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Teen librarian outlines growth in programs, internships and plans to remake teen space
Summary
Teen librarian Andrea told the Monterey Board of Library Trustees that teen participation has risen after restarting the Teen Advisory Board; staff outlined a new summer internship with 10 recruits, reading-buddy outcomes and proposed physical changes to create a safer, more welcoming teen area.
Andrea, the library’s teen librarian, presented the board with an overview of teen services and outreach, saying the Teen Advisory Board (TAB) helped boost program attendance from roughly five–eight teens per event to about 20–40. Andrea described current offerings that include a teen lounge/gaming space, three teen reading buddies who lead weekly reading sessions (attended by five–eight children), spring Dungeons & Dragons sessions that attracted about 10 teens, and a new summer reading internship program that has recruited 10 interns who will register participants, hand out prizes and staff programs.
The board heard that TAB members help plan events, design flyers and run outreach; the presenter said TAB logged 157 community-service hours last year and expects that total to rise. Andrea and trustees discussed recruitment partnerships with local schools—Monterey High School and Pacific Grove Middle School were cited as existing contacts—and the limitations teens face getting community-service hours. Andrea said outreach is done through a dedicated teen Instagram account, printed flyers distributed at schools, and word-of-mouth from TAB members.
Trustees pressed staff about space and equipment needs. Director Edwards and Public Service Manager Kim Smith said moving and consolidating desks, self-checkout and holds to a central area would free wall space for teen seating, gaming and semi-private zones; they noted cabling, building layout and existing wiring constrain options and that Friends/Foundation funds had been earmarked for new computer furniture. Trustees suggested glass partitions for visibility, priority seating during after-school hours, beanbags and lighting to make the area feel welcoming. Staff said one operational approach would be to relocate some public PCs and prioritize gaming and laptop checkout in the teen zone once wiring and desk consolidation are completed.
Andrea described outcomes from volunteer-run reading-buddy sessions—parents reported measurable improvements in a child’s reading level—and said TAB members want some after-hours, teen-led events such as a pajama movie night or teen book club. The presentation concluded with trustees and staff encouraging continued outreach to other schools and with an agreement to track internship performance and survey participants after the first summer session. The board gave staff’s activity report (item 4) procedural approval after discussion.
Next steps: staff will continue planning for the summer internship rollout, survey TAB members and report back about physical changes and budget needs tied to the Friends/Foundation funds and the city’s capital planning process.
