Michael Stephens is talking about what books would make good discussions for incoming LIS students

It got me thinking about which books would make good reading for prospective teen librarians.

Not necessarily things like Connecting Young Adults and Libraries,though everyone should read that before they start. I was thinking of more general titles about teen development or culture. Such a list might include:




The Primal Teen: What the New Discoveries About the Teenage Brain Tell Us About Our Kids
by Barbara Strauch
Why do they do that? Strauch, a science and health editor at the NYT, includes recent research and conversations with teens and parents to try to shed some light on the mysteries of teen behavior.


Freaks, Geeks, and Cool Kids: American Teenagers, Schools, and The Culture of Consumption by Murray Milner Jr.
Milner talks about social strata in high school and suggests that cliques and teen relationships as a whole are shaped by teens' lack of power in the other areas of their lives.



Branded: The Buying and Selling of Teenagers by Alissa Quart
Quart follows how marketers target teens and how it affects them. Though weakened by a focus on the upper and upper middle class this book still provides a lot of material for discussion.





What books would you pick?

Intentionally Untitled or What's in a Name

I wonder if we waste time and energy trying to think of clever names for programs and services? On one hand, I'm not sure the teens care, but there are some positive considerations.

I remember asking my teens to suggest names for a series of poetry programs. They said just call it "poetry club".

I wonder how many teens can tell you what the theme was for Teen Read Week last year? Likely few, but I bet there are many that could tell you about a cool program they attended at their library last October.

I will admit sometimes the name conveys key information that improves attendance, I'm sure more teens notice Pizza and Pages than Teen Book Discussion. Branding is also an issue when the program is ongoing. I've named my twice-weekly leadership program, but I did consider just calling it leadership program.

Your thoughts?