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Teen Clubs @ APL
- 2. So you have teens in your library… congrats! That’s the first step in accomplishing your goal. Now comes the second (perhaps trickier) part… KEEPING them. Which programs work? Which don’t? Holiday Stocking Stuffers
- 3. We will be looking at: › Clubs and other events Anime club, writing club, book clubs, Lego club Movies and art contests › What succeeds, what fails, and why › How do you start a new program? › What a standard program may look like › Advertising?! Lego Club
- 4. Remember being fourteen and awkward?
- 5. Creative writing club › Poems, short stories, plays, novels, NaNoWriMo Started August 2013 Ages 10-17 Meets every Thursday @ 4:30-5:30 Started with a core group of 6 girls, now have 12-16
- 6. Includes sharing your work, completing writing prompts, collaborative writing › Have written: plays, short stories, micro stories, poems, novels › Most popular: short stories & plays Major projects: › December 2013, 30 minute play › April 2014, Poetry Slam › May 2015, three skits for Lib-Con › May 2016, three more skits
- 7. Top left: Trope fishing during a meeting Bottom left: Lib-Con 2015 skits Top right: Bullies, Fairytales, and Awakenings Oh My! Original play, 2013 Bottom right: Poetry Slam, April 2014
- 8. Pros › Dedicated group › Amazing friendships form › Teen base › Easy & cheap program to set up (paper, pens, etc.) › Creative, broadens writing scope, learns from others Cons › Will not appeal to every teen › Must have writing knowledge to lead group › Can be tiring to meet every week › Age range too broad 12 - 17Poetry Slam
- 9. Sample story round That night I saw… A fluffy unicorn. The unicorn loved everyone. Unfortunately, it’s mortal enemy, the dragon, had the exact opposite feeling. And the dragon was set on finding it and changing its feeling. So he began his long trek to the magic forest where the creature lived. But first, he needed a form of transportation, for the journey was very long. Since no one had developed faster travel, he decided to take a train. Unfortunately, they wouldn’t let him on the train. Unless he paid… In the currency of flip-flops.
- 10. So what does a normal program look like? …crazy
- 11. Started August 2015 Ages 8-18 Meets 2nd Wednesday of every month @ 4:00 Lasts for an hour Sometimes have themes, sometimes free build
- 12. Pros: › Great attendance (40+ kids first meeting) › Easy to set up › Runs itself › Encourages imagination and engineering Cons: › Expensive to start › May not have regular dedicated attendees › Draws in younger kids (okay for us)
- 13. Most popular age range: 8-14 More boys than girls Huge boom in social interaction – meet lots of new people, kids work together
- 14. What is anime? › Style of Japanese film or TV › Aimed at children, teens, and adults What is cosplay? › The act of making and/or wearing costumes intended to mimic characters from movies, TV, video games, etc. Amanda Sasser cosplaying Valka (How to Train Your Dragon 2)
- 15. Originally ran 2006-2011 Regular monthly attendance of 15-25 teens with over 50 attending for special events › Cosplay contests, art contests, etc. Ages 13-18 Anime provided by Funimation Entertainment Club canceled Dec 2011
- 16. Pics from original anime club 2006-2011
- 17. Restarted the club in May 2015 Average 14 attendees Meets the 1st Tuesday of every month @ 6:30 Ages 14-25 Watches three episodes of anime at a time › Current anime shown: Fairy Tail and xxxHOLiC › xxxHOLiC in English, Fairy Tail in Japanese with English subtitles › Use Movie Licensing USA $75 per year for one branch
- 18. Pros › Anime is HUGE right now › Easy to manage and set up for › Cheap to run besides the license › Dedicated group of attendees › May bring in the “quiet” kids Cons › Age range may not work for all venues › Anime license is limited › Most anime available is TV14 or TVMA › Anime has a bad reputation Fairy Tail © Funimation
- 19. Pics from current anime club
- 20. Have attempted two different book clubs this past year Both for ages 13-18, monthly meeting One based on the Lone Star book list; other was a traditional Both allowed participants to chose the books
- 21. The Lone Star book club has since been cancelled South’s traditional book club recently restarted, still small monthly numbers Why do book clubs not succeed in the public library? What could we try to make them more successful?
- 22. Teens getting serious about art Open contests can encourage and motivate them What do you need to start a contest? › Great advertising › Distinct timeline › Strong, diverse panel of judges Top: Lyric K.’s winning entry to Window Wrap-Up Right: Teen paint night for Decorate Our Door
- 23. Utilize fangirls › Kids & teens draw what they like Display their work somewhere › Kids (and parents) love to see their work Decorate Our Door & Window Wrap-Up › Not as many entries as expected › Paint nights › Permanent mark on building Decorate Our Door winner, Belle W.
- 24. Hosted once a month at Main and South; 3rd Tuesday @ 6:00 at Main, After Hours @ 6:00 on 3rd Friday at South Films rated PG or PG-13 Newest releases with some older classics Not as successful as originally thought › Average numbers = 5-15 attendees › After Hours does better than evening movie • Pros: New releases, sample bookmarks, posters, etc. • Con: Advertising
- 25. Do crafts for teens work? Needs to appeal to them: nerdy, specific (painting), or involve food Tween Time: Painting Party
- 26. What to expect › Younger participants › Lower numbers › Lots and lots and lots of food › More expensive supplies › More preparation › Teens want to be challenged Tween Time: Pizza Cookies
- 27. Keys to successful craft programs › Advertise thoroughly › High appeal › Creative, innovative, or challenging › Know what your teens want Top: Teen Time: DIY Masquerade Masks Right: Teen Time: Doctor Who
- 28. Key to a successful program is strong advertising In-house advertising › Flyers › Website › Word of mouth › Teen Scene Outside advertising › TV › Radio › Newspapers › Social media Individual flyers for programs vs bookmark with list of all programs
- 29. Sample flyers
- 30. You’re fired up, ready to get teens into your library, ready to try some new programs… now what? Don’t be discouraged by numbers › May start out with only 3-4 teen participants › Go after tweens/middle schoolers Teen Time: Cosmic Coasters
- 31. Talk to parents too › Many of your targeted audience may not have a driver’s license yet… Encourage teens to bring their friends And, most importantly… don’t forget that food Minute to Win It
- 32. Many pros and cons to teen programming Takes more time, effort, and money than children’s programs Providing a safe, creative space can offer teens something they can’t get anywhere else In conclusion… don’t forget that food! Tween Time: Dreamcatchers
Editor's Notes
- Because that’s totally what teens think you are
- Remember being fourteen and awkward? You couldn’t express yourself, didn’t know who to trust, who would accept you… sometimes library clubs can provide a safe haven for teens who feel they don’t fit in anywhere else. Common interests unite individuals.
- Creative writing club Poems, short stories, plays, novels, NaNoWriMo Started August 2013 Ages 10-17 Meets every Thursday @ 4:30-5:30 Started with a core group of 6 girls Had a few members come and go, but these 6 came faithfully every week (more or less)
- Pros Dedicated group. Because of the limited appeal interest, those who come, really want to come Amazing friendships form Dedicated teen base – often come to other teen events, used as volunteers, etc. Easy & cheap program to set up (paper, pens, etc.) Gives an outlet that fun and creative, expands horizons, broadens writing scope, learns from others Cons Will not appeal to every teen Must have writing knowledge base or passion to lead group Can be tiring to meet every week (we do to maintain consistency) Age range too broad, would do 12-17 if could now
- Sample program guide Prepare a writing prompt earlier in the week (or that day) Open door at 4:30 First five minutes spent talking, letting late comers straggle in Introductions if there are newcomers (name, age, random fact that is chosen that day) Review writing prompt given the week before. Read aloud, or at least discuss what they wrote on Writing exercise: story round, story starters/enders, blind word choice Write for 10-30 minutes (depending on exercise and how long prompt took) Read exercise results 5:25, give new prompt to be completed that week (picture prompt, fanfiction, what if scenario, etc.)
- Started August 2015 Ages 8-18 Most popular age range: 10-14 More boys than girls One of our goals, as girls tend to come to the library more overall Sometimes have themes, sometimes free build
- Sample program guide: Set up an hour before program starts Legos set out on two tables in front of room. Participants can take plates of Legos back to seats/tables set up in the rest of the auditorium Walk around and let patrons know about program 10-15 minutes before it starts Open doors at 4:00 Briefly describe theme (if there is one) Build 4:00 – 4:50 4:50 give ten minute warning 4:55, finished building, kids start to take apart projects or bring to the front if they don’t want to destroy it Usually really good about helping to pick up
- Originally ran 2006-2011 Regular monthly attendance of 15-25 teens and young adults, with over 50 attending for special events Cosplay contests, art contests, etc. Anime provided by Funimation Entertainment, the leading distributor in North America for anime Club was canceled in December 2011 when Funimation began charging $7 per month to use their services
- Restarted the club in May 2015 Average 14 attendees Meets the 1st Tuesday of every month @ 6:30 For ages 14-25 Intended to appeal to our traditional teen demographic as well as the multitude of college students in the area Watches three episodes of anime at a time Two anime are shown at each meeting; currently the titles are “Fairy Tail” and “xxxHOLiC” (1 episode from one, 2 from the other, alternating every month) Fairy Tail is shown in English (called dub anime), while xxxHOLiC is shown in Japanese with English subtitles (called subbed anime) Use Movie Licensing USA for rights to show anime -- $75 per year for one branch, no limit on how much you can show
- Pros Anime is HUGE right now, appealing to a large variety of teens Easy club to manage and set up for Cheap to run besides the license Dedicated group of attendees who truly love anime May bring in the “quiet” kids for programs you wouldn’t see otherwise Cons Age range may not work for all venues; 25 is too old for many places; we start at 14 due to most anime shown being rated TV14 Anime license has specific anime to show, cannot show anything (many are rated TVMA) Many people think anime is all sex and violence; however, it is no more so than American cartoons and shows
- Sample program guide Open doors at 6:30 Popcorn is out and ready for hungry teens Cosplay Corner, lasts about 15 minutes Tutorials and practice, or crafts Begin first episode of anime @ 6:45 Begin second & third episodes of anime @ 7:10 After each episode, 2 trivia questions – winner gets anime postcard or other goodie End with survey to gauge interest in anime shown and what else attendees want to see
- The Lone Star reading list encourages reading for pleasure & is aimed at students in grades 6-8. Each year, 20 books exploring a variety of topics, reading tastes, & maturity levels are chosen by a committee of school & public librarians from across Texas.
- The Lone Star book club has since been cancelled South’s book club is on hiatus, although they plan to return (usually averaging 3-5 members a meeting) Why do book clubs not succeed in the public library? Already have those options at school Are not interested in the books being chosen (too wide of a range) What could we try to make them more successful? Food? A specific genre of books reads?
- Utilize fangirls Kids & teens draw what they like, which often means drawing characters from their favorite shows or books. Center a contest around fan drawings, and you’ll likely get a good number of entries
- can use any advertising in actual library and on the library website, but cannot advertise the movie name on social media
- Keys to successful craft programs Advertise thoroughly High appeal (follow current trends) Creative, innovative, or challenging Know what your teens want
- Key to a successful program is strong advertising Flyers, radio spots, TV spots, heavy social media influence… the more the better! Social media our biggest influence Can mark on online calendars, apps for phone, etc. Individual flyers for programs can help promote specific programs VS a flyer or bookmark with a list of all programs (divided by age if necessary) will give more options
- So, after hearing all this, you’re fired up, you’re ready to get teens into your library, ready to start some new programs… now what? Some tips and tricks: Don’t be discouraged if it takes a while to get teens Many programs start out with only three or four teen participants, but quickly (or slowly!) grow. Teens are often hesitant to try new things Go after tweens/middle schoolers. High schoolers often have already hectic schedules, but if you ge them while they are younger, they tend to stick around
- Talk to parents too Yes, we’re focusing on getting teens involved. However, many of your targeted audience may not have a driver’s license yet… or may be too shy (or “too cool”) to reach out. Parents are more willing to be involved in their teens’ lives than you think. Encourage teens to bring their friends Or girlfriends, or boyfriends. Sometimes a friendly face can ease nerves. Knowing they are welcome to bring others with them can help teens open up further