Evaluating Teen Services and Programs

Sarah Flowers

$51.00

ALA Member:

$ 45.90

Item Number:

978-1-55570-793-4

Published:

2012

Publisher:

ALA Neal-Schuman

Pages:

136

Width:

Height:

Format:

Softcover

Description
Table of Contents
About the Author

Flowers offers guidance for librarians in examining all aspects of teen programming and services to determine where improvement is needed. Readers will learn how to

Develop goals and objectives for evaluation
Collect the data for a realistic picture of a library's strengths and weaknesses
Use many different types of data with the help of practical examples included in the text
Evaluate YA collections, summer reading programs, special events, and library staff

This guide comes with an explanation of the YALSA competencies, the YALSA teen services evaluation tool, and models for what excellent teen services programs should look like. Ready-to-use evaluation forms and checklists save time and resources by improving assessment methods in minutes.

List of Illustrations

Foreword by Michele Gorman

Preface

Acknowledgments

Chapter 1. Background and Theory

Adolescent Development

Millennials

Serving Diverse Teens

Information-Seeking Behavior

Developmental Assets

Youth Participation

The Whole Library Experience

References

Chapter 2. Planning

Developing Effective Goals and Objectives

Outcome Measures

Collecting Data: Types and Sources

User Data
Usage Data
Policies and Procedures
Program Data
Budget Data
Facilities Data
Function Data
Staffing Data

Finding Data

References

Chapter 3. Implementation

Raw Data: What Does It Mean?

Statistical Data
Evaluating Policies and Procedures
Competencies

Using Data to Make Changes

Changing Policies

Using Data to Support Your Case

Using Data to Plan for the Future

References

Chapter 4. Evaluation

Evaluation as a Decision-Making and Communication Tool

Outcome-Based Evaluation

Evaluating YA Collections

Evaluating Teen Summer Reading Programs

Evaluating Teen Programs and Special Events

Informal Evaluations
Formal Evaluations
Focus Groups

Evaluating Staff

References

Chapter 5. Best Practices

What an Excellent Teen Services Program Looks Like

Using the YALSA Competencies

Using the YALSA Teen Services Evaluation Tool

How Library Administrators Can Use the Evaluation Tool
How Trustees and Governing Bodies Can Use the Evaluation Tool
How Library Patrons and Community Members
Can Use the Evaluation Tool
How Library and Information Science Faculty
Can Use the Evaluation Tool
How Teen Services Librarians Can Use the Evaluation Tool

References

Chapter 6. References and Resource Guide

Links and Books

Sample Forms

Needs Assessments
Summer Reading Programs
Program Evaluation
Staff Evaluation

Checklists

YALSA's Competencies and Evaluation Tool

YALSA's Competencies for Librarians Serving Youth: Young Adults Deserve the Best
YALSA Teen Services Evaluation Tool

References

Index

About the Author and YALSA

Sarah Flowers

Sarah Flowers recently retired as Deputy County Librarian for the Santa Clara County Library in California. She has written articles and reviews for Voice of Youth Advocates and School Library Journal, and is currently Editor-in-Chief of Young Adult Library Services, YALSA's quarterly journal. She was elected 2011-12 president of YALSA. She was a member of the first class of Library Journal's "Movers and Shakers," and was named one of the top 40 distinguished alumni of the San Jose State School of Library and Information Science. She has worked as a young adult librarian, a supervisor of adult and young adult services, and a community librarian as a branch manager.

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