PAIN IN THE BRAIN:
TEEN LIBRARY
(MIS) BEHAVIOR 101
Presented by Beth Gallaway for NHLA, May 2009

Beth Gallaway: Contact & Slides
Email: informationgoddess29@gmail.com
Cell: 603.247.3196
Slides: http://slideshare.net/informationgoddess29/
Links:
http://delicious.com/informationgoddess29/brain

Do you have Ephebiphobia?
(Fear & Loathing of Youth)

Library Behaviors
 Groups
 Blocking entrance or
access
 Roaming
 Taking up space
 “Courting” Behavior
 Backtalk and
“disrespect”
 Eating & drinking
 Cell phone use

Library Behaviors
 Language
 Sex
 Vandalism
 Theft
 Violence
 Cyberbullying

Differentiate between the 2 Ds:
 Disruptive
 Normal
 Annoying
 Dangerous
 Abnormal
 Harmful to self & others
 Illegal

Why Do Teenagers Act That Way?
 They hate the library!
 They hate YOU (the librarian)!
 It’s a contest!
(not really)

Influences on Teen Behavior
 Cultural
 Sociological
 Psychological
 Biological
 Personal

Cultural
 Who taught you how to behave in the library?
 How do patrons know how to behave in the library

Sociological
 Who do teens spend their time with?

Psychological
 What are teens going through during adolescence?
 What are the unique experiences that characterize
them?

On Rules
 Create a behavior policy
 Same rules for everyone
 No rules set up to fail
 The less rules, the better
 Word rules in a positive way
 Leave rules open ended

Developmental Needs
 Positive Social Interaction with Adults & Peers
 Structure & Clear Limits
 Physical Activity
 Creative Expression
 Competence & Achievement
 Meaningful Participation
 Opportunities for Self-Definition
Source: National Middle School Association (1996). Research Summary: Young Adolescent’s
Developmental Needs, 2006

Developmental Needs
 Positive Social Interaction with Adults & Peers
(seek attention, socialization)
 Structure & Clear Limits
(push boundaries, challenge authority)
 Physical Activity
(run from computer to computer, roam)
 Creative Expression
(vandalism, MySpace
 Competence & Achievement
(competitive behavior, Runescape obsession)
 Meaningful Participation
(opininated, socialization)
 Opportunities for Self-Definition
National Middle School Association (1996). Research Summary: Young Adolescent’s Developmental Needs, 2006

Biological
 The corpus callosum stopped developing around
age 5 (grows through adolescence)
 The brain didn’t grow after age 10 (grows through
adolescence)
 Myelination was complete before puberty
(continues well into young adulthood)

BRAIN DIAGRAM
Source: http://www.thecuriousmind.com/brain-cm.html

Dopamine
Dopamine levels fluctuate
Controls:
 Smooth motor skills
 Pleasure center
Results in:
 Risk-taking, novelty seeking
 Excitability, loudness
Source: http://www.3dchem.com/imagesofmolecules/Dopamine.jpg

Serotonin
Serotonin levels fluctuate
Controls:
• Temperature
• Mood
• Appetite
• Emotion
Results in:
 Moodiness

Melatonin
Melatonin cycle differs from
adults
Controls:
 Sleep/wake cycles
 Biological clock
Results:
 Brain development
 REM sleep has been linked
to learning ability

Lack of Sleep
Sleep deprivation results in:
 Crankiness
 Depression
 Insomnia
 Perceived laziness
 Lack of energy
 Poor Judgement

Myelin Sheath
The myelin sheath coats nerves and
improves connection speeds
Facilitates:
 Intelligent response to gut reactions
 Learning new things
 Concrete thought to abstract
thought
Results in:
 Reacting
 Poor memory/recall
 Lack of focus and attention
 Poor organizational skills
 Bad impulse control
Source: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/images/ency/fullsize/9682.jpg

The Brain and Gender
 Girl’s brains myelinate faster than boys – may
account for earlier “emotional maturity”
 The amygdala prompter of gut impulses grows faster
in boys, prompting development of physical and
spatial skills, and other cerebellum processes
 The hippocampus memory center grows faster in girls,
prompting development in social cognition

Behavioral Strategies
 Boundary setting is extremely important
 Address behavior in terms of actions and
consequences in a matter of fact, non-threatening
manner

Set Boundaries
 State unacceptable behavior
 Optional: explain why it’s unacceptable
 State consequence of continued unacceptable
behavior
 Ask patron to choose to cease behavior, or find
somewhere else to continue behavior

Examples
“John, it’s too noisy over here, and some people are trying
to study. If you continue to be disruptive, I will need to
ask you to leave. You can choose to lower the volume
level and stay or you can choose to leave.
Mary, your computer time is up, we have someone waiting.
If you continue to violate the time limit, I will have to
suspend your computer privileges. You can choose to log
off now and get more time tomorrow, or lose your
computer access for 2 days.”

Keep in Mind…
“Librarians do not kick teens out of the library.
Teens get themselves kicked out of the library,
because of their behavior.”
~ Nick Buron, NYPL, Queens Branch

Correcting Behavior
 3 Strikes & You’re Out!
 Target the Group Leader
 Good Cop, Bad Cop
 Invade Personal Space

Follow Through
 Welcome back
 Introduce yourself
 Discuss behavior incident
 Reinforce consequences of actions
 Start with a clean slate

Top 4 Ways to Nip Bad Behavior
1. Create raving fans of the library
2. Develop personal relationships
3. Give them a space of their own
4. Program them to death

Create Raving Fans
 Brush up your customer service skills
 Deliver excellent reference
 Deliver excellent reader’s advisory
 Cultivate meaningful youth participation:
 Give them what they want
 Foster ownership of the library and teen space

Develop Personal Relationships
 Talk to teens when they do something RIGHT
 Introduce yourself, repeatedly
 Greet patrons by name
 Get out from behind the desk
 Get out of the library

Give Them a Room of Their Own
 More than just a shelf
and a poster
 Convert a meeting
room to a homework
center or program
room a few days a
week
 Designate a staff
person to serve teens

Program Them to Death
 Engage them in
meaningful
participation
 Give teens positive
ways to expend their
energy
 Offer after school
activities
 Cultivate a volunteer
program

Reminders for Librarians
 Stay calm
 It’s not personal
 Teens are job security
 Learn to RAP

RAP
 Remember
 Accept
 Project

Thank You!
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Email: informationgoddess29@gmail.com
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