Meghan MacMillan

Teen Program Proposal

LIS 60626
Page 1

Teen Program Proposal:

LOCATION AND POPULATION:
The Worthington Park Library is the third branch for the Worthington Libraries system.
The city of Worthington is located just north of Columbus and has a population size of about
14,000 people as of July 2016. More than 23% of the population is under the age of 18. Of the
total population, only about 10% are non-white, with about 3% being Hispanic, about 2% as
identifying as two or more races, about 2% being Asian and only about 1% being black.
Because this community is such a white majority, the focus is mainly on programming
for them. However, even 10% of 14,000 is still 1,400 people, which is a huge number. With
more diverse programming focuses, we are able to better serve that reasonably sized chunk of
the population that may typically fall by the wayside. It can also allow for the promotion of
cultural understanding among the whole of the community as well, just through participation.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:
The program I am proposing would be ongoing throughout the year and would be
focused around an award for the best teen book of the year that adheres to We Need Diverse
Books’ definition of diversity which “includes (but is not limited to) LGBTQIA, Native, people of
color, gender diversity, people with disabilities, and ethnic, cultural, and religious minorities.”
Initially, I will promote the program to get sign-ups for teens who want to participate and be on
the award committee. After an initial meeting and explanation, I hope to facilitate more than
lead, letting the teens set their own guidelines.
The timeline for the program will run from February to December, though advertising
will begin in late January. The aim is to have at least 10 teens join initially, but I will keep it open
to anyone who wants to join late.
I will choose the first few books to choose from for the first month of reading, letting
them decide amongst themselves who reads what (2 to 3 choices, depending on how many sign
ups there are), and then will let them submit potential titles for the following months. The goal
is to have at least one informal “book club” meeting a month, which means that each member
would read one title a month, and have a more formal meeting once every three months to
discuss all of the books read and to plan the final awards ceremony (which includes a marketing
strategy and anything else they want to include).
This means I will need to have at least three copies of every book, so that there are
enough for each group. I will also be providing snacks to each meeting, nothing too big, just
 Meghan MacMillan
Teen Program Proposal
LIS 60626
Page 2

chips and baked goods and drinks. The final awards ceremony in December will have something
like pizza or subs.
At the last formal meeting, have each teen nominate 2-3 books they think are potential
winners. Advertise the nominations with details on the ceremony. Encourage the committee to
invite friends.
The awards ceremony will have a celebratory, party atmosphere that the teens plan,
where they can talk about the books they’ve read and then lead and participate in a vote to
decide a winner and two honor books.

GOALS, OBJECTIVES, AND MEASURING SUCESS

In participating in this program, teens:

 Will have read a diverse range of books (which adheres to section one of YALSA’s
programming guidelines: “reflects the needs and identities of all teens in the
community”) and will gain a broader understanding of the world around them through
the eyes of someone who is not the majority.
 Will have gained experience in planning an event, professional development, working
with peers (all of which reflect YALSA programming guidelines in section 3 on teen led
programs, section 4 on programs that support connected learning, and section 7 on
participating in targeted and ongoing training to build skills and knowledge).
How I will measure success of the program:

 how many teens participate throughout the entire program

 how many attend final ceremony
 any increase of circulation of materials

BUDGET:
The grant will go towards acquiring any books that publishers do not send to us, as well as for
food for the party. Most hardcover young adult books cost around $17.00 while most
paperback cost around $10.00. I would allot $850.00 of the grant for the purchasing of any
books needed and the final $150.00 would be put towards food and other supplies for the final
awards ceremony.
Month Budget Spent on:
February $85.00 Books
March $85.00 Books
April $85.00 Books
May $85.00 Books
June $85.00 Books
 Meghan MacMillan
Teen Program Proposal
LIS 60626
Page 3

July $85.00 Books

August $85.00 Books
September $85.00 Books
October $85.00 Books
November $85.00 Books
December $150.00 Award ceremony food, decorations.

TIMELINE:
A rough draft of a timeline for the program follows:

November-December:
-contact publishers like Lee & Low and explain the program, asking if they would be willing to
send books that adhere to the used definition of diversity.
January:
-planning period: find initial books to read (those published in Dec. and Jan.), reserve space for
initial meetings
-create marketing plan for getting initial sign ups
-two weeks from first meeting, ask local high schools and other teen hang outs (like coffee
shops) if you can advertise there with flyers. Post on social media, consistent reminders.
February:
-first meeting, introductions, book vote, decide on meeting time & date
-reserve a space for each meeting
-collect emails for a doodle sign up poll for following books
March:
-monthly meeting (near end of the month)
April:
- formal meeting (middle of month or same day as monthly meeting, whatever is better for
teens)
-monthly meeting (near end of the month)
May:
-monthly meeting
June:
-monthly meeting (near end of the month)
July:
-monthly meeting (near end of the month)
-formal meeting (middle of month or same day as monthly meeting, whatever is better for
teens)
 Meghan MacMillan
Teen Program Proposal
LIS 60626
Page 4

August:
-monthly meeting (near end of the month)
September:
-monthly meeting (near end of the month)
October:
-monthly meeting (near end of the month)
-formal meeting to start planning ceremony (middle of month or same day as monthly meeting,
whatever is better for teens)
-Include in a Teen Read Week event
November:
-monthly meeting (near end of the month)
December:
-formal, final meeting (beginning of month)
-awards ceremony (middle of month—before holidays get into full swing).

MARKETING:
I will make preliminary advertisement to join the committee (a flyer that will be distributed to
schools as well as online via social media such as twitter and facebook), then the teens do most
of the creation of the subsequent ones (made at a formal meeting—altogether). I will have
them also plan tweets, encourage them to come in with their ideas any time throughout the
year.
Once the awards are over, I will create a display in the main part of the library (and the teen
area) for patrons to see the winners, as well as who was on the committee, and why the
winners were chosen. Included in the display would be books, photographs, written reviews
from the teens.
Sample flyer:
 Meghan MacMillan
Teen Program Proposal
LIS 60626
Page 5