How do I get teens to my programs?

So this questions pops up ALL THE TIME & is definitely worth exploring. I was doing a presentation a few weeks ago when this question was asked again and I have my default responses but I have continued to think about this since then.

So here's what I've got:

Food

This seems to be default response to this question. And with some of your teens having limited access to food in their homes this is never a bad idea. But it also is not going to solve all of your problems. Think about the last time you sat through a boring meeting. Honestly, would food have saved it? In short, food is not going to save lame programs...

Ask Them

Get input from actual teens. Find them and ask them what they are interested in and build a program around that. Otherwise, we are literally a bunch of old people sitting around trying to pretend to have teen brains. This is a good opportunity to start a teen advisory group. Mine is called TASK (Teen Advisory Squad of Kansas) and it ebbs and flows. We are in restructuring now, but I'm going slow and steady.

Word-of-Mouth Marketing

Once you have some successful program, rely on your teens spreading the word. It all starts with a small group. Let it spread from there. Like it or not, we can market the dickens out of teen events, but the most success you will see is one teen dragging their friends along. Find that teen with influence and start there!

Outreach

Get into classrooms or library time. Let them meet you and learn about your programs at the same time. Have a craft coming up? Take a sample along so they can see what they will be doing. Visuals help!

Start Young

Start building relationships with your 5th graders (or whatever your last grade level is before they hit your teen programs). I have just started visiting 5th grade classes at one elementary school this year to pilot a potential ongoing program. My lovely assistant and I go to their library time once a month and book talk. And it has rocked! Their library has a rotating collection of our books that are just for their classes. It's a win-win relationship. We get to chat with them and up our circulation. They get new awesome books to fight over. The library expands what they can offer their students. Now when we go in May to talk to their classes about our Teen Summer Program they are going to be so much more inclined to listen to what we have to say. Because when I say that they look forward to our visit that is a huge understatement. They are bonkers for it!

Talk to Teens!

This should go without saying, but after observing how librarians act around teens (nervous, suspicious, etc.) it seems worth mentioning. When you have teens in your library get to know them. This can lead right into personal invitations to your programs. They are going to feel that much more special. Bonus: learning names of your teens can also help deal with any "problems" that arise with behavior in your library too.

Be Awesome

By this I mean be genuinely awesome. Do you loathe teens? Maybe find someone else to run your teen programs. They need to like the person in charge. If they don't, your program will die. Building those relationships with your teens matters. You really need to care about them. And you need to be you. I am absolutely bananas about working with teens & it shows. My enthusiasm when I talk to them is genuine. I don't put on a front that makes me seem to love it more than I do. So be your awesome, genuine selves.


So right now this is what I've got to help you. Go forth and start small. And have fun with it!