Teen Programming Websites
Programming Librarian
http://www.programminglibrarian.org/
The Programming Librarian is a site that is a part of the American Library Association Public Programs Office. The Programming Librarian “is a place for library professionals to share, learn, and be inspired to present excellent programming for their communities. Through resources, ideas and professional development opportunities, we seek to help libraries fill their role as cultural and civic hubs in their communities.” The site contains a feature that will allow the user to search for a program based upon budget, library type, audience, and popular topics. Some of the popular topics included on the site are Black History Month, Crafts, Great Stories Club, Passive Programming, STEM, Tech and Gaming, New Americans, and Women’s History Month. This resource would be useful for a librarian looking for new ideas for their library programming schedule.
Teen Librarian Toolbox
http://www.teenlibrariantoolbox.com/
The Teen Librarian Toolbox is sponsored by the School Library Journal. On the site, you will find tabs for Book Reviews, Teen Issues, Middle Grade, Programs, Professional, MakerSpace, and Projects. The Projects tab is an important resource for teens because it focuses on issues that teens are dealing with today, such as sexual violence, mental health, and social justice. In each of the projects, there is an opportunity for discussion, lists of blogs and books that tackle those issues, and links to resources. The programs tab includes links for Tech Talk and the TPiB (Teen Program in a Box). This resource would be beneficial for teen librarians that are looking for programs that deal with sensitive issues.
Teen Services Underground
https://www.teenservicesunderground.com/
The mission of Teen Services Underground is, "To support, promote, advocate, and build a community space to highlight the importance of Teen Services in minding the gap." This site covers a myriad of programming subjects, including virtual reality in the library, how to run a book club, After Hours events, Library Laser Tag, Cooking Club, crafts, Escape Rooms, Fandoms, Library Comic-Cons, LEGO club, and Makerspaces. The programming tab includes links to Big Events, Cheap Programming, Crafts, Gaming, Fandom, STEM, and Book Related. The site is run by ten youth services librarians and paraprofessionals from across the country. Teen Services Underground is a one-stop-shop for youth services looking for new and creative programming ideas.
Video Game Librarian
http://www.videogamelibrarian.com/
The Video Game Librarian site is a helpful resource for librarians that are not fluent in video games or are looking for ways to implement video game programming into their library. The site is run by public librarian, John Scalzo, who started the site as a way to offer resources about video games for librarians. Included on the site are reviews about the newest video games, the VGL pick of the week, VGL favorite video games, and a resource guide for books about video games. Additionally, there are articles regarding running a game convention in a library, the Pokémon Go craze, the Harry Potter Wizards Unite craze, and games that can teach coding. This site would be useful for a youth services librarian that is not familiar with video games or those that are knowledgeable in video games but would like additional information.
YALSA Teen Programming HQ
http://hq.yalsa.net/index.html
The Young Adult Library Services Association’s Teen Programming HQ helps users “find and share library programs for and with teens as well as to connect with others who plan, implement and evaluate teen programs.” The site has a Programs tab that features blog-type posts from librarians from around the country. These posts include programming ideas such as Self Care Programs, Cookie and Cake Decorating, Chasing Space Club, Dollar Tree Crafts, and Outreach programs. This site would be useful for youth services librarians that are looking to find new ideas for teen programming and those that are looking for ways to network and collaborate with other youth services librarians.