A starter guide for new youth librarians

CHICAGO — The clichéd and vague notions about outreach services for teens that so many librarians encounter in job descriptions and performance evaluations do not reflect the importance or day-to-day realities of this undertaking. Designed for those new to the profession, Jess Snow’s new primer “Outreach Services for Teens: A Starter Guide,” published by ALA Editions, shows readers how to apply a full complement of professional skills, creativity, analysis, and resourcefulness to the conception, delivery, and evaluation of teen outreach. Throughout, she takes a special focus on effectively serving marginalized youth. Featuring a foreword by Anthony Bernier, Snow’s book:

• defines in practical terms what constitutes outreach services for teens and advises on how to plan and advocate for providing those services;
• discusses steps for creating and maintaining partnerships, both within the library and externally;
• guides readers through identifying outreach goals and measuring outcomes;
• details numerous examples of well-executed outreach efforts that can serve as models;
• shares ways to incorporate technology;
• provides suggested core titles for teen outreach, book talks to hook teens, selection tools, and a sample book checkout sheet; and
• includes nuts-and-bolts tools such as an outreach plan for teen librarians, staff training resources, and information about national organizations serving teens.

Snow is the teen services team leader in Teen Central of the Boston Public Library. She was the first teen outreach librarian for the Oakland Public Library and has established several outreach partners for both the Boston and Oakland libraries. In addition to writing extensively and presenting locally and nationally on outreach services to teens, she served on the VOYA (Voice of Youth Advocates) Advisory Board and had a regular column in VOYA. She also served on the YALSA Board of Directors for two years.

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