1Howard, V. (2011).What do young teens think about the public library? The Library Quarterly, 81(3).
This article reports on the findings of a large research project aimed at discovering what 12-15 year old teens think about the public library. The project involved both qualitative and quantitative research methodology. In the literature review, several points from other studies are raised about what teens would prefer in libraries are mentioned:
- comfortable places to sit and read
- longer checkout periods
- arranging the books by genre rather than alphabetically
- more computers
- a place to socialize and do homework
- In Phase 1 of the study, students in grades 7-9 were surveyed, and the results were that a relatively low number of students were using the library - only 13% used it weekly. However, 83% of those surveyed had used the library in the past year, so it's not all bad news. The surveyed teens also indicated that they were mostly satisfied with their libraries, so this could be seen to indicate that positive occasional uses are better than frequent unsatisfying ones.
The study found that teens would like a more social area, not next to the children's section, with an acceptable noise level. Working together on school projects and helping each other with homework is going to make some noise, and it would be beneficial to have that kind of space where speaking and interacting is not going to cause problems. Teens want a brightly colored, interesting area, not white walls and uncomfortable chairs.
Barriers to public library use for teens range from lack of programming, lack of necessary technology, lack of a bond between teen patrons and library staff , and lack of an appealing environment in which to hang out and do homework.
The good news? All of these things are fixable and can be a part of an over-arching plan to save public libraries in this digital age. Well-advertised programming for diverse interests, a dedicated library staff member for the teen population (preferably a teen services librarian) who is knowledgeable about current media for teens. Libraries are facing change as physical objects like books, cds, and dvds become legacy technology. One way libraries can keep relevant is to become a Third Place (Oldenberg) for teens. Teens in particular are important in this equation, because adults have agency and money to go to other third places, such as bookstores and coffee shops. Teens need a parent-approved safe place to hang out, and the library could be that place. We just need to be interesting. That's not so hard, right? :-)
This article reports on the findings of a large research project aimed at discovering what 12-15 year old teens think about the public library. The project involved both qualitative and quantitative research methodology. In the literature review, several points from other studies are raised about what teens would prefer in libraries are mentioned:
- comfortable places to sit and read
- longer checkout periods
- arranging the books by genre rather than alphabetically
- more computers
- a place to socialize and do homework
- In Phase 1 of the study, students in grades 7-9 were surveyed, and the results were that a relatively low number of students were using the library - only 13% used it weekly. However, 83% of those surveyed had used the library in the past year, so it's not all bad news. The surveyed teens also indicated that they were mostly satisfied with their libraries, so this could be seen to indicate that positive occasional uses are better than frequent unsatisfying ones.
The study found that teens would like a more social area, not next to the children's section, with an acceptable noise level. Working together on school projects and helping each other with homework is going to make some noise, and it would be beneficial to have that kind of space where speaking and interacting is not going to cause problems. Teens want a brightly colored, interesting area, not white walls and uncomfortable chairs.
Barriers to public library use for teens range from lack of programming, lack of necessary technology, lack of a bond between teen patrons and library staff , and lack of an appealing environment in which to hang out and do homework.
The good news? All of these things are fixable and can be a part of an over-arching plan to save public libraries in this digital age. Well-advertised programming for diverse interests, a dedicated library staff member for the teen population (preferably a teen services librarian) who is knowledgeable about current media for teens. Libraries are facing change as physical objects like books, cds, and dvds become legacy technology. One way libraries can keep relevant is to become a Third Place (Oldenberg) for teens. Teens in particular are important in this equation, because adults have agency and money to go to other third places, such as bookstores and coffee shops. Teens need a parent-approved safe place to hang out, and the library could be that place. We just need to be interesting. That's not so hard, right? :-)
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