Calling Library Staff Serving Teens

The RI Office of Library and Information Services and the Washington State Library are participating in an exciting IMLS funded research-practice project called Transforming and Scaling Teen Services for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (TS4EDI). Despite the long name TS4EDI has a very simple goal: how can we overcome challenges in creating and evaluating teen services that are driven by teen interests?

OLIS is seeking 3-4 public libraries to participate in this project along with libraries from WA. If you provide services to teens, want to learn more about interest-driven programming, and are excited to contribute to knowledge and tools that help library staff work for and with teens, please consider participating.

TS4EDI is a research-practice partnership funded by an Institute of Museum and Library Services National Leadership Grant and led by the Connected Learning Lab at the University of California, Irvine. It is a three-year project wherein the research team will interview participating librarians, survey their teens, and observe teen programming (in-person or virtual). Participating librarians will receive training in interest-driven programming that will be in the form of coaching, forums, and online modules. Participating librarians will also get $300 for teen programming in year 1 and year 2 of the project (so $600 total).

Well, sort of three years. This project began last summer and we are already well into the year 1 work. Participation in year 3 work is optional - but honestly, year 3 is the fun part where you get to share what you've done. Also, participation doesn’t require absolute commitment to the 3 years should staffing change at your library.

• Year 1 (April 2022 – July 2022) This time frame includes:
• Interview with the researchers to discuss interest-driven programming for teens
• Select 2-4 teens to interview with researchers to discuss interest-driven programming
• Researchers observe your usual teen programming

• Year 2 (August 2022 – July 2023) This time frame includes:
• Virtual meetings with researchers and YA librarians from participating sites in WA and RI.
• Meetings will take the form of coaching/mentoring sessions, forums, online modules.
• Meetings will cover topics such as interest-driven programming and how to build evaluation into what you’re already doing. This time together will also give participating library staff the opportunity to discuss applications and designing next steps for their own libraries.
• Meetings will give RI YA librarians the opportunity to build relationships with WA YA librarians and develop a community of practice.
• Interview teens about programming.
• Reflect on programming and share observations with researchers.

• Year 3 (August 2023 – July 2024) Participation in year 3 activities is optional – This time frame includes:
• Presenting at conferences (travel costs covered by grant)
• Co-writing articles, blog posts, etc.

Well, yes and no. It is a commitment to be engaged in the process, but the work is meant to fit into what you're already doing. You are already running teen programming, so why not work with experts and other teen services colleagues to improve, collaborate, and troubleshoot? Plus the benefits can't be beat, you'll be:

• Getting hands-on help with designing interest-driven programming

• Learning how to build evaluation into your teen programming

• Participating in a community of practice (you'll be working with librarians from WA!)
  

• Developing research skills

• Expanding your competencies for serving teens

• Contributing to the profession and building your professional profile by presenting at conferences or writing articles about TS4EDI (aka looks really good on a resume...)
  

• Increasing the impact of your work on the teens you serve

Besides the professional development benefits to participating, your library will benefit by:

• ​​Building a national profile by participating in an initiative supported by IMLS, YALSA, and PLA

• Receiving $300 toward teen programming each year in years 1 and 2

• Incorporating vibrant programming without asking library staff to add new responsibilities

Attached below is a flyer for sharing all the details with administration. If you'd like to take a deep dive into the project you can find both the preliminary and full IMLS grant proposals here. If you or your administrators have any questions please contact Danielle Margarida. We can also arrange a meeting with the project's researchers for further clarification.

Fantastic! Please submit the form below no later than March 28th for your library to be considered as a participating site. We will be accepting no more than four libraries and selection will be made based on the variety of library sizes, settings, and community demographics sought by this project. Applicants will be be contacted by March 29th.

Email: danielle.margarida@olis.ri.gov
Website: http://www.olis.ri.gov/
Location: 1 Capitol Hill Providence, RI 02908
Phone: 401-574-9309 401-400-3006
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/olisri
Twitter: @olisri