The Importance of Young Adult Programs

 

  When the term “library programming” is used, the first thing that comes to mind are the story time programs provided for children, followed  by the thought of the book clubs that are provided for adults. Although these may seem like the only age groups that can benefit from library programs, this is a false assumption.  Those between the ages of twelve and eighteen make up a great deal of the population in most communities, and they could benefit just as much from library programs as any of the other age groups, especially since they are the ones who are trying to discover who they are. This perspective can be considered a modernist perspective, according to Hatch, who defines it as focusing on “how to increase efficiency, effectiveness and other objective indicators of performance through the application of theories relating to structure and control”(Hatch, 2006, p.20).

In spite of the fact that some libraries provide programming for young adults, there is usually not as much emphasis placed upon this group of people, or as many resources provided for them. A huge part of the problem stems from the stereotype that teenagers are nothing but trouble, and a majority of them are not interested in any programs that don’t involve playing games on the computer. This is a harmful and unfair assumption, because a majority of teenagers are bright, eager, and willing to learn new things. These young adults that have so much potential may lose it, or may never fully put that potential to use if they aren’t given the opportunity to fully participate in the library. According to Patrick Jones, Michele Gorman, and Tricia Suellentrop “Programs can offer teens a chance to actively participate rather than react passively” (Jones, Gorman, & Suellentrop, 2004, p.22).  By providing adequate funding for programs, the library can help shape the future of young adults by providing them with guidance in their lives. This could be very beneficial for libraries, since one day the young adults will be the ones deciding the fate of all libraries.

Hatch, M. J.  (2006). Organization theory:  Modern, symbolic, and postmodern

perspectives. 2^nd Edition. New York:  Oxford University Press. 

 

Jones, P., Gorman, M., & Suellentrop, T. (2004). Connecting young adults and libraries:

A how-to-do-it manual for librarians , 3rd ed. New York: Neal-Schuman.