Get to know how the public library works behind-the-scenes! This year, we’ll highlight different departments and services at the Hamilton East Public Library to give you an inside glimpse into how the library serves our community.
Today, Erin W., a Teen Program Coordinator at HEPL, will explain what it takes to work with the 6th-12th graders in our community.
Q: Tell us about a typical day in the Teen department?
The library’s booth at the HBCU College Fair event
A: Teen staff do all sorts of things! We put together displays and bulletin boards. We make way for new books by getting rid of old ones that aren’t checking out or are falling apart. We prep for teen programs and go on school and outreach visits. We attend conferences to keep up-to-date with our library and book knowledge. We help teens and adults find the teen books they are looking for. There’s always something exciting to do!
Q: What’s your favorite part of your job?
Erin W. in the TeenZone
A: I have worked in libraries for 14 years. I started at The Indianapolis Public Library working at the Central and Pike locations as a children’s librarian. My favorite age group to work with has always been teens, so when I heard that HEPL had librarians specifically for teens, I jumped at the chance to come here! Planning programs is my absolute favorite thing to do in my job.
Q: What do people not realize about the Teen department at the Library?
A: We provide access to a database that offers FREE College Admission Test Prep help. The Test & Career Prep section of the INSPIRE database can help you prepare for the PSAT, SAT, and ACT exams. They can even help with AP exams! Not sure what you want to do after high school yet? You can take Skills and Interest tests to see what careers might be best for you. Planning on joining the workforce right out of high school? This database can also help you prep for certification exams for Cosmetology, Hospitality, Plumbing, Electricians, Law Enforcement, Military, Real Estate, High School Equivalency, and more—all for FREE!
Q: How many teens does your department interact with on a typical day?
A Teen Volunteer Appreciation Party at Ritchey Woods
A: Both the Fishers and Noblesville libraries have teens in the TeenZone every day. During the day, we see homeschoolers and parents looking for books for their teens. Lots of students visit the TeenZone right after school to work on projects in groups, or on their own, or just to hang out. On program days, we see an uptick of teens who rove the stacks for their next great read before or after enjoying a teen program. On the weekends, we generally see teens in the afternoons unless their families wake them up for a morning visit to the library.
Q: What goes into planning and conducting teen programming?
A: One program takes 3-6 months of preparation to complete. Big programs like LibraryCon! take even longer! We come up with ideas, get them approved, find a space for them, book presenters, advertise them on our Discover Guide and events calendar, run the program, clean up, and report back on how it went, how many teens attended, and how much it cost. At HEPL, we like to have teens involved in our programming as much as possible. Our Teen Advisory Board (TAB) is tapped often to help us come up with ideas or to vet program ideas the staff have come up with. Programs are evaluated regularly to see if they should continue or if they should be replaced by new programs.
TAB’s event board in the Fishers TeenZone
Q: Where can people learn more about what’s going on at the library for Teens?
A: At home, you can check out the teen page of the library’s website. From there, you can find out about events, reading programs, volunteer opportunities, and more.
At the library, you can take a look at the Teen Advisory Board’s bulletin board to see teen-made ads for library programs. You can also talk to your friendly Teen Staff!
Thank you, Erin! Stay tuned to the HEPL blog each month to learn more about the library behind-the-scenes!