Let’s face it, most libraries don’t have someone devoting a lot of time to teen services.  Even the teen librarian in our system’s larges library has dozens of other important non-teen-related duties to attend to. 

For those of you who are in this boat (wanting to provide quality teen service, but not having much time to do so), I have come across a few good resources recently.  Check these out:

Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) has a Teen Services in 15 Minutes or Less wiki, with some great ideas for breaking down the jobs of teen services and making them more manageable.  You can even add your own ideas!  http://wikis.ala.org/yalsa/index.php/Teen_Services_in_15_Minutes_or_Less

Teen Librarian’s Toolbox is a blog with book reviews, program ideas and much more.  They have a Teen Services 101 section that has ideas about using social media, contests, booktalks, and more to get teens interested in your services.  They also have a section all about advocacy, in case you need some talking points for why it is worthwhile to devote staff time, space, and other resources to serving teens.

Good luck!

Teens in Phillips enjoy gaming at a party promoting graphic novels