Posted by Fran Jackson

TARGET REFLECTIONS

After 41 years of being a librarian I never really thought about analyzing how we get young people to read.  TARGET appears to have all the parts, but personally I find the order blurred.

I would choose ENTHUSIASM first.  As a public librarian school visits are our ACCESS to the tween population as a whole.  Selling yourself, the library and the books require a commitment by the librarian.  If you love what you do, it becomes infectious. With this first encounter what you recommend should have TWEEN APPEAL.

If you have opened the door, the tweens should come to the public library.  I have had many a mother say her son (yes, boys) had to come and sign up for summer reading.  We must make ourselves accessible to both tweens and their caregivers. Whenever possible there should be appropriate staff for this age group; it could be a children’s librarian, a young adult librarian, or any staff member sensitive to the needs of tweens. The tweens now have ACCESS to us.

GUIDE them to their first recommended book or as I was taught, reader’s advisory is getting the right book to the right person.  From there the tween patron will RESPOND and a TRUST will develop.

Reflections on T-A-R-G-E-T

From Lynne Ring/George Memorial Library/Richmond, Texas

The books I have read for class have been Tales from Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan and Peace, Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson.  Both these books have Teen-Appeal because they are short in length, and they have covers that would sell to the right readers.

Peace, Locomotion, told through a series of letters from one sibling to another living in separate foster care, has an authentic tween voice that would speak to the right reader, perhaps even providing comfort and understanding to a tween struggling with issues.

In general, when talking about reaching tweens, by hitting our _target_ of tweens, with books and literature, the acronym T-A-R-G-E-T (Trust/Access/Response/Guidance/Enthusiasm/Tween-Appeal) seems very apropos. 

·         Trust: Obviously, an essential characteristic necessary in reaching anyone, but especially tweens given all of the transitions they are experiencing.  In a public library setting, where I work, trust is needed to start conversations, develop dialogs and establish relationships with students you might not see as often as in a school setting, so friendliness is critical since they don’t know us like they do their teachers at school. Through conversation we are able to talk with our visiting tweens and, hopefully, talk books.  As we get to know them, and they get to know us, the opportunity presents itself for us to match their needs and interests to appropriate books or materials.  Over time, hopefully, we will become viewed as a trustworthy source for books for them.

·         Access: The challenge for public librarians is getting our kids to the library, getting the books in their hands, and then making it possible for them to check those books out.  So, awareness is a preliminary to access: outreach is helpful in this effort. Literacy nights at schools, summer reading club promotion, and all types of opportunities to encourage parents to enable their children by allowing them to have library cards of their own or by accompanying to the public library to check out books.  My library system does two annual library card drives at the schools. Often, approaching the family as a unit facilitates getting books home and interests more than one family member in a title. Finally, it is also important that we make sure the books are available (part of the collection) and easily obtained (can be found in the catalog) when requested.

·         Response:  The response that we can expect at the public library comes in the form of return visits and feedback.  If we did a good job in matching the book to our reader and made the experience a positive thing, we can expect positive feedback with a request for another title.  That is ideal, and it does happen.  More challenging, is a reader that you have difficulty keeping up with because they read quickly and because they are outstripping your collection.  Often, more extensive interviews are needed to guide them to books that remain appropriate, content-wise, but that have interest for them.

·         Guidance:  I had an experience this week with a student that I have been friends with for a few years.  He is a good reader who has been pulling himself up, tier-by-tier, with books on a variety of topics, crossing multiple genres.  He asked me for recommendations, as always, and when I raised my eyebrows with a “let’s see,” because he has read so much of my young adult collection, he said, “anything … any good books you have read.”  And I realized that there were good things that I could recommend to him, that were appropriate for him, that he would like.  I had an opportunity to guide him, and I did.  I guide other readers, too, who are not near where that reader is, but who can be gently nudged to the next tier, while still keeping a foot on that rung that feels safe.

·         Enthusiasm:  Enthusiasm is another essential ingredient needed to make that connection, to sell that book, to hook that reader up with their book.

·         Tween-Appeal:  Other Tween-appeal issues that come into play in finding books for our tweens, besides brevity and cool covers, are almost sure-fire: funny; scary; and romantic (for some girls/The Serious Kiss); action-packed (usually, for boys).