This One From Last Week caught my eye. Why must we “lure teens” into the library? Doesn’t it make us sound creepy? A quick search of some newspaper archives shows me we’ve been doing it for years! Do reporters do this on purpose? Some other goofy headlines:
USC library’s lure: Modernized facility attracts By: Hammond, James T.. State
Warren library branch lures teen readers with style and clothing show By: Dunn, Andrew. Herald-Sun
Books aren’t the hook when libraries lure kids to video-game events By: Newman, Heather. Detroit Free Press
Books aren’t the hook: Video game events lure young people — especially boys — to local libraries By: Newman, Heather. Detroit Free Press
Library is ‘more of a cool place’ now: Video games, once shunned, are being used to lure teens By: James, Douane D.. Sun-Sentinel
Library lures girls to books with looks: Beauty tips focus of event for teens By: Cuniff, Meghann M.. Spokesman-Review
Online databases
I am so scared that with all these hi-tech libraries kids will read less and less.
-armine
really not a new thing
Here’s how a 12-year-old Charles Schulz was lured into the library:
http://centralloop.blogspot.com/2007/12/blog-post.html
teen is libraries…
….we want the teens to feel comfortable enough to use the library for homework, and to come back again for leisure/pleasure reading as adults.
also the biggest group of patrons tend to be parents bringing their own children into the library to use it. Many parents, especially immigrant parents, or those with little experience in the library themselves as children, do not introduce their own children to the fun and learning opportunities the library offers.
so we try to attract the teens now, making it a fun service sort of experience with materials (lots of books and graphic novels mostly) that they are interested in. (yes they also get an hour a day on the internet) it is an investment not only in our own future, but in theirs and that of their children.