Extreme Teens; Library Services to Nontraditional Young Adults

Citation

Ray, S. (2007), "Extreme Teens; Library Services to Nontraditional Young Adults", Library Review, Vol. 56 No. 1, pp. 86-87. https://doi.org/10.1108/00242530710722104

The name changes, the problem persists. How do we encourage young people in their teens to use libraries? The introduction to this guide begins on a very positive note, citing as a role model a woman who dropped out of school when a teenager, married and became a teenage mother. Despite this unpromising start, she later spent 26 years in office as a state representative, senator and lieutenant governor before becoming Governor of the State of Delaware. The part played by libraries in this achievement is not stated but the implication is clear – every teenager, however unpromising they or their circumstances appear, has it in them to rise to a position of responsibility in the community.

The term “extreme teens” is used to cover a wide range of young people, taking in practically all those who do not begin to use the library as small children and continue to use it, without needing any encouragement, throughout their lives. Anderson lists all those who are underserved for economic, legal, educational or physical reasons. They may have problems with their families, with their sexuality, they may be homeless, dropouts or offenders, they may be mentally or physically handicapped, or English may be their second language. No problem that may affect teenagers seems to be overlooked.

The public library is a place where everyone should have access to the information or resources needed to succeed in life, and librarians must not be judgmental but should aim to serve them all. In building up a collection of suitable resources, it is essential to look at the needs of the intended audience. Diversity is the keynote. Are there some who do not speak fluent English? If so, materials in other languages must be provided. Information resources must be up‐to‐date and reflect current viewpoints. Beyond printed materials – books, pamphlets and magazines – there are videos, DVDs, audio‐books and board games. (One example of the latter quoted is “Two‐in‐One Pregnancy Bingo”.) Beyond again, is a wealth of on‐line resources.

Once well‐trained staff and an extensive collection of materials are in place, it is time to reach out to those who cannot visit the library. Examples of successful programmes provided for homeless and runaway teenagers and other groups are given. The final chapter is about promoting the library and its resources. Several examples of book talks are provided.

Anderson ends by quoting the example of her own community in Dover, Delaware, where there is a significant Amish population. At 16, Amish teenagers are allowed the same freedoms as other American teenagers and they can decide at this point whether to enter mainstream society or stick with the familiar Amish way of life. Thus, like other teenagers, they make choices that will affect the rest of their lives, and the library can play a part in helping everyone to make them.

Extreme Teens looks, and is, very readable, with short sections and plenty of headings and sub‐headings, but it is written for the American market and librarians elsewhere who are capable of adapting it to their needs probably will not need a text written at this level. Most of the resources quoted are American unlikely to be available elsewhere, although I recognised a few familiar titles – D.B.C.Pierre's Vernon God Little, Alice Sebold's The Lovely Bones and Dance on My Grave by Aidan Chambers for example. To carry out all the suggestions to be found here also requires a generous budget – but librarians are certainly being pointed in the right direction, which can only be for the good of libraries – and “extreme” young adults.