‘Talk to them like they’re people’: A cross-cultural comparison of teen-centred approaches in public library services

Theme 1: Ownership and a sense of belonging

One of the most constant refrains at both Lava and TioTretton is the importance of giving young people a space that is just for them. At TioTretton, no adults aside from library staff are allowed to enter (Stockholms Stadsteater, 2019b). At Lava, adults can enter to check out or return books, but they may not hang out in the space or attend workshops. At TioTretton, an ‘adult border’ stretches across the floor at the library’s entrance to underscore that this space is for tweens only and that they will be prioritised within it. As Interviewee 3 explained, ‘We feel that a library for everyone is never a library for children. If you say that you don’t want to exclude adults or to prioritise, you’re not being neutral, you’re prioritising the existing norm. Which is usually adults’.

Theme 2: Respect

Every interviewee touched on the importance of listening to young people, treating them with respect and being non-judgemental: treating teens as people who have opinions and ideas worth hearing.

Library rules are few and simple, based on a shared sense of ownership and respect for the space. Interviewee 3 described a policy of ‘always providing an option, instead of a rule’ (e.g. ‘You can’t dance here . . . but you can over there!’). The approach is one of expecting mutual respect, Interviewee 3 explained: ‘Putting a lot of trust in the kids, we get a lot back’.

When issues do occur at Lava or TioTretton, staff first approach the visitor to discuss it. If the behaviour continues, they will ask the person to leave. However, the focus is on ‘the action, not the person’, Interviewee 3 said. For example: ‘You are not a problem, but this type of language is a problem’. Staff make it clear that every day is a clean slate and the visitor is welcome back tomorrow. They find it far more effective to talk to teens than to shush them, and find that visitors are usually receptive to these conversations. ⁵

Theme 3: A welcoming atmosphere

Lava (Figure 2) is a colourful, cheerful space with a wealth of easily accessible materials ranging from books to tools. During observation for this research, teens used the sewing machines, worked quietly at laptops, socialised, read, browsed the shelves, studied, played games, made art or even played musical instruments, as well as working in the silkscreen studio and sound studio. Lava was not loud but felt active, with a pleasant low buzz of people chatting and going about their activities. Music played in the background, underscoring that this is not a traditional library, nor a silent space. As Interviewee 2 explained, ‘Free time should feel different from school’.

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Figure 2.

Lava Bibliotek och Verkstad interior.

TioTretton (Figure 3), with its couches, hammocks and reading nooks, emphasises cosiness. Visitors take off their shoes when they enter, a standard practice in Swedish homes. Following this practice in the library signals that this is a place where tweens can feel at home. TioTretton offers a variety of places to explore, from the spacious kitchen to the costume box to the book displays. Visitors were observed browsing the collection, reading alone or in pairs, gaming together, trying on costumes, snacking and chatting with staff in the kitchen or hanging out in groups on the couch or other furniture. ⁶ Interviewee 4 noted that visitors who age out of TioTretton tell staff that ‘the thing they miss the most is the cosiness’.

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Figure 3.

Variety of seating options at TioTretton.

Over a decade ago, Lava had developed a reputation as exclusive. Particular friend groups dominated the space with loud conversation, leaving others hesitant to enter. Staff reflected on this phenomenon and redesigned Lava to make a more inclusive impression, in part by making the space more actively creative. As Interviewee 5 explained,

Humans are always in doubt that they really belong to a place. And so it was very important to try to remove all the doubt. That this is a place not just for people who look in a certain way or listen to a certain music. But perhaps are interested in creating stuff. Or doing stuff.

They also moved the staff desk closer to the door, ‘so we could say hello to everyone and just ask them what they would like to do today’, as Interviewee 5 put it. At TioTretton, too, a staff member is always near the door to greet each child who enters. Visitors are free to return the greeting or not, as they prefer.

The addition of library services at Lava further bolstered this work to be more broadly welcoming, as Interviewee 1 explained,

A public library is a space that everybody feels that they know how to enter. A studio, or an atelier, or an art space, or a concert – that’s a different thing, then you maybe feel like, oh, maybe I have to look a certain way, I have to know certain things. [. . .] But in a library, everybody can come in.

Staff use inclusive language and are careful not to make assumptions about their visitors’ gender identities or the type of family they live in. They build book collections that represent many worldviews and reflect the diversity of their visitors’ identities (Lava Bibliotek & Verkstad, 2018). TioTretton’s collection contains books in 33 languages, which include Sweden’s official minority languages and the languages of immigrant communities.

Being welcoming to all sometimes requires active management. This might include asking one group to lower the volume of their conversation if it is impacting others’ ability to concentrate or to enjoy the space. Staff pay attention to who is making use of their facilities, ensuring that the sound studio, for example, is used not only by those practising DJ or hip hop skills, but is also available to opera students or podcasters.

Staff describe Lava as ‘a nice place to fail’ (Ekström and Duvarci, 2013), where young people can experiment without worrying about achieving a specific result. And at TioTretton, Interviewee 3 explained that, as Swedish children’s lives have become increasingly scheduled, the library offers tweens the ‘freedom to be curious, try new things, and just have fun with it’. There are also visitors who come to TioTretton specifically because it offers a place to read with fewer distractions than at home.

Theme 4: Balancing inequalities in society

Libraries are ‘one of the only places you can go to without resources’, Interviewee 1 pointed out, where young people are welcome to spend time without spending money and where they can create rather than only consume. Lava and TioTretton provide technology and creative equipment that would be too expensive for individuals to afford, such as the sound studio or 3D printer. Lava also lends tools and musical instruments, since these are things that many young people cannot afford to own. Interviewee 3 reflected,

Public libraries exist, in a way, to balance out economical divides in our society, but also social. So for us, some simple things are that everything is extremely free. [. . .] We want to give something to everyone, not just to a certain few who pay for it.

Interviewees also noted the significance of Kulturhuset Stadsteatern being located on ‘neutral ground’ in central Stockholm. The libraries offer a place that is free, safe and does not ‘belong’ to any single group, since no one lives in the surrounding commercial district. The location is accessible, near a transport hub where many metro and bus lines converge. Indeed, over 70% of the libraries’ visitors come from beyond the city centre (Burga and Woodski, 2017), from outlying boroughs that include many neighbourhoods of lower income and immigrant families. Lava conducts a yearly survey of its visitors to gain perspective on whom the library is reaching or failing to reach.

Theme 5: Following teens’ interests

Nearly everything at Lava is initiated and implemented by visitors (Ekström and Duvarci, 2013). This includes everything from large-scale events to day-to-day activities. In addition to empowering young people, this approach makes it easier to plan and promote programmes. As Interviewee 1 explained, when staff arrange programming, ‘it becomes this huge amount of work to plan it and then to get people to come and to stay. But if people arrange it themselves, then their friends come – it makes more sense’. This approach also increases the range of youth Lava reaches, as Interviewee 5 described:

At the moment we have an exhibition from a girl from Afghanistan. And when she has her exhibition opening, her friends will come, and they will notice, oh, there’s pen and paper here, I can sit and draw. And when we have this concert with the Japanese math rock band, organised by the Stockholm straight edge community, then their friends come, and they discover this art from Afghanistan. So by allowing people to do their stuff, we reach out through their network.

Facilities, too, evolve based on young people’s interests. Lava’s sound studio was created because there was no such space in Stockholm that was affordable for teens. And at TioTretton, staff recognised that tweens often grew restless during long afternoons at the library, so they hired a choreographer to design a new room that allows more options for movement. Because staff spend a significant portion of their time mingling in the space with their visitors, they have constant access to input via conversations and observation (Figure 4).

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Figure 4.

Mechanisms for youth input at TioTretton and Lava.

Staff follow visitors’ lead on what activities they want to engage in and are careful not to push them to participate in something only because staff suggest it. During one observation session for this research, a staff member was seated at a table doing a craft activity; visitors could join in if they chose, but the mode was informal, with the adult and tweens simply engaging in the activity alongside each other.

Theme 6: Flexibility

The libraries offer a variety of spaces. At Lava, there are communal tables at the centre and quieter corners in other parts of the room. TioTretton has tables for group projects, and hammocks and nooks for reading. Shelves and furniture are on wheels, allowing them to be rolled out of the way to accommodate concerts or other large events.

Hands-on materials are free of cost and available at all times, rather than being brought out only during formalised programming. Visitors are encouraged to browse and do not need to ask permission before opening drawers to look for supplies. Indeed, they were frequently observed doing so during this research. Gaming, art and other projects offer opportunities for teens to interact informally and bond over shared activities. Staff at both Lava and TioTretton pointed out that it is easier for people to fall into conversation when they are doing something with their hands.

Flexibility is integral not only to the space and materials, but also to the overall philosophy of these libraries, as Interviewee 3 described,

What we do today might work, but then next year, who knows, and what kind of ten to thirteen year olds will be visiting our library then? Society changes. You can never think of this as something that: ‘Okay, but next year we’ll be finished with our concept’, because it constantly, and it should constantly, change.

Theme 7: The staff’s role

Staff see their role as that of a coach or facilitator. Lava offers very low-cost introductory workshops to equipment such as the sound studio, 3D printer or silkscreen studio, after which visitors are allowed to use these on their own. Interviewee 5 explained that when teaching workshops, ‘I try to keep my input to a more instrumental level’, providing a tool set of skills rather than telling people ‘what they should do or how they should do it’.

Staff function as a ‘third adult’: not a family member or teacher, but a neutral adult with no knowledge or judgement about visitors’ lives outside the library. They consider informal conversations with their teen and tween visitors to be one of the most important parts of the job. Interviewee 3 described staff–visitor interactions at TioTretton:

We sit on the couch or we sit in the kitchen; it’s really easy for them to just come and sit beside you, and sometimes they talk about everything, school, their lives, or ask a lot of interesting personal questions! And I think that’s important, in having a children’s library, to not create unnecessary distance between you and the visitor.

Being alongside visitors in this way is a core tenet of both Lava and TioTretton. Some staff hours are allocated for completing tasks in the library office, while others are earmarked for simply being present in the public space: reading, chatting with visitors or assisting with creative projects. This understanding – that casual interaction with visitors is a crucial part of the staff’s role and that staff hours should be allocated accordingly – is at the core of the libraries’ operations. This principle of being alongside can be seen even in the libraries’ physical layout: for example, reference and circulation computers are positioned such that staff and visitors can access them together from the same side (Figure 5), rather than staff working behind a desk. Lava staff also use the space to work on their own creative projects. TioTretton staff, too, were observed using the space as their visitors do, engaging in activities such as reading on the couch – deliberately modelling the behaviours they encourage in their tween visitors.

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Figure 5.

Outward-facing reference desk at TioTretton.

Theme 8: Staffing and hiring

Both libraries hire employees with a variety of expertise. In fact, no current staff member at TioTretton at the time of this research was a professionally trained librarian. Instead, staff hold degrees in fields such as art, dance, theatre, journalism or political science. The qualities TioTretton seeks to hire are an enthusiasm for working with youth, an ability to be relaxed and hang out with tweens and an understanding of the value of a space that is only for this age group. Lava does employ professional librarians, but recruits staff with a range of expertise as well, in areas such as art, filmmaking, music or recreational pedagogy. The libraries value hiring staff who can interact with visitors over shared creative interests.

Reflections

Both Lava and TioTretton emphasise giving young people a place of their own, with TioTretton even drawing an ‘adult border’ past which only children can enter. A core principle is that young people should have the same rights as any adult. The libraries serve as neutral spaces that welcome all youth and provide access to hands-on materials and a range of technology. An important aspect of the staff’s role is simply to be present and follow young people’s interests, mingling and participating in activities alongside their teen and tween visitors. Lava and TioTretton have highly advantageous resources, such as their dedicated spaces, extensive collections and a budget sufficient to maintain a large staff dedicated solely to the target age group. But they are clear that these are not their only important factors. As Interviewee 3 elaborated:

What we try to say is that, yes, we have this amazing space, but what we work with the most is our philosophy in interacting with our kids, not sitting behind a desk, always talking, hanging out with the kids, sitting in the room, reading the same books as they do, talking about the same books, loving the same books that they do, trusting them. [. . .] If we had this space but the staff consisted of people not wanting to work with kids, [the space] wouldn’t matter. [. . .] But I think in a space without the exact furniture that we have today, we could still build something amazing.

Theme 1: Ownership and a sense of belonging

The TCPL teen centre, which opened in October 2017, serves ages 12–18. The outermost area contains the stacks; next comes an area of study carrels and computers, then an open-plan seating area. Locating this social space furthest within the teen centre provides teens with a degree of privacy, as well as creating somewhat of a buffer between this noisier area and the rest of the library. Adults and younger children may enter the teen centre to select books, but are encouraged not to spend extended time. Teens also have access to the library’s makerspace and digital lab during both general and teen-only hours.

The teen centre was created in part because the wider community offered so few spaces where teens could hang out without an obligation to purchase anything. Interviewee 6 reflected, ‘I think, especially for the teens, we are a community center. [. . .] Their number one thing that they do in the library is be social together. They’re forming their community’.

Teen services had previously occupied a small corner of the children’s section. The addition of a dedicated teen space tripled teen programming attendance numbers, Interviewee 6 said. During observation for this research, some teens gathered in the central seating area to converse; others worked quietly at the tables or read in chairs around the outer edges of the space. They made extensive use of the computers, flatscreens and a Nintendo Switch, as well as perusing the collection of books and graphic novels.

Teenagers can also join the Junior Library Advisory Council, which plans events and engages in library advocacy. Interviewee 6 explained,

I want them to have ownership in the library. And in ownership, not only do I want them to feel like, my voice is heard here and my decisions help mold what it’s like; I also want them to have sort of a responsibility of: This is my library, I have some stewardship in the library and its future.

Theme 2: Respect

Interviewees highlighted the importance of not talking down to teenagers. Interviewee 7 suggested that many adults may not realise that talking to teens is not a special skill that needs to be learned: ‘You just talk to them like they’re people!’

Teens, like all library patrons, must comply with TCPL’s Code of Conduct. As Interviewee 7 explained,

We hold them to the same standards we hold any patrons to. [. . .] I don’t think it’s okay to have a lot of separate rules for your teenagers that you don’t have for your children and you don’t have for your adults.

At the same time, Interviewee 6 said, the approach is one of tolerance: ‘We try to meet [each] age group where they are. Just like we tolerate a toddler screaming their head off for a short period in the [children’s] department, we would also tolerate a teen laughing loudly’. When behaviour does get out of hand, staff encourage visitors to think through the effects of their actions, as Interviewee 6 described:

[The librarian] will frequently go up to kids that are misbehaving and be like, ‘Now, do you think that’s something you should be doing in the library?’ [. . .] And her experience is, most teens will be like, ‘. . . No. I shouldn’t’. And they’ll stop! You know, instead of walking up and being like, ‘Don’t do that, you can’t do that in the library’.

Hard limits come in cases of bullying or physical violence; then, the visitor will be asked to leave for the day. However, staff also use positive methods of redirecting, rather than waiting to step in after things have escalated. If a group’s energy is growing rowdy, staff will propose a creative activity or offer challenges that require the teens to explore the book collection. Interviewee 6 suggested that discussions about teens too often focus on the negatives: ‘I’d like to redirect the attitude of: Hey, what’s really good and fun and what are the opportunities with teens that we’re missing?’

Theme 3: A welcoming atmosphere

TCPL staff strive to actively signal that the library is a welcoming place for everyone. They use inclusive language and teens’ preferred pronouns, and maintain a collection of young adult books reflecting diversity in aspects such as race, ethnicity, class, gender, sexuality and disability.

Staff also see value in offering a place that imposes less structure than the rest of teens’ often overscheduled lives. As Interviewee 7 explained, ‘I think that actually that’s probably one of the most important services that the teen center offers at this point, is a place where they can not do things. Where they can just be’.

One downside is that noise does carry into the general sections of the library, where it sometimes bothers adult visitors. Interviewee 7 reflected,

It is really difficult to maintain balance. I don’t have a great answer, unfortunately. One thing that I can’t and I will not control for is, if there’s a lot of people here, there’s a lot of people here. I’m not going to drive people away.

Theme 4: Balancing inequalities in society

The library provides access to technology that individual teenagers might not be able to afford on their own, such as costly gaming systems or makerspace equipment. TCPL as a whole extended its commitment to equitable access by removing fines on overdue books, ‘because fines are increasingly being seen as a real barrier of access’, Interviewee 6 explained.

Staff conduct outreach with schools and other community organisations. And they strive to remain aware of communities that may feel less welcome at the library, so they can reach out to those groups. For instance, Interviewee 6 noted that the library is not adequately serving the local African American community. Although staff have taken some steps towards addressing this issue, such as partnering with local community centres that serve African American youth, it remains an ongoing issue. As Interviewee 6 said,

I have heard throughout the community that some people in the African American community don’t feel as comfortable at the library. So I think that’s on the library, that we need to make sure we send the message of: You are welcome here. That’s something we’re always striving for. But I don’t think we’re there yet.

Theme 5: Following teens’ interests

In creating the teen centre, staff solicited teens’ input on aspects such as furniture and interior design. And to generate ideas for programmes, staff reach out to teens to learn about their interests (Figure 6). For example, weekly teen-only sessions were introduced in the library’s makerspace and digital lab after teens expressed an interest in trying out the technology.

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Figure 6.

Mechanisms for youth input at TCPL.

In fact, makerspace sessions provide an example of how teens’ interests are prioritised. Visitors can use any of the equipment, or bring in their own projects to work on. At a ‘Maker Monday’ observed for this research, the makerspace was full of teens of various ages working on projects that ranged from assembling chainmail to designing items for 3D printing. Staff and volunteers circulated to assist as needed and were highly enthusiastic about visitors’ projects. The teens, too, took an interest in one another’s work, sharing skills and helping each other with tasks.

Theme 6: Flexibility

TCPL teen services staff employ an approach they call ‘guerrilla programming’, also described by Interviewee 8 as ‘planned haphazardness’. This refers to a stock of casual programming ideas that staff can implement at a moment’s notice. As Interviewee 6 explained, flexibility is key: ‘If your plan that you had in your head isn’t going well, how can you adjust a little, by a few degrees, keep your intention but make it a little better fit for the teens’.

The teen centre offers various art supplies and technologies that teens can access at any time. There is a range of seating options (Figure 7), with most of the furniture on wheels or otherwise easily movable. This means the space can be rearranged for different types of programming, as well as allowing visitors to move the furniture into whatever arrangement they prefer. Teens were observed pulling chairs into different parts of the space to accommodate the size of their groups.

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Figure 7.

Variety of seating options in the TCPL teen centre.

Working flexibly is important on the larger scale of library operations as well. As Interviewee 6 said,

The public library, we’re experts at looking around, seeing our community and saying specifically, what does my community need? [. . .] So it doesn’t matter if you’re in a cornfield in Iowa or downtown New York City, your library can look around and talk to people and see what’s happening and say: What are the needs that I need to be meeting?

Theme 7: The staff’s role

Staff recognise that their role encompasses not only traditional services, such as reference and readers’ advisory, but also ‘a lot of conversations with teenagers about their lives’, as Interviewee 7 said. The quality of staff’s rapport with visitors was observable in how enthusiastically teens greeted staff and how readily they struck up conversations.

Interviewees mentioned that it can be a challenge to train other library staff to interact with teens as they do, especially since so much of the job consists simply of being comfortable interacting with teenagers. Interviewee 7 explained, ‘It’s a really liminal time in someone’s life and so it’s a liminal space, and I think you just have to be comfortable with that’.

Staff also stay informed about other resources and services available in the community. As Interviewee 6 put it, ‘As librarians we aren’t the experts of everything, but we are experts at connecting the experts with the people who want to learn’.

Theme 8: Staffing and hiring

Youth Services staff meet frequently to share ideas and brainstorm; Interviewee 8 noted that being on the same page in this way can help to achieve a lot even when resources are scarce. TCPL as a whole also relies on volunteers to run many programmes. Interviewee 7 emphasised the importance of employing staff specifically for teen services:

Every library needs to have a dedicated staff member, no matter how small. I know that’s hard to say! But if you have a dedicated children’s librarian, and you have a dedicated adult librarian, you need to make the resources to have a dedicated teen librarian. [. . .] And if you don’t have the funding to do that, then you need somebody who wants to, or is willing to, learn how to work with teenagers. [. . .] You can’t just tell a children’s librarian that they have to throw something together, without giving them the continuing ed or professional development they need.

Reflections

TCPL’s teen centre has quickly become a draw for local teens who value having a free, safe place in which to socialise and pursue their interests. A foundation of the library’s approach to teen services is to treat teenagers with respect and as the equals of any other library visitors. Staff are responsive to teens’ interests and develop strong rapport with their visitors, recognising that the job requires conversations and engagement with teens.

Theme 1: Ownership and a sense of belonging

Cockett (1998, cited in the work of Bernier et al., 2014) points out that issues surrounding teens and libraries often stem from the simple fact that these spaces are not created with teenagers in mind. The libraries studied here, conversely, take young people as the very starting point in creating their spaces and services, working from a fundamental perspective that teens, and tweens, deserve a place of their own. This aligns with one of the important elements of a teen space identified by Agosto et al. (2015): a sense of ownership by teens. ‘Ownership’ in both case studies encompasses responsibilities as well as rights. For instance, rules for behaviour rely upon visitors feeling an investment in upholding the standards of a shared space.

Forming a community is important to adolescents (Chelton, 2002) and both case studies highlighted the value of providing a place where teenagers can be social together. Adults are either not allowed to enter these spaces at all (TioTretton) or may enter to borrow materials but are encouraged not to linger, so that the space can truly belong to young people (Lava and TCPL).

Multiple interviewees stressed that ‘a place of their own’ needn’t require extensive space; it could be as little as a single couch that is reserved solely for teens’ use. As Interviewee 3 put it, ‘It doesn’t have to be a whole section. But just to seriously give the kids something that’s theirs’.

Theme 2: Respect

Both case studies emphasised treating teenagers as people with opinions and ideas worth hearing; and that young people have the right to be taken seriously and treated as the equal of any other library user. In a sense, this was the single most important takeaway from this research: the necessity of mutual respect as a foundation on which all other work can build. In the memorable words of Interviewee 7: ‘You just talk to them like they’re people!’

It was striking that the libraries in both case studies, despite their different contexts and origins, converged on a similar approach of discussing problems with teens rather than lecturing at them, encouraging teens to think through their choices instead of invoking rules. TioTretton and Lava stress that each day is a clean slate; a visitor who is asked to leave today is always welcome back tomorrow.

Theme 3: A welcoming atmosphere

Physical comfort is of ‘strong importance’ to teens, as is having ‘multipurpose spaces designed to accommodate both group and individual use’ (Agosto et al., 2015: 39). The libraries studied here offer comfortable furnishings and a mix of quieter and more social spaces. TioTretton particularly emphasises cosiness; Lava and TCPL tend towards socialising and creativity. Quiet is not required and non-traditional activities such as gaming are equally acceptable uses of the space alongside studying or reading.

These libraries work to counter racial bias, support gender and sexuality diversity, and be accessible to people with all types of disabilities. Interviewees in both case studies talked about assessing what kind of first impression their space makes, and then working to fix unintentional messages it may transmit about who its intended users are. Whether or not young people see themselves reflected in the books they read also makes a powerful statement about whether they are valued in the society in which they live (Bishop, 1990: ix). Developing diverse collections that reflect the multiplicity of identities found among the visitors helps to make these libraries welcoming to teens.

Notably, both case studies brought up the topic of teens’ overscheduled lives, highlighting the importance of allowing young people unstructured time to ‘just be’ (TCPL), to ‘do nothing’ (TioTretton) or even to ‘fail’ as part of their explorations (Lava).

Theme 4: Balancing inequalities in society

Public libraries play an important role in equalising opportunities ‘across social and economic differences’ (Aabø et al., 2010: 25). The libraries in both case studies provide resources and equipment that many young people would not be able to afford on their own. These libraries serve as a non-commercial ‘third space’ (Oldenburg, 1989), where visitors do not need to purchase anything to spend time. Lava also emphasises providing a ‘neutral ground’ to which no single group can lay claim. Staff in both case studies continue to reflect on how to better reach groups who are not being served adequately or who may not feel welcome at the library.

Theme 5: Following teens’ interests

These libraries centre teens’ own desires as the driving factor in their services, from programming choices to the design of physical spaces. Staff obtain input as part of their day-to-day operations, gleaned from conversations and observations of how the visitors use the space. As Bolan (2016) suggests, ‘Identify what teens need, not what adults want’ (p. 14).

A teen-centred approach needn’t require great expense or extensive facilities. As Interviewee 6 suggested, ‘I think, no matter your space constraints, you can always work with the teens and talk to the teens and find out what they’re interested in’.

Theme 6: Flexibility

Flexibility and adaptability are built into these libraries’ operations. TCPL employs ‘guerrilla programming’, a reserve of programming ideas that can be implemented at a moment’s notice and adjusted in response to visitors’ interests. In both case studies, keeping hands-on materials visible and available allows visitors to engage with the space in a variety of ways and at any time, not only during formal programmes.

A teen space ‘should be flexible and allow for teens to move furniture so that they can be comfortable and successful in collaborative and independent activities’ (Bolan, 2016). These libraries offer furnishings that are varied and easily rearranged.

Furthermore, the libraries engage in an ongoing process of looking at the needs of their community and visitors and adapting their services accordingly.

Theme 7: The staff’s role

In all of the libraries studied, interviewees expressed that conversations with young people are one of the most important parts of the job. And in the Stockholm case study, a key aspect of operations is that staff are present in the space, mingling alongside their visitors and serving as role models using the libraries’ resources for their own creative projects. This aligns with the recommendation of Drotner, Jørgensen and Nyboe (2006) that staff’s interactions with visitors should take place throughout the library, not only behind desks.

In the Stockholm case study, staff view themselves as coaches or facilitators, providing teens with opportunities and skillsets, but refraining from telling visitors ‘what they should do or how they should do it’. Interviewees in the Ithaca case study further described the library as a resource centre, with an important role of connecting young people with resources and services throughout the community.

Theme 8: Staffing and hiring

Chelton (2002) advocates hiring ‘staff who like and relate to youth’ (p. 30). In both case studies, it was evident that staff had taken the time to develop a rapport with library visitors. Interviewees in both case studies stressed the importance of dedicating staff specifically to this age group, which can otherwise too easily be left out of library services entirely.

As the definition of what types of learning take place in libraries has expanded (Jochumsen and Hvenegaard, 2010), many libraries have also expanded their hiring practices to recruit staff who are not professional librarians, but rather bring other skills and training to the library’s offerings (Evjen and Vold, 2018). At both Lava and TioTretton, staff have expertise in a variety of creative disciplines. To a smaller degree, this is also true for TCPL’s teen services staff, which includes traditionally trained librarians, as well as a staff member with a background in recreational leadership.

Reflections

The libraries in both case studies focus on giving young people a place where they can feel ownership and belonging; where they are welcomed and respected; and where teens’ own desires are centred. For Lava and TioTretton, mingling with visitors and being present in the space are key aspects of their work. Staff in both case studies embrace the broad nature of their role, which encompasses interpersonal as well as informational responsibilities.

The libraries studied here are particularly well-resourced examples. Especially in the Stockholm case study, a conducive political and social climate enables these libraries to maintain impressive facilities and a large staff. These are undeniably highly favourable conditions, which many institutions would not be able to replicate at the same scale. However, much of these libraries’ approach to their work – and, crucially, the mind-set that underlies that approach – can indeed be emulated.

Theme 1: Ownership and a sense of belonging

By giving young people a place of their own, the case study libraries foster a sense of ownership and belonging. They also provide a social space where teens can build community, something that is particularly important for the social development of this age group.

Recommendations: Dedicate space for teen services. Providing young people a sense of ownership and belonging need not require extensive resources: a space Dedicated to teens could be as little as part of a room or even a single couch.

Alternatively, libraries with limited space can achieve the same goal if they dedicate time to teen services. A library might operate as an adult library during certain hours, but during after-school hours function as a youth library, in which children and teens are prioritised. ⁷ Alternatively, a library could use a programming room and designate a few hours each week during which that space belongs to teens.

Theme 2: Respect

The libraries studied here emphasise taking young people’s ideas seriously and valuing their opinions on their own experiences. Teenagers are accorded the same rights and responsibilities as other library users, but with tolerance also built in for the needs and behaviours specific to this age group.

Recommendations: Treat teenagers with the same respect as any other library visitors. When issues do arise, discuss them with teens directly and offer options, rather than merely saying ‘no’. Encourage teens to consider the ramifications of their actions, allowing them agency. Base rules on respectful sharing of common spaces, rather than being imposed from above by adults. Keep the focus on the behaviour, not the person, and make each day a clean slate.

Theme 3: A welcoming atmosphere

These libraries create comfortable spaces with appropriate furniture. They adapt to teens, rather than expecting teens to adapt to a space that is not set up to accommodate them. Inclusive policies and diverse collections help to make the libraries welcoming.

Recommendations: Offer a variety of comfortable seating options, selected with teens’ input. Make it easy for teens to rearrange furniture as needed. Embrace the community centre role: Allow socialising and experiment with offering non-traditional activities. It is of course important to balance the needs of various visitors in terms of noise level and other factors; this will look different for every library and may require trial and error.

In addition, all libraries should be mindful of whom they implicitly make welcome or unwelcome. Walk through the library to assess the impression it makes and to look for implicit bias (DeMauro, 2018).

Theme 4: Balancing inequalities in society

The case study libraries go beyond providing free resources that help to equalise opportunities. They additionally look for needs in the community that the library can expand its services to meet.

Recommendations: Strive to be, in the words of TioTretton, ‘extremely free’: Reduce barriers to access by removing fines on overdue materials or by improving transport options. Provide access to equipment and resources that teens may not be able to afford on their own. Look for needs in the community that the library can meet, as well as shortfalls in the library’s own services that can be improved. Work to create an atmosphere in which differences in socioeconomic status are left at the door and everyone is treated equally.

Staff can bring programmes to places where teens already gather, such as community centres or schools. This can be useful especially for libraries with limited space in their own facilities. Reach out to organisations that work with marginalised populations who may not feel welcome at the library. The library can also serve as a resource centre by connecting youth with community resources beyond what the library is able to offer.

Theme 5: Following teens’ interests

Programming at these libraries centres on teens’ own desires. Staff view themselves as facilitators, rather than drivers, of activities, offering teens the freedom to explore a wide range of interests.

Recommendations: Staff should follow teens’ own interests and input. Move beyond occasional focus groups or surveys, to a mode where conversations with teenagers about their preferences are a routine part of operations. When creating a new teen space, make teens’ input integral to the design process. In day-to-day library operations, offer options and let teens take the lead on what activities they want to engage in.

Theme 6: Flexibility

Flexibility in the design of physical space, in the materials available, in the approach to programming and even in hiring practices, allows these libraries to adapt nimbly to the changing needs of the teenagers they serve.

Recommendations: Make it easy to explore by having inexpensive, hands-on materials readily available, such as art supplies or simple technologies. Try ‘guerrilla programming’: planned activities that can be implemented at any time, rather than only during formal programmes.

Be flexible with space, perhaps, by having furniture on wheels, so it can be moved to accommodate various uses. Take a flexible approach to staffing as well: Consider hiring staff with skill sets beyond those of professionally trained librarians. Especially for libraries adding maker and creative aspects to their services, think flexibly about the varied expertise staff could offer.

Continually re-evaluate and improve practices. Refine services in response to the changing needs of society in general and of the library’s visitors in particular.

Theme 7: The staff’s role

Staff in the case study libraries recognise that their role encompasses traditional library services, but also informal conversations with teens about their lives and interests. In the Stockholm case study particularly, staff mingle and use the space alongside visitors, serving as role models and coaches for teens’ creative undertakings.

Recommendations: Mingle and have conversations. An important part of the staff’s role in teen services is simply to be present, whether that means dedicating some staff hours solely to mingling in the space with visitors or having staff carry out their other tasks in a place where they are simultaneously accessible to visitors. Consider positioning circulation and/or reference desks such that teens can engage with these resources alongside staff, rather than placing staff at a remove behind a desk.

Theme 8: Staffing and hiring

These libraries ensure they serve teens adequately and equally to other age demographics by dedicating staff specifically to this age group.

Recommendations: Show teenagers’ importance by employing teen services staff. Where possible, dedicate full-time staff to teen services. If resources are limited, this can instead be a part-time role taken on by another staff member, but it is important to provide the necessary training for this role. Most importantly, staff who work with young people should be people who genuinely enjoy their interactions with teens. It can also be beneficial to hire staff who share commonalities with the youth they serve, whether that be a common cultural background or shared creative interests.

Contribution of this research

This study has observed and analysed cross-cultural examples of public libraries with strong teen services, to identify key elements of practice and approach that enable these libraries’ successful and impactful interactions with teenagers. A particular focus was placed on factors that are a matter of mind-set rather than of specific facilities, to offer these as transferable lessons that can be adopted and adapted by libraries in the United Kingdom and elsewhere.

Key factors identified as contributing to successful, teen-centred services include: providing a space, no matter how small, that is solely for teens, where they can experience a sense of ownership and belonging; according teens the same respect as any other library visitor; creating a space that is comfortable and actively signals that everyone is welcome; letting teens take the lead, with staff following their interests and serving as facilitators for their projects; providing flexibility in spaces and programming; employing staff who have varied expertise and genuinely enjoy working with young people; mingling and interacting with visitors and continually re-evaluating and improving practices.

Future researchers could expand upon this work by conducting similar case studies in further locations, especially beyond Europe and North America, or by focussing on services for tweens, a demographic that can likewise benefit from having resources dedicated specifically to them. Of particular interest would be the practices of smaller libraries that manage to dedicate space and services to teens and tweens despite limited resources. Some of the most intriguing leads for potential further areas of research that resulted from this study were interviewees’ mentions of other libraries from which they draw inspiration, especially those that provide strong teen services despite operating on a small scale. ⁸

The research presented here contributes to an important body of scholarship examining how libraries can best serve their communities’ teens. Teenagers are often considered to be difficult to engage in public library services, but in fact they can benefit enormously from library services and spaces designed specifically for them. Serving teens and tweens can and should be a priority for public libraries, with resources allocated as seriously to teen services as to children’s and adult services. By employing the elements of practice and mind-set identified here, libraries operating at any scale can improve their teen services, enrich their engagement with teenagers and have a more positive impact on the communities they serve.