1	Working with Teens & Millennials Shawn Brommer South Central Library System September 14, 2007
2	Who? Some characteristics
3	Beloit College Mindset class of 2011 What Berlin wall? Rush Limbaugh and the “Dittoheads” have always been lambasting liberals Michael Moore has always been angry and funny Nelson Mandela has always been free and a force in South Africa Russia has always had a multi-party political system
4	Beloit College Mindset (2) They were born the year Harvard Law Review Editor Barack Obama announced he might run for office some day They have grown up with bottled water They grew up in Wayne’s World Half of them may have been members of the Baby-sitters Club No one has ever been able to sit down comfortably to a meal of “liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti.”
5	Of particular interest to libraries: Thanks to MySpace and Facebook, autobiography can happen in real time They get much more information from Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert than from the newspaper The World Wide Web has been an online tool since they were born http://www.beloit.edu/~pubaff/mindset/2011.php
6	Discussion points Teen brain development Millennials Information seeking habits of teens (including social networking) Some statistics Impact of technology What does this mean for libraries?
7	It’s all in their heads…
8	Teen Brain Development Hormones vs. Brains! Social development Risk taking Emotional response
9	Inside the Teen Brain, Frontline series http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/teenbrain/
10	Millennials (1982 – 2000) Larger than the Baby Boom generation 36% of the U.S. population. 31% of this population are from diverse cultures Most racially and ethnically diverse
11	Distinct qualities of Millennials They are special They are sheltered They are confident They are team-oriented They are achieving They are pressured They are conventional
12	Teen habits: Technology, Internet & Social Networking
13	Statistics 87% of American teens use the Internet on a regular basis. 1 out of 2 teens lives in a home with a broadband connection
14	How are they using the Internet? 81% are playing games (over 17 million) 76% are getting news (over 16 million) 43% are making purchases (9 million) 31% are seeking health information (6 million)
15	Where are they when they go online? 89% - home 75% - school 70% - a friend or relative’s house 50% - the library 9% - a community center or house of worship
16	Why libraries provide social software for teens Teens live their lives online Young people get their information from the Internet Will always turn to it before other, seemingly traditional, resources. This is where they are!
17	Examples – Teen Read Blog
18	More reasons to provide: Teens are future tax-payers and future library supporters. This is the way teens seek, share and recommend information Relevancy of public libraries
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20	Social software for teens in libraries because. . . They live their lives online They get their information from the Internet They socialize online They expect it
21	Additionally. . . They are future tax-payers and future library supporters. This is the way teens seek, share and recommend information We want libraries to remain relevant . . . Not to mention, there are benefits of social software!
22	Benefits of social software Critical thinking Reading and writing skills Collaboration Communicating with authors, experts, etc.—Social and cultural competence Boundaries and expectations
23	Benefits (2) Communication between those with special interests Equalizing Appearance, status, disabilities Gaming: “Subversive Learning” Learn skills Form coalitions Decision making “Virtual malt shop”
24	Libraries are using social software to: Support informational, educational, entertainment needs Attract and serve new users Be where our users are—online Satisfy user expectations for online service
25	What does this mean for libraries?
26	Studies – library use is growing Very recent PLA study tracks trends in public libraries. 90% surveyed offer teen programs 50% surveyed employ at least one FTE dedicated to teen programs & services Up from 11% in 1995. YALSA is the fastest growing division of ALA
27	Studies – library use is growing (2) ALA study – Harris Poll (ages 8-18) Significant amount responded that they use public & school libraries for personal use Of these, 78% borrow items for personal use from public libraries 60% borrow items for personal use from school libraries 31% - visit the public library more than 10 times a year
28	What teens told the Harris Pollsters 33% would use libraries more if there were more interesting items to borrow. 25% (school) and 20% (public) would visit libraries more if computers didn’t block the information they needed. 32% asked for more activities & events 31% wanted longer hours 22% wanted a comfortable, welcoming atmosphere
29	Challenges Staff Programming Collection Development Teen spaces Policies Collection development Acceptable use & behavior
30	Challenges: Behavior/Stress Stress in teen lives: School demands Too many activities/high expectations Changes in bodies & brains Living in unsafe environments Poverty
31	Challenges: Behavior/reaction Stress leads to: Anxiety Depression Illness Drug/alcohol abuse Aggression “Fight or flight”
32	Teen violence 4 steps to reduce youth violence 1. Assure all school-age children and teens access to after-school, weekend and summer youth development programs to shut down the "Prime Time for Juvenile Crime." 2. Assure all families access to the school readiness child care programs proven to dramatically reduce crime.
33	Teen violence (2) 4 steps to reduce youth violence, cont. 3. Help schools identify troubled and disruptive children at an early age, and provide children and their parents with the counseling and training that can help kids get back on track. 4. Improve deficient parenting and prevent child abuse and neglect by: a) Offering high-risk parents in-home parenting-coaching; and b) making sure child protective, foster care and adoption services have policies and enough well-trained staff to protect and heal abused and neglected children. http://www.fightcrime.org/reports/schoolviol.htm
34	Adult interactions Be attentive Positive interactions rather than negative Model stress management Listen – do teens have a voice? Provide safe space for down time Help teens find solutions Help teens prioritize Clearly state rules
35	Methods for dealing with the madness Teens prefer one-on-one communication: directly tell teens our expectations Keep regulations simple and few. "Respect yourself, respect others, and respect property.” Try not to forget what it was like when you were a kid When teens are disrespectful, don't take it personally
36	Methods for dealing with the madness (2) Don't have rules exclusively for teens Consistency is key. All library staffers need to be alerted when a teen has broken a rule more than once Be consistent with rules Develop relationships with teens
37	More help: Young Adult Library Services Association: www.ala.org/ala/yalsa VOYA: www.voya.com October 4 Teen Symposium Here Comes Trouble SLJ article: www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA429319.html
38	Take time to find the joy!