Teen Services fosters learning, personal development, and civic engagement among teens in a culturally responsive, information-rich, and technologically advanced environment to prepare teens for productive and fulfilling adult lives. The Young Adult Library Services Association's Teen Outcomes guide this work.
Teen Services partners with schools, nonprofits, and community-based organizations in Multnomah County to ensure that library services and programs have a broad reach. Programs are developed to align with the Young Adult Library Services Association's national guidelines and the Search Institute's Developmental Relationships Framework. Teen Services also provides training for all public services staff on adolescent development and best practices for effectively engaging teens.
Action Team and Staff
Teen Action Team (TAcT), tact@multco.us
- Jody Redifer, BCC Program Specialist, Donald E. Long Outreach
- Gretchen Kolderup, Program Specialist, Library Makerspace @ Rockwood
- Jay Hadley, Teen Librarian, Rockwood
- Marten Malelu, Teen Librarian, Central
- Maggie Novario, Teen Librarian, Holgate
- Chloë St. Clair, Teen Librarian, Gresham
Teen Councils
Teen Council empowers teens to improve the library and the community through opportunities to build leadership skills, earn service hours, and have fun with other teens and library staff. In practice, Teen Council meetings may sometimes look like teens getting volunteer hours for mostly socializing, but in fact we're guiding them in building some of the 40 Developmental Assets by using the 5 Developmental Relationship Practices: Express Care, Challenge Growth, Provide Support, Share Power, and Expand Possibilities.
Teen & Tween Services Best Practices Handbook
Tip: When searching online for tips on what other library systems are doing with their Teen Councils, it's helpful to know what other libraries call them:
- Teen Advisory Board
- Teen Advisory Council
- Teen Advisory Group
- Teen Leadership Council
- Volunteens
- Youth Council
Other Services and Programs
Teen and Tween Services Best Practices Handbook (above) has information and guidance about planning staff and teen-led programs, and you’re also strongly encouraged to consult directly with the Teen Services Librarian and the Teen Action Team. Systemwide Events maintains the Programming Framework, a big-picture planning tool guiding the development and delivery of quality events at MCL.
Donald E Long Juvenile Justice
Oregon Battle Of the Books (OBOB) is a statewide voluntary reading motivation and comprehension program sponsored by the Oregon Association of School Libraries (OASL) in conjunction with a Library Services and Technology Act grant. Small teams of students “battle” in one of three grade divisions: 3rd-5th grade, 6th-8th grade, and 9th-12th grade. MCL provides services with an equity focus.
Anime & Manga Clubs program guide
Other Resources
Oregon Young Adult Network (OYAN)
Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) resources & tools
Reader's Advisory
Teen Librarian Toolbox (TLT) is a professional development website for teen librarians, created by Karen Jensen and collecting the experience of four MLS librarians and over 50 collective years of library work. Our mission is to to help libraries serving teens (and anyone who cares about teens) and to foster a community of professional development and resource sharing by providing quality information, discussions, book reviews and more.