Teen Times Spring 2016

I borrowed this idea from another teen librarian and put my own spin on it. After nearly three years as a teen librarian I was to an almost burnt out point with programming. I was in a total rut. And the epic endless possibilities of teen programming is one of my favorite parts of my job! 

Thankfully, I was mid rut around the time of the annual CYPD conference (a yearly conference in Indiana that gathers all levels of youth librarians from both public & school libraries). One of the breakout sessions I went to was focused on teen programming, and by the end of it I was convinced I saw a little halo above the presenting librarian.

At the time, I was planning out after school programs about 2 months ahead of time and felt like it was the most stressful and time consuming part of my job. I'm the only staff in my library's teen department, so effective time management crucial in keeping things going. 

What did I learn?

1) Keep things consistent. 
     If you have clubs (Teen Advisory Group, book club, movie club, gaming club, etc.) set aside one afternoon that's "club day." For my teens, Monday worked out. 
     Tuesdays became the day I alternated between a food, game, or craft program. 
     I left Wednesdays open (with passive programs, board games, and maker kits available) to give me a day to focus on other tasks. 
     Thursday is volunteer day. I have teens who need hours for various school groups or clubs, so I set aside small projects I haven't had time to get to (even shelving or shelf reading).
     Fridays is when our Gamer's Guild meets. Also known as intense, loud, Wii Sports & Just Dance time.

2) Embrace passive programs.
     I completely copied her boredom cart idea. I keep a few shelves of crafting supplies, coloring pages, puzzles, and the like that are always available. Perfect for the days I don't have active programs going on! 
     There's also a passive "program of the week" on a cart in my teen room. It could be a word search. Could be a craft. Could be a soduku puzzle. Something easy that they can complete once a week for a piece of candy (I'm not above bribery). 

3) Divide up your year.
     Think of this as meal prep for your programs. Invest a chunk of time and then hit the cruise control as you've got your programming set for several months out. What worked for me was dividing my year up into Spring (Jan-Apr), Summer (May-Aug), and Fall (Sept-Dec). Do what works for you & your teens! 

Click here for a link to my spring pamphlet!