Comments on REP assignment

Briana Elliot

Assignment:
The REP assignment requires selecting a specific youth group and learning
about their experience in a brief time frame (again, working within limits).
Then, within a $200 budget, propose a library program featuring that
particular group. Recall our discussions and readings about the recent
paradigm shift in YA service and our reading and discussions of New
Directions principles promoted by YALSA.
Produce a completed Program Design Elements Chart containing the details
of your REP AND a one-page literature scan of youth within a particular
experience.
Criteria for Evaluation:
To what degree did the paper:
Exhibit a sufficiently detailed field investigation of a particular group
Demonstrate all the elements in the Program Design Elements Chart
Demonstrate response to the learning from the literature scan
Speculate on delivering a positive response to YA programming in a
hypothetical job interview
General comments:
This was a thoughtful, comprehensive, and detailed program plan. The
assignment demonstrates a professionally confident voice and enthusiasm
for the topic in the interview response though youd want to balance the
specifics of this particular LOUD program example with just a bit of a
broader conceptual insight as to your general approach (heavy youth
participation at the center) to give the panel an idea that you can deliver this
approach to programming (irrespective of topic, institution, youth group, or
location).

Comments: REP assignment

Featuring this program by highlighting youth experience is the key here.

You do that well. And thats what we should focus on.
On the other hand, the claims advanced characterizing the experience of all
LGBTQ youth is problematic, and, more important, not demonstrated as
relevant to the value of the experience youth find in LOUD.
Let them advance and articulate what they find of value. If kids find value in
the experience then that should be sufficient - without engaging other onesided and highly-contested claims. If, for instance, a youth art group is a
candidate for a library program, it really doesnt matter what claims adults
might heap on for some hypothetical connections to other behavioral
outcomes.
If the kids find value in presenting their experience then the library ought to
serve as a resource for facilitating them in doing so. That ought to be
sufficient.
Connections to library-specific resources could be stronger. Other than
utilizing the librarys space, for instance, as staff resources, its unclear why
this program might not also be conducted at the downtown YMCA teen
center or in a synagogue space.
A few specifics:
Relevance and use of interesting
literature search appears wellexecuted with local and
practitioner literature but no
scholarship. One thing I would
point out, however, is to make
sure youre clear on the
difference between scholarship
and practitioner or journalistic
literature. Journalistic &
practitioner organs are not held to
the same degree of scrutiny as is
scholarship which must defend
its truth claims with evidence and
analysis. So just be careful when
examining these different literary
Comments: REP assignment

enactments. For instance,

generalizing about suicide to all
LGBTQ from the written
testimony of one source or even
the claims of program people
plays right back into the hands of
age-based bigotry in which youth
are portrayed as either victims or
thugs. There is research on this
topic highly-qualifying such
claims.
Reference to HRC, 2013 on pg
5 is unclear and uncited in
resources the page simply
presents graphics and no
discussion of the research
methods to allow analysis. Given
that the claims made by this
source are advanced as a support
for this program thats a problem.
Likewise Bott (09) is not a
scholarly source.
Great vision for the audience!
Consider including YAs in the
judging panel along with selected
adults
Who serves as hosts and who
cleans up?
Im very familiar with the BPL
main teen center (Im part of
the current design team planning
to redesign it) so Im unclear
about where in that space these
cultural products would be
curated?
I remain curious, however, as to
the origins of this particular idea.
Is it something that emerged from
these youth or from an adultist

Comments: REP assignment

agenda? Ill assume its from the

first for the purposes of
evaluating this REP assignment.
But if its not it would be difficult
to separate this notion from the
conventional library-determined
topic identification and then the
subsequent hunt for youth
mobilization (if not
manipulation).
Can you see how approaching
programming this way differs
from childrens program
planning?
Evaluation: you might recall that
program attendance is not a very
good evaluative measure of
outcomes. What other collection
options might you investigate?
Again, were looking to
document the outcomes you have
already identified so what did
audience members feel changed
for them? So you might have
better targeted your assessment
on the outcomes already listed,
for instance, was the program
successful at relationship
building? What other options
might you investigate to assess
the stated outcomes?
This is not the best way to prompt
evaluation so consider a few
additional research steps here
Was the event successful in their
eyes?

Excellent avoidance of flyers

Who is responsible for
documenting event?
Comments: REP assignment

 Please consider making a media

deposit by incorporating local
media
Points: 14/15

Comments: REP assignment