Being a Teen Library Services Advocate, by Linda W. Braun

Being a Teen Library Services Advocate

By Linda W. Braun. Neal-Schuman, 2012, 108 pp., ISBN 978-1-55570-795-8, (paper).

While library services to children and adults have long been established, teens occupy a middle ground that is often neglected. Being a Teen Library Services Advocate offers librarians compelling reasons why teens deserve special attention in the library, and provides guidance to librarians who serve young adults. Author Linda Braun has published widely on teen issues and is a former President of the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), so she is well-qualified to write on this topic.

Braun begins by differentiating between marketing and advocacy. Marketing consists of informing others about library services, whereas advocacy entails not only providing information, but also explaining why library services are beneficial to teens and the community. She describes the goals of advocacy efforts and provides a list of questions to help librarians evaluate advocacy efforts.

In subsequent chapters Braun explains how librarians can use collaboration to strengthen their advocacy efforts. She encourages librarians to incorporate advocacy in their everyday activities, and provides advice on leading a formal advocacy campaign. Braun suggests incorporating teens into advocacy efforts, and provides a number of examples of projects in which young adults could participate, such as writing opinion pieces for the local newspaper or posting on social media sites. Braun also shares her insights into advocacy in the state, regional, and national arenas, and explores the differences between advocacy and lobbying, which many librarians are prohibited from doing.

This book is written in a clear and concise style. It includes references at the end of each chapter as well as an index. It would be a very useful resource for any librarian interested in beginning or improving advocacy efforts for teen services and programs. 

Published previously: Mugridge, R. L. (2012). [Review of the book Being a Teen Library Services Advocate, by Linda W. Braun]. Catholic Library World, 83(2), 142-144.