Loud @ Pathways Library: A Youth Engagement Initiative
Objectives: To describe and outline success with the Loud @ Pathways Library youth engagement initiative.
Intended Outcomes: This short talk aims to inspire and educate other Public Library staff in delivering service towards the youth market
Intended audience: Public Library staff
Loud @ Pathways Library is a youth initiative in the Pine Rivers Shire, catering for 12-17 year olds, aiming to provide a meeting place, space to interact and meet new friends whilst in a fun, safe environment and , of course, to promote libraries as “Cool” places to be.
Once a month the Library is open exclusively for the youth of Pine Rivers Shire, where they have access to free Internet, Foxtel Music which is played through sound tubes which direct sound to specific locations, pizza, soft drinks, boardgames and networked computer games as well as the regular library services. The youth are able to borrow material without feeling staff are monitoring their reading with the use of RFID for checkouts and self-returns. The initiative is proving popular with demand often exceeding capacity.
Most of the activities traditionally held in Libraries are directed towards young children and adults and often youth, the group that most need encouragement to come into the Library, are neglected. The Loud @ Pathways Library initiative was constructed to combat this problem by making the Library experience a fun and comfortable one. The youth get to know the Library staff and realise they are friendly people who can be approached with a question or to fill an information need. It also has the added benefit of alleviating the problems with unoccupied youth in the area
This initiative has assisted in developing youth leadership in the area with the formation of “The Angels”, a group of youth volunteers who assist in setting up for the Loud nights. The Library aims to further develop this volunteer group to assist with events at the Pathways Library and to create a Youth Forum, where ideas for services and further activities can be discussed and developed.
The Pathways Library uses these nights to assist in purchasing relevant music, movies and books for the young adult collection. With suggest to purchase forms available on the nights, and shopping excursions to a local music shop and book displays from Library suppliers where the youth are asked to select titles to be added to the collection.