Urban Teens in the Library

June 1, 2010
This work does much to explain who urban teens are and what they need from their libraries. The authors examine the existing researchsome of which they have performedthat provides a wealth of data for public and school libraries. Given the challenges in serving these patrons, practical options and suggestions are invaluable, yet few of the chapters build off the research to make such recommendations. Two examples of the combination of theory and practice are found in the chapters on developing a leisure reading program and urban teens' search for health information. In addition, the four examples of best practices are also full of ideas. Other chapters, such as those on social networking and YA spaces, are more general and do not offer much guidance on applying the research to urban libraries. The chapter on street lit is a mixed bag: it provides a much-needed background to the genre, but does not explore the literature written for teenagers, such as the works of Coe Booth, Alan Sitomer, or Paul Volponi. All in all, this guide does live up to its title, combining research and practice in one volume. For a larger focus on the day-to-day aspects of serving urban teens, consult Paula Brehm-Heeger's "Serving Urban Teens" (Libraries Unlimited, 2008)."Melissa Rabey, Frederick County Public Libraries, Frederick, MD"

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