 All right welcome back everybody it is the top of the hour which it means it is noon central time and This is big talk for small libraries the lightning round in which we have five presenters getting 10 presentations in uh 15 or excuse me five presenters giving five presentations 10 minutes each And so we're going to keep the introduction really short here first up is how to start a great Teen advisory board presented by Danielle Rasmussen the director of the garland public library in utah go ahead and take it away Okay, great. Um, this is kind of how we started our Teen advisory board. Um, we decided to make it kind of fun. So we named the order of the phoenix We have shirts that say are you in the order? bookmarks Um, we set up a set of rules, which is my next slide right here. This is Let me see there we go. Um, this is kind of their guidelines and duties. We tried to kind of keep it fun Um, we tell them that they're an elite force. They love that part Um, we tell them that they are we you know, their requirements are to help out on a regular basis They help us come up with new activities events projects Um, they seem to really really love it. We have a a big party at the end of the year for all of them um And then we make them earn it. It's usually We let them join as just um, I can't remember what we call them. Um, just as kind of a You know My gosh, sorry the word just left me right before you get in you have to actually do all of these things Um before you're actually put in the order and given your shirt Um, they have to bring at least three friends to three activities be at every teen activity or as many as possible Um, you know, if there's a good reason we let them out. We have a checklist Um that we have them check off to kind of make sure that they are Um keeping up with what they're supposed to do because you don't want somebody to sign up and then never show up Again and then expect to be at your big party at the end. Um Yeah, we just put them, you know, we tell them constantly that they're the elite. They're over things. We give them um a lot of the responsibility um we Just put up posters at the school. Um, we announced it on facebook We had some facebook contests at the very beginning to kind of get the teens Um to join our facebook And then we put all our reminders and all that on there and then they can share our stuff which has helped a lot. Um Most important thing when dealing with the teens to get them in your program is food If you don't have snacks at your meetings your activities Never going to show up again. I don't know why that's how it is, but it just is um We always try to have our amazing meetings and activities on the same day and the same time every month If we change the day change the time um The kids just don't Don't show up. Um So we have it the third thursday is our craft day that it's always been that way Our tab meeting is the last thursday of every month um And then we do a movie night the last friday and they just know that that's no matter what That's the days that they're required to be here. Um We make sure you let them plan and carry out the activities if we've tried planning some stuff and then just having input And they got really discouraged and just didn't want to do it. They want to plan it. They want to be over it they want to see Their vision kind of come to life and they really seem to enjoy that Um, we have special incentives. So at our sleepover we do we have a movie We provide dinner. We kind of do a potluck treat. So everybody brings a treat Um, we provide a fun craft just in case they don't Want to just sit and watch movies. We play board games. We do giveaways all night Um, we don't sleep pretty much at all Um, we try to make them feel like a part of the library at all times. Um, give them we give them specific volunteer duties They're required to volunteer one hour a week. We have some that volunteer more, but we have a volunteer checklist that I've just slid inside of um, a sheet protector And they get the dry erase marker and they check mark what they've done It makes it a lot easier for me to keep track and for them. Um We try to keep it structured. We do have rules that they are required to sign which I didn't put in here They're required to take home and sign have their parents read over them and sign it as well The rules are the most important thing for us because Teens get off track really easily sometimes Um, and we expect them to look and act like they are actual employees at the library if you're coming into work Don't show up in a tank top and short shorts. You know, um You're expected to look like you work here act like you like here Work here um help people um and just like I said just I think keeping everything organized and keeping You know them on track has made a huge difference. Um, we've got I think eight members right now that are in the elite Order that actually have the shirts and show up every time Um, and then we allow anyone to come to the planning Meetings, um if they want to they're allowed to just show up and help plan We always provide a simple treat for that one Um, just because it gets expensive to buy food three times a month for the teens all the time So, um, I think that's my quick. Does anybody have any questions? Uh, let's see here. Uh, we've gotten a couple of comments coming in from twitter Uh, first one from Susie. I used to have a fantastic team advisory board Then they all graduated and went off to college. She hasn't found any new ones yet. Uh, yeah, that that can be a problem Yeah And then uh, one other person says sound advice routine advisory board have food Consistent regularly scheduled times tried in two practices, but many libraries cut the food Yeah, and that I think is the biggest mistake is to cut the food Really is if you don't have I mean at least popcorn or A bowl of you know M&Ms or something they're just they don't care if you're not gonna feed them. They just will not Will not be there so That's that's our big thing. Um, we do dinner and a movie Once a year or two usually because we go all out on that one And I think this year we're really we only have 2,500 people and this year we have like 120 teens show up To our dinner and a movie. So it was a little insane Yeah, but food makes it it's really It's the deal breaker If you don't have food if you don't have some kind of incentive for them to want to be there They aren't going to they just they don't care I we have a couple questions one do the teens help develop the rules Yes, um my original board helped develop the rules. Um, we get a new board every, um, september Um, jump that way if anyone decides that they don't want to be in it then that's their walk out time. Um, and We go over the rules We change them because you know every kid is different some rules get changed and they help us go through them Okay, and um Do the what is the population you serve? Um, 2,500 Okay And someone's asking do the teens do their own fundraising? You know what I actually do the fundraising, but I let them I have a volunteer sheet And they sign up, but they do help come up with ideas. Um, they came up with the idea two years ago to do Library national library week. We do a bake sale and they put all the posters out and They come and run the booth And they really love it and then they help we have a wheat and beet day celebration And it's three days long and they set up the booth and run our book sale and everything And we have somebody who's interested in your logo. How did you develop it? You know, I I actually have an amazing couple of people here that work at the library and um, I hired a new guy. Um He's probably only what 22 23 And he actually came up with the order of the phoenix and he just got on the internet and kind of pulled the logo and Because before we just had teen advisory board and We still had people show up, but now that they think it's like a A special thing to get into They are way more likely, you know, they come in and actually ask about it And we have posters up that just say are you in the order contact garland public library? We put them around town And we hand out bookmarks when we're starting to try to get more people coming in Um, and it seems to work pretty well It makes it so they refresh pretty easy and then they tell all their friends and their friends want to be on it, but You know being keeping the requirements Keeps it down to the people that really only really want to be here instead I just have those kids that show up do a couple of things and then You know never show up again And our final question do you have an initiation for? You know what we don't that's actually a really good idea though, so We usually um have them come in and we give them their shirt And take a picture and post it on facebook, but that's about the extent of what we've done. But that's a really cute idea Okay, um, i'm all right. That that is 10 minutes. No more time. Thank you danelle. I really appreciate it And uh, that was wonderful. A lot of great comments. A lot of great questions