Hauppauge Public Library, New York - Teen Advisory Board

Group Name:
TAB—Teen Advisory Board

Library Name:
Hauppauge Public Library

What year did the TAG start?
June of 2002

How often does the TAG meet?
Once a month

How many members does your TAG currently have?

It is difficult to say how many TAB members we have. My list of TAB names and phone numbers currently has forty-one names on it. We give a reminder call to all the names on the list the day before our meeting. The average number of teens at a meeting is fourteen. Sometimes I won’t see a member for two or three months and then he or she will start coming to meetings again. Every meeting is open to students in grades 6-12, so new members can join at any time.

How do you recruit members for your TAG?

In addition to word-of-mouth among the teens and advertising on our website and newsletter, I visit the middle school and high school in our district every spring. I sit in the cafeteria during the lunch periods with a big bowl of candy and a brief survey. I tell the students if they fill out the survey they can have a piece of candy. I always have promotional material available about TAB. In the 45 seconds or so that I have with the students while they are filling out the survey, I talk about the TAB and other events going on in the library. I take the names and email addresses of anyone who would like to be contacted about upcoming library events. TAB is an easy program to promote because there is something in it for anyone. If a teen expresses interest in community service, I can recommend joining TAB because he or she can help us design and implement volunteer opportunities. If they have a suggestion for the collection or a good program idea, TAB is right for them, too. TAB is an easy sell because teens are naturally attracted to safe environments where they are empowered to make decisions.

Does the TAG have a particular focus? For example, do members work primarily on collection development projects, intergenerational projects, reading projects, technology-based projects, and so on? If so, how did this focus come about?

When we started out, I thought the focus of the group would be to help me develop the library’s collection of materials for teens. While this is still a part of what we do, I’ve come to realize that each member brings his or her own vision as well. The members guide the course of the group and focus on specific projects. Most of the program we have done fall under the categories of community service, collection development, and stress relief (just plain fun, like when we decorated gingerbread houses.)

What recent projects have TAG members developed?

The teens designed and implemented one of the library’s most successful programs to date this past May. TAB members thought it would be fun to turn the library’s meeting room into a salon. On Saturday, May 22, 2004, over fifty little girls came to the library with their parents for their “appointment” at the salon, and twenty teen volunteers had the opportunity to show off their skills with hair, nails, and young children. It was a great afternoon!

What is a favorite or unique project that your TAG developed? My favorite project TAB developed was the “Coffee House with a Cause,” because the TAB members got to showcase their talents, have a great time with their friends, and collect food for local families in need of aid. The price of admission was a non-perishable food item. The teens could sing, play an instrument, read aloud, or simply sip hot cocoa and enjoy the atmosphere. We transformed our community room into a dimly lit café, with snack tables covered in tablecloths and roped lighting to create a stage. I realized that night how comfortable the TAB members had become in the library and with each other when they performed in front of their peers without any hesitation. That was a really special night, and I am looking forward to doing it again this holiday season.

What advice do you have for someone starting a TAG?

Be open to the teens’ innovative ideas, but also offer your library expertise to ensure success. Take each idea and ask yourself: What will make this work in my library? You, after all, are much more familiar with the workings of your institution, your resources, and your staff and board of trustees. Don’t be afraid to wait until the next meeting to confirm whether a new idea will be implemented. In that time, you will have an opportunity to speak to your colleagues and brainstorm. Very often a teen’s fabulous new idea needs the one small piece that you, as the group’s “library expert,” can provide to make the program a success.

What do you think is the hardest part of running a TAG and how do you handle that difficulty?
I find it difficult to discuss literature. This summer, TAB members and I have started a “Teen Collection Development Task Force” with funding the Hauppauge Public Library received from the Book Wholesalers Inc./YALSA Collection Development Grant. The Task Force members must read and review new young adult books and make a recommendation whether or not the library should purchase the titles. The Task Force is made up of students in grades 6-12, which is a very wide age range. This works to our advantage in many other TAB programs because our older members are natural role models to the younger members. When it comes to discussing literature, it’s a challenge for me to explain to a sixth or seventh grader that a title an eleventh grader mentions at a meeting may not be appropriate for them. I recently started handling it by getting the teens involved so the issue is on the table. If the teens are book talking or writing a review, I ask them to include an age range for which they recommend the title.

What is your favorite part of running a TAG?

That’s a tough one, because there’s so many aspects I enjoy. I love getting to know the TAB members and seeing them develop over time. I love giving teens the opportunity to showcase their talent, enthusiasm, and altruism in a public setting, where community members can really see what young people are capable of. Most of all, it’s thrilling to be a tiny part of the bigger network of parents, professionals, and community members enabling teens to fulfill their potential.

Are there materials you suggest librarians planning a TAG read/access to help them get started?
I can’t recall any particular materials that I used to help me get started, but I have found it incredibly helpful to talk to other YA librarians about their groups. We are lucky in Suffolk County to have a YA Specialist, YALSA member Tracey Firestone. Everyone needs a colleague like Tracey to offer support, insight, and endless enthusiasm. Everyone at my library has been really supportive of teens and TAB activities, too. That’s crucial, especially when you need staff to sacrifice an entire night’s sleep to chaperone a Lock-in. It’s been exciting to watch the development of YALSA’s Teen Advisory Group Site because now everyone can have access to support and resources for their group.

If you would like to talk to Alison about her TAB she can be contacted at hplteens@suffolk.lib.ny.us.