Running Head: ASSIGNMENT 5 Lortie 1

Assignment 5: Professional Toolkit Assignment

John Lortie

LIS 60608

December 11, 2016

ASSIGNMENT 5 Lortie 2

Reasoning

The area of service that this assignment will explore is teen librarianship, largely

due to the authors desire to become a teen librarian upon his completion of Kent State

Universitys MLIS program. The four topics related to this career that will be further

investigated herein are: current technology, LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual,

Transgender, and Questioning) issues, readers advisory, and STEM (Science,

Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). While there are many more topics related to

teen librarianship that could be presented within this assignment, these four were chosen

due to the authors interest in both discovering more about them and finding resources

that will allow him to build his knowledge of the them over time.

There has been a significant amount written on these topics and how they relate to

teenagers. Firstly, and as noted within the third assignment submitted for this course,

teens hold a vested interest in modern technology and use it to enrich their lives. In fact,

the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) (2016d) recently commented on

this and states very plainly that teens needs are more effectively met within a library if

the library provides technology to them. From this, one can extrapolate the knowledge of

evolving technology would suite a teen librarian well.

In a 2013 article, Hughes-Hassell, Overberg, and Harris discussed the importance

of libraries understanding the needs of LGBTQ teens as well as providing relevant

literature to support their argument. Through adequate offerings in support of this

marginalized community, public libraries can offer not only resources of self-affirmation

for LGBTQ patrons, but also resources that impart to all the concept of tolerance and why

it is important (Hughes-Hassell, Overberg, & Harris, 2013). Due to the positive role
ASSIGNMENT 5 Lortie 3

public libraries, especially teen librarians, can play in helping LGBTQ teens better

understand themselves and become more accepted by their society, this author feels this

is a topic worthy of further exploration via the resources offered within this assignment.

Although not published as recently as other works to be discussed within this

section, Farrelly (2010) discussed the importance of offering readers advisory services to

teensspecifically that, if done correctly, the act of readers advisory can expose teens to

new ideas that can open new horizons for them. More recently, Graves (2016) wrote an

article detailing how the social media Snapchat can be used to offer readers advisory

services to teens who may be hesitant to approach library employees for direct help in

finding a book to read. Graves work not only showcased a way in which modern

technology can be utilized by teen librarians (which reinforces the first topic choice), it

also echoed the importance of readers advisory to teens discussed by Farrelly. As such,

this author feels that the inclusion of a readers advisory topic is a logical decision.

Lastly, STEM resources are important to provide to teens within a library

atmosphere. A recent article published in Young Adult Library Services discussed the

reasoning for this assertion. Not only are many of the fastest growing career options are

tied to STEM, STEM educations teach teens concepts such as problem solving,

adaptability, and creative thinking. Furthermore, libraries that supply resources to further

teens STEM educations empower these teens by providing them with a way to tailor

their learning process to themselves (Make, do, share: Sustainable STEM leadership in a

box an interview with Shannon Peterson, 2016). In light the importance of supporting

STEM educations to better equip teens for their careers, the author of this assignment

feels STEM is an appropriate topic to include herein.

ASSIGNMENT 5 Lortie 4

Taking all four of these topics into consideration, one will be able to see why this

assignments author feels they are apt for inclusion here. The following resources that

allow users to explore them will help him expand his views upon them. Furthermore, the

resources presented within this assignment will doubtlessly assist him in his career as a

teen librarian by providing him with knowledge that is relevant to that career.
ASSIGNMENT 5 Lortie 5

Toolkit

Current Technology

AOL, Inc. (2016). Engadget. Retrieved from https://www.engadget.com/

AOLs Engadget blog is a mixture of technology news (including the latest

technology achievements, product reviews, and information on how technology is being

utilized in different fields) and popular culture information. For the purposes of his career

as a teen librarian, the author will use certainly use this resource to keep abreast in the

news related to the technology being used by his patrons. However, he believes its

buyers guides will be useful in the event that he is ever tasked with selecting new

technology to be added to the library.

CBS Interactive, Inc. (2016) CNET. Retrieved from https://www.cnet.com/

CNET is another technology resource that the author believes will assist him in

his future career as a teen librarian. Like many of the resources that will be listed within

this section, it features technology reviews and information about newly-released (or

soon-to-be released) gadgets. However, it also services to highlight what individual

pieces of technology can accomplish. The author feels this would be useful to teen

librarians because it would provide them with a greater understanding of current

technology as well as information about new devices that are being developed.

Gizmondo Media Group. (2016). Field guide. Retrieved from

http://fieldguide.gizmodo.com/
ASSIGNMENT 5 Lortie 6

Field Guide, a technology blog within the Gizmondo family, is a resource the

author foresees himself using frequently as a teen librarian. This blog features posts about

how to use familiar technology in inventive, new ways. It would help him to not only

better understand the devices and applications his patrons may be adapt at using, but it

would also provide him with insights for maximizing the potential of all out dated

technological offerings featured by his library. He could also foresee himself using what

he has learned on the website to create a teen program to introduce teens to these

concepts so that they can discover alternate ways of using the technology with which they

are familiar and comfortable.

Mashable, Inc. (2016). Tech. Retrieved from http://mashable.com/tech/

Mashables technology blog is a mixture of a combination of topicsfrom

applications and social media to developers and recent news of technological gadgets,

this blog will doubtlessly serve the author well as a teen librarian. With this resource, he

would be able to keep up to date with issues regarding current technology and how those

issues may affect the patrons with whom he works daily. The blog posts relating to social

media may serve to open he eyes to new ways of using these technologies and could

inspire him to utilize them in inventive ways to help his patrons and promote the library.

Popular Science (2016). Popular science. Retrieved from http://www.popsci.com/

Popular Science is another technology news blog that this assignments author

will frequent as a teen librarian. While it features articles on larger scientific discoveries

than would be useful in his day-to-day librarianship, it reports on interesting smart device
ASSIGNMENT 5 Lortie 7

applications and questions concerning hardwarean example of this can be seen in an

article on the homepage at the time of this writing, which explores the pros and cons of

exchanging a laptop for a tablet. This would be a go-to resource for any questions he may

have about current technology and he believes that its posts about larger scientific

developments make it a good reference resource about which to have knowledge.

LGBTQ Issues

Advocates for Youth. (2008). LGBTQ issues. Retrieved from

http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/lgbtq-issues-home

Advocates for Youths LGBTQ Issues section is a reference the author foresees

himself using regularly as a teen librarian seeking information on the issues faced by

LGBTQ youth. The website features facts on LGBTQ youth, issues they face both in the

United States and abroad, legislation that affects their lives, and links to numerous

resources that provide further information. While it does not appear that the site has been

updated recently, the data it provides is informative and the links to other resources and

websites will doubtlessly be helpful to him as he performs his duties as a teen librarian.

GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders. (2016). GLAD legal advocates and defenders for

the LGBTQ community. Retrieved from http://www.glad.org/

GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) is a website dedicated to

providing information about LGBTQ issues and legality to the community it serves. In

doing so it provides news about LGBTQ issues and users are able to seek information

about such issues based upon their state or topic of interest. Apart from providing
ASSIGNMENT 5 Lortie 8

information to the broader LGBTQ community, a portion of the website dedicated to

LGBTQ youth that provides similar information and ways for youth with questions to

communicate confidentially with GLAD members. This is a great resource for teen

librarians to learn about the legal issues concerning the LGBTQ community. The author

will recommend it to teens seeking information about LGBTQ issues or help

understanding them.

GSA Network. (n.d.). GSA Network: Trans and queer youth uniting for racial and gender

justice. Retrieved from https://gsanetwork.org/

GSA Network is a website that promotes Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) clubs in

schools. It features ways for students to get involved in current or create new GSA

organizations in their schools, news about GSA organizations, and blog posts about

contributors feelings about LGBTQ developments. This is a useful resource to teen

librarians for the following reasons: it can allow them to empower their patrons to join or

create a GSA club while keeping them abreast in current LGBTQ issues and providing

insight as to how LGBTQ community members feel about them. In light of this, the

author of this assignment feels GSA Network is a resource worthy of inclusion here.

Scarleteen, & Corinna, H. (2016). Scarleteen. Retrieved from http://www.scarleteen.com/

Scarleteen is not only a website that features sex education resources for

teenagers it also provides resources about sexual orientation and gender. Beyond

providing resources for teens looking for ways to better understand themselves, it also

provides the ability for teens to talk to site representatives about issues they encounter in
ASSIGNMENT 5 Lortie 9

their lives regarding the topics covered by the resource. While Scarleteen does not

provide information to keep him abreast in all the current issues facing the LGBTQ

community at large, it is a wonderful resource that offers much more intimate attention

that the author could suggest to teens with LGBTQ questions.

The Trevor Project. (2016). The Trevor project. Retrieved from

http://www.thetrevorproject.org/

The Trevor Project is a website that is first and foremost a suicide prevention

resource for LGBTQ youth. However, apart from its primary purpose, it also features a

plethora of resources relevant to its audience, including: advice on coming out, a glossary

of terms related to LGBTQ people and issues, information on and how to get tested for

HIV and AIDS, and counselors that can be reached via chat, text, and phone call. Due to

its abundance of resources and the immediate help it offers to its audience, the author is

sure The Trevor Project is a website that he will readily recommend and frequent as a

librarian providing services and recourses to LGBTQ teens.

Readers Advisory

Abron, D. (2016). Bang bang books. Retrieved from https://bangbangbookblog.com/

Dawn Abrons blog hosts written reviews about recent and soon-to-be-published

Young Adult (YA) books. Her reviews cover the plot of the works and points of

contention she takes with them, the characters, and the writing. The blog also features

podcasts on some of the books reviewed and links to YALSAs Diversify YA Life, a

monthly blog also written Abron, which covers different issues of diversity in YA
ASSIGNMENT 5 Lortie 10

literature. This assignments author will turn to this blog for information on upcoming

works (both their highlights and their shortcomings) and details on the diversification of

YA literature. Doing so will empower him to more readily suggest books to his patrons.

Hickey, K. (2016). Hickey picks young adult readers advisory. Retrieved from

https://hickeypicks.wordpress.com/

Hickey Picks is a blog run by a Kent State University alumna and is a wonderful

resource for a teen librarian. Not only does the blogs author provide a review of each

book about which she posts (these are all akin to mini booktalks), she also shares talking

points that allow librarians to discuss each book with teens. The books she highlights are

all recent works of teen fiction that span a wide range of topicsfrom sci-fi to

LGBTQthat will have broad appeal to teens. This blog will provide this author with

examples of excellent works in teen literature to recommend to his patrons and talking

points that will allow him to further engage the teens with whom he will work.

Rita & Truett Smith Public Library. (2016). The teen machine. Retrieved from

https://splteenmachine.com/

The Smith Public Librarys Teen Machine features reviews of current teen books

by staff at the library who assist YA patrons. Each reviewer presents her reviews

differently and some books have thoughts provided by different reviewers, which

provides different opinions on the books. Furthermore, the website also links to further

readers advisory resources. The author will use the blog to hone his readers advisory

skills for teens by better understanding differing opinions on books, and he will use its
ASSIGNMENT 5 Lortie 11

provided readers advisory resources to provide more possible reading material to the

teens he assists.

The Booklist Reader (2016). Young adult. Retrieved from http://www.booklistreader.com

/category/young-adult-literature/.

The Young Adult section of The Booklist Readers website features many

resources that are excellent for a teen librarian looking to provide better readers advisory

to his or her patrons. Among these resources, one can find interviews with authors, a

weekly spot devoted to YA graphic novels, podcasts on topics relating to YA literature,

and reviews of YA books. By frequenting this blog, a teen librarian would be able to keep

abreast on the latest news in YA literature and learn more about books and authors he

could recommend to patrons.

The New York Public Library. (2016). Stuff for the teen age. Retrieved from

https://www.nypl.org/voices/blogs/blog-channels/sta

Stuff for the Teen Age is The New York Public Librarys teen services blog. It

features lists and reviews for a variety of teen media, including books and films. Teen

librarians can use this in order to provide teenage patrons with a variety of ideas of where

to turn after finishing a book or other work of media that they thoroughly enjoyed.

Perhaps the best part about this blog is that it serves a variety of interests: from teen

romance fiction to comic books, it seems to have something for everyone.

STEM Educational Resources

ASSIGNMENT 5 Lortie 12

Engineer Your Life. (n.d.). Engineer your life. Retrieved from

http://www.engineeryourlife.org/

Engineer Your Life is a website that strives to obtain and keep high school girls

interest in STEM careers, specifically engineering. The website provides stories about

women in engineering, details about STEM careers, and how readers can prepare

themselves for an engineering career. The website also links to the Engineer Your Life

Blogupdated multiple times a monththat features news in STEM fields and the

bloggers thoughts on the recent events. As STEM, specifically engineering, careers

become more and more prevalent, the author believes this is a resource that he can supply

to his patrons, girls in particular, who are seeking information on STEM careers and

obtaining them.

Exploratorium. (2016). Explore. Retrieved from https://www.exploratorium.edu/explore

Exploratoriums Explore webpage is something that the author foresees himself

using frequently as a teen librarian. The webpage features projects teens and other

students can create to broaden their exposure to STEM concepts. The projects showcased

on the website span a wide array of topics, including: audio, cooking, engineering,

chemistry, sports, and time. Not only will this resource help him plan STEM related

programs for his librarys teen patrons, it will also be a resource he recommend his

patrons to utilize on their own due to the interesting and STEM articles it features.

Hanson, J. (2016). Its okay to be smart. Retrieved from

http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com/
ASSIGNMENT 5 Lortie 13

Joe Hansons blog, Its Okay to Be Smart, is not only a great resource for a teen

librarian to explore regularly as he prepares to discuss STEM news with his patrons and

host STEM related programs, its embedded YouTube videos, Tumblr posts, and .gifs

appeal to teens. Therefore, it is something that the author will recommend to his patrons

when he is a teen librarian because it showcases content of interest to them. Furthermore,

it also showcases how STEM concepts can apply to the everyday world, which may

empower teenage patrons to take a more invested interest in STEM.

STEMconnector. (2016). STEMblog. Retrieved from http://blog.stemconnector.org/

STEMconnectors blog is something the author will follow as a teen librarian.

Since it is updated frequently, it provides readers with recent developments in STEM

careers and information regarding who is responsible for them. The author will use the

not only to keep abreast of STEM news, he will also use it as a resource for patrons

seeking information about STEM and what it offers in terms of careers and ways in

which they can be obtained (through such means as scholarships for STEM education, for

instance).

STEM Jobs. (2016). STEM student portal. Retrieved from

http://www.stemjobs.com/stem-student-portal/

This appears to be a useful resource for children and teens interested in STEM

careers. It features current articles about STEM developments and a quiz that users can

take to determine their STEM type, which indicates the right kind of STEM career for

them. As a teen librarian, this author would use this resource in two ways: he would read
ASSIGNMENT 5 Lortie 14

it regularly to keep up to date on STEM developments and he would point patrons in its

direction if they are struggling to find the career track that is best for them.
ASSIGNMENT 5 Lortie 15

Job Description Posting

The follow job description was obtained via the City of Madison, Wisconsins

Human Resources Job Openings page. It appears that the position has been filled since

this posting was obtained (The City of Madison, 2016).

ASSIGNMENT 5 Lortie 16
ASSIGNMENT 5 Lortie 17
ASSIGNMENT 5 Lortie 18
ASSIGNMENT 5 Lortie 19

Images above were retrieved from:

http://www.cityofmadison.com/HR/employment/JobOpenings.cfm
ASSIGNMENT 5 Lortie 20

Skills Assessment

An examination of the above job posting leads this assignments author to believe

that he currently posses, or has started on the path to acquiring via his recently-begun

internship in The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton Countys TeenSpot, the

skills required for the position. He interacts with teens regularly in a professional manner;

he maintains knowledge of teen interests; he promotes teen collections (he is designing a

display to do this for his internship); and he is flexible, friendly, and an excellent

communicator with a passion for working with teens. Furthermore, the resources he has

listed above will serve to keep him current on developing technology, STEM, teen

especially LGBTQissues, and new offerings to teens through literature.

However, there is room for him to improve in all of these skills. Furthermore,

there are some skills required of the position that he believes he needs to build before he

is ready for a teen librarian career. These are working with entities outside of the library

and planning programs. The author has had exposure to both of these conceptsthis

course has discussed embedded librarianship and library-community partnerships and

two of his other LIS courses have culminated in teen programming proposals. However,

he does not believe that he has enough experience in either of these areas to preform in

the position at the level desired by the library. While he knows that at some point soon

his internship will provide him with opportunities to improve these skills, this papers

author currently does not know enough of their practical uses.

In all, the above job posting is an excellent tool. It illuminates the skills the author

currently posses that will lead him to a career in teen librarianship. It also validates the

topics he has chosen to include in his professional development toolkitthese are

ASSIGNMENT 5 Lortie 21

doubtlessly areas of great interest to teen librarians. Lastly, the job description indicates

areas of teen librarianship upon which he must focus to ensure that, as a teen librarian, he

will perform to the best of his ability. The next portion of this assignment will provide

development opportunities that will allow him to improve these required skills.
ASSIGNMENT 5 Lortie 22

Professional Development Opportunities

YALSAs Young Adult Services Symposium is one professional development

opportunity that would allow the author to improve his handle on the skills necessary to

be a teen librarian. The most recent Symposium took place in early November 2016 and

had a registration fee of 59 dollars (Young Adult Library Services Association, 2016c).

Many of the events that came included in registration would have been beneficial to him

as he prepares for a career in teen librarianship. These included topics relating to: teen

librarian services focused on LGBTQ communities, connecting teens inside of the library

to community organizations without it, recent offering in teen literature, using

librarianship to empower teens struggling with homelessness, and coordinating library

outreach efforts, among others (Young Adult Library Services Association, 2016b).

There is also one event that cost extra to attend that piqued the authors interest.

The event, which was an added 79 dollars, was a three-hour session designed to provide

librarians will skills needed to market the library, its collection, and its programming in

person and via social media. Furthermore, this session provided attendees with the tools

needed to evaluate the success of library marketing campaigns (Young Adult Library

Services Association, 2016b).

While this years Young Adult Services Symposium has passed, YALSA has

announced the dates for 2017s and 2018s Symposiums (Young Adult Library Services

Association, 2016e). There are currently no scheduled panels for either of these events.

However, based upon the panels offered at this years Symposium, the author believes

that these events will be worthwhile professional development opportunities and would

like to attend them if he is able.

ASSIGNMENT 5 Lortie 23

Another professional development opportunity that will assist the author in

honing his teen librarian skills is the upcoming American Library Association (ALA)

Midwinter conference in Atlanta, Georgia. The conference runs from January 20th to

January 24th, 2017 (American Library Association, 2016a). Since he is not an ALA

member the rate available for him to attend the conference is 340 dollars, providing he

registers before January 13th. If he registers after that date, he will need to pay 370 dollars

(American Library Association, 2016d).

However, the author thinks that going to the event is in his best interest. By

looking at the schedule, it is clear that many of the offered presentations will help prepare

him for a career in teen librarianship. The follow discussion topics can be found within

the events offered presentations: award winners for children and YA literature, outreach

ideas, tips for engaging reluctant YA readers, meetings discussing LGBTQ books and

teen graphic novels, discussions about providing library services to homeless patrons, and

many more (American Library Association, 2016b). Although the author is not an ALA

member and will need to pay more to attend the conference, he believes it is in his best

interest and will help him grow the skills necessary to become an excellent teen librarian.
ASSIGNMENT 5 Lortie 24

Other Resources

Having explored helpful online resources for aspects of teen librarianship as well

as in-person events that will help bolster a teen librarians skills, there are still resources

that are useful to the would-be teen librarian. Although there are many of these resources

that are worthy of consideration, the following three will be discussed within this section

of this assignment: ALA, YALSA, and Teen Services Underground (TSU). Reasons for

their inclusion will be provided.

An ALA membership is something that a teen librarian would find to be

beneficial. Not only would this decrease entry fees to ALA conferences like the

aforementioned ALA Atlanta Midwinter Meetings & Exhibits (American Library

Association, 2016d), it would make many more benefits available. Among these benefits

are: interacting with other librarians/library supporters, lobbying for library funding,

better advocating for libraries, fostering leadership abilities, and receiving ALA member

discounts at various events (American Library Association, 2016e). For the price of 68

dollars for the first year of membership, ALA is an excellent organization that offers

support services and learning opportunities to all of its members (American Library

Association, 2016c).

YALSA is another excellent organization with which budding teen librarians can

become involved. As an extension of ALA, there is an extra 60 dollar fee per year to

receive membership benefits from YALSA. However, this extra fee ensures access to

resources that benefit teen librarians, including: skill building through monthly and

archived webinars related to teen librarianship, professional networking though YALSA

events, and a YA librarianship support system of professional peers, among others

ASSIGNMENT 5 Lortie 25

(Young Adult Library Services Association, 2016a). While a YALSA membership does

not explicitly enhance the necessary skills listed for teen librarians in the job posting

included within this assignment, it does provide members the ability to interact with other

teen librarians and obtain training related to various aspects of teen librarianship and, as

such, is worthy of further exploration via membership.

One final resource that will be discussed here is TSU. This free resource is a blog

where teen librarians come together to share ideas and information. It features everything

from news about current developments in teen librarianship to ideas about programming

and booktalks. Its material is presented in numerous ways, including text-based posts,

podcasts, and videos. Furthermore, users are able to submit their own content to the

website to be featured (Teen Services Underground, 2016). TSU is a great free resource

that definitely warrants further examination due to its frequent updates and wealth of

knowledge that applies to teen librarianship.

All resources presented within this assignment are tailored suited to help the

author become the best teen librarian he can be. They will be amended and updated as he

embarks and progresses through his career, but they all perform the same function: to

inform him of news and ideas that will enhance the service he provides to his teenage

patrons.
ASSIGNMENT 5 Lortie 26

References:

American Library Association. (2016a). ALA Atlanta midwinter meetings & exhibits.

Retrieved from http://2017.alamidwinter.org/

American Library Association. (2016b). Full schedule. Retrieved from

https://www.eventscribe.com/2017/ALA-

Midwinter/agenda.asp?h=Full%20Schedule

American Library Association. (2016c). Personal membership. Retrieved from

http://www.ala.org/membership/ala-personal-membership

American Library Association. (2016d). Rates. Retrieved from

http://2017.alamidwinter.org/rates

American Library Association. (2016e). The value of ALA membership. Retrieved from

http://www.ala.org/membership/become-ala-member

Farrelly, M. G. (2010). Readers' advisory and teen readers. Public Libraries, 49(1), 23-

24. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/pla/publications/publiclibraries

Graves, A. (2016). Snapchat readers advisory. School Library Journal, 62(6), 12-13.

Retrieved from http://www.slj.com/

Hughes-Hassell, S., Overberg, E., & Harris, S. (2013). Lesbian, gay, bisexual,

transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ)-themed literature for teens: Are school

libraries providing adequate collections?. School Library Research, 16, 1-18.

Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/aasl/slr

Make, do, share: Sustainable STEM leadership in a box an interview with Shannon

Peterson. (2016). Young Adult Library Services, 14(3), 13-16. Retrieved from

http://www.yalsa.ala.org/yals/
ASSIGNMENT 5 Lortie 27

Teen Services Underground. (2016). Teen services underground. Retrieved from

http://www.teenservicesunderground.com/

The City of Madison. (2016, November 28). Job openings. Retrieved from

http://www.cityofmadison.com/HR/employment/JobOpenings.cfm

Young Adult Library Services Association. (2016a). Join YALSA. Retrieved from

http://www.ala.org/yalsa/join

Young Adult Library Services Association. (2016b). Programs & special events.

Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/yalsa/programs-special-events

Young Adult Library Services Association. (2016c). Registration. Retrieved from

http://www.ala.org/yalsa/registration

Young Adult Library Services Association. (2016d). Teen space and public libraries: A

YALSA position paper. Young Adult Library Services, 14(4), 13-15. Retrieved

from http://www.yalsa.ala.org/yals/

Young Adult Library Services Association. (2016e). YALSA events. Retrieved from

http://www.ala.org/yalsa/events