The Care and Feeding of A Teen Advisory Board

Presented by Sarah Kostelecky and Mercedes Encinias

Cherry Hills Library, Albuquerque/Bernalillo County Library System

Why do we want teens in the library?

Equal access should NOT be based on age, teens are underserved

They help with collection development They tell their friends about the library, free publicity! Positive library experience now = library supporters in

the future Their energy is infectious!

Purpose of a Teen Advisory Board (TAB)

What it can be: Insight into teen minds

to better serve them A positive image of

teens and the library in the community

What it won’t be A ready-made

volunteer workforce A time saver

Where are the teens and how do I get them in the library?

Recruit from existing groups Summer Reading Assistants Youth Volunteers Book Groups Local schools

Get the word out!

Send meeting reminder emails gathered from TAB applications

Officers can do phone reminders

Flyers in YA area and meeting info on library website

The 1st Teen Advisory Board Meeting or now what do I do with them?

Feed your teens if allowed!

Icebreakers so all voices are heard

Give info to focus discussion

Whiteboard for notes

1st Meeting: Laying the Foundation

1. Bylaws Rules that will keep

the teens focused Teens know what is

expected of them and what they expect from us as advisors

Teen input provides ownership of the group

TAB Officers Step by Step

1. Define duties of each office

2. Determine if additional offices are needed i.e. historian, treasurer

3. Election or advisor selection

Choosing Officers: Two Options

Election by TAB members Candidates prepare

and deliver speeches Secret ballot vote by

teens Results tallied by

advisor

Selection by advisor Teens apply for

positions Advisor reviews

applications Advisory interviews

candidates Selection by advisor

Communication with Officers

Provide member contact list to officers

Advisor approves president’s agenda

Keep president aware of library events where TAB presence is needed

Meeting Management

Keep teens on task Offer project guidelines Encourage president to give all members a

chance to speak

They’re off and running, or what our TAB does for our library system

Programming, both for teens and others Provide suggestions for teen programming that

they would attend Mendhi, Origami, Manga Drawing, Game Night,

Movie Night, Juggling

Plan and present children’s programming Valentine’s Day card program, Read Across

America, Special Mother Goose Storytime

Programming Raises Teen Profile in Community

Public has a positive perception of teens

Younger children see them as role models

Teens make library seem like a fun place to be

Recurring TAB Programs at Cherry Hills

Summer Reading Mystery Night

TAB and the Summer Reading Program

TAB Members completely designed a teen summer reading program for whole library system

They created a title, a teen drew the logo, designed reading booklets, and how the program would operate T. S. I.

Teen Scene Investigators

Summer Reading Continued

Prize suggestion Provide catalogs and

prize guidelines ie price, size

Teen programming suggestions

Good pool for summer assistants

What is Mystery Night?

TAB plans all aspects of a mystery for middle and high school students

They create the characters, write the script, decorate the set and play the parts Mystery complements Summer Reading theme and

is used as a kick-off event Past mysteries: Who Kidnapped Harry Potter,

Indiana Jones and the Readers of the Lost Book, Mystery Night: The Albuquerque Edition

Troubleshooting

Communication problems Administration approval for projectsHighlight the positive & the small victoriesMake sure new members feel welcome

TAB Appreciation and Recognition

Certificates Thank you party Promote TAB on

flyers and programs

Conclusions

Having TAB is time-consuming but worth the effort

Teens appreciate having a voice in the library

Have fun!

Questions?