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12/13/2016 03:45 PMAs winter holidays approach parents might be looking for productive recreational and educational spaces and programming for children of various ages to enjoy, and many turn to local libraries or other community organizations to fill this need. But outside of athletic, school, or leadership development programs such as those offered by Tri-Town Youth Services, one age group might be harder to place than the others. While pre-school aged, and elementary through young adolescents have the opportunities to experience a wide variety of semi-structured group enrichment programs that cover a range of topics, from music to cooking to STEM, through local libraries, there are fewer opportunities available for older adolescents and teenagers. In attempting to increase these opportunities, libraries face a varied range of challenges.
“While research shows that teens are in need of public library advocates, open space, and well run services, they are one of the trickiest groups to pull into the building,” said Essex Library Association Director of Children’s and Young Adult Services Jessica Branciforte. “Individuals aged 12 and up take part in multiple after school activities and must still make time for dinner, work, and homework. We aren’t in walking distance from the regional schools, so it can be difficult to attract a teen crowd. We do what we can to encourage them to come into our building and to feel at home here.”
“Many local families want their adolescents to have some type of organized safe place to be after school, yet in this area of the state, we seem to lack a consistently staffed community center space,” continued Branciforte.
Other libraries in the area also want to be able to give this age group a space, but challenges from a lack of funding to lack of transportation from the schools to the libraries, and others impede the development of teen programming.
“We mostly serve younger children,” said Elaine Alexander, Youth Services Director and Children’s Librarian of the Deep River Public Library. “We receive zero programming funding, so we receive funding from the Friends of the Library, and we have to make choices. Turn-out for over-10 programming is limited for us—though this could be due to the options presented by Parks and Recreation, Youth Services, or school programs.”
Alexander also noted that coordinating outside programming with the schools can be difficult due to scheduling conflicts with sports and afterschool programming.
“Younger kids tend to be more accessible, and parents are actively looking for enrichment activities,” continued Alexander. “We’re not getting as many middle and high schoolers into the library as we used to, it’s more school-aged kids, though a cross-partnership over the summer with the schools—a prize-oriented summer reading program—did help.”
Despite the challenges, Alexander says it’s important to encourage middle and high schoolers to be familiar with and use libraries. “Libraries can be seen as community hubs, and the continuity for school, bridging the gap with summer reading and as spaces that can keep students invested in learning. But the fact of the matter is that everything, especially providing different programming and access to resources requires funding—and we are limited by time and funds. Volunteer-based programs just don’t allow for continuity.”
Branciforte has found a little more flexibility at the Essex Public Library, in terms of both funding for teen specific programs and finding ways to bring this demographic into the building.
“The biggest challenge is sometimes just getting them to walk in the door,” said Branciforte. “We have done our best to work with teen schedules to give them open community space, and sometimes this means inviting them into the library after the library closes.”
This initiative has led to the After Hours program series, which is scheduled about once a month and open to visitors aged 12-18. Participants enjoy snacks, relax, create music, and in general have some deconstructed and unscheduled but still positively-focused time in which to explore their interests and decompress.
“What research into teen use of libraries shows is that teens need role models, library assets, and to feel like they are a part of the community. We try to demonstrate that this space is theirs, too—and that sometimes means being able to use the space and be comfortable in it without worrying about the glares or the shushing,” continued Brancifort. “They help us to plan their programming, to design the teen department, and they have an active voice and input in what titles we select for the teen collections.”
Asked what the larger community can do to help outside of collecting funds or volunteering to offer specific programs such as film nights, yoga, talks, coffee houses, or career preparation programs, Branciforte said that what this group needs most is for others to advocate for them.
“This is a demographic group that is so tightly scheduled that they are overlooked many times,” she said. “They don’t need necessarily a big budget or over the top programming all the time, they need people to remember what it was like to be a teenager search. And what that means from us is that they need a space without the glares—and for us to fight for them a little bit.
To see what programs are being offered for participants of all ages, or to find out more about getting involved in creating or raising funds for extra programming, patrons and residents can reach out to their respective libraries online or by phone.