Fiction_L Archives Young adult services Dates: 3/19/03,12:51 PM  through  3/19/03,6:06 PM  (5 postings) Search for: Select one or more indexes to search: 2011-current     2009-2010     2004-2008    1995-2003    (Matches from each index will be displayed separately in the results page.) Return to March 2003 thread menu   |   Fiction_L Archives Menu

FROM: RYOUNGERMAN <[removed]@mail.selco.lib.mn.us>
REC'D: 3/19/03, 12:51 PM

I'm looking for suggestions/comments about how best to handle the young
adult books in a mid-size public library. Our juvenile department
technically extends through 12th grade. However, we also have a fair
share of young adult fiction and nonfiction in the adult collection,
resulting in duplication of purchases. We have space problems, with no
room to set up a separate teen area. How do you all handle your teen
collection? Do you have the books marked and interfiled with the adult
books? If you have them with the juvenile collection, what do you do to
get the teens to come in? We are interested in any and all ideas and
experiences. Thanks.
Robin Youngerman
Winona Public Library
Winona, MN

FROM: "Georgine Olson" <[removed]@fnsb.lib.ak.us>
REC'D: 3/19/03, 3:54 PM

I've worked in two libraries during the "birth" of a YA section, and we did
the same thing that our small branch in North Pole does - shelve YA fiction
together at either the beginning or the end of the adult fiction section -
not in the children's area. All these libraries used YA stickers on the
spine label and added some sort of distinctive labeling to the shelves and
the section end panels.

Also two of the three libraries went heavily into paperbacks for YA's (even
waiting for paperback editions to be published) and managed to find a place
to squeeze in a YA paperback spinner or rack - which was VERY popular.

The location of the YA fiction depended on whether the beginning or the end
of the adult fiction was in an area that the heaviest traffic - in other
words, creating sort of a YA area in a high traffic part of the library to
more or less keep things "visible" without placing YA's in a fishbowl.

Actually, other than space considerations, I advocate duplicate purchasing
(including format - pbk vs hardback) and putting stuff wherever you think
folks will look for it (and I KNOW catalogers and tech folks hate that)

If separate adult and YA NF, I'd lean towards interfiling the YA NF with the
adult and adding a sticker or call # that indicates YA interest - and
promote it as titles of interest to YA's rather than tie it to reading
level.

Georgine Olson

Outreach Services Manager
Fairbanks North Star Borough Public Library & Regional Center
1215 Cowles Street
Fairbanks AK 99701

ph: 907-459-1020
fax: 907-459-1024

-----Original Message-----
From: [removed]@maillist.webrary.org
[[removed]@maillist.webrary.org]On Behalf Of RYOUNGERMAN
Sent: Wednesday, March 19, 2003 9:46 AM
To: Fiction_L
Subject: Young adult services

I'm looking for suggestions/comments about how best to handle the young
adult books in a mid-size public library. Our juvenile department
technically extends through 12th grade. However, we also have a fair
share of young adult fiction and nonfiction in the adult collection,
resulting in duplication of purchases. We have space problems, with no
room to set up a separate teen area. How do you all handle your teen
collection? Do you have the books marked and interfiled with the adult
books? If you have them with the juvenile collection, what do you do to
get the teens to come in? We are interested in any and all ideas and
experiences. Thanks.
Robin Youngerman
Winona Public Library
Winona, MN

......................................................................
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FROM: Sue Bowser <[removed]@lancaster.lib.pa.us>
REC'D: 3/19/03, 4:26 PM

I strongly suggest a separate teen area, even if it requires massive
shifting of books or some real ingenuity. The last library I worked was very
cramped, a converted church, that had been adequate 20 years, 20,000
volumes, and nearly 20,000 patrons earlier. We carved a young adult area in
the meeting room which was, let me hasten to say, visible from the desk in
the children's library. A small rug, a few bean bag chairs, and a few
slightly funky posters gave it a distinct and teen friendly personality.

I now work in a mid-size library, again with space problems. Presently our
young adult collection is in the hallway, but may soon be moved to a gallery
area. In both places the YA books were marked with YA stickers and contained
both fiction and non-fiction plus the majority of our graphic novels. Both
had as many paperbacks as possible. They take up less space and 98% of
teens prefer them to hardcovers. My theory is they equate hardcovers to
school and paperbacks to fun.

Our experience is that more kids use the books if they have their own
seperate area, especially if it has a teen flavor. By the way, the move in
my previous library was started by a teen's statement on a user survey we
were doing. He liked our collection but, as a mature 8th grader, hated
having to go into the little kids area and so only went when necessary.

Good luck making the change. Maybe you can get some PR for the new YA area
by having a teen organization (Scouts, Demolay, Honor Society, football
team, whatever) do the shifting of books after your staff has carefully
planned it out.

Sue Bowser

RYOUNGERMAN wrote:

> I'm looking for suggestions/comments about how best to handle the young
> adult books in a mid-size public library. Our juvenile department
> technically extends through 12th grade. However, we also have a fair
> share of young adult fiction and nonfiction in the adult collection,
> resulting in duplication of purchases. We have space problems, with no
> room to set up a separate teen area. How do you all handle your teen
> collection? Do you have the books marked and interfiled with the adult
> books? If you have them with the juvenile collection, what do you do to
> get the teens to come in? We are interested in any and all ideas and
> experiences. Thanks.
> Robin Youngerman
> Winona Public Library
> Winona, MN
>
> ......................................................................
> Need to subscribe, unsubscribe, search the archives?
> Everything Fiction_L: http://fictionl.webrary.org
> ---
> [This E-mail scanned for viruses by Declude Virus]

---
[This E-mail scanned for viruses by Declude Virus]

FROM: "Musser Reference" <[removed]@libby.rbls.lib.il.us>
REC'D: 3/19/03, 5:05 PM

We re-carpeted two years ago & created a small YA area, wrapping around the
elevator (where there previously were no shelving units)...just have YA
fiction there; graphic novels, YA biographies, non-fiction are interfiled in
adult area...

teens LOVE having their own separate area! Circulation of YA fiction
sky-rocketed after the move...we have an active teen library board who plans
the entire summer rdg. program...they were active this past year in changing
our YA magazine subscriptions, weeding YA area, decorating the small area,
volunteering for the two book sales sponsored by the Friends

Our city's population is 23,000. I'd encourage you to squeeze in a small
space just for teens somewhere--almost anywhere!

Robyn Clark-Bridges
Young Adult & Internet Coordinator
Musser Public Library
Reference Department
304 Iowa Avenue
Muscatine, IA 52761
563-263-3472
[removed]@libby.rbls.lib.il.us

-----Original Message-----
From: [removed]@maillist.webrary.org
[[removed]@maillist.webrary.org]On Behalf Of Sue Bowser
Sent: Wednesday, March 19, 2003 4:21 PM
To: Fiction_L
Subject: Re: Young adult services

I strongly suggest a separate teen area, even if it requires massive
shifting of books or some real ingenuity. The last library I worked was very
cramped, a converted church, that had been adequate 20 years, 20,000
volumes, and nearly 20,000 patrons earlier. We carved a young adult area in
the meeting room which was, let me hasten to say, visible from the desk in
the children's library. A small rug, a few bean bag chairs, and a few
slightly funky posters gave it a distinct and teen friendly personality.

I now work in a mid-size library, again with space problems. Presently our
young adult collection is in the hallway, but may soon be moved to a gallery
area. In both places the YA books were marked with YA stickers and contained
both fiction and non-fiction plus the majority of our graphic novels. Both
had as many paperbacks as possible. They take up less space and 98% of
teens prefer them to hardcovers. My theory is they equate hardcovers to
school and paperbacks to fun.

Our experience is that more kids use the books if they have their own
seperate area, especially if it has a teen flavor. By the way, the move in
my previous library was started by a teen's statement on a user survey we
were doing. He liked our collection but, as a mature 8th grader, hated
having to go into the little kids area and so only went when necessary.

Good luck making the change. Maybe you can get some PR for the new YA area
by having a teen organization (Scouts, Demolay, Honor Society, football
team, whatever) do the shifting of books after your staff has carefully
planned it out.

Sue Bowser

RYOUNGERMAN wrote:

> I'm looking for suggestions/comments about how best to handle the young
> adult books in a mid-size public library. Our juvenile department
> technically extends through 12th grade. However, we also have a fair
> share of young adult fiction and nonfiction in the adult collection,
> resulting in duplication of purchases. We have space problems, with no
> room to set up a separate teen area. How do you all handle your teen
> collection? Do you have the books marked and interfiled with the adult
> books? If you have them with the juvenile collection, what do you do to
> get the teens to come in? We are interested in any and all ideas and
> experiences. Thanks.
> Robin Youngerman
> Winona Public Library
> Winona, MN
>
> ......................................................................
> Need to subscribe, unsubscribe, search the archives?
> Everything Fiction_L: http://fictionl.webrary.org
> ---
> [This E-mail scanned for viruses by Declude Virus]

---
[This E-mail scanned for viruses by Declude Virus]

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Need to subscribe, unsubscribe, search the archives?
Everything Fiction_L: http://fictionl.webrary.org

FROM: Linda Manfre <[removed]@suffolk.lib.ny.us>
REC'D: 3/19/03, 6:06 PM

Our fairly large suburban library has a separate YA section on the main
floor for YA fiction. On the same floor the adult collection contains
non-fiction for both YA and adults. They are interfiled with YA stickers
to highlight those titles. Since we are a working class area with many new
immigrants, and therefore a range of English language skills we find this
non-fiction works well. It allows adults access to an easier level of
reading but allows them to browse with other adults.

The YA fiction section has both hard cover and paperback included. They
have sections by genre such as SF, romance, mystery and graphic novels. We
recently added a comic book rack.

As to duplication, I think it is inevitable. Our children's department on
the second floor buys up to approximately a ninth grade level for both
fiction and non-fiction. We often carry the same titles. Some of the
middle school kids are very eager to move down to the adult sections.
Others don't feel that comfortable in the adult or YA sections til they
are a little older.

Linda Manfre

[removed]@suffolk.lib.ny.us
Selden, Long Island, NY

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