Teens at the Library

Independence, Kansas

13,500 District

Life was Simple

9,600 Square Feet

MEGA Library

308 % Increase in Public Space

Grand Opening February 10, 2007

1,500

GREAT EXPECTATIONS

Mission Statement

To provide quality materials and services which fulfill educational, informational, cultural, and recreational needs of the entire community in an atmosphere that is welcoming, respectful, and businesslike.

Picture This...

Teen Study Groups

Teen Advisory Board

We Wished Teens Would Love the New Library

YA SPACE was Born$8,000 In New YA BooksCool SeatingGaming Computers

Be Careful What You Wish For

We Wanted KidsWe Got Kids

WELCOMETO OUR

NIGHTMARE

It Starts at

We become infested with...

Teenagers

With ATTITUDE

We Still had a Staff of

Only 10

So Handling the Teens Fell On My Shoulders

The Kids Were Running Amuck

Spitting on Patrons from the Atrium

Destroying the New Elevator

Carving Names & Gang Symbols into New Furniture

Using Restrooms for Inappropriate Behavior

I was Cursed At, Threatened and my House was Egged

No Interest in Joining the Teen Advisory Board

No Funds for a YA Librarian

We wondered...

What would motivate kids more than anything else

MONEY

THE FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY CAME TO OUR

RESCUE

“I Come To Save the Day”

“With Carrots!”

Diane Hight Friends President

F

in

the

form

of

$100.00

Ten $10.00 Bills

$100.00$100.00

Each Month

For 4 Months

JUSTIN TIME

Justin Time 03-01-07

331-3311 Miss Prissy

04/01/08

Names Went into the

Monthly Drawing to Win

CASH

The Problem Was

Good Kids Kept Being Good

Bad Kids Kept Being Bad“Gotcha fooled

Sucka!”

The staff was worn out, stressed

out, and ready to scream

So Who Ya Gonna Call?

PubLib...

KanLib...

We got some great advice....

We realized thenthat we were not alone

Some of the Advice

We Already Tried...

We Tried Reasoning with Them

That did not work...

We TriedZero Tolerance

Giving One Warning Instead of Three

Then Kicking Them OutYou *^#@**$(#& !!!

Some things have worked...

We Called the Policefor Out of Control Teens

The Word Must Have SpreadIf We Say “Police”

They Take Off

We Limited their Computer Use

Only Two Kids at a Computer at a Time

Reduced Time from 1 Hour to 30 Minutes

Only Use Computers We Can Monitor

April Nut, Chairperson

Our Board Approved a new Behavior Policy

View or Print our

Behavior Policy

from Our Website

www.iplks.org

The Best Advice

was from

Manhattan Public Library

www.iplks.org

So When a Kid Acts Bad

TAKE HOME...GIVE TO PARENT/GUARDIAN...BRING BACK

Before Reentry

When we encourage proper behavior...

We encourage success

Things Were Better

BUT...

We Needed Another Carrot

Friends to the Rescue

Diane Hight, Friends President

F

Again!

Must Have Proper Library Behavior

Teens Know What Proper Behavior is...

And our Behavior Policy is Posted

When the Kids Heard About the Wii

It was Like a New Dawn

We saw an Immediate Improvement in Behavior

The Kids Love It!

Get Loud!

Must Check Out Two Books

It is working...

Attendance

82

6@

Gaming Events

Suggestions

Take Action Early

Create a Behavior Policy

Train All Staff

on how to handle trouble

You gonna make me?

Hold a Board Meeting during your

Create an Unattended Children Brochure

Ask for Parents’ Help

Stick to the Facts

Be Respectful

Stay Calm

We all want what is Best for their Child and the

Library

Too old for daycare

Too young to be on their own

We all want them to be safe

But EVERYONEMust Follow the Behavior Policy

Ask the Schools for Helpyearbooks put names with faces

Ask Fellow Librarians for Help

Most Days...are Peaceful

At Least Until Next YearWhen the New Crop Invades