A Year of Programs for Teens

Planning teen programming is a lot of work, so why offer programs that teens don't want? Teens need especially exciting and dynamic programs to encourage them to use the library and its resources. In A Year of Programs for Teens, two young adult specialists take teen services to a new level with step-by-step instructions for planning teen programs. Each chapter covers one month of the year and includes four to five program ideas appropriate to the season, as well as suggestions for games, passive programs, and book displays. All programs included in this collection have been tested in real libraries with live teens and offer program-specific details about supplies, preparation time, setup, and marketing tactics plus scalable program ideas for different age ranges and library budgets.

Amy J. Alessio is the Teen Coordinator at Schaumburg Township District Library in Illinois where she creates and runs teen programs and coordinates the teen advisory board. Her writing credits include articles in SCWBI Bulletin, VOYA, and American Libraries. She also is the author of YALSA s Teen Read Week Manual. Amy serves as a trainer in YALSA s Serving the Underserved program and has presented on teen and young adult service topics at state and national conferences. She received her MLS from Rosary College in River Forest, IL in May, 1996.

Kimberly A. Patton is a Young Adult Specialist at Lawrence Public Library in Kansas, where she runs teen programming as well as the Young Adult Advisory Board. Kim serves as a YALSA Serving the Underserved trainer and is an active speaker at conferences and libraries across Kansas. She has chaired several committees on summer reading manuals for young adults. Kim is a level III graduate of KPLACE (Kansas Progressive Librarians Acquiring Continuing Education) at Emporia State University.