This third edition of Excellence In Library Services to Young Adults continues the work of its predecessors in highlighting a range of creative library programs that will assist librarians in improving services to young adults. The 30 programs featured have been recognised by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) as outstanding examples of recent programs held in public and school libraries across the USA.
While the top five programs featured are indeed excellent, the resources and money that has gone into them may place them out of reach for implementation in many libraries. On the other hand, many of the other 25 programs are simple and practical and could be adapted for use in even the smallest library. These include “Youth Stars”, conceived by staff at Seattle Public Library, which is a fine example of a public library working with schools and other agencies to celebrate the talents of the community’s teenagers. Programs are divided into six categories according to their primary focus. There is a range of offerings including examples of innovative responses to teenagers’ study and assignment needs, literature promotions, technology and promoting the library to teenagers as an informal meeting place. Each project has its own entry covering the group targeted, the program setting, a brief description of the program as well as details of cost and a contact person.
In addition to these inspiring examples of excellent customer service, Mary K. Chelton’s introduction provides a valuable insight into current trends in library service to young adults, particularly the barriers created by negative attitudes of library staff to what is often normal, but misunderstood, teenage behaviour. Mary Chelton is a highly respected youth services librarian, educator, writer and advocate who is currently an associate in the Graduate School of Library and Information Studies at Queens College.
In her introduction, Mary Chelton identifies some of the program’s common themes, including youth participation, collaboration with agencies, school achievement and technology. I would add that in a time where libraries need to increasingly consider their impact on society, the programs featured in this title show that libraries can play a pivotal role in the advancement of literacy, citizenship and educational achievement of young adults.
