Outreach Services for Teens

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. In this primer for those new to the profession, Snow demonstrates how youth librarians can approach outreach systematically and mindfully to ensure success. Readers will learn how to apply a full complement of professional skills, creativity, analysis, and resourcefulness to the conception, delivery, and evaluation of teen outreach. With a special focus on effectively serving marginalized youth, in this book Snow:

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.

New youth librarians, middle managers and directors, and other library staff will all benefit from Snow’s candid and straightforward exploration of what it takes to develop and deliver powerful outreach efforts.

Author Biography

Jess 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. Snow has established several outreach partners for both the Boston and Oakland libraries and has been providing outreach services for teens since 2003. She has written extensively about outreach, as well as presenting locally and nationally on outreach services to teens. Snow served on the VOYA (Voice of Youth Advocates) Advisory Board and had a regular column in VOYA for more than two years. She also served on the YALSA Board of Directors for two years.