LGBTQAI+ Books

Door, Christina, and Liz Deskins. LGBTQAI+Books for Children and Teens: Providing a Window for All. ALA Editions, 2018. ISBN: 978-0-8389-1649-0

Description: 
There is a rich and varied body of literature for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, asexual/allied and intersexed young people, which can function as a mirror for LGBTQAI+ individuals and as a window for others. This resource for librarians who work with children and teens not only surveys the best in LGBTQAI+ lit but, just as importantly, offers guidance on how to share it in ways that encourage understanding and acceptance among parents, school administrators, and the wider community. Helping to fill a gap in serving this population, this guide

• discusses the path to marriage equality, how LGBTQAI+ terms have changed, and reasons to share LGBTQAI+ literature with all children;
• presents annotated entries for a cross-section of the best LGBTQAI+ lit and nonfiction for young children, middle year students, and teens, with discussion questions and tips;
• offers advice on sensitive issues such as starting conversations with young people, outreach to stakeholders, and dealing with objections and censorship head on; and
• ideas for programming and marketing.

This resource gives school librarians, children’s, and YA librarians the guidance and tools they need to confidently share these books with the patrons they support.

Table of Contents: 
Foreword: LGBTQAI+ Books Save Lives, by Jamie Campbell Naidoo
Introduction: Windows into Reality

Chapter 1    Books and Conversation for Young Readers
Chapter 2    Books and Conversation for Middle Grade Readers
Chapter 3    Books and Conversation for Teen Readers

Final Thoughts: It’s about Basic Human Rights
Appendix: Additional Resources
Glossary
About the Authors
Index

Crash Course in Young Adult Services

Crash Course in Young Adult Services, by Sarah Flowers. Libraries Unlimited, 2017. 978-1-4408-5170-4.

Publisher's Description
A library can be a tremendous resource for teens—one that helps them to learn about themselves and the world they live in. But teenagers are intrinsically different from children and from adults, and these critical developmental differences affect the ways they interact with others, both in the world at large and in the library. Serving teens effectively in the library requires a basic understanding of who teens are and the developmental tasks they face—factors that affect all aspects of library service, from the specific programs and services we offer to the ways that staff provide assistance to the teen who is seeking help at a library service desk.

This book enables library workers to better understand adolescent development, which allows them to provide a positive library experience for teens. Readers will learn how to supply excellent library services with and for teens, including in the areas of collection development, readers' advisory, reference and homework help, programming, and advocacy. The book identifies the best ways to have positive interactions with teens in the library based on their mental development and details best practices for teen services. The concluding section discusses advocating for teens, with emphasis on their right to privacy and equal access to materials and services.

Features

• Enables librarians to create a welcoming environment for teens in the library
• Explains how to better understand teen patrons by finding out what teens read, listen to, and watch, enabling you to guide them to "something good to read"
• Provides guidance in how to help teens meet their homework or other information needs
• Examines thorny issues regarding access, privacy, challenges to materials, and Internet use

More Information

See the publisher's website for author information and a look inside.

Putting Teens First in Library Services

Braun, L. W., & Peterson, S. (2017). Putting Teens First in Library Services: A Road Map. Chicago, IL: Young Adult Library Services Association.

Implementing innovative teen services in libraries requires that library staff learn and adapt with their communities. Using core concepts outlined in YALSA’s The Future of Library Services for and With Teens: A Call to Action report as a spring-board, this publication takes a deep dive into the theory and practice behind meaningful, cutting-edge teen programs and services with contributions from diverse leaders in the field including front-line practitioners, managers, and researchers. From novice to expert, readers will explore the knowledge and information that they need in order to design a relevant and sustainable strategy, which will improve the lives of the teens that they serve.(book description)

Teen Services Today

Joiner, S. K., & Swanzy, G. (2017). Teen Services Today: A practical Guide for Librarians. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.

Two authors with more than 20 years of combined experience share their practical experience serving teens in public libraries. Teen Services Today highlights best practices, including resources and references, to quickly implement programs and services to young adults.

Although teen services covers ages 12 to 18, a world of developmental changes and interest levels exist within those six short years. Teens offer a range of opportunities for public libraries, not simply as patrons, but also as advocates and volunteers.

Special features of the book include:

• Basic information on the fundamental services and programs for teens
• Reasons for providing services to teens
• Examples of successful teen programs, complete with lists of needed supplies and potential costs, that can generally be performed by one or two staff members
• Checklists and forms

Teen Services Today: A Practical Guide for Librarians gives all library staff the tools they need to work with teens. Whether you are the teen librarian, the clerk who’s been assigned to ‘do something’ about teens or the branch manager who sees an underserved population, this book will provide you with the building blocks to create successful relationships with the teens who use your library.

(book description)

Sex, Brains, & Video Games

Pierce, J. B. (2017). Sex, Brains, & Video Games: Information and Inspiration for Youth Services Librarians (2nd ed.). Chicago, IL: ALA Editions. 978-0-8389-1548-6.

Publisher's description:

How do we break through and truly reach our young adult patrons? It begins with understanding them. Librarians who work with teens need information and a big-picture perspective on adolescence that reflects the latest knowledge of cognate fields and the contemporary realities of young people’s lives. In this greatly revised and updated edition of her popular guide Burek Pierce provides exactly that, selecting and synthesizing emerging information from multiple fields of research to effectively support librarians’ work with teens. Far-reaching but pragmatic, this book

• discusses such important topics as identity and community, sex and sexualities, what experts can tell us about the adolescent brain, and how teens use technology to mediate the world;
• replaces outdated developmental theories that have been discarded in their home fields but are still sometimes used in the LIS world;
• looks at how to blend what research tells us about teens with day-to-day work in libraries;
• reflects new norms of professional practice, such as the increased importance of community
• engagement and partnerships, offering librarians a path towards cooperation and collaboration with peers outside the library world; and
• includes a bibliography of essential reading for YA librarians.

Educators and practitioners, as well as students preparing to enter the field, will all benefit from this compact overview of contemporary research on adolescence.

The Readers' Advisory Guide to Graphic Novels

Goldsmith, F. (2017). The Readers' Advisory Guide to Graphic Novels (2nd ed.). Chicago, IL: ALA Editions. 978-0-8389-1509-7

The first edition of this readers’ advisory represented a pioneering effort to provide help and encouragement to librarians diving into this exciting format, and since then the popularity of graphic novels has continued apace. Goldsmith has updated her guide to encompass a bounty of new titles, authors, and styles, ensuring its continued usefulness as a tool for both RA and collection development. Suitable for newbies and hardcore fans alike, this book

• sketches in the history of graphic novels, tracing their evolution and showing what makes them unique;
• explores traditional and cutting edge titles most friendly to children, teens, and adults, reflecting the burgeoning and maturing publishing efforts made for each of these audiences;
• discusses common themes, topics, and the place of diversity in graphic novels;
• gives in-depth guidance on ways to connect readers to titles they’ll be sure to love;
• offers ideas for media tie-ins, displays, programming, book clubs, and more;
• includes annotated bibliographies, with appeal characteristics noted, and multiple indexes to ensure that locating the right graphic novel is a snap; and
• provides detailed tips for keeping current and aware of new titles and trends.

(book description)

Young Adult Literature: From Romance to Realism

Cart, M. (2016). Young Adult Literature: From Romance to Realism (3 ed.). Chicago, IL: Neal-Schuman. 978-0-8389-1462-5.

Cart’s authoritative survey is already a go-to text for students of literary studies, teachers, and YA staff. In this new edition he gives it a thorough update to make it even more relevant and comprehensive. Surveying the landscape of YA lit both past and present, this book

• sketches in the origins of literature targeted at young adults;
• shows how the best of the genre has evolved to deal with subjects every bit as complex as its audience;
• closely examines teen demographics, literacy, audiobooks, the future of print, and other key topics;
• includes updated treatment of best-selling authors like John Green, Suzanne Collins, and Veronica Roth, plus interviews with leaders in the field;
• presents new and expanded coverage of perennially popular genre fiction, including horror, sci fi, and dystopian fiction;
• offers an updated overview of LGBTQ literature for young adults, including Intersex;
• covers such commercial trends as adult purchasers of YA books and the New Adult phenomenon; and
• features abundant bibliographic material to aid in readers’ advisory and collection development.

Cart’s up-to-date coverage makes this the perfect resource for YA librarians who want to sharpen their readers’ advisory skills, educators and teachers who work with young people, and anyone else who wants to understand where YA lit has been and where it’s heading.

(book description)

Club Programs for Teens

Club Programs for Teens: 100 Activities for the Entire Year by Amy J. Alessio and Heather Booth.

Chicago, IL: ALA Editions. 978-0-8389-1334-5.

Want to keep the momentum going after a successful teen event? That “one off” can easily be turned into a popular monthly club that will keep young adults coming back. Alessio, co-author of the bestsellers A Year of Programs for Teens and A Year of Programs for Teens 2, and Booth, co-editor of The Whole Library Handbook: Teen Services, show you how. Designed to be used in school or public library settings, this uniquely themed program guide

• Offers guidance on how to handle summer, winter and year-round reading programs, with activities ranging from easy to elaborate
• Provides activities useful for libraries with monthly teen clubs as well as those who want to plan occasional fun events
• Saves planning time and offers maximum flexibility by cross-referencing programs by themes, allowing one program to be used with different audiences
• Includes resource lists, readlikes, tips for success, and lessons learned from programs that went awry

Whether you’re a teen program novice or simply want to make your existing programming more effective, the club programs presented here will make teens excited to return to your library week after week.
(book description)

Dragons in the Stacks

Steven A. Torres-Roman and Cason E. Snow. (2014). Dragons in the Stacks: A Teen Librarian's Guide to Tabletop Role-Playing by  Santa Barbara, CA: Libraries Unlimited. 978-1-61069-261-8.

A one-stop, complete guide to tabletop role-playing games for novice librarians as well as seasoned players.

Tabletop role-playing games (RPGs) are a perfect fit for library teen services. They not only hold great appeal for teen patrons, but also help build important skills ranging from math and literacy to leadership and dramatics. Role-playing games are cost-effective too. Dragons in the Stacks explains why RPGs are so effective at holding teenagers' attention, identifies their specific benefits, outlines how to select and maintain a RPG collection, and demonstrates how they can enhance teen services and be used in teen programs. Detailed reviews of role-playing games are included as well, with pointers on their strengths, weaknesses, and library applications. Coauthored by an experienced young adult librarian and an adult services librarian, this is the definitive guide to RPGs in the library, and the only one currently available.

Features

• Discusses collection development, cataloging, and programs for teens 
• Supplies detailed reviews of scores of popular and less well-known role-playing games 
• Outlines a variety of affordable, effective programs for teens that involve role-playing tabletop games

(book description)

Real-World Teen Services

Velasquez, J. (2015) Read-World Teen Services. Chicago, IL: ALA Editions. 978-0-8389-1342-0.

There are plenty of resources about teen services that focus on YA readers’ advisory and programming ideas. But the basics of day-to-day service to teens in the library setting, a discipline requiring specific skills, is all too often glossed over in professional literature.  As a result many LIS grads begin serving teens armed with an incomplete understanding of why their job is both important and unique, and what they need to know from day one. This compromises their effectiveness as both young adult librarians and advocates for teen services. In this down-to-earth book, former Library Journal Mover & Shaker Velásquez explores real-world challenges and obstacles to teen service that often present themselves, offering solutions and guidance for both new YA librarians and those wanting to freshen up their approach. Presenting fresh ways of thinking about the role of the teen services librarian and how it fits into the organizational structure, Velásquez

• Combines field-tested approaches with current research to tackle common teen library service issues such as truancy, curfews, programming philosophy and mission, privacy, and organizational resistance, whether subtle or overt
• Addresses each topic from the perspective of working with teens, family members, fellow colleagues, and community stakeholders
• Presents realistic strategies to help shift a library’s culture towards one that embraces teens and teen services
• Shows how to get the most out of a library’s teen space, discussing factors like location, age restrictions, time of day restrictions, and staffing, plus suggestions for using the shelf-space of the YA collection as a starting point

This book goes beyond the “what” and “how” of teen services to get to the “why,” ensuring that both new and experienced practitioners will understand the ways teens want to use public space, discover and create information, and interact with peers and adults.

(book description)

Librarian's Guide to Passive Programming

Wichman, Emily T. (2012). Librarian's Guide to Passive Programming: Easy and Affordable Activities for All Ages. Santa Barbara, CA: Libraries Unlimited. 978-1-59884-895-3.

Librarian's Guide to Passive Programming: Easy and Affordable Activities for All Ages presents plans for 32 passive programs designed to capture the attention of library patrons. Each chapter—which contains programs grouped thematically—details the steps necessary to reproduce the programs, and includes supporting handouts, activities, and photographs. This helpful guide also examines what passive programming is, why passive programming is relevant, and offers strategies across all aspects of its implementation—from developing program ideas to evaluating program success.

Features:

• Step-by-step instructions for more than 30 individual programs
• Lists of supplies and resources needed for program implementation
• Alternative approaches for how to adapt the program for in-house or online use
• Strategies for developing, marketing, and evaluating passive programs

Highlights:

• Includes activities for promoting patrons' interest in—and use of—the library
• Details the steps necessary to reproduce the programs
• Provides tips for developing program ideas
• Reveals ways to stretch programming dollars and staff resources

(book description)

DIY Programming and Book Displays

Struckmeye, Amanda Moss and Hetzler, Svetha.  (2010). DIY Programming and Book Displays: How to Stretch Your Programming without Stretching Your Budget and Staff. Santa Barbara, CA: Libraries Unlimited. 978-1-59884-472-6.

Organized around 12 thematic chapters, the book explains how to set up and maintain a do-it-yourself station and offers instructions for a variety of year activities. Reproducible materials and booklists are included as well. Librarians may use the activities as starting points for generating their own ideas or they may simply photocopy materials in the book for ready-to-use, monthly DIY programming. Once set up, the DYI station is available to patrons anytime they are in the library. Best of all, because DIY programs do not rely on staff, space, or special materials, they allow libraries to make the most of their resources without sacrificing patron service.

Features:

• Month-by-month organization, with two programs per month
• Plenty of reproducibles to help librarians get DIY stations up and running in no time
• Photographs or illustrations beginning each chapter
• A thematic, annotated booklist for each chapter

Highlights:

• Offers a one-stop guide to simple, easy, and affordable library activities for children, 'tweens, teens, and families
• Provides flexible, monthly themes as starting points for librarians who can vary the themes—or not—as they wish
• Contains virtually everything a librarian needs to get started, without costly materials or elaborate instructions
• Suggests activities and displays that can each be adapted to various ages

(book description)