Teen Librarian Challenge

Local government will again be the biggest loser on Wednesday as the chancellor, George Osborne, unveils £11.5bn of overall spending cuts in 2015-16, an end to automatic pay progression, and a further round of public-sector job losses.

Between 2010 and 2016 most library services will lose 30% to 40% of their budget. The extent varies, but few organisations can take a hit in their budget of that size and carry on unchanged

If you have followed the links above and have been keeping track of the austerity cuts over teh past few years then you will be aware of the perilous state libraries are in and have been in for a few years now. Every part of the library service will be affected by the new cuts that are coming up, we all know colleagues that have lost their posts due to cuts and that is set to become more severe.

So, I am issuing a challenge to everyone that works with young people in libraries. Ever since starting Teen Librarian – the newsletter and the blog over seven years ago I have asked readers to share ideas for library-based activities aimed at encouraging teenagers to engage with their libraries (public and school). To date a number of librarians have contributed some really excellent ideas that I have shared.

If everyone sends in at least one idea of events they have run in the past then it will be possible to create a series of events that can run for over a year.

We are all in the same boat – we have more demands on our work time, less time to plan events, budgets if we have them are being stretched to breaking point to cover everything we do.

So if you have ever run an event for young people in a library then send it in. If you have ever had an idea about a library-based activity for teens and young readers then we would love to hear about it. If you have ever run a library event and have it go horribly wrong then please share – ideas that do not work in one location may soar in others.

Everyone that sends in an idea or activity will receive the credit, if several people send in the same or similar ideas, credit will be shared. If you wish to remain anonymous then that is what will be done.

Starting from the next edition of Teen Librarian Monthly and on the website I will be rerunning articles about events that may spark new ideas or even be dusted off and reused and I would love to run new ideas as well!

This will only work if everyone shares – the idea you send in may help a colleague on the brink of despair, it could spark a teens love of reading or case a teen group to form in a library under threat of closure due to lack of services.

send your ideas to me at: