What They Didn't Teach In Library School: When to Call for Help

'What They Didn't Teach In Library School' is a series of guest-authored posts,

written by YA Librarians from around the country, highlighting situations or skills

that were never addressed in formal Library School, but that are integral to librarianship.

When to Call for Help

by April Pavis

Being a Teen Services Librarian in an enclosed Teen Center, I have developed relationships with some of the teen patrons. Many of them visit the library on a daily or weekly basis, so I know their name and I ask them questions about the book they are reading, their vacation plans, or the results of the test they were worrying about. You could call us friends; I wouldn’t correct you – they are my teens. And, being a responsible adult and friend, I look out for my teens. Sometimes, though, I have to be the rule enforcer, the professional librarian, or the concerned adult.
 
One of the most difficult things I have done in my professional life is contact the police on behalf of one of my teens. Recently, one of my favorite teen patrons, game me a day-by-day account of his life the preceding week. Through stuttering, slurred words, and crying, he recounted skipping school, insomnia, fits of rage, and incidents of self-harm and domestic abuse. He is one of my most clever, fascinating patrons and I love when I catch him in my peripheral vision walking quickly towards me to tell me about the hilarious moment he had with his friends, or the TV show he loves. But that day I knew that if I didn’t get him some help, he wouldn’t be that nice, funny boy any longer. He needed someone who could intervene in his domestic situation and a trained individual to help him safely work out his emotions. He needed more than I, in my position of Teen Services Librarian, could give him. I made the call and I cried as I gave the policeman my information, knowing that, in this boy’s eyes, my actions would likely be viewed as a betrayal. But I had to make a decision between keeping our friendship and ensuring his safety. I had to go with my conscience – not to mention my legal responsibility.

Librarians are not trained social workers. We have no scripts or procedures (beyond vague ‘library policy’) to follow if we suspect a teen is in need of serious help. Some of us are able to recognize signs of distress in our patrons even when they are not able or comfortable enough to use words to express themselves, not because we are taught to see them but because we are in tune with the teens we serve. One major red flag is out-of-character behavior. The aforementioned teen is autistic and therefore a bit eccentric and prone to brief moments of anger, but the tears and grief I heard in his voice that day were new. More than his explanation of the previous days (as hyperbole is a normal part of the teen language) it was that sudden and severe change that fully convinced me he needed outside help.

As librarians serving teens, we encourage teens to interact with us; to share their hopes, dreams; their highs and lows. Teens have talked with me about bullying, fighting, suicide, and domestic abuse and I have had to decide numerous times whether the issue warranted legal/professional intervention. For less-severe issues I usually go to a teen’s friend and express my concern to them, letting our mutual concern for the teen initiate the conversation. Sometimes my fears are quelled, other times I help the friend devise a plan to help their suffering peer. But the bottom line is: there is no real guidebook for teen serving librarians when the ‘Social Worker’ roll is required. We are, more often than not, on our own.

I wish there were a class to take, a book to read, or a manual to follow, but more often than not there is no time to consult such materials even if they did exist. We have to use our instincts, our past experiences, and the wisdom of our peers to help us make the best decision for each situation and hope for the best.

How have you dealt with difficult situations with teens in your library? Leave a note in the comments answering this question and help others learn from your experiences.

About April:
April is a Teen Services Librarian in a Northern Virginia public library. She reviews books on her blog A Librarian's Take and spends time with family and friends, and swims in her free time (which there is very little of after reading so many books!). April can also be stalked via Twitter @alibrarianstake.

Want more posts on issues not covered in Library School?

Check out Teen Librarian Toolbox's series Behind the Scenes @ the Library.

What They Didn't Teach In Library School Post Schedule
January 1, 2013 - Overcoming the Pied Piper Syndrome
January 16, 2013 - Finding Balance - The Enforcer vs. The YA Librarian
January 23, 2013 - Dealing with Peeps Not Like Me
January 30, 2013 - Mousy & Mild Won't Cut It
February 6, 2013 - Community Service and the Library
February 13, 2013 - Dealing with the Angry Folk
February 20, 2013 - Mistakes as Opportunities
February 27, 2013 - Librarians as Social Workers
March 6, 2013 - Adapt or Perish
March 13, 2013 - No Do-Overs
March 20, 2013 - Promotion & Programming



What They Didn't Teach In Library School: Mistakes As Opportunities

'What They Didn't Teach In Library School' is a series of guest-authored posts,

written by YA Librarians from around the country, highlighting situations or skills

that were never addressed in formal Library School, but that are integral to librarianship.

Mistakes as Opportunities

by Emily Warner

When one hears the word “mistake”, it often implies that a person did something wrong.  For example, “I made a mistake in hiring that person”, or, “I made a mistake in eating that extra piece of pie at Christmas dinner”.  While some mistakes are genuinely something wrong, I think that at other times, mistakes can be seen as learning opportunities… and as a chance to grow and develop as both a person and a professional. 

Being ever the perfectionist, I hold myself to very high standards when it comes to both my personal and my professional lives.  I hate making mistakes and feeling like I’m somehow less of a person or less of a librarian when I do something "wrong".  It’s taken me a long time, to realize, understand, and feel comfortable with the idea that it’s really okay to make a mistake… or three… along the way.  When I started work in my current library, I had never worked with high school students; my professional background focused mainly on librarianship in elementary schools (grades Prekindergarten- 8th Grade).  I was TERRIFIED that I would say the wrong thing, wear the wrong thing - be, in some way, "wrong" for working with teens.  It wasn’t until the school year was almost over that a student informed me that I was, and I quote, “the best, coolest librarian there is”.  That was when I realized that building relationships with your teens (and patrons in general) can cover a myriad of mistakes. And along the way, I did make mistakes, I did occasionally say the wrong thing, and even more occasionally I did wear the wrong thing, but my teens don't hold that against me.  Yes, mistakes happen- even to the best of us- and I couldn’t be more proud to say that I too have made many mistakes. Without them, I wouldn’t have learned that I really love working with teenagers, and connecting them with the right book at just the right moment in their lives.

The most crucial thing I wish I had learned in library school wasn't anything I could learn from books, projects, or group work, but rather the understanding that you ARE going to make mistakes.  And that's okay.  I think that if someone had just spent some time talking about how to forgive yourself, learn from the "wrong", and take the opportunity to grow, I would have been more prepared for real life librarianship.  Because, after all, making mistakes is the best way to grow.

About Emily:
After earning my Master’s Degree in Library Science, I worked for 5 years as an elementary school library media specialist.  For the past 3 years, I’ve worked as a librarian at a boarding high school near where I live.  When I’m not in the library, I enjoy playing the violin in a local orchestra, working with the school’s drama department on their costumes, cooking, and relaxing with my friends and family.

Want more posts on issues not covered in Library School?

Check out Teen Librarian Toolbox's series Behind the Scenes @ the Library.

What They Didn't Teach In Library School Post Schedule
January 1, 2013 - Overcoming the Pied Piper Syndrome
January 16, 2013 - Finding Balance - The Enforcer vs. The YA Librarian
January 23, 2013 - Dealing with Peeps Not Like Me
January 30, 2013 - Mousy & Mild Won't Cut It
February 6, 2013 - Community Service and the Library
February 13, 2013 - Dealing with the Angry Folk
February 20, 2013 - Mistakes as Opportunities
February 27, 2013 - Librarians as Social Workers
March 6, 2013 - Adapt or Perish
March 13, 2013 - No Do-Overs
March 20, 2013 - Promotion & Programming

What They Didn't Teach in Library School: The Library & Community Service

'What They Didn't Teach In Library School' is a series of guest-authored posts,

written by YA Librarians from around the country, highlighting situations or skills

that were never addressed in formal Library School, but that are integral to librarianship.

 

The Library & Community Service

by Martha Mikkleson

I never took a course on the Public Library as Community Service provider. No one warned me when I was in library school, that someday a major part of my job would be finding volunteer opportunities for teens to satisfy church and school requirements. Today, an important part of my job as a YA Services Librarian is responding to phone calls and email messages from parents desperate to find an agency that will sign off on 3, 8 or even 20+ hours of volunteer service. I also get calls from teens themselves wanting to volunteer to gain experience for job and college applications, and some who simply want to give back and be of help to their community.

When I began as a new librarian at my large suburban library, there were 2 volunteer opportunities we could offer teens seeking to satisfy confirmation or participation in Government class requirements: dusting the A/V materials (open to any and all interested teens) and Book Buddies  (open to tweens in grades 6 though 8). The first option - dusting - was boring, simple and completely meaningless for the teens performing it. Book Buddies, on the other hand, was fun, useful and meaningful. Teens provided a valuable service for their community and learned something about themselves and younger children. They felt that their service was important and had an impact on others. But both of these options fell short of meeting the demand - there were simply not enough hours of service available for all those needing to volunteer.

After picking the collective YA programming brain - listserves, books, websites, and YA librarian colleagues, I began to model new programs on the Buddies model - Craft Buddies, Tech Buddies, Music Buddies and Study Buddies. Some of these have been wildly successful. Study Buddies meets for 12 hours and serves an average of 100 kids and 20 teens per week. Others are limping along, still trying to find their audience. Each month I spend more and more of my work day monitoring, evaluating and attempting to improve the volume and value of community service programs at out library. My administration encourages me and gives me every opportunity to experiment - to try, to  succeed and sometimes, to fail. Coordinating volunteer opportunities for teens is now the majority of my job. Without support and demand from the entire library community for meaningful community service opportunities for young people this would not have happened.

If I were teaching the course on the Public Library as Community Service provider, I would stress this - read your Library’s vision and mission statements. If they profess a dedication to providing educational, cultural and recreational opportunities for their community - you must hold the administration, Library Board and/or Directors that promise. Community service opportunities for youth clearly fall under this banner. You must make it your personal mission to create those opportunities for your young people. Your community will flock to you and make your Library a model for others to follow. And at the end of the day you will be tired, but happy.


About Martha

I have been a YA services librarian since 2001, and have never been happier. Prior to that I worked at many jobs, but most notably for a daily newspaper - NEWSDAY on Long Island - in the art, photo and prepress departments for a total of 18 years where I developed an expertise in layout and paste up, darkroom work, photography and electronic prepress. My passions include walking, nature photography, animals, hand bookbinding and sharing my passions with the teens I serve. I currently serve the YA Services department of the Patchogue-Medford library on Long Island, NY as coordinator for programming and community services. I love getting up (but not too early) for work - which seems, at most times, more like play!

 

 



Want more posts on issues not covered in Library School?

Check out Teen Librarian Toolbox's series Behind the Scenes @ the Library.

 

What They Didn't Teach In Library School Post Schedule
January 1, 2013 - Overcoming the Pied Piper Syndrome
January 16, 2013 - Finding Balance - The Enforcer vs. The YA Librarian
January 23, 2013 - Dealing with Peeps Not Like Me
January 30, 2013 - Mousy & Mild Won't Cut It
February 6, 2013 - Community Service and the Library
February 13, 2013 - Dealing with the Angry Folk
February 20, 2013 - Mistakes as Opportunities
February 27, 2013 - Librarians as Social Workers
March 6, 2013 - Adapt or Perish
March 13, 2013 - No Do-Overs
March 20, 2013 - Promotion & Programming