Risky Business – Taking and Managing Risks in Library Services for Teens

YA service innovators Linda W. Braun, Hillias J. Martin, and Connie Urquhart explain how to be smart about taking risks without shying away from them. They offer concrete advice for - Laying the groundwork for change in key areas such as collection building and programming - Including technology components as part of traditional services, such as booktalks, information literacy instruction, and book discussion groups - Effectively gaining support from administrators and colleagues Real-world examples of risky change in action from librarians and authors of YA lit enrich this exploration of a topic rarely discussed in depth, but central to YA services in school and public libraries today.

The 2009 2010 president of the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), Linda W. Braun is an education technology consultant with LEO: Librarians & Educators Online. She provides training and consulting to schools, libraries, and other educational institutions on how to integrate technology successfully. She is also an adjunct faculty member at Simmons College Graduate School of Library and Information Science, where she teaches courses on Web development and teen services. Linda has written books for ALA Editions, Neal-Schuman, Libraries Unlimited, and Information Today. She is also a TAG Team Tech columnist for Voices of Youth Advocates, and was blog manager for YALSA from 2006 through 2009.


Hillias Jack Martin began working in libraries at the age of 13 when his mom volunteered him to work for his local public library in Cornelia, Georgia. Since then he has worked in Athens, Georgia, and in Providence, Rhode Island, leading him to his current position as assistant director for public programs and lifelong learning for children, teens, and families at the New York Public Library. He s an adjunct professor at Queens College and Pratt Institute, and is the coauthor of Serving Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning Teens: A How-To-Do-It Manual for Libraries. He lives on the Upper East Side of Manhattan with his husband and two bad cats.


Connie Urquhart is teen services coordinator for the Fresno County Public Library System, where she provides services to teens in all communities within Fresno County, California. She received her MLIS from the University of Washington s Information School and has presented workshops on booktalking, school and public library partnerships, and technology. An active YALSA member, Connie has served on several committees and task forces and is also a YALSA blogger. This is her first book.

The mission of Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) is to advocate, promote and strengthen library service to teens, ages 12-18, as part of the continuum of total library services, and to support those who provide library service to this population.