All We Have to Give 1/4: Validation

Today on the YALSA blog Linda Braun busted what I think of as one of the great myths of YA librarianship, the coolness factor. You don't have to be cool to be a good YA librarian.

So, if we aren't projecting coolness what exactly is it that we as YA librarians offer our teens?

I've worked with teens in two very different communities and it turns out they basically want the same thing: acknowledgment as a valuable member of the human race. Don't we all?

Consider all the ways a good librarian does this:

• We listen to them.
• We look for their input and put it to use in all kinds of ways including teen advisory boards, surveys, and suggestion boxes.
• We buy books that will interest them, not just their parents and teachers.
• We advocate for them both in and out of the library.

What other ways do you give teens a sense of validation?