Outstanding Books for the College Bound and School Libraries

Amy Jessica McMillan

INFO 266

April 24, 2016

Dando, P. (2011). Outstanding books in school libraries. Carstensen, A. (Ed.). In Outstanding books for the college bound: Titles and programs for a new generation (pp. 21 - 28). Chicago, IL, USA: ALA Editions. Retrieved from http://www.ebrary.com

While many public and school librarians are acquainted with the Young Adult Library Association's online list Outstanding Books for the College Bound, they may not know there is a book by the same title. The book version expands on what is available online by describing how librarians can use the Outstanding Books list in different library settings, including public, academic and school libraries. In the chapter "Outstanding Books for School Libraries," Dando gives an overview for why school librarians should use this list when considering what to stock on their shelves. According to Dando, the Outstanding Book list helps librarians find the perfect match between "classics, YA literature, and resources to support the curriculum" (p. 21). She also gives advice for how to incorporate the list into a school library program through summer reading, curriculum connections, and teacher or classroom collaborations. There are sections about marketing the Outstanding Books list, which books are best for book talks, and which to use with book clubs.

From what I read, the Outstanding Book list is perfect for high school readers who want to challenge themselves and widen their interests. For those who work with junior high students, there are still many titles appropriate for early adolescent readers. The ones that jump out to me from the English list are The Curious Incident of the Dog at Nighttime by Mark Haddon and The Book Thief by Mark Zusak. I recommend that junior high school librarians do a little more research on the titles before providing a revised Outstanding Book list to their patrons. Still, Outstanding Books could help all educators interested in vertical articulation between grade levels because it provides clues as to what students will be expected to read in high school and beyond. In fact, I liked this list so much I added the following titles to my own Goodreads "want to read" list: Bill Bryson's Shakespeare: The World as a Stage; an anthology of literature titled Rotten English, edited by Dora Ahmand; and Dressed: A Century of Hollywood Costume Design by Deborah Nadoolman Landis. If Outstanding Books made me want to stretch myself as a reader, I imagine it will inspire younger readers in the same way.

As an English teacher (and aspiring school librarian), I generally like to have students read whatever they want, provided they read widely and consistently. However, I agree with Dando when she says, "...teachers have an obligation to ensure that the reading relates to their curriculum and is substantial enough to merit study and analysis" (p. 221). The lists and annotations provide by Outstanding Books for the College Bound does just that. I not only recommend this book, but I think it a must-have for all librarians who work with young adults.

Teen Services: A Call to Action

Laudato, Maricar

Institute of Museum and Library Services. (2014). Executive Summary: The Future of Library Services for and with Teens: A Call to Action (pp. 1-59, Rep.). Chicago, IL: Young Adult Library Services Association. www.ala.org/yaforum/project-report

Summary

In this 59-page report, the Institute of Museum and Library Services works in conjunction with YALSA to provide an in-depth analysis on the issues affecting teens today and how libraries can utilize its resources to best serve them. Things to note: there have been a drastic decrease in library services available to teens due to library closures, reduced hours, lack of trained staff, and insufficient resources to attend to their specific developmental needs. In addition, there has been a significant shift in the demographics of the teen profile, which is becoming increasing of minority and/or immigrant background, while those staff in the field of librarianship is still overwhelmingly Caucasian. It has also been seen in the report that teens are entering the workforce without any critical skills, which is extremely problematic.

Evaluation

I’ve been wanting to read this report for quite some time now. As you can probably already tell from my choices in additional reading, my bent is in school and teen librarianship. While this report was lengthy, I found that the material was relevant to what I see in front of me every day. However, the teens I work with are definitely teens who are the “haves” and not the “have nots” so they do not have to worry about the digital divide. But from my previous stint as an English high school teacher in urban Los Angeles, I can attest to the fact that the inequities are real, and that libraries have an opportunity to be the “equalizers” in this social dilemma. For the teens I used to teach, they did not have access to a computer at home, and they had to wait in line to use the computer in the library during its limited operating hours. I feel that this report was not that eye-opening because I’ve seen the bad stuff first-hand, but it’s good for those communities that, I suppose, are not exposed to the inequities that teens face in regards to library services. The good thing that the report does do, however, is make suggestions on how to improve library services for teens.

Teens are from Planet Earth too: Adopting a Whole Library Approach

Laudato, Maricar

Braun, L. B. (2011). The importance of a whole library approach to public library young adult services: A YALSA issue paper. Young Adult Library Services (Issue Paper). Chicago: IL.

Summary

In this article, Linda Braun advocates for the equitable treatment of teens from all library staff personnel. Even though teens have very specific developmental needs, Braun argues that teens deserve the same level of high customer service from all library staff they come in contact with. Braun cites different ways in which library staff can support young adults with its library spaces and resources: staff training and professional development, collaboration in collection development, information literacy support, programming for parents regarding trends that affect teens, and cross-generational mentoring opportunities. For the most part, Braun contends that everyone should be an advocate for young adults, and that it is everyone’s responsibility to be aware of the specific developmental needs of teens. In regards to collection development, Braun discusses the importance of young adult staff, reference staff, and children’s services staff to collaborate and plan how they will build the library’s collection together. To do so, they need to find out the personal interests of teens, along with knowing their educational needs.

Evaluation

I thought that Braun’s article was important because she stresses the importance of every staff member being an advocate for teens. Too often, any issues or problems that have to do with teens are often relegated to the YA or teen specialist, and no one else is expected to think about the needs of teens. With the “whole library approach,” Braun has a refreshing outlook on how to strengthen services to teens. If the library staff views providing quality library service to teens as providing quality library service to future tax-payers, then I think that service to teens would be very different from what it looks like today.