One of my co-workers recently asked me to take over the Teen Advisory Group at our library. They weren’t getting anyone and she would rather focus on the computer classes she was teaching. I had no problems taking it on. I found during my MILS that I knew I wanted to work with kids and after a while I realized that working with teens would be fun. At my other job I was in charge of the Teen Advisory Council so I have some experience running this type of group.
My TAC group was 10 people strong when I took over last year (I was able to get some new people) and when I finished last week I was at 2 1/2. I knew what I wanted to do with the group, but I wasn’t able to get there.
I’m currently working on a different approach for this group that will involve less asking for opinions and hoping they want to be involved and more putting the group in their hands. Letting them plan programs and be active in that planning and working the programs. I have the ideas I just need them to run with them and make some of their own.
I’m hoping that I can get teens to come in to the meeting first off and second that I can work with them to get the group to where I know it can. I’ve seen enough examples from other libraries to see successful teen advisory groups that continue to grow and are active in planing and attending library programs and that they want to be a part of this group.
My meeting is next week. Hopefully I get a couple teens to even show up.
Perfect Pandemonium 