma County as of 2017) 

Food programming – How it benefits the community  

Health concerns  

Identity  

Improves test scores  

Take home skills  

Cookbooks  

Increased interest in sustainability  

Allows for more partnerships or program presenters  

Potential partners – food bank, cookingmaters.org; 4H, farmers markets, Serve Safe (help staff get comfortable)  

Program ideas - Cookbook poetry; History of Food, how to be a chef, Kitchen in a box, Charlie Cart 
 

Time to register for 2020 YALSA (virtual) – get approval from supervisor and manager 

Can register to attend to watch later as it will be recorded  

Talk with staff that have previously attended – great conference  

Networking, programming, authors  

Teen take home kits were successful 

Activity guides were great 

Loved the one prize level and that kids/adults choose same prizes  

Feedback on book selection – more classics, books for adults 

ED feedback – pleased with prize pickup; consider for next year?  

Like August prize window to allow for kids that wait until the end of July to pick up 

Lots of people picking up the first 3 days of August; might be too much for staff 

More interactive reading logs  

Everyone did great job of adapting 

Market central programming online 

SRP wasn’t on people’s radars, especially at locations; no comments from customers; no chaos of normal summer  

Children’s librarian shared SRP on their personal social media to spread to the community  

Possibly creating a banner/signage for each library  

Reading sprint – virtual program to discuss what you are reading  

Make & take with Science and Art Museums – GREAT attendance; encouraged Community Libraries to continue this throughout the year – possibly get these organizations to do it again?  
 

Emily – Please share take home kit resources in the All Engagement SharePoint; thank you for the Sequoyah booktalks (Anne Hall gets credit for this idea), will share with schools; consider doing virtual outreach at schools (media specialist or English teacher) – EPS has had a little success with working with OKCPS (teacher training for ONEcard, training to use with classrooms); school reopening updates in the SharePoint; October is Teentober – marketing and social media push, if you have program share with Emily, possible contest; Emily will follow up with email. 

Kristin L. – virtual programs during summer (not successful) but the kits have been enjoyed. 

Kimberly E. – Make & take kits; online teen book club with one enthusiastic member; future take home kits as they seem to be really popular; give to people that have been checking out corresponding materials (curbside). 

Ashley – Prepping virtual D&D with newbies (homeschoolers); make & takes planned for next 4 months; fandom, tie dye, embroidery, paint by numbers, friendship bracelets. 

Anna – Take home kits for all ages; participated in the Animal Crossing program; working on Rocket Readers (virtual) with Heidi Port; Teen & Tween virtual book club possibly comparing Baby-Sitters Club book to the Netflix show. 

Lindsay – Moving the library; no time for virtual programming; worked on Animal Crossing program.  

Kassy – Take home kits over the summer (all ages); branching out to individual kits for ages; uploaded kits to SharePoint; coming up – steam in Sept, oddities in Oct, Nature in Nov, Decorate in Dec. Wants to do a virtual book club, but too busy with curbside (no spare moment with computer availability). 

Pallas – Community lacks access to internet so not a lot of virtual; Children Reading to Dogs, Sequoyah booktalks, Animal Crossing, take home kits, expanding the bonus bag idea – browsing bags for subject specific (genre with popcorn and movies); working on exercise browsing bag (yoga) with resource sheets, books, and DVDs. Teen grab bag with a book, activity kits – hard to advertise, but keep an eye on the curbside pickup.  

Elisabeth – Take home kits in the SharePoint (two a month for the summer); only 1 going forward during each month; brought Coding Club online, some technical trial and error for Zoom, but sharing screen has helped immensely; online chess club on chess.com (register to join/receive invite) with weekly live tournament (at least 4 people at start time or it gets cancelled). Please share! Any creative ways to work with the schools? Please reach out.  

Shelbie – Online programming – D&D group (12 kids), Animal Crossing with kids and adults, manga drawing class with staff at AL, Hamilton sing-along, short story contest, take and makes (all ages) – embroidery, registration required, paint by numbers (D&D), virtual robotics club, cottage core hangout (knit, crochet, embroidery), applied to be Free Comic Book Day location, going to run with Emily’s QuaranTEEN Zine idea, and adult book club with YA books. 

Natasha – Take and make programming; not a ton of virtual programming, but with OKCPS doing Chromebook they can engage with virtual programming; comic book buttons, banned book totes, movie book bundle (PG13, write review, book & movie); all ages programming – Harry Potter escape room in a bag, brainstorming all ages programming; pen pal program with teens and elderly (bridge gap); schools – some teens have to chose between staying home or extra-curriculars. Possibly create curricular programming – talk with drama teachers or music. (Radio Drama). 

Mark – PSLT and Senior Management Group revised reopening plan – move into future; clarify and what to expect; discussed yesterday and today; used feedback to create this plan. 

Teresa – Please give feedback about Summer Reading, end of the summer reading prize pickup format inventory return instructions soon. 

Heidi – Interested in seeing how Homework Help will go, please help with Children Reading to Dogs! Wonderful program, kids love it, learn how Zoom and breakout rooms work – get supervisor approval; Anna and Heidi working on Rocket Readers; new feature for volunteers is a sign in station (no password or user id), working on volunteer polices. 

Kara – D&D going really well, big homeschool group and they are isolated right now, using Roll 20 software; grid painting for Harry Potter, book club, is personally reading 25 classics – great booktalks to teens, tried Pen Pals. 

Ryn – 1,000 holds a day so not much programming, but hopefully in the future as kids go back to school; virtual programs with packet pickup, virtual program on “you decide” what the staff person does; advertise when YA materials go out. Talking with the schools in Edmond using Sora. 

Abby – YESII positions went live.  

Janeal – Ordering books at full capacity. 

Scott – Kara’s D&D program so successful, which helped build Ashley’s. 

Reagan – Take home kits, a lot of non-teen stuff, Sundays Together series, Dance Party for Spoticus. 

Rena – 3 to 4 take out kits a week (25 of them) running out by Wednesday; now only doing 2 kits a week (50 of each); online anime (brainstorming); food based programs  (making food from what you already have); how to get customers to the resources that are close to the library (RestoreOKC) and connect community. 

Loren – support general development – Healthy Relationships discussion (brainstorming); revamping Homework Help to include job talks. 

Cheryl – Science at home (phases of the moon, slime); brainstorming other ideas right now. 

Kelley – helping with Libraries By Mail, especially with Onsite Libraries closed; watched all virtual content to see and learn; got to do a Sequoyah booktalk. 

Edie – Activity kits have been great this summer; great to see collaboration between libraries. 

Kellie – Thank you for all the hard work and content and programs that we have shared with customers. 

Rondia – Grateful to participate; love what everyone is doing; fun to see how we are breaking out of what is “normal.” Proud of everyone.  

Serina – Everyone has adapted and been flexible. AL community is word of mouth; Melannie has created fliers to hang at apartment complexes, laundry mats where there is visibility. Radio drama – take it to the future. Trying to get community civically engaged by using their window space.  

Heather K. – Appreciate all the great work!  

Jessica G. – Adapting 123 Play with Me (videos) on social media; hosting and recording Zoom sessions with professionals; civic programming is coming. 

Kristin W. – planning for Hispanic Heritage Month and Dia de los Muertos; children’s authors will be doing virtual talks, bilingual storytimes, dance and musical performances, presenters to talk about the significance of the holiday; take home kit; cooking video.