Young Adult Services in Public Libraries

DeAnza Williams
SLIS 5320
Spring 1999

Young adults represent 25 percent of all public library patrons and are between the ages of twelve to eighteen according to the 1988 survey report of the National Center for Education Statistics (Jones 1993).  The report also found that 89 percent of public libraries do not have a professional librarian specifically dedicated to young adult services.  With young adults being a large population in the library, there are several questions that come to mind about the service offerings of public libraries to young adults.  What is the history of public library service to young adults?  Since only 11 percent of public libraries have young adult librarians (individuals specifically trained) that provide service to young adults, is serving young adults important or not to public libraries?  If service to young adults is important to public libraries, then of what should young adult service consist?  Are there other important issues in young adult service?  What are the current efforts of libraries to serve young adults?  What is the outlook for the next five years in public library service to young adults?

The history of service to young adults in public libraries is very recent.  In 1929, the Young People's Reading Round Table was formed as a part of the American Library Association.  In 1941, the Round Table became a part of the Division of Libraries for Children and Young People, which included the school libraries section and the section for library work with children.  In 1949, the Round Table became a section and adopted the title of the Association of Young People's Librarians.  In the late 1940s, the early movement was to establish young adults as a specialized service.  This service would include having a separate professional association, specialists that would serve young adults, and separate young adult services, collections, and budgets.  The American Library Association (ALA) Committee on Post War Planning established a set of guidelines for young adult service entitled "The Public Library Plans for the Teen Age as a Supplement to a National Plan for Public Library Service."  The Graduate Library School of the University of Chicago hosted a conference and the resulting report had a great effect on young adult library service.  The conference redefined the role of the young adult specialist whose emphasis went from providing reading descriptions for young adult patrons to focusing on the young adult as a unique person who has needs that the library can help to meet (Rogers 1979).

In 1957, the Association of Young People's Librarians became a separate division called Young Adult Services Division (YASD).  YASD was interested in the improvement and extension of services to young people in all types of libraries (Rogers 1979).

Social change in the late 1960s was seen in library service and literature.  Novels such as The Outsiders and The Pigman seemed to make it clear that young adult novels were a special type of literature and not just children's books for older readers (Jones 1993).

In the late 1970s, young adult novels were growing in popularity and acceptance as they covered all of the issues of the time.  Libraries began to provide space to attract young adults to the library (Rogers 1979).  Library facilities were designed or rearranged to make young adults comfortable and included new programming that included concerts and dramatic productions (Rogers 1979).

In the late 80s, the National Center for Education Statistics survey report was the first comprehensive study in the field.  The survey found that 84 percent of libraries reported separate young adult sections, without any specialized staff.  89 percent of libraries use non YA librarians to handle young adult service.  Young adults used public libraries most after school, weekends, and nights.  However, the amount of use differed between libraries with and without young adult librarians.  Over 90% of young adult librarians reported moderate to heavy use after school, with only 74% of libraries without a young adult librarian reporting heavy to moderate use.  The report explained that once in the library, young adults spent 77% of time with loan books and printed material, 65% of time getting assistance with homework assignments, 60% with study space, 40% with independent needs, and 40% in college and career administration.  Libraries with YA staff reported greater use in these areas as compared to those mentioned above.  The major barrier to young adults using of libraries was seen by 87% of libraries as competition for other activities (Jones 1993).

In the 1990s, public library resources and staffing to young adults does not seem to be adequate (Mathews, Flum, and Whitney 1990).  In the late 80s and early 1990s, many schools and public libraries had to cut services to children and young adults.  Informational and guidance programs for teachers, parents, and youth workers were cut.  Many children's and young adult library positions were eliminated.  The available positions go unfulfilled because the number of new library school graduates being prepared for children's or young adult positions is lessening (Mathews, Flum, and Whitney 1990).  In 1991, the YASD became the Young Adult Library Services Association or YALSA.  In 1993, Professor Thomas Downen at the University of Michigan provided results from a survey of 234 library directors that served populations of 100,000 people.  Eighty one percent of the directors said that continuation and expansion of young adult service was desirable; however only 41% thought it was probable for the future.  94% of directors thought that merging young adults into the children's department was seen as undesirable and 81% improbable (Jones 1993).

The report of the National Center for Education Statistics pointed out the contradiction of young adult services.  Young adults are using libraries, but they use them more when a young adult librarian is present.  Yet, library generalists seem to be serving this population.  The library directors recognize the importance of young adult services.  However, the question still unanswered is are libraries going to provide the programming and outreach activities to young adults (Jones 1993)?

Libraries expend a lot of energy on encouraging children to read and to use the public library through story time and other programming.  However, once these same children enter junior and high school it appears that libraries are no longer interested in providing services to them.  As evidenced by the NCES survey report, young adults are not being served by young adult librarians in 89 percent of public libraries in the study.  The underlying question seems to be do young adults deserve specialized service?

There are three reasons that would answer in the affirmative that young adults deserve specialized service (Jones 1993).  As today's young adult patrons are tomorrow's voters and taxpayers, it would serve libraries to provide service to them.  If these young adults have positive experiences with libraries and recognize the need for their services, then in future they might be willing to support library issues.  Libraries can support an individual's library habit from childhood to adulthood.  Since both children and young adults are present in and utilizing library services, the library ought to be serving these populations.  It has been found that if patrons are lost during their young adult years, they often do not return to public libraries.  Libraries can provide access to young adults to resources (such as internet access, computer access, magazines, books, videos, and CDs) that may not be available elsewhere (Jones 1993).  Young adults in the late twentieth century are facing issues such as teen violence, AIDS, poverty, teenage pregnancy, and drugs.  These issues can prevent them from becoming productive citizens in society.  However, if libraries can provide access to young adults with information, this can be vital in giving them hope for their futures (Mathews, Flum, and Whitney 1990).

Since young adult service is important, what should public library service to young adults include?  Successful young adult service should adequately address basic young adult issues, young adult collections, community connections, and young adult programming and quality library services to young adults (Jones 1993).  According to Mary Chelton and James Rosinia, young adults use libraries as a source of recreational materials and information to meet their needs, to support and complete school assignments, and as a place to meet friends and hang out (1993).  The recreational materials are those that young adults select for themselves (as opposed to required readings for school) such as magazines, CDs, videos, plus books.  Homework support for young adults can be enhanced by working with the school media specialist and teachers.  Specifically, the young adult librarian should be in contact with the media specialist and teachers to be aware of required readings and mass homework assignments in order to prepare pathfinders, bibliographies, and reserve shelves for necessary materials.  Young adults socialize in public libraries and there are many strategies that can accommodate this social ritual.  Because teenagers are still physically and mentally developing, they oftentimes are not aware of their own noise or distraction to others.  Therefore, a simple reminder to them that others are using the library will suffice.  Young adults should be dealt with consistently and firmly.  Those seeking to provide good service to young adults need to be aware of three uses and what they entail (Chelton and Rosinia 1993).

Other service areas that public libraries should provide to young adults are the reference interview, facility space, and policy information. Librarians serving young adults need to realize that young adults are often shy and may need help that they may not request.  Librarians should ask young adults if they need assistance when they seem to be aimlessly wandering around in search of something.  The librarian needs to be relaxed and realize that it may take several questions before you get to the key issue.  Libraries that have specific space set aside for young adults are conveying that young adults are welcome.  Librarians should have popular materials on display where young adults can see and easily utilize them.  Another message conveyed is that young adults are respected enough to have their own area away from the children's section.  Librarians need to be familiar with the loan periods, library card eligibility and other policies in order to explain them to youth and enforce them (Chelton and Rosinia 1993).

Since young adults like to select recreational materials for their own use, therefore selecting of materials for young adult collections is important.  In selecting materials for young adults, there are internal factors and external factors to consider (Nichols and Nichols 1998).  The internal factors pertain to your library's priority on young adult services, spacing for young adults, composition of your collection for young adults, and collection development personnel and requirements for collection purchases.  The external factors pertain to your library community's economic climate, demographic/ethnic mix, high school curricula, and links between the schools and your library.  Examining these factors and knowing the purpose and frequency that local students use the public library will be useful in the selection process (Nichols and Nichols 1998).

In selecting for young adults, the ideal collection will contain both nonfiction and fiction.  For nonfiction, a worthy goal is to have basic volumes on a wide variety of many different subjects with emphasis on hot topics plus college and career information.  Young adult reviews are provided in Booklist, VOYA, and School Library Journal.  Also, the annual ALA/YALSA Best Books for Young Adults can assist in developing a quality collection.  There are also specific authors who are highly respected in the field of young adult nonfiction.  With fiction books, there should be adequate recreational reading plus the classics and contemporary fiction titles.  With fiction, it is probably wise to include as many genres as possible plus series books due to their wide popularity to young adults.  In selecting fiction, it would be wise to review your libraries censorship policies and book challenge policies as young adult fiction can be controversial due to violence and graphic language.  As with nonfiction, there are certain fiction authors that are must haves in the young adult collection.

Wallace states that programs for young adults have received the short end of the stick in the allocation of library resources (1993).  To improve YA programming, librarians should study the available literature about programs that have worked in other libraries with young adults.  The librarian should conduct a needs assessment to find out what kind of programs young adults want and when they want them at their library.  Young adults can be involved in the needs assessment process through youth advisory committees.  With the help of library staff and youth, the librarian should compile a list of worthwhile programs.  The librarian should seek community support and coordinate library programs with other social agencies that work with young adults.  In planning the first program, the librarian should select a program that takes minimal effort and cannot fail.  It is very important to market your programs through flyers, posters, and personal contacts in the school, the community and within the library.  After each program occurs, it should be evaluated for things done well and things that could be improved.  Also, records of staff time involved, participation, and expenses should be kept as well (Wallace 1993).

After selecting the proper materials for young adults and developing programs for them, it is essential that the library market its services to young adults.  If the library is to be successful in its marketing efforts, it has to understand its target market (the young adults) and their needs, what the competition is for their attention, and convey to them the services that only the library can provide (Nichols and Nichols 1998).  The marketing mix consists of the four Ps-product, price, place, and promotion.  In the library setting, the products in the young adult department are the services the library offers including programs, activities, your collection, and special services.  The products have to be arranged in a way that will attract young adults to the library.  The price is what it will cost to offer the desired services, not what the young adults pay for them.  The cost of staff time involved in the preparation of programs and services for young adults describes the price mix.  The place mix refers to where you offer young adult services.  If the YA area separate from the children's area and close to the adult area?  Does the young adult area have comfortable and sturdy furniture as well as a place for them to do homework?  Can they locate materials easily within the collection?  Is an OPAC or Internet station where research can be done in close range?  The promotion mix inside the library involves things such as presenting library tours, and bibliographic instruction during class visits, displaying local school artwork in the YA area to draw students to the library and making staff members aware of programs or special events that are offered for young adults.  Promotion outside the library can occur at schools (doing booktalks to classes) or through networking within the community through other organizations.  Promotion includes paid advertising plus all aspects of public relations (Nichols and Nichols 1998).

Merchandising goes along with the place mix.  It is concerned with the distribution or placement of items and taking specific actions to get your product sold.  In libraries, this means having your books circulated or enticing young adults to come to your programs.  Because young adults find materials through browsing, libraries need to display their collections in eye-catching ways to encourage young adults to use it.  Young adults are attracted to flashy covers.  Therefore, the best places for displays are near the entrance to the young adult area, at the end of the cross aisles in heavily traveled areas, or near the circulation desk (Nichols and Nichols 1998).

Two areas that will currently for the near future affect public library service to young adults are censorship/intellectual freedom and technology.  Intellectual freedom is important in any library; however, materials for young adults are particularly subject to challenges.  The public library holds the viewpoint that only the parent has the responsibility to restrict the rights of their children in relation to access to information.  This freedom provides all patrons with freedom of expression, choice, decision, and access to all ideas regardless of age.  There have been increasing challenges by groups of censors to the library materials for young adults offered in public libraries.  The largest group of censors are parents that are concerned about profanity, pornography, and sex in an explicit or realistic manner.  These items are present in young adult novels as they depict in real life.  The young adult novel gained popularity because it reflected adolescent concerns and helped young adults mature by letting them know that their worries are not aberrations, but normal.  Libraries aim to help young adults grow intellectually through providing information about topics of interest to young adults (Nichols and Nichols 1998).

Technology is very exciting to young adults and they flock to it.  Library technology includes videos, CD-Roms, OPAC's, and the Internet.  With the Internet, some people are anxious about what sites that young adults will visit in the library.  To prevent problematic Internet issues, the librarians should educate young adults with legal ramifications regarding behavior on the net.  Librarians should provide instruction to young adults if necessary about using computers.  With technology, questions will be raised in regards to access such as censorship and copyright.  With limited equipment and high demands, schedules and time limits have to come into priority.  Librarians may consider having a registration policy on the computers or limiting time on the computers.  Librarians should maintain backups of software in case of theft (Nichols and Nichols 1998).

One way that librarians can use technology to serve young adults is to create web pages to attract young adults.  Since young adults use the Internet often, it might be advantageous to libraries to develop sites for young adults.  Most library web sites contain book reviews, links, resource lists, program information, and information on library services.  Some libraries use the pages to promote their young adult advisory boards or provide continuing education while others provide music reviews and many other things (Jones 1997).

Libraries that are currently making efforts to provide quality library service to young adults include: Couch Central at the Carmel Clay Public Library; Coffee House at the Richland County Public Library; and Don't "Dis" Ability at the New York Public Library, Regional Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped.  On a national level, the YALSA division of ALA are making efforts to improve library services to young adults as well as through workshops and awards.

Couch Central is a program offered at the Carmel Clay Public Library in Indiana which describes the high school area (Vaillancourt 1998).  In the high school area, young adults can put their feet up, read, listen to CDs with headphones, and play computer games.  This area has plenty of recreational materials that young adults enjoy such as hardcover fiction, magazines, comic books, nonfiction and paperbacks.  The young adult librarian is advised on how to improve the collection and programming to serve young adults by the Teen Library Council.  The high school area has 25 teens on average each school day, 50 on Saturday, and 40 during the Sunday hours.  The older young adults enjoy having this separate area and middle schoolers sometimes hang out there.  The library is enjoying its status as a cool area in Carmel, Indiana.

Coffee House is a program that allows middle school students to come together at the library to discuss books, tell stories, play games, booktalk, read and write poetry, or relax once a month in Columbia, South Carolina.  The library takes the story time room and turns it into a cool cafe.  The track lights are dimmed, couches are placed in a semi-circle in the center of the room, and refreshments are placed on a table in the corner of the room.  The program includes floor games, poetry reading, and an open-mike period, live guitar music, and puppet shows.  The Coffee House participation has increased to 40 boys and girls; however, the month number varies.  To recruit students they frequently call students signed up for the program as reminders and call their core group of 15 as well (Kornman 1998).

Don't "Dis" Ability was created to reach out to New York City's young adults with disabilities and make them aware of services available at the Regional Library.  The goal was to contact all schools and agencies serving teens in New York City to provide information about the library's service for students with print reading disabilities and to invite all classes and groups to visit the library or have the young adult librarian visit their sites.  In 1994, the first flyers were mailed out about this program with immediately seventeen requests for additional information.  Librarians invited staff to address the classes, and teachers brought their classes for visits to the library.  The popularity of the classes continued to soar into 1995-1996 with additional speaking engagements coming and requests for visits to the library (Chelton 1997).

On the national professional level in public libraries, YALSA is the most relevant unit for information on young adult resources and services.  YALSA's goal is to advocate, promote, and strengthen service to young adults as part of the continuum of total library services.  YALSA's activities include Teen Read Week, a national literacy initiative aimed at teens and their parents, TeenHoopla, the YALSA web site created to serve their needs, planning a preconference with ALA Public Programs on presenting literary program to adults and young adults called "Live at the Library," the Margaret A. Edwards Awards are given each year to young adult authors to promote reading for the enjoyment and enrichment of teenagers and young adults, and the Alex Awards are given to books published for adults that are selected because of their potential appeal for teens (American Library Association).  The Public Library Association of the ALA has offered workshops on Young Adult services for Public Libraries.  There have been various public library adhoc groups which have developed regular workshops for continuing education, such as Books for the Beast in Baltimore (Chelton and Rosinia 1993).

The outlook for the next five years for young adult services in public libraries is mixed.  Libraries still have to decide how they are going to serve young adults--with young adult librarians or with generalists.  Secondly, libraries still have to decide what types of programming to offer young adults and provide this programming.  As technology continues to grow and expand, the public library will need to determine how it can use technology to continue to provide quality service to young adults such as offering web sites, allowing young adults to aid in the design of the website, or answering the question of whether or not to have Internet filters.

Bibliography

Anderson, Sheila B.  1997.  Teens' choice.  School Library Journal 43 (December): 49.

Chelton, Mary K.  1997, ed.  Excellence in library services to young adults: the nation's top programs.  Chicago: American Library Association.

Chelton, Mary K. and James M. Rosinia.  1993.  Bare Bones:  Young Adult service tips for public library generalist.  Chicago: American Library Association.

Donelson, Kenneth L. and Alleen Pace Nilsen, ed.  1997.  Literature for young adults.  New York: Addison-Wesley.

Gerhardt, Lillian, ed.  1997.  School Library Journal's Best.  New York: Neal-Schuman.

Jones, Patrick.  1997.  A Cyber-Room of Their Own.  School Library Journal 43 (November): 34-37.

Jones, Patrick.  1992.  Connecting young adults and libraries: a how-to-do-it manual.  New York: Neal-Schuman.

Kornman, Becky.  1998.  Cafe Middle School.  School Library Journal 44 (February): 49.

Mathews, Virginia H., Judith G. Flum, and Karen A. Whitney.  1990.  Kids Need Libraries: School and Public Libraries Preparing the Youth of Today for the World of Tomorrow.  Journal of Youth Services in Libraries. 3 (Spring): 197-207.

Nichols, Mary Anne and C. Allen Nichols, ed.  1998.  Young Adults and Public Libraries: A handbook of materials and services.  Westport: Greenwood Press.

Rogers, JoAnn V., ed.  1979.  Libraries and Young Adults: Media, Services, and Librarianship.  Littleton: Libraries Unlimited.

Vaillancourt, Renee J.  1998.  Couch Central.  School Library Journal 44 (July): 41.

Wallace, Mildred G. 1993.  Tips for Successful Young Adult Programming.  Journal of Youth Services in Libraries 6 (Summer): 387-390.