REFERENCE
GUIDE
PHC
Pennsylvania
Humanities
Council
Teen Reading Lounge
A Pennsylvania Humanities Council
Program & Publication
pahumanities.org
Teen Reading Lounge (TRL) is a program of the
Pennsylvania Humanities Council, supported by the
National Endowment for the Humanities and by
federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA)
funds administered by the Office of Commonwealth
Libraries.
The Pennsylvania Humanities Council builds and leads
a vibrant network of individuals, organizations, and
communities that champions the humanities and
empowers Pennsylvanians to think critically, grow,
and engage in their communities. With the support of
individual donors, foundations, corporations, and the
National Endowment for the Humanities, PHC
advances the humanities through original programming,
advocacy, and direct grants to more than 250
organizations statewide. PHC strengthens and
empowers libraries, historical societies, museums,
schools, arts centers, and scholars to engage with their
communities and advocate for the humanities.
PHC's work would not be possible without the robust participation of our vibrant colleagues in the
humanities. Indeed, Teen Reading Lounge is a collective endeavor that brings together the vision,
knowledge, and wisdom of inspired individuals and organizations from across Pennsylvania. Public
libraries and their staff, including teen and youth librarians, scholars, artists, and educators advised
PHC throughout TRL's development.
We are particularly grateful to Pennsylvania's library community. With generous support, guidance, and
encouragement from the Pennsylvania Department of Education's Office of Commonwealth Libraries,
12 public libraries representing a variety of Pennsylvania communities conducted two rounds of pilots in
2010-12, and many of these libraries and their facilitators continued to work on TRL. In 2012-13, Carnegie
Library of Pittsburgh and the Pittsburgh District Library Center joined our venture and conducted
programs at eight libraries in Allegheny County to improve our practices and our materials. PHC also
worked with Allegheny Intermediate Unit and the University of Pittsburgh’s Western Pennsylvania Writing
Project to evaluate the program. Finally, the Allegheny County Library Association, the Pennsylvania
Library Association's PA Forward initiative, and the Pennsylvania Library Association's Academy of
Leadership Studies have also lent their energy and resources to TRL in 2012-13.
2
For more information on the Pennsylvania Humanities Council and our programs,
please visit www.pahumanities.org or call (800) 462-0442 or (215) 925-1005.
Table Of Contents
Welcome to PHC’s Teen Reading Lounge!
Developing Your Program
● Working With Teens
● Finding A TRL Facilitator
5
6
● Program Planning With Your Facilitator
7
● Designing Discussion & Activities
9
And Arts & Experiential Activities
10-19
● Selecting Books And Sample Book List
● Sample Program Plan, Discussion Questions
● Scheduling Your Program & Making TRL Special
Promoting Your Program
● Promoting To Teen Audiences
● Registering Teens
Evaluating Your Program
Special Topics in Teen Services
● Strategies For Low-Interest Readers
● Strategies For Handling Difficult
Or Sensitive Issues with Teens
Lessons From The Field
“TRL is an untraditional
book club where teens talk
about books and create activities,
but the key element is creating
community through humanitiesbased discussions.”
8
20
21
21
22
23-24
25-26
27-29
3
Welcome to Teen Reading Lounge!
Welcome to the Pennsylvania Humanities Council’s Teen
Reading Lounge (TRL) program. Whether you are a veteran
of teen programming or just beginning your journey, this
reference guide will help you take the first step in offering
quality humanities-based programming in your library.
TRL is a unique program created by PHC exclusively for
teens ages 11-18. Unlike traditional book clubs, TRL is
interactive and reflects teens interests by focusing on
popular young adult literature. Teens are invited to
personally respond to what they've read through discussion
and hands-on activities that encourage innovation,
collaboration, communication and creative problemsolving. Teens are invited to design the program with
library staff and community members as facilitators to
create specialized experiences for their group.
The centerpiece of the program is the humanities. The
humanities represent knowledge and appreciation of
humanity and the works we make such as literature,
history, and the arts, as well as aspects of everyday life like
customs and traditions. The humanities inspire us to
discover who we are, understand others and shape our
world by thinking critically, solving problems and appreciating
cultural differences. Through TRL, teens are encouraged to
more fully understand themselves and others and build
skills that will prepare them for a life of collaborative
4
learning, interactive reading and innovative thinking.
TRL has two goals:
• Engage teen audiences in out-of-school time
learning in the humanities.
• Increase the capacity of libraries to conduct public humanities programming for teen audiences.
An informal learning program, TRL is fun and engaging.
However, TRL also advances many important learning
agendas. TRL advances skills promoted by PA Forward, the
Pennsylvania Library Association's literacies initiative—civic
and social literacy as well as basic literacy skills. TRL also
supports learning outlined by the PA Core Curriculum and
the Pennsylvania Standards. TRL addresses reading
comprehension, speaking and listening, civics and
government, interpersonal relationships, arts & humanities
standards in the PA Standards, and reading literature,
speaking, and listening standards in the PA Core Curriculum.
We encourage you to browse this guide to learn about the
different aspects of designing and implementing a humanities-based program like TRL. If you would like to learn more
about TRL, visit our website at
http://www.pahumanities.org/programs/trl/
or contact PHC at 215.925.1005 or
[email protected].
Working with Teens
By engaging teens in quality humanities programming,
libraries address two major needs. They build a stable and
solid following of teens – and cultivate the next generation
of library supporters. Simultaneously, they play an
important educational role, helping teens grow socially,
intellectually, and emotionally. Meeting these needs
requires a strong relationship between the teens and the
library and its staff. Teens that visit libraries that successfully serve adolescents report that they:
• Have a trusting or meaningful relationship with the
library staff.
• Feel that their ideas and in-put are valued and
integrated into activities.
• Feel a sense of ownership over the library, its programs,
and their learning experience at the library.
So what can individual library staffers do to develop strong
and enduring relationships that foster teens to grow to their
fullest potential and love their library? Below are some
recommendations.
To promote social and emotional growth:
• Strive to make each individual feel valued and part of
the community.
• Treat teens with warmth and respect.
• Model positive, caring, and responsible behavior.
• Provide support and encouragement when teens talk
about challenges.
• Establish clear rules and guidelines for behavior.
To promote intellectual growth:
• Encourage participants to read, learn, and be inquisitive.
• Introduce participants to new ideas and issues.
• Model intellectual curiosity and commitment to lifelong
learning.
• Model and lead quality humanities discussion that
promote critical thinking, problem-solving, and ways of
sharing differences and similarities, while fostering
respect for others.
• Demonstrate an understanding of many learning styles.
To build a strong relationship between teens and the
library:
• Actively solicit teens’ ideas and opinions.
• Integrate their ideas and opinions into activities.
• Demonstrate flexibility.
• Strive to understand teens’ needs and interests.
• Give them a role in the program and at the library.
• Actively extend invitations to teens to join library
programs.
• Invite teens to access other resources of
the library.
• If opportunities exist, invite teens to volunteer at the
library.
14% of teens who participated in the 2013
TRL program did not read the books prior to
the sessions, but reported reading at least
one of the featured books afterwards.
“The most beneficial
aspect for the participants was
having a chance to explore a
book through a variety of
activities. Our biggest struggle
was to get our students to read.
However, I feel confident that
through their enthusiasm of the
activities they were able to
participate in, they will be
encouraged to read the titles
chosen at their own pace.”
5
Finding A TRL Facilitator
PHC encourages libraries running TRL to consider working
with a program facilitator. A program facilitator is the
content expert and usually someone experienced in running
a humanities-based program for teens. (Note: Libraries
running PHC-supported TRL programs are required to work
with a facilitator.) Finding the right facilitator can take time,
but our experience has shown that working with an
individual who is experienced in leading humanities
programs for youth has many benefits. Good facilitators
can do many things for your program. They can handle the
programming while the library staff concentrates on
recruiting and developing relationships with the teens;
teach library staff about programming activities that work
well with teens; model attitudes, actions, and
communications that lead to strong bonds with young
adults; and serve as a sounding board. Through their own
connections in the community, TRL facilitators have also
helped TRL libraries recruit participants. Libraries are
encouraged to find facilitators within their community who
understand working with teens.
A strong facilitator usually holds a bachelor’s degree or
higher in a humanities, art or education field. In addition, a
good TRL facilitator will have experience leading arts and
humanities programs for teen audiences, particularly book
discussions. They may also have knowledge of young adult
literature – a plus when browsing possible books for the
program – and they should feel comfortable interacting
6 with teens.
As you're starting your facilitator search, start in your local
community and work your existing network. Chances are
you or someone you are connected with (board, staff or
other library staff) knows someone right for the job. Local
middle and high schools are a good start too. Language
arts, arts or humanities teachers are a great fit – and
can help you make or strengthen connections to local
students who may not be using your library. Contact local
arts and cultural organizations already working with teens
or other non-profits that run programs for teen audiences
to ask for recommendations. Finally, local artists who have
experience working with teen audiences can be a good fit
as well.
By law, adults working with minors must have up-to-date
state clearances like child abuse history and criminal
record checks. These forms can be obtained from the
Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare website at
www.dpw.state.pa.us. Always ask for clearances from your
facilitator before you begin your program.
“My facilitator was a great role model for me.
It was helpful observing her leading the
discussions, guiding the group dynamics and
learning her planning tips & strategies.”
Program Planning With
Your Facilitator
The relationship between the library staff and the facilitator is vital to a program’s
success. PHC recommends putting in the time to create a good working partnership
by frequently communicating with your facilitator. The first step to building this
relationship is by scheduling an introductory meeting with the facilitator to discuss
goals for the program and details such as how to handle book selection and how to
select complementary activities. Frequent check-ins during the program are also
recommended so that library staff and their facilitator can discuss successful
strategies and adjustments for the next gathering. Suggested topics to discuss
at the introductory meeting are:
• Talk to your facilitator about your goals. Why are you bringing TRL
to your library?
• Focus on collaboration and building a strong working relationship.
How will you work together to achieve your goal?
• Talk to your facilitator about your existing teen programs and the
types of teens that come into your library. How will TRL be
different from your existing programs?
• Decide on what age group you will target. Some TRL sites have
welcomed ages from 11 to 18, but some benefited from targeting
their approach to specific ages within this range. It all depends on
what’s right for your library, the teens you want to engage and the
kind of program you want to offer.
• Discuss program design. How will you involve teens in this process?
How many sessions will you plan? How will you design your sessions: alternating
discussion and activity or incorporating both into each? How will you schedule
your sessions?
• Talk about the book selection process and decide on how many books you want
the group to read. Will teens weigh in on the books you will explore and help
select books?
7
Selecting Books
TRL is designed so that libraries can use any book that
appeals to teens. However, we encourage libraries to
consider using popular young adult literature as it contains
subject matter and themes that often mirror what teens are
currently experiencing and may want to discuss. In order to
find the right mix of YA titles, PHC worked with advisers in
library services, education, and the arts and humanities to
identify genres and books that would appeal to teens.
Fantasy fiction and graphic novels or comics came out on
top because of their current popularity and rich subject
matter that invites exploration and analysis. Libraries that
have participated in TRL have traditionally chosen books in
these two genres. You are free to choose books within any
genres that are relevant and appropriate for your specific
mix of TRL participants. Look for books that invite discussion,
reflect themes or issues relevant to your group of teens and
can be explored through activities or experiences. If you
pick books outside the suggested book list, PHC strongly
recommends researching the featured books to make sure
the content is appropriate for the intended audience. Some
books may tackle serious subjects, depict violence, or
contain adult themes and profanity.
Sample Book List
Below is a short list of titles that have been used
successfully in past TRL programs. All of the books deal
with coming-of-age themes that are particularly relevant to
teens. If you want to explore more titles, PHC recommends
the Young Adult Library Services Association's (YALSA)
yearly top book lists and Teenreads.com. Both resources
suggest books read, reviewed and voted on by teens.
School Library Journal also reviews young adult titles and
provides information on grade and/or age appropriateness.
Fantasy Fiction:
The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins
Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief Series
by Rick Riordian
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
The Divergent Series by Veronica Roth
Ender's Game Series by Orson Scott Card
8
For a six-to-eight session TRL program, PHC recommends
libraries select up to three books to explore with the group.
PHC will provide free copies for libraries working directly
with PHC. (Tip: If you are a library running TRL without
support from PHC, consider finding support in your local
community to cover the costs of the books.) Libraries are
encouraged to get teens involved in choosing books in
order to give them ownership over the program. Some
ideas on how to do this:
• Ask your Teen Advisory Group.
• Informally survey teens.
• Talk to teens about their favorite books and/or what
they would like to read.
• Ask teens to weigh in on books via social media.
• Host a kick-off party and do mini book-talks.
• Ask teens to vote on their favorite book.
If you are involving teens in the book selection process, talk
to your facilitator about their ideas. It’s important to include
your facilitator in this process so he or she can read the
book and begin thinking about the content of the program.
Comics & Graphic Novels:
Coraline by Neil Gaiman
Ghostopolis by Doug TenNapel
Cardboard by Doug TenNapel
The Runaways, Vol 1 by Brian K. Vaughan
The Arrival by Shaun Tan
“Skills like communication, social skills,
problem-solving, collaboration, innovation
– all of these things are happening in TRL.”
Designing Discussions & Activities
TRL is made up of two program elements: group
discussions and hands-on activities and/or experiences.
One TRL session is typically about 2 hours long.
The books you selected are building blocks for your
program and will give your sessions focus and suggest
content for exploration. They are a perfect platform to
launch humanities-based discussions because they invite
inquiry and personal reflection that often connects to a
teen's everyday existence. Let the activities and experiences you plan grow organically out of the book so teens
can delve deeper into theme, character, plot or setting. For
example, a library in Allegheny County read the graphic
novel Cardboard by Doug TenNapel which is about a young
boy whose cardboard toy suddenly comes to life. Teens
were asked to create a cardboard creature using recycled
cardboard and arts supplies. The facilitator then asked them
to imagine what would happen if their creature magically
came to life. What traits would the creature exhibit? How
would it live? This creative activity lead to a discussion
about what it means to be human - a question rooted firmly
in the humanities. Teens were able to creatively explore this
scenario and discuss higher level concepts by relating it to
their lives.
Libraries have done a myriad of activities and structured
their discussion and activities in unique ways depending
on their groups' interests. Most libraries have opted to
integrate discussion and hands-on activities into each
session so that teens stay active and engaged. Other
libraries have dedicated a full session to book discussion
and the subsequent session to the activity based on that
discussion. The ages of the teens may dictate how to
structure your sessions. We’ve found that older teens are
interested in robust discussion and debate and younger
teens gravitate toward hands-on activities. Of course,
there are always exceptions. Do what feels right for
your group, and if it doesn’t work, adjust. There’s no
one way to structure or plan your sessions.
Past TRL libraries have benefited from creating
agendas or program plans for each session to give
sessions some structure. A backup plan for activities
is recommended as well. As one past TRL facilitator
said, “Have a backup plan and then a backup plan for
your backup plan!” A sample program plan is provided
later in this reference guide.
“Our teens hang out at this library every
day, and most of them were already readers,
but to build a program that used their presence
and their existing interests to form a cohesive
group of solidified readers is a great thing for
the library; not only to promote a love of
reading but a love of learning.”
No matter how you design your activities, make sure to
carve out some time at the conclusion of each session to
reflect as a group on discussion, activities and experiences.
This allows teens to practice those critical-thinking skills,
build up proficiency in articulating the connections between
the book and other activities and create a sense of
community through the exchange of ideas.
Finally, speak with your facilitator before each session to go
over what supplies will be needed. TRL programs supported
by the PHC are given mini-grants of $675 to purchase
supplies and food. Libraries not working directly with PHC
should explore ways in which supplies and food can be
donated or paid for by potential donors or community
organizations.
For a full list of indicators, please visit the PHC website at
http://www.pahumanities.org/programs/trl/
Indicators of Success:
Certain behaviors will suggest that teens are getting
the most out of your TRL program. Look for the
following behaviors to let you know you are on the
right track:
• Teens are respectful of other teens’ contributions
• Teens are respectful of program leaders
• Teens follow directions and actively engage in
discussion and activities
• Teens appear to be having fun and feel comfortable
offering their opinions
• Teens offer suggestions or ideas during the
9
program
Sample Program Plan
Sketching out a program agenda or program plan with your facilitator (and teens if
they are highly involved in design) is an important step to designing a successful and
effective program for teens. What follows is a plan for six sample sessions, each
lasting roughly two hours and based on the selection of three books. Discussion
questions and art activities in the sessions are not intended to be prescriptive
and can be adapted. Nor do they need to be followed in any particular
order, except for the first one. Their goals are recursive and spiral as
they encourage greater depth of understanding and collaboration
skills. Each session has a theme (e.g. “creating community”) and
educational goals that connect to discussion and/or activities
that build critical thinking, literacy and information literacy,
collaboration, communication and innovation skills. Note: art
activities in this guide are relatively uncomplicated so they can
be undertaken by a wide range of libraries and teens.
An Overview Of The Sample Session Plan
Here is a summary of each session and how they relate to one another,
from the first to the last.
Session One: Building community with an emphasis on everyone getting
to know each other and establishing a safe environment.
Session Two: Exploring the book; making connections, especially
personal connections.
Session Three: Introduction of the second book with an emphasis on
comparing and contrasting. The second book also increases the field for
making personal connections.
Session Four: Connecting the books to personal lives or current events.
Session Five: Introduction of the third book with an emphasis on comparing and contrasting all the books.
Session Six: Summing up the books and the genre. Celebration!
10
88% of teens reported that TRL
made them want to read.
Sample Sessions
Session 1 – Creating a Community
This session needs to create an environment where teens
feel comfortable and listened to.
Setting: Prepare a separate space in the library; chairs
arranged in a circle; some groups may prefer to sit on the
floor if there is a rug. Large table or tables should be
available for art projects.
Goals: (1) Teens feel comfortable talking and being heard in
a library setting; (2) establish the conventions for a group
discussion; (3) introduction of the book.
Introduction and Icebreaker:
• Everyone, including the library staff and facilitator, says
his/her name, school and what kind of books he/she
likes to read.
• Embrace opportunities to make it physical. Have people
walk around and introduce themselves via the four
corners.
• Debrief: what surprised you? What would you want to
know more about?
Keep in Mind: Icebreakers and/or a check-in are a great
low-stress way to start each session.
Set Group Expectations: After the icebreaker, clarify that
you want the library to be a safe environment where
everyone feels comfortable and welcome. Then, engage
the participants in coming up with three or four ground
rules for group discussion and activities. Ask them what
rules the group should adopt to ensure a safe environment.
Limit the rules to three or four items; a long list is counter-
productive. These rules should cover the following points:
• Behave respectfully to others.
• Ask for more information if something isn’t clear.
• Share your opinions and questions.
• Be aware of taking turns.
If you have a particularly boisterous group, consider having
a special object, for example, a “speaking stick,” that is held
by the speaker. Only the person holding that object is
allowed to speak, and everyone else listens until s/he has a
turn to hold the object.
Skills Clusters: (1) Understanding of general literary terms,
e.g., setting, plot, character, etc.; these can be modeled by
the library staff/facilitator; (2) can define the characteristics
of the genre being read; (3) can make connections between
literature and personal life and/or society. The library
staff/facilitator can model the use of literary terms and
encourage their use (they will be useful in the participants'
formal education). However, they should not be required.
Discussion: Move into a discussion about the book, taking
some time to talk about the genre and story, setting, plot
and character. Invite participants to make personal or realworld connections to the book. If there are participants who
have not read the book, use the book’s cover to launch discussion. What does the cover suggest about the genre,
story, setting, characters and plot?
Art Activities: If there is enough time, include an easy art
activity like making a bookmark. Magazines withdrawn
from circulation or donated by patrons are excellent
“Given the right circumstances, with a program like
TRL, I know I have the ability to be successful with
these teens.”
11
Session One, continued
sources of images for collages.
Indicators of Success: Teens contribute to the conversation and listen
respectfully to each other; participants may use general literary terms with
confidence but, more importantly, understand them; participants draw
connections between the selected book, their lives and/or other books.
Prep for the next session: At the end of the session, remind the group about
the date and time for the next meeting. Dates should have been
predetermined and distributed in the flyer advertising TRL. In advance of the
next session, remind participants about the next meeting either through
phone calls, text messages or email.
12
Session 2 – The Journey into the Book
Setting: If the session is divided into two with one
session focusing on an art activity and the other focusing
on the discussion, there need to be large tables and
movable chairs with materials visible. Only chairs need
to be available for the discussion.
Goal: Teens participate cooperatively in art projects
and/or participate in the book discussion; both show
evidence of understanding the book and/or themes
raised by the book.
Skills Clusters: (1) Recognize and respect differences of
opinions in the group; (2) compare the novel under consideration with other literary works and/or current events;
(3) introduce & discuss aspects more literary components like
theme and character. Teens may have some suggestions for art
projects which should be evaluated and possibly modified to make them
fun and easily completed in one or two sessions.
Ice Breaker: Do a check-in. Ask teens to talk about something they did, read,
or thought about since the last time the group met. Library staff and facilitators should contribute and model the kind of the sharing that is expected.
Check-in is a good way to help the group get focused. It also provides
a reading of the “temperature” of the group. Did something happen in
the school, neighborhood, or family that is on participants’ minds?
Pre-discussion activity: In two minutes, have teens do a quick write
about a character or an event in the book that interests them. Ask
them to orally share their piece with a teen sitting near them. Join
another pair and share. Come together for a large group sharing.
Again, it is important for those running the program to participate
fully. Two twists to this exercise are to do the write-up as a 140
character tweet (a fun challenge!) or to have everyone do the write-up
anonymously and have the group share by drawing the write-ups from a hat
and then discussing.
Trouble-shooting: If it appears that some members of the group haven’t
read the book, ask some people to summarize or pick a section that was
memorable for them. Or, the facilitator can do a summary framed by such
words as, “To get us into the spirit of the book, let me just quickly summarize
it.” That opener could then be followed by such questions as, “What did you
hear or read that sounded interesting to you and why? What, if any, ideas
remind you of your-self or someone you know?”
Another way to open the discussion is through the
following questions:
• What do you know now that you did not know before
you read this book?
• What caught your attention when you read this book?
• Have you read any other books that are like this one?
• Is there anything in this book that is like your own life?
others read the book raised new questions for you?
Emphasize that there are no “wrong” answers.
Indicators of Success: Lively discussion in the sharing part
of the program; discussion is collaborative; participants are
aware of code switching (they might talk in shorthand with
peers, but talk more formally in the large group or when
addressing comments to the facilitator); artwork shows
evidence that participants have read the book or
understood the theme of the book; participants can
disagree respectfully and can relate the book to their lives,
schools, or current events.
“
“
Session Two, continued
Additional discussion prompt:
Session 3 – Introducing the Second Book
• Have teens choose one word that summarizes their
Setting: Same as Session 2 set-up
strongest feeling/reaction to the book. Ask teens to
Goal: Participants show evidence of being familiar with
share it in order as they go around the circle. It is alright
the literal movement of the book (plot) and the figurative or
to repeat words. What did they hear? Were there words
thematic one.
that seemed more prevalent than others?
Skills Clusters: (1) Analyze, compare, and
Would anyone like
summarize; (2) listen and speak with
to say why he/she
understanding; (3) understanding
picked his/her
themes.
word? Consider
Teens are applying those
Discussion: Many of the discusdocumenting the
sion questions in Sessions One
classroom skills like defending
words on a big
and Two can be repeated here
their opinion and supporting
sheet of paper, then
with an added emphasis on
their ideas just very naturally
repeating the
analysis of the ways the books
in this informal setting. It’s
exercise with the
compare and contrast.
next book. Compare
refreshing as an educator to
Additionally, delve into the
the words used to
watch that happen.
setting of the second book.
describe each book to
Frequently, when theatre or
identify differences and
opera companies present a work
similarities between the two books.
they will change the setting to make a work
• What other ending would have been possible
more contemporary. What other setting would work for the
and why? What is your evidence? Why did the author
book under discussion or the previous one. What challenges
end the book the way s/he did?
would it present?
• Pick a favorite part of the book. Set the context and
Art Activities: Ask participants to create a life line —- a
read about two to three sentences out loud. Why did
timeline representing life stages —- for a character. What
you pick that part?
was s/he like as a child, a teen, a young adult, an older
Art Activities: Alternatively, combine art activities with
adult? Draw stick figures to illustrate and/or come up with
discussion of the book. In groups of four, have participants
adjectives to describe the way this character might have
each take a corner of a large poster paper and create
interacted with the world at particular stages of his/her life.
images of what stood out for them in the assigned reading
Pairs or small groups could work together to do this activity.
or what they heard in the summary. (In addition to drawing, Depending on the time allotted, this could be more or less
be sure to offer the option of creating collages, since some
elaborate. Ask participants to post their papers, and do a
participants may not enjoy drawing. Have on hand
gallery walk (a gallery walk involves everyone in the group
discarded magazines, scissors, and glue for collages.) They
looking at all the postings). Participants should have access
work individually. Allow about 20 minutes. Then have each
to Post-Its to ask questions which they leave on the posters.
group discuss what they drew with each other for about 15
For more elaborate art projects, like using papier mache to
minutes. Reconvene as a large group. Did the activity/
build something. TIP: a local art teacher may be willing to
discussion make you aware of some aspect of the book that work with your group on this activity and can add
you hadn’t noticed or emphasized? Has hearing about how
another perspective to the program.
13
Session Three, continued
Indicators of success: Lively discussion; appropriate
challenges to changing the setting; participants
demonstrate an understanding of the character and/or
other elements of the novel; they make connections to self,
school, or wider world.
Prep for the next session: Prepare participants for the next
book. Ask them to read the whole book. Ask them to
compare what they are reading with the book they finished
or another book they have read. Are there similar themes?
How are the characters the same or different? Ask them to
bring their ideas for an art activity or a discussion question
to the next meeting.
Session 4 – Exploring the Second Book More Deeply
Setting: Chairs in a circle, large table or several small tables
for art activities, projector for computer.
Goal: Compare, contrast and analyze two books.
Skills Cluster: (1) Comparison of genres; (2) make connections between texts; (3) communicate a unifying theme or
point of view through the arts.
Discussion: Ask participants to compare what they are
reading with the first book. Are there similar themes? How
are the characters the same or different? Does that format
of the book fit the story?
Art Activities: Close-looking applies to both text and
pictures. Ask participants to pick a word, paragraph, or
page of a book that leaves them with the strongest feeling
and visualize it by creating a quick image (be sure to offer
option of creating collage for less artistically-inclined
participants). They can then share their images and explain
what they wanted to capture in their pictures and what
their word, paragraph, or page brought to mind about their
own lives.
14
Additional activities:
• If the participants are reading a graphic novel, ask them
to select a page and summarize what they learned from
the images alone.
• Show a clip from a film that is either a film version of the
book under discussion or that relates to a theme from
the book. Compare a textual expression and a visual
one. Depending on the maturity of the group, a painting
might also be a part of a comparison. For example,
comparing The Hunger Games with The Massacre of the
Innocents by Pacecco de Rosa.
• Design a greeting card that a character in the second
book might send to a character in the first book or vice
versa.
• Develop a script for a short movie based on a theme or
scene from the current book using a storyboard and
working in small groups. Templates are available online
and can be found easily with a Google search.
Indicators of Success: Participants voice analysis and
opinion supported by evidence; they make connections to
their lives and/or current events; show evidence of
understanding how paintings and texts may vary when
treating the same theme.
Session 5 – Introduction of the Third Book
Setting: Large tables for making a book cover, computer
connected to a printer.
Goal: Ability to work in groups and participate effectively
Skill Clusters: (1) Collaboration, work in a team; (2) make
generalizations based on the text.
Discussion: Pointing is a reading and listening strategy
taken from Sheridan Blau’s book The Literature Workshop:
Teaching Texts and their Readers.
Session Five, continued
Participants sit in a circle. Give participants about ten minutes to look through
the book to find a few pages that look interesting. Ask participants to take a
few minutes to find a sentence or short section that is interesting to him or
her. They can mark it off in the book or use a Post-it. Participants can then
informally share their suggestions. Ask them to read their lines as the “spirit”
moves them. Lines may be repeated, and people can offer their lines more
than once. Just remind participants to be mind-ful of giving everyone an
opportunity to share. Either time the activity for about ten minutes or simply
watch for signs that it is decreasing in interest. Ask the group what they
heard. Were there repetitions? Why did certain lines seem to jump out? Were
there choices that were surprises?
Art Activities:
• Design a book cover for the current book. Ask someone in the group to
pose for an author’s photograph. Use anyone’s smart phone to take the
photo. The group can assign different roles to different participants:
photographer, blurb writer, endorsements from readers, front cover
design, and back cover design. The participants should have an
opportunity to discuss the approach they want to take in order for the
cover to be coherent.
• Participants will pick a scene from the novel and act it out silently.
The audience will try to identify the scene. This can be done in
groups of two to three.
Indicators of Success: Participants work collaboratively in the skit
and are mindful of letting others participate in “pointing;” book
cover shows an understanding of the book and creativity.
Session 6 – Bringing the Series to a Close
Setting: Large table and art supplies for drawing the citation,
lectern for the formal award, if possible.
Goal: Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the three novels and
honor differing points of view.
Skills Clusters: (1) Analyze and evaluate different points of view;
(2) summarize a text as a whole; (3) public speaking; (4) code switching for
different audiences.
Pre-discussion activity: Many books have laudatory blurbs on the cover or in
the pages preceding the text. Ask participants to prepare blurbs for one to
three of the books and be prepared to explain why they said what they did.
Prizes are given yearly for outstanding books. Although one book may win the
prize, it doesn’t mean the other book or books are unworthy. Have
participants work in groups of four (see “Arts Activities” below). In the citation,
15
Session Six, continued
provide reasons why one book was preferred or more
enjoyable than the others. Select someone to deliver the
proclamation.
Discussion: Discuss the qualities that each group picked in
defense of their choice. Participants should note that the
reasons are more interesting and informative than the
actual award. What other books would you like to read in
this genre? Another genre? Give some time to reflect on all
the books read and discussed. How has reading these three
books and hearing how other participants reacted to them
changed your understanding of the books, your family, your
friends, or the world at large?
Art Activities: Ask teens to form small groups of no more
than four to decide on which of the three books they liked
the most. After deciding, they should design an award
citation and a badge or medal for the winning book. It is
likely that different groups will select different books.
Use the lectern to make the formal presentation if the
participants are comfortable doing so.
16
Additional Activity: The last session could include
celebration. Consider adding a party featuring a trivia
contest based on the readings. You could also spend time
talking about the books teens would like to read next.
Library staff could also use this session to recruit volunteers
for the library as well as for vacation reading clubs.
Indicators of Success: Awards demonstrate appreciation of
literary qualities and analysis of subject matter.
Working alongside our facilitator allowed me
to increase my competencies in collaborative
project-planning and communication. I also
benefited from the experience of watching the
facilitator lead a discussion based around
books with our teen participants.
Sample Discussion
Questions
Discussion is a key facet of a humanities-based experience. It should be the launch
point for unpacking an issue or theme and considering viewpoints different from
one's own which can build core humanities skills like understanding and empathy.
Literature is an excellent way to practice humanities discussions since stories
naturally invite inquiry, analysis and reflection. Below is a list of questions grouped
by category. These example questions will help spark discussion and invite teens to
dig deeper into the stories they have read. The questions vary, moving from personal connections to the technical aspects of literature. TRL is an informal
learning program; the point of the program isn't to get teens to memorize
the aspects of literary genres and literary terms, but a basic understanding
of the genre and story can help set the right tone for the group and
make sure everyone’s starting off on the same page. The librarian
and facilitator should encourage personal connections to the
material and real-world applications in addition to literary analysis.
• Personal connections: Are there themes and ideas with which
you can identify?
• Reader discovery: What did you think about the book before
you read it? How about after? What, specifically, did you
like/dislike? What would you tell a friend about this story?
How is this different from other books you have read?
• Storytelling elements: Whose story is this? What is the plot?
Where does the story take place? From what point of view
is the story told?
• Cultural influences or significance: Why did the author choose
to tell this story? Is the author trying to say something about our world?
• Explore the genre: What are the elements of this genre? How is it similar
or different to other similar stories told in different genres?
17
Discussions & Activities, continued
“Humanities is the centerpiece of the program.
[Our group] talked in the first week about the word
humanities and that it’s about understanding what
it means to be human.”
If considering other versions of the story like movies, TV
shows, plays or video games:
Note: many of these questions can also be used when
working with comics or graphic novels.
• Visual elements: How does the author tell the story
visually? Can you describe the type of illustrations
used to tell the story? Do the illustrations represent
reality like a photograph or are they ‘cartoons’? Any
ideas on how the illustrations support the
story/round out character/represent setting/suggest
a theme? How does it challenge what we already
know about our world? What else besides illustrations are used (gutters, dialog bubbles, etc) ?
• The reader and viewer: What expectations does the
audience bring to the different format?
• Adaptation of text: Are the book’s setting, plot, and
characters changed or recreated? Are the ideas in
the original changed or recreated? Have changes in
the story changed the meaning of the work for the
reader or viewer?
18
85% of teens
reported that TRL
helped them
make friends.
Sample Arts & Experiential Activities
Hands-on activities are essential to the TRL experience.
Coupled with in-depth discussions that draw on personal
responses to the material, activities offer an additional way
for teens to explore, understand and synthesize information. Through activities, teens put the stories into action
by applying creative interpretations to what they have read
and thereby fully immerse themselves in the reading
experience. When designing hands-on elements, library
staff and their facilitators are encouraged to customize
the activities to the material, consider the skill set of the
facilitator and the ages represented in the group.
Art projects
• Have participants create a “book” that they can use as a
journal. A simple version is to have paper, oak tag,
three-hole punch, and string to create the book.
Participants can use a variety of fabrics, buttons, shells,
patches, to decorate the cover.
• Have participants make a poster capturing an important
theme in the book using poster-size paper, markers,
scissors and construction paper. If enough computers
are available, they could create a poster on Glogster:
http://edu.glogster.com
• Have participants create a piece of jewelry or badge that
captures a theme in the book. For example, they might
create a bracelet made of brass, beads, or braided
plastic strips.
Field Trips/Guest Presenters
• Some groups have had an archery lesson; others went
to see a film made from the book under discussion.
A field trip in the middle of the series is useful in
sustaining interest.
• Invite a local artist/author who works in the selected
genre. Work with participants to prepare interview
questions.
• If you are reading comic books or graphic novels with
your group, invite an illustrator or comic artist to do a
workshop on creating comics.
Theater/music
• Hold an improvisational press conference focused on an
event in the book. Everyone who wants a turn should
have the opportunity. It might mean having two or three
different ones. Hold groups to a strict time limit.
• Create a jingle or PSA advertising the book.
Writing
• Create an acrostic poem from a character’s name.
• Write a haiku about the social commentary embedded
in the book. The haiku could also be illustrated.
• Write a short poem about the setting, a character, or a
theme. Use a historiated letter to begin it (include a
drawing in the first letter).
“TRL is more hands-on than you would
normally get with a regular book club.”
19
Scheduling Your Program
A typical TRL program consists of six to eight sessions, and
time is given to the two elements unique to the program:
discussion and hands-on or experiential activities. Generally
a TRL session is about 90 minutes to two hours long –
although some have gone longer! Most libraries have had
“The most beneficial aspect for the participants
was having a chance to explore a book through a
variety of activities. Our biggest struggle was to
get our students to read. However, I feel confident
that through their enthusiasm of the activities
they were able to participate in, they will be
encouraged to read the titles chosen at their
own pace.”
success with scheduling sessions about two weeks apart;
many have had success with weekly sessions. Libraries
should consider a) how engaged teens are in current library
activities; b) when teens are in the library; c) how teens will
Making TRL Special
TRL is designed to be a special program that should be
separate from your regular teen programming. Take
advantage of opportunities to make the experience
memorable for teens so they feel valued and welcome in
the library.
Schedule a time for celebration either through a kick-off
party or a finale party (or both). The former is a great way to
mark the beginning of this special program, introduce teens
to the facilitator and one another and gather program
ideas. The latter is great way to hold games marking the
end of your TRL and talk with teens about what other
programs they'd like to see going forward.
• Create a TRL meeting space. Even if you don’t have a
teen lounge or separate room, think about the best
20
get to the program; and d) if there are competing events
like afterschool activities or community events. Answering
these questions will help inform how and when to schedule
your sessions.
PHC suggests choosing the same day and time for each
session such as Thursdays at 4 p.m. or Saturdays at noon
and to steer clear of other regular programming. This also
will help optimize participation and minimize teens missing
sessions. Pay careful attention to the times when you are
likely to attract your largest audience by avoiding major
holidays, major events, or busy/slow periods during the
school year or in your community.
Consider offering food and refreshments, especially if your
session occurs directly after school or during lunch. Because
both the library staff and facilitator should be present at all
sessions, they should consider their availability when
creating the program schedule.
place for your group to meet and designate it as a
special teen-only area.
• Set guidelines for the group to help establish a safe,
respectful and welcoming space for teens. This can help
center the group when the sessions veer off track.
• Display the program’s featured books or other “readalikes” straight from your collection. Is there a place in
your library to promote popular young adult literature
and get teens talking about books?
• For sessions, decorate the room to reflect the book you
are exploring or the activity or event you are holding.
• Water and healthy snacks help keep teens alert and
focused.
Promoting To Teen Audiences
Promoting to teen audiences can be challenging. Often
libraries are competing with school, extra-curricular
activities and social events. But with a little time and
creativity, you can convince teens that the library is a
teen-friendly space with relevant, fun programs – and
Teen Reading Lounge is one of them!
Teen Reading Lounge sites should aim to recruit at least
eight teens. High attendance numbers may not be a
reasonable expectation, especially if you are new to teen
programming; it will take some time to build momentum
with this audience. PHC has compiled some advice for
promoting to teens:
• Talk it up! Word of mouth is the best way to promote a
program. Tell staff, library leadership and your teen
regulars about the program and ask them to spread the
word.
• Involve your regulars. Tell the teens hanging out or attending other programs in your library about TRL. Make
them feel involved. If one teen endorses your program,
chances are you can get 5 more to come. This might
take some time, but it’s worth it.
• Go back to school. Do some outreach at your local
school. Distribute fliers to local schools; connect with a
teacher, school librarian or media specialist and ask
them to spread the word. Ask if you can visit the school
to do a short pitch for the program.
• Publicize everywhere. Start with your library. Display
fliers and announcements. Create bookmarks as a takeaway for the teens that are in your library. Create special
displays for the program and place them prominently in
an area teens frequent in the library. Share fliers with
school and hang posters in the teen spaces in your community. Customize the provided sample news releases
and send to local electronic and print news sources. Ask
a local newspaper to do a story on your TRL program.
• Use social media. Got a Facebook page? What about a
blog? Instagram? Twitter? Share information about your
program through these resources and start to build
excitement for your special TRL program!
“I didn’t used to come to the library
very often, but now I come every
Saturday for TRL.”
• Be a good neighbor. This is a great opportunity to
connect with a local business and ask them for
support. Ask them if you can promote in their space – or
better yet, see if you can strike a deal. Got a local bakery
in town that makes fantastic cookies? Ask if they’ll
provide a coupon for the teens that join the group.
Coupons and deals can be used for prizes or incentives.
Registering Teens
Many libraries ask if they should pre-register teens for
their TRL program. Pre-registration is a good way to
track interest, but some teens won’t commit to a
program up front. How you approach this depends on
your teens and your library. Whatever you decide,
make sure you are talking to them so you have a good
idea if there is a general interest in the program.
Having a rough idea of attendance numbers is also
helpful when you purchase supplies or food for a
session. TRL is designed for consistent participation,
but you also may have teens drop in and out of the
program. It can be a challenge to incorporate them
into a core group of participants. Creating opportunities for the group to review the books before the
session starts can help bridge this gap. Tracking
attendance is a good way to evaluate if teens are
returning and how many drop-ins you’re getting per
session. PHC can provide official TRL sign-in sheets
for your library to track attendance.
21
82% of teens reported that
TRL helped them feel more
confident expressing their
opinions to others.
Evaluating Your Program
Evaluating a teen program such as TRL is an important step
in assessing its impact and advocating for its value in your
library. PHC strongly encourages libraries to articulate a
specific goal before the program begins and include
methods to measure progress. PHC can provide evaluation
materials, including surveys for library staff, facilitators and
teens. We also provide tools for a special debriefing
conversation with your teens at the conclusion of the
program so that teens can offer future program
suggestions. Talking with your teens and giving them a
means to provide feedback helps them build trust in you
and the library.
Documenting activities by observing positive behaviors and
skill-building indicators is a good way to monitor success.
Taking pictures also can be a low stress/low cost way to
22
observe your teens in action and see how they are reacting
to the program. (Note: if you are taking pictures or video at
your sessions, make sure to ask teens’ parents or guardians
to sign a Photo/Video release form.)
Regardless of how you gather your feedback, it’s important
to talk to library leadership and/or funders about what
happened. Be honest about your successes and demonstrate what you learned. Attendance numbers are only
part of the story; share a few anecdotes from teens who
were positively affected by the program. By sharing your
successes, you open the lines of communication with
individuals who can advocate on behalf of your work and
may be able to support further efforts.
87% of teens reported
that TRL helped them
understand different
points of view.
Strategies For
Low-Interest Readers
PHC has found that many different types of
teens may be attracted to a TRL program
because of the hands-on nature of the
program. Some of these teens may not be
high interest readers or typical book club
participants. So how do you include teens
that aren't reading the book or may be
coming into the group with a lower level of
comprehension or interest? PHC believes
that there is an opportunity to introduce
these readers to the value of the humanities
and how it can relate to their lives. The
library is a safe and respectful environment
in which library staff and a trained facilitator
can introduce the joy of reading and peer-topeer discussion without the pressure of tests
or grades. Past TRL programs have
confirmed that regardless of reading
interest, teens are empowered by discussing
humanities-based themes and issues important to them and participating in activities
that allow them to express their creativity.
Below are some tips on how to work with
participants who have not read the book or
who may be low-interest readers:
• Define the genre or format. The aim of
TRL isn’t to teach literary terms or
genres. However, if your TRL group is
unfamiliar with the format or genre, a
short explanation can help them feel
more comfortable as they explore the
book and its themes.
• Highlight themes. Even if a participant
isn’t a skilled reader, s/he may
connect to themes in the book.
Allowing those participants that
aren’t constant readers to
voice their opinions and
respond personally to the
book can help them understand the
value of reading beyond the classroom.
• Create summaries. Summaries of the
plot, a timeline of events and
character development bridge
the gap between those who have
read prior to the session and
those who have not.
• Read together. Spend the first
part of the first session reading a
portion of the book out loud or
exploring the images in a
comic book or graphic novel.
Paging through a book
together canhelp reveal
different dimensions that
spark conversation.
• Embrace different learning
styles. Some teens may
gravitate more toward the
hands-on activities. Create more
opportunities for teens to directly
relate to the book and themes by starting each session with a hands-on activity
that relates to the featured book. In past
TRL programs, we’ve seen that teens
who don’t read before often pick up the
book after the session because they were
23
Low-Interest Readers, continued
engaged in the hands-on activities and connected the readings to their
own interests. Remember to give the group an opportunity to come back
together and discuss what they’ve created and /or learned.
• Let the teens guide you. Teens in general are a marginalized group, often
asked to listen and be quiet. When you’re dealing with populations that are
even further marginalized, it’s even more important to allow them to feel
that Teen Reading Lounge is for them. Allow them to have a voice in shaping
the program; trust them to guide you to what they want to explore.
A note on book selection: TRL sites have had success using
comics or graphic novels with teens who may have difficulty
with traditional texts. Stories in a comic format provide an
opportunity for library staff and facilitators to teach participants how to understand the basic elements of a
story and how word and image combine to create a
narrative. Interactive activities related to graphic novels
and comics can teach teens how to construct narrative
through hands-on exercises (ex. creating your own
comic strip) that additionally explore the creative
process while building skills. Choose graphic novels or
comics that are appropriate for low-level or low-interest
readers. For example, sophisticated graphic novels such as
Persepolis may not work with a group like this but serialized
comics such as The Amazing Spiderman or Superman may be a
good fit.
“
24
“
I learned how valuable
hands-on activities are
for stimulating the brain.
Handling Difficult Or
Sensitive Issues With Teens
Increasing your capacity to serve teens in your community
means that there may be more teens in your library who
feel comfortable talking with each other and the staff.
Sometimes, a teen may tell staff about a sensitive, personal
issue that requires special attention and occasionally,
intervention. Personal issues can range from a teen having
a particularly difficult day to dealing with a mental health
crisis or a child safety issue such as abuse. Often
times,teens feel more comfortable confiding in
someone other than their parent or
caretaker, so knowing how to listen
and help without overstepping
boundaries is important. When
should you act? Who should
you tell? What resources are
available?
Your library may
already have a
reporting protocol in
place. Talk to your
supervisor about your
library’s reporting
protocols when it comes
to teens and handling
sensitive issues. Make sure
you know what that reporting
protocol is, and how to ask for
help from other staff members
and your supervisor if the need arises.
Consider staff training on this topic if no
protocols already exist.
Library staffs are mandated reporters of suspected child
abuse because of their contact with children during the
course of their employment. The law says that mandated
reporters must immediately make reports of child abuse or
endangerment to PA Department of Public Welfare’s
24-hour ChildLine by calling 1-800-932-0313. Download the
helpful brochure from the PA Department of Public Welfare
(PDPW) on Mandated Reporters and make it available to
staff.
Gather a list of resources for your service area. This can be
shared and reviewed with staff internally and used in
situations where a teen or caregiver needs resources like a
counseling center referral or more information on
mental illness. Below is a sample of Pennsylvania
organizations and information that can be helpful for abuse
or mental health crisis situations:
The website www.preventchildabusepa.org has answers to
many frequently asked questions on the subject of child abuse.
PA Department of Public Welfare’s
website has a list of helpful numbers
pertaining to child safety, health
and mental well-being.
National Institute of Mental
Health website is an excellent resource for information on mental
health issues that affect
teens, including a library of documents on
children and
adolescent issues like
depression,
bi-polar disorder, ADHD,
anxiety and teen development.
The United Way Helpline can
provide information on local
mental health resources and
agencies. Visit www.211us.org or dial
211 for more information. Find your local United Way by
visiting the website. Also, your local department of human
services, mental health agency or health insurance provider
can help you find resources as well. Your local mental health
agency can help you assess mental illness and suicide risk.
This can be helpful for referring teens and their caretakers
to local resources that can aid them in addressing issues of
mental health.
Two situations may arise in which it is necessary to contact
a third-party: cases of abuse (mandatory reporting) and a
mental health crisis in which you fear for a teen’s emotional
well-being. Calling in a third-party is difficult,
25
especially if you have built up a relationship with
Difficult Or Sensitive Issues, continued
a teen. They may be angry that you have betrayed their
trust. Always be open and honest with the teen asking for
help. Tell them what steps you are going to take to ensure
their safety and stress that you are doing so for their wellbeing. Teens may not understand right away that you are
seeking help because you are concerned for them. In fact,
they may actively resist against you reaching out to a thirdparty on their behalf, but being respectful, honest and open
can help ease a difficult situation.
options or help. For example, local counseling and
crisis centers should be listed on this handout and if you can
list an individual contact as well, that is preferable. This can
help demystify the process for a teen or their caregiver.
It is also important to consider seeking support for yourself.
Use your Employee Assistance Program (EAP) if you have
one or seek out support from your supervisor or other
trusted staff members.
A handout, including many of the resources listed here, can
be helpful for teens and caregivers looking for treatment
Active Listening
Active listening is an attempt to clarify and understand another’s thoughts and
feelings. These techniques can also be important for de-escalating an agitated teen
or dealing with a sensitive situation. See below for five important components of
active listening:
1. Stop: Seek out private places in the library where you can talk with a teen without
being over-heard or interrupted.
2. Look: Look for nonverbal clues (facial expressions, body language) that will help
you identify how the other person is feeling.
3. Listen: Match the verbal and nonverbal cues and decipher both the content and
emotion of the teen’s message.
4. Question: You may need to ask questions in order to understand the other person,
sort out their feelings, clarify a word or phrase and/or verify your conclusion about
a teen’s meaning or feeling.
5. Paraphrase: Paraphrase what you think another person is saying in order to let
them know you understand what they are expressing.
26
Lessons From The Field
Teen Reading Lounge in Action: 3 Stories from the Field
The following stories are from three real Pennsylvania
libraries that participated in PHC’s TRL program. Read on to
learn more about how library staff and facilitators implemented their programs and used the humanities to
strengthen teen services.
Empowering Teens to be an Active Part
of the Community
One library in a lower income area of southwest Pennsylvania saw their Teen Reading Lounge program blossom into a
civic engagement project – a welcome surprise for library
staff, the program facilitator and participating teens. Five
teens made up the core group and all had been in juvenile
detention and had completed community service hours at
the library.From the beginning it was clear to the teen
specialist that the reading and discussion format wasn’t
fully working because his teens weren’t familiar with
graphic novels and comics – the series the library wanted
to explore.
“No one had ever read a graphic novel so in the first session
we talked about how the panels work,” the teen specialist
told us. “We actually read a chapter from the first book together at our first session (graphic novel No Girls Allowed:
Tales of Daring Women Dressed as Men for Love, Freedom
and Adventure) and I was really surprised how confused
everyone was. Nobody recognized the Star of David or
knew anything about the Holocaust. It was one of those
moments that can be discouraging but reminds us how
important our work is. We ended up having a really intense
conversation about equality and how much better things
are - and aren't - in the 21st century.”
The teen specialist and the facilitator also experimented
with different kinds of hands-on activities to find out what
would resonate with the group. They found that the teens
really responded to creating art pieces involving power
tools.
“We learned they liked working with power tools,” the
program facilitator said. “That led us to create the final
project.”
To combine their love of hands-on activity and the recurring
theme of displacement found in all three of the graphic
novels the group read together, the teen specialist and
facilitator created the Birdhouse Project. Over the next
several sessions, teens
painted and
assembled
birdhouses for
the trees outside of the
library which is
situated on
the main
road of the
community. On
Arbor Day, teens
cleaned, mulched,
and placed the birdhouses
in the library trees. The library also invited the local Fire
Station to help hang the birdhouses, and everyone in the
community was invited to participate, thus leveraging their
TRL program into something all could participate in.
“These teens wanted to create a project that would add
something beautiful but functional to their neighborhood,”
said the program observer. “They made the connection to
their favorite work The Arrival by Shaun Tan when they
commented that in that graphic novel, the man found a
new country where he could function and stated that the
birds in the community would have a new habitat as well. It
was heartwarming to see one of them make this leap.”
The library embraced challenges and let their teens guide
the process by carefully observing how they reacted to
discussion and activities. Making adjustments – reading
aloud, exploring how comics created a narrative, building a
safe, welcoming environment where all voices were heard
and guiding the teens to create something that had
real-world implications yielded an impactful program that
was beyond a book discussion program. “Creating an
outreach project was a very successful path for our library,”
the teen specialist told PHC. “It connected the books together and beautified our neighborhood. [The teens were]
able to take pride in the lasting effect and hopefully it can
shape the idea of taking accountability for their own
environment.”
27
Lessons From The Field, continued
Creating an Engaging Program through Experiences
A suburban library in southwest Pennsylvania explored The
Hunger Games trilogy during their Teen Reading Lounge
program and saw an opportunity to take the program
beyond the library to teach their teens real life skills. Taking
inspiration from the trilogy’s main character who is an
expert archer, the teen librarian and the facilitator planned
a field trip to a local archery range so that teens could
“live the book” and understand what it took to survive
in the wilderness.
“We contacted a local archer instructor and he was
open to bringing the teens in,” the program
facilitator told us. “Some teens were empowered by
the experience and some came away with a reverent
understanding of using a bow and arrow but all left
with better knowledge of the protagonist and the real
life skills she had.”
The library also added special activities to round out the
program and complement discussion. For example, an
expert came into the library to conduct a workshop on
metalworking so teens could make Hunger Games
‘rebellion bangles’ which figure prominently in the second
book. Teens designed their bangles and learned to use tools
like a mallet.
“We did this after hours,” said the teen librarian. “The teens
loved having a space of their own and they could be as loud
as they wanted to be.”
their opinions heard.”
The program facilitator echoed this thought telling us, “The
teens' ability to connect themes in The Hunger Games with
current events [like the Occupy Wall Street Movement] and
issues has really impressed me. TRL
gives them a chance to think
critically in a non-school
environment, with less
pressure. The librarian
and I work really hard
to dignify and respect
the teens, their
experiences, and their
opinions, which may
not always be what they
feel like they get at home
or at school.”
The library made several smart
decisions as they designed their program: they picked a
timely book that was hugely popular with the targeted age
group; they provided fun incentives that let teens
experience the book and they encouraged connections
between literature and real life. All of these decisions
yielded an engaging program that kept teens coming back
for more.
In addition to engaging activities, the library also built in
clever incentives that tied directly to the book so teens
would continue to come back.
“Our attendance numbers were incredible considering the
short time the library had offered services specifically for
teens,” the program facilitator said. “Our retention was
100%, which was truly amazing. I think the great marketing
by the librarian, the timeliness of The Hunger Games, and
the incentives were what made us successful.”
“If you’ve read the book, you know that kids are chosen for
the Hunger Games through a process called the reaping,”
the teen librarian told us. “We reversed that to make it
positive and put participants’ name into a prize hat every
time they attended a session. The more times you attended
the more chances you had of winning a prize. We held our
reverse reaping ceremony at the end of the program and
the teens loved it.”
Building Teen Programming from the Ground Up
A suburban library in northeastern Pennsylvania found a
long-term program facilitator and gained internal support
for teen services during their Teen Reading Lounge
program. The head of youth services, who was also new to
teens coming into the library, was nervous about the first
step to creating a successful program: finding the right
facilitator.
Creating a program that went beyond the page had a
positive effect on the teens who participated. “There was a
group of five 8th graders who were particularly struck by
the program,” the teen librarian told us. “These kids
28
really enjoyed being able to speak freely and have
“PHC provided some guidance, but I had to search out in
my community to find the right candidate. The first thing I
did was search for schools in our area and I came across a
local prep school that had an Art, Anthropology, and
Writing Instructor. I read her bio, and she seemed like a
Lessons From The Field, continued
perfect fit for the program,” the library staff told us.
“I emailed to ask her if she was interested in being our
facilitator. She said yes!”
The library staff worked closely with the facilitator to
choose books and create a program. Because the library
was new to teen programming, neither one knew what to
expect. Would teens even come? The facilitator promised to
bring some of her students to the program – some of whom
had not been to the library before.
“Some of our other attendees had not been in the library
for many years,” the library staff told us. “They had been in
preschool storytime (which they had fond memories of)
and maybe Summer Reading Club, but after 8th grade, we
didn't have much to offer them. Having a teen program
brought them back. I also visited high school classes to talk
about the program and to solicit participation. Outreach
and making them feel welcome was important.”
For the inaugural program, the group read volume 1 in the
graphic novel series The Runaways, about a group of
teenagers who learn that their parents are supervillians –
which provided lots of fodder for discussion. The facilitator
created projects for them that allowed them to use their
creativity and explore the novels in new ways.
“One project we did was to create an altered book based on
a character. They used the characters’ personality as
inspiration,” the facilitator said.
“A good deal of discussion revolved around the characters,
their personalities, and the decisions they made,” the
program observer told us. “The facilitator also drew the
group’s attention to aspects of the artwork in the novel,
prompting one participant to comment that, as a reader,
she found that she liked “having pictures outside her head,”
even though looking at those pictures altered the usually
fast pace of her reading.”
Due to their success, the library participated in the Teen
Reading Lounge for a second time the following year – and
they worked with the same facilitator.
“All of our teens liked the program, which lead me to think
we are on the right track.” the library’s library staff told us.
They explored graphic novels again – after the first
program, the core group of teens suggested more of the
same. They did various writing and art projects that again
highlighted creativity, critical thinking and collaboration.
“[Through this program] kids from two different schools
met and now are great friends sharing their love for graphic
novels, anime and drawing,” the facilitator told us. “One of
those students in particular was always very shy. Now she
has confidence. Also, some of the other younger students
are now not afraid to share their opinion because they felt
supported."
The program gave the library a solid place to start for future
teen programs. In fact, capitalizing on the success of TRL,
the library created another special teen experience later
that year.
“The summer after TRL officially ended, we did a program
based on Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book,” the library
staffer told us. “Students from grades 5-8 participated. We
arranged for a tour of a nearby cemetery. The caretaker
and his wife both read the book and were able to tie in
various aspects of the story with the tour. We learned about
mausoleums and local history and saw the graves of some
historically famous local people. We also talked about the
art and symbolism found among the grave markers, stones
and mausoleums. I found some discussion questions for
the book online and used them while we were walking to tie
it back to the book. I feel like this experience really brought
the book to life.”
Because of their success with TRL through two rounds – and
the momentum it created, the library’s staff was able to
convince library leadership to put more resources towards
programming for teens.
“Running a TRL program has been an asset to us in many
ways,” the library staff said. “We have seen our numbers of
teens attending programs grow. I feel that we have
justified adding more teen resources to our collections. I
believe teens now feel that the library is also a place for
them. It seemed before, that youth stopped coming to the
library after they aged out of reading club and we didn’t see
them again until they were bringing their own children back
for story time. I feel much more comfortable with teen
programming after having run two rounds of the Teen
Reading Lounge.”
29
“
“
In the course of our sessions, teens had
opportunities to experiment with photography,
movie-making, collage, "vintage" technology
(typewriters, old cameras), special effects
makeup techniques, and more. These activities
invited participants to think more deeply about
the books we'd discussed and also to
brainstorm, share ideas, and produce
imaginative creations of their own.
To learn more about TRL
call (215) 925-1005.
Follow us:
Photos courtesy of:
Georgiana Deming, Andrew Kelemen,
North Versailles Public Library,
Plum Borough Community Library,
Bridgeville Public Library, Hazleton Area Public Library,
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh – Hazelwood,
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh – Allegheny,
Grove City Community Library, Sewickley Public Library.
and Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh - Carrick