10:00-11:15 

Welcome and Tiffany D. Jackson Keynote

Welcome and Tiffany D. Jackson Keynote

Sessions Track 1

Sessions Track 2

11:30-12:30

Teen Volunteering as a Core Library Service

Teen Volunteer Programs are a unique opportunity to give young people in your community a seat at the table. Yet in turn they also present a unique set of challenges for libraries, often leading to mixed results. Whether you have more volunteers than you know what to do with or just a handful, in this session we will examine different ways you can build, strengthen, or restructure your teen volunteer program to get the results you’re looking for. We will discuss best practices, Teen Advisory boards, internship programs, service projects, community partnerships, asynchronous opportunities, and more. 

Alyssa Taft is the teen librarian at Cranston Public Library in Cranston, Rhode Island, and a former school library media specialist. She completed her MLIS at the University of Rhode Island and her professional interests include youth civic engagement, collection development, and partnerships between schools and public libraries. An avid and critical reader, she is a former member of the RI Middle School Book Award committee, current member of the RI Teen Book Award committee, and reviewer for Publisher’s Weekly. 

Nonfiction Cartooning

This workshop is participatory. If possible, please have cameras and mics enabled.

In this workshop, we will learn how to structure nonfiction comic activities for teens. We will look at several examples of effective nonfiction comics and all the different shapes they can take. We will also do some of these activities ourselves!   

Daryl Seitchik (she/they) is a cartoonist and teacher currently living in Vermont. She has taught virtual and in-person comics workshops for children, teens, and adults at schools, libraries, and museums all throughout New England. 

12:30-1:30

Lunch

Lunch

1:30-2:30

YA Palooza: Rocking Teen Choice Book Awards with Your Awesome Teens

Get ready to turbocharge your teen reading programs! Hop on board with Susan Elbag, YA librarian at Lunenburg Public Library (MA) and co-head honcho of the Marketing Committee for the MA Teen Choice Book Award. She's all set to spill the beans on thrilling ways to get teens stoked about voting and team up with schools and libraries to blend the award’s book list into an epic summer reading journey.

Once Upon A Prom

Meet Kimmie Killmer, Director at the Beardsley & Memorial Library in Winchester, CT who shares the experience creating Once Upon a Prom. This annual event invites teens to come “shop” for free prom dresses, receive free trial hair and make-up from local businesses, and of course, take fun photos! Learn why the program was created, why the program was created, and the impact it’s had on the teens in a small rural community.

2:30-2:45

Break

Break

2:45-3:45

Reimagining Teen Book Groups

Looking to start teen book group programming, boost your attendance, or shift your focus? Join Kristi Favoloro from Skidompha Library in Damariscotta, ME to talk about teens. Teens, who are often bogged down by various academic and social commitments, may not be interested in conventional book clubs. If libraries consider what teens really want and need after school (social connection, fun, and a place to hang out), we can reframe our approach. The end result? Programs that are well-attended by enthusiastic adolescents!

T(w)eens: Programming, Partnership, and Burnout

There’s a lot to consider when we are planning teen and tween programming. In this presentation you will learn about using connected learning principles and co-designing to develop programs with teen patrons, not just for them. We’ll learn about partnership, community supporters, and how to identify them using community asset mapping. Join Kym Powe, Children/YA Consultant with the CT State Library to learn to create successful teen programs without burnout! 

3:45-3:50

Thanks yous

Thank yous