ASSOCIATES (vol. 4, no. 1, July 1997) - associates.ucr.edu
*YAC - YOUNG ADULT CRITIQUES: DEVELOPING A YOUNG ADULTS READING PROGRAM* by Cynthia Herrington South.Carolina.referenc@sccoast.net Several years ago, we started a young adults section at the Chapin Memorial Library in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina with two wooden bookshelves moved from a storage area and some books that had been ordered by the children~s librarian but were found to be more appropriate for young adults than children. A ~teenage-looking~computer-generated banner was hoisted above the shelves to herald the new attraction. Within a year we had a small budget in place with a plan to improve the young adult section and the young adult services. The young adult programming began with a summer reading project and reading promotion. We created a video project that included a tribute to the retiring director of our library, Shirley Boone, and also created a tribute to a local young author. The reading promotion ended with a small party for the participants and with a drawing for a portable CD player that was donated by a local business. Since that summer, the end-of-the-program parties have grown to full scale with a disc jockey as well as hot dogs for the entire families of the participants. The young adult section has had many additions in the last few years. Every improvement has strengthened our commitment to provide our community with an opportunity for our young people to have access to age-appropriate materials and programming. We hope that these efforts will build a bridge to adult services. After the children~s staff completely created and implemented the young adult reading program (along with a young people~s volunteer program), I returned to my duties in the reference room. Though it sounds as though I no longer had the opportunity to participate in young adult programming, this was not true. The high school students could not take part in the summer reading programs because of time constraints. Since the city in which we live is a resort community, the labor force for the summer consists of young people of high school and college age. These young people also felt that library programs were targeting the younger YAs. They wanted more mature programming but, again, time elements were a problem. At the same time, we were approached by the librarians of the local high schools to include their students in our reading and discussion program series for adults. We were not entirely opposed to the idea but, after much discussion, we decided to set up a program just for the high school students. I was asked by the director to come up with a program that was suitable for the young people that would incorporate the critical time constraints. The concept of YAC, Young Adult Critiques, was to come to fruition. It became apparent that the time element was the first problem to overcome. After talking to teachers and high school librarians, it was decided that the program would not be a summer program but would best fit during the school year. Since the teachers had asked for the program, it was assumed the students could participate during the school year. We decided to ask the school librarians to act as coordinators of the program at the schools. The school librarians would contact the English Department heads and explain what we were planning, and would find out which teachers wanted to participate. The first year we limited each school to twenty students. The schools would have to decide who could attend the programs. The next decisions had to do with the structure and nature of the program. We decided to pattern the programs after the reading and discussion programs we have had for adults. The books selected for the series all would reflect aspects of a theme. A different scholar would be contracted to make a presentation on each of the books selected and to provide discussion questions. We still had to add an element that would allow some type of accountability to the schools if this program was to function as an independent study program. We added a writing topics section to our program. The scholars would include suggestions for writing topics with the discussion questions. The students that participated would write a paper using one of the topics, turn the paper in to their teacher and obtain a grade. I then decided that the books selected for this program generally should be adult. That would take care of the mature programming issue. One other rule I undemocratically stipulated was that all books selected for the program must be available in paperback. The Chapin Foundation had granted funds for the program, so I had book sets to buy, scholars~ honorariums, mileage and possible overnight accommodations to pay with the funds. I selected three possible themes and presented the ideas to my superiors to see what they thought. Together we selected the theme ~Growing Up In America: Aspects of American Life~. In order to explore the topic, I selected novels that reflected growing up in America through the eyes of young people with different ethnic backgrounds. Three adult titles and one young adult title made the cut. The program would consist of a 35-40 minute book presentation prepared by the scholar. Depending on the number of students, I would divide them into five or six small discussion groups for a 15 to 20 minute discussion. A leader always arose from the group so no one person monopolized the time, and everyone had an equal opportunity to contribute. The scholar and I sat in on each of the small groups for just a few minutes. We answered questions posed by the group, or we supplied information if asked. Those few minutes were especially helpful for the scholar because his or her closing statement addressed questions or ideas posed by the small groups. Before leaving the library the day of the program, the students would exchange that program~s book selection for the next program~s book. If they needed the book to finish the assigned paper, they could keep the book and return it later. The programs were three weeks apart. Our technical services staff members, Lesta and Earnestine, were very helpful in developing a cataloging system for the book sets used for the YAC program. We wanted the books consecutively numbered and identified as belonging to the program. They created two identical spine labels for each book. The processors applied one label to the paperback spine and the other on the first inside page. To protect the spines during heavy use, they applied three inch book tape. They stamped the books with the Chapin Memorial Library ownership stamp in the usual places so that school librarians could quickly identify the books as belonging to us. At the end of the program the students would sometimes return the books to the school library, and the librarians would return the books to me. Our administrative secretary, Sharon, worked very hard to make sign-out sheets complete with the logo she designed for the program flyer and correspondence. Since the books were consecutively numbered, the management of the books was not that difficult. The first half of the book set was assigned to one school, the second half to the other. The students had to pick up the first book in the series at the library. Each student was assigned a numbered book and received that number book each program. The check-out sheets served to keep track of the school, the student~s name and phone number, and the book. We required those without library cards to get one and those with cards to update their information. We lost only two books out of 160 our first year. However, we did sell some students their copies of the book at the discount price the library paid. I designed letters and permission slips for the teachers to use to inform parents that their children were participating in a program outside of the school setting. Not knowing what to expect, the first year of the program I invited only two schools to participate. Our program took place in the fall, so a few days after school started, I dropped off flyers and letters to the school librarians for distribution. The English Departments approved the students who wished to participate, and at least one teacher from each school chaperoned the students to the program. The school librarians took care of arranging the school buses and transportation to and from the program. The first year we averaged fifty students at each program. The students were given an evaluation to return to me at the last program of the series. Many good suggestions for future programs as well as suggestions for improvements to the program were made. The students also had an opportunity to evaluate the scholars. I was asked to make a presentation on the YAC program at the annual meeting of the South Carolina Friends of the Library. The president of the organization thought that Friends~ groups would be interested in assisting their libraries with the speakers~ fees and thus allowing other libraries to have similar programs. The director of Chapin Memorial Library, Cathy Wiggins, agreed that book sets could be loaned to libraries wishing to do a series for young people. The South Carolina Humanities Council took an interest in the program as well., One library in South Carolina expressed a desired to do the program, and the Humanities Council gave them a mini grant to complete the project. I was able to assist the grant writer with information to lessen the burden associated with writing a grant proposal, and I received a grant of my own for the second year~s program. In the initial series, the scholars were from colleges and universities outside of the area. This practice was expensive. The second year I found talent locally. The presentations were just as wonderful, and travel and meals did not cause additional expense. We averaged 45 students a program. We completed the third series in the fall of 1996 and are planning another series this fall. Two other libraries in South Carolina have borrowed our book sets and have begun YAC programs of their own. Currently I am offering the book sets to any other library that would like to use them as well as help to get other programs started. The schools, students and library have formed a lasting bond, and we believe these students will continue using the library for many years to come.