Totally revised and expanded with over 50 programming, collection development, planning, and assessment tools on a CD that librarians can customize, plus a new two-color layout emphasizing key points for quick reference

New York, NY (May 27, 2009) – While a recent study from the American Library Association reported that 78% of preteens and teens reported owning a library card, many practicing librarians do not see teens putting these cards to use. In Connecting Young Adults and Libraries, Fourth Edition: A How-To-Do-It Manual, to be published by Neal-Schuman on July 15, 2009, award-winning teen services librarians and co-authors Michele Gorman and Tricia Suellentrop outline the changing needs of today’s teens, and provide practical suggestions, personal experiences, groundbreaking research, and best practices to help libraries and librarians fully engage teens.

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries begins with a foreword from former author, trainer, and YA librarianship guru Patrick Jones. Following a complete glossary of important terms, acronyms and abbreviations, the book unfolds in thirteen, clearly organized chapters. Gorman and Suellentrop first lay out the core values that drive teen library service work, and provide an in-depth explanation of the contemporary teen audience, including the Search Institute’s 40 Developmental Assets and new research on the teen brain as it relates to library services. Next, the authors explore past, present and future trends in teen services, and share guidelines for providing effective customer and reference service, recommendations for teen reader’s advisory services, and tips for building relationships with teen users. Gorman and Suellentrop then cover information literacy, collection development, and booktalking, followed by an array of alternative methods to meaningfully involve teens with the library, including outreach and collaboration, programming, the development of teen friendly spaces and the promotion of teen services. The following chapter is about technology, and examines ways to incorporate existing and emerging technologies like social networking, wikis, and blogs into daily library services for teens. Gorman and Suellentrop also discuss teens as programmers, volunteers and interns, and conclude with an overview of pertinent issues and conflicts in young adult services.

Along with helpful figures, lists, and surveys, this fourth edition of Connecting Young Adults and Libraries is the first to come with a time-saving companion CD-ROM, the Librarian Serving Teens Toolkit, that includes a collection of over 50 core documents, including sample forms, templates, letters, surveys, exercises, volunteer and intern applications, comment cards, and focus group guides. Each document can be easily replicated or adapted to fit individual institutions.

Providing teens with quality library service is a highly essential, deeply rewarding- and often very challenging task. Widely referred to as “the pink bible”, the newest edition of this invaluable manifesto of teen services combines exciting new adolescent research with effective practices and programs to enlighten and inspire librarians, educators, and graduate students to adopt a “YAttitude” and give their teen users an outstanding experience at the library.

Connecting Young Adults and Libraries, 4th Edition: A How-To-Do-It Manual
ISBN: 978-1-55570-665-4. 2009. 8.5 x 11. 450pp. Book and CD-ROM $85.00.

About the Authors
Michele Gorman is the Teen Services Coordinator for the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County (PLCMC) in North Carolina. She oversees teen services for PLCMC and manages PLCMC’s teen-only library Michele is a freelance writer, renowned national speaker, a member of the YALSA board of Directors, and currently the “Getting Graphic” columnist for Library Media Connection.
Tricia Suellentrop is the Deputy County Librarian for the Johnson County Library in Kansas. She oversees all operations for 13 locations serving more than 400,000 residents. She received the American Library Association Sagebrush Award in 2001 for outstanding service to young people and the Youth Services Award in 2002 from the Mountain Plains Library Association. In 2005 Tricia was selected as one of Library Journal’s “Movers and Shakers” for her work with teens in the correction system.

About Neal-Schuman Publishers
Neal-Schuman Publishers is the leading provider of library management, Internet and information technology resources, including the highly acclaimed “How-To-Do-It” series. Founded in 1976, Neal-Schuman Publishers is based in New York City with offices in London, UK.

For More Information and/or Cover Art
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sarah.eisenberg@neal-schuman.com

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