Connecting with Teens (for Real)

AFTER COMPLETING THIS COURSE, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO:

• Notice when your own assumptions about teens are shaping how you respond and adjust before that turns into friction
• Read teen behavior with more accuracy so you can respond to what’s actually happening, not just what it looks like on the surface
• Handle behavior challenges in ways that lower the temperature, protect relationships, and support accountability
• Set clearer expectations and boundaries with teens without making every interaction feel punitive
• Use outreach strategies that make it easier to reach teens where they already are and bring them into your library’s work
• Build teen input into your planning through tools like focus groups, youth advisory boards, and other collaborative approaches
• Help youth think through misinformation and disinformation using strategies that connect to the media they see every day

You’ll come away with concrete ways to make teen services feel more effective, more grounded, and a lot less like trial and error.

If you are someone who:

• Plans teen programs that don’t get the turnout you expected
• Finds yourself managing behavior situations on the fly without a clear approach
• Wants teens to feel welcome but isn’t sure where the line is
• Has tried asking teens what they want and gotten nowhere useful
• Knows things could be better but isn’t sure what to change

This course was built for you.

This course is especially helpful for:

• Public library staff working with teens or youth services
• School librarians supporting middle or high school students
• Teen services librarians trying to increase engagement
• Library staff managing shared spaces with teen presence
• Anyone responsible for teen programming or outreach

If working with teens is part of your job, you’ll see your day-to-day reflected here.

THIS COURSE CONSISTS OF 5 SELF-PACED MODULES:

Module 1: Identifying Age-Based Biases

What perceptions do we have of adolescence, and how do those perceptions impact how we treat young people? This module explores how to recognize and work through age-based biases in order to improve services with and for youth.

Module 2: Understanding and Managing Teen Behavior

What should youth services librarians know about adolescent brain development to improve teen advocacy and proactively prevent behavior challenges? This module examines advocacy for youth inside and outside the library, establishing clear boundaries and expectations, responding to behavior challenges in trauma-informed ways, and using restorative justice practices to encourage accountability and relationship building when harm occurs. You’ll explore tangible strategies for understanding, advocating for, and mitigating challenges with youth, including how to respond during and after incidents, mentor young people effectively, and build meaningful relationships that support positive behavior.

Module 3: Teen Engagement and Outreach

How do you get young people involved in library programs and services? This module focuses on practical outreach and engagement strategies to reach teens where they are and encourage participation. You’ll learn how to build meaningful youth partnerships and involve young people directly in the design and development of programs through tools like focus groups, youth advisory boards, and other collaborative approaches.

Module 4: Teaching Information Literacy

How can you help students identify mis- and disinformation in a time when AI-generated content and deep fakes are increasingly convincing? This module examines the library’s role in vetting materials and supporting young people in understanding factual information. You’ll gain tools to evaluate information critically and teach youth essential information literacy skills.

Module 5: Innovative Teen Programs

In this module, you’ll explore ways to strengthen youth services through innovative programming. Hear from librarians about creative programs that have successfully engaged teens, including a civics ambassador program, manga programming, and a data zine camp.

Christi Showman Farrar, Library Consultant, Massachusetts Library System (MLS)

Library Consultant at the Massachusetts Library System (MLS).

Stephen Jackson, Founder, Global CommUnity Associates

Founder of Global CommUnity Associates, library advocate, and restorative practitioner and trainer.

Dr. Laurel Krapivkin, Adjunct Professor of Writing & Literature

Adjunct Professor of Writing and Literature.

Isaiah West, Teen Services Specialist, Prince George's County Memorial Library System (MD)

Teen Services Specialist with Prince George's County Memorial Library System (MD).

Donna Gray, Bronx Library Coordinator, NYC School Library System

Bronx Library Coordinator for the New York City School Library System.

Jane Gov, Senior Librarian, System-Wide Youth Services, Pasadena Public Library

Senior Librarian for System-Wide Youth Services at Pasadena Public Library and Branch Manager at Jefferson Branch Library.

Lisa Manganello, School Librarian, South Brunswick High School

School Librarian at South Brunswick High School.

Olisha James, Manager, Teen Ambassador Programs, The New York Public Library

Manager of Teen Ambassador Programs at The New York Public Library.

Jillian Rudes, School Librarian, New York City Department of Education

School Librarian with the New York City Department of Education and Executive Director of Manga in Libraries.

Tess Wilson, Deputy Director, Library Freedom Project

Deputy Director of the Library Freedom Project.

ALL THE DETAILS

Working with teens can be one of the best parts of library work and one of the hardest to get right. Sometimes the challenge is obvious, like behavior that throws off the room or programs that never quite get traction. Sometimes it’s more subtle. Teens show up but don’t engage. They use the space but don’t trust the adults in it. Staff are trying, but everyone seems to be reacting in the moment without a shared understanding of what teens actually need.

This course is designed to help you get underneath that. You’ll look at how bias shapes adult responses to young people, how adolescent development affects behavior and decision-making, and how trauma-informed and restorative approaches can change the way behavior challenges are handled in the library. You’ll also dig into the other side of the work: how to engage teens before there’s a problem, how to build programs with them instead of just for them, and how to create more meaningful pathways for participation.

Along the way, you’ll explore outreach strategies, youth advisory structures, information literacy support, and examples of innovative teen programming from librarians doing this work in real life. The goal here is not to hand you generic ideas and wish you luck. It’s to give you practical approaches you can adapt to your own library, your teens, your constraints, and the situations you’re actually dealing with.

SESSIONS AND PRICING

Early bird pricing ends one month before the session deadline. Course materials unlock on the session deadline date.

GROUP OPTIONS

Training a team? Choose the setup that matches how you want to plan and pay:

Group course enrollment: Enroll 3+ staff in this course and save.

Bulk course credits: Prepay once, get the highest per-seat discount on every course, and assign seats later.

Unlimited annual licensing: System-wide access for a year with no per-course approvals.

Request Discounted Group Pricing

Questions? Email groupsales@libraryjournal.com.

COURSE FORMAT

This is a fully self-paced, asynchronous online course consisting of 7 modules. Each module includes video instruction, slides, readings, and reflective exercises designed to connect concepts directly to your daily work.

EXPECTED TIME COMMITMENT

Completing all seven modules should take approximately 20 hours. You may move through the course at your own pace and on your own schedule.

COURSE ACCESS

You will have access to all course materials for six months from the material unlock date.

CREDIT & CERTIFICATE

Complete all modules to earn 20 professional development credit hours and an Library Journal certificate of completion, which will be emailed to you.

ACCESSIBILITY

All video recordings feature auto-captioning. If you require accommodations, please email course-support@libraryjournal.com upon registration and we will make our best efforts to support your needs.

SUPPORT

For technical or course-related support, please contact course-support@libraryjournal.com.