Merchants of Cool and Generation Like

While watching the first documentary, Merchants of Cool, initially, I may have missed the point. Most of it was pure nostalgia for me, as I was a teenager at the time they discussed. My mind simply kept shouting, "Britney Spears! TRL! Dawson's Creek!" I would take the bus home from school and hope I would make it in time to see TRL every day. But thinking about it some time later I could see it as more than just a quick and non comprehensive recap of my teen years.

Merchants of Cool and Generation Like are the same documentary, simply covering two different times. The biggest change between the two is the swift addition of technology. And having been a teen during the early 2000s, I can say that the technology kicked in for myself and my friends around 2003 with the use of LiveJournal, and a few years later with FaceBook, once we obtained the coveted .edu email address we then needed in order to even create and account. 

There will always be a way to reach teens, and determine their likes or dislikes. Marketers use that to their advantage and direct things to teens in order to make a profit without the teens always realizing how they are being used. One of the biggest things in Merchants of Cool was the notion that celebrities could be used to market towards teens indirectly through a concert on MTV that was set up by Sprite and doused in Sprite related gear. This happens now on social media. Celebrities endorse products by holding them in an Instgram picture, or liking a brand's status on Facebook. Or even by just posting a picture of a brand's products. (See: Kerry Washington, Instagram, Neutrogena) Note that Ms. Washington did not state that this post was an ad, but the caption reads like one, and can make an impression on a teens. While on the other hand celebrities such as Kelly Ripa (who may not be marketing to teens, but to parents works in this instance as an example for social media marketing) uses #ad in her Tweet to denote that it is in fact something is being paid to post about rather than it just being her own personal preference. (See: Kelly Ripa, Twitter, Jif). 

Though no longer a teen, I know and use the social media apps mentioned in Generation Like.I know all about teens and 20 somethings that put themselves out there on YouTube, and am aware that nearly every third post on my Instagram feed is labeled "sponsored."I've seen both eras of marketing and advertising. And I can say that I prefer the efforts of the late 90s and early 2000s to the constant barrage of ads that are on social media today - whether they are clearly an ad or a subtly mention of a product by a self-made "social media star." 

Not working directly in marketing, does not mean that librarians don't have to make an effort to market things to teens. What do we think we're doing when suggesting books or movies or anything when teens come into out libraries? We're marketing materials to teens without actually noticing! When we interviewed teens about various things, we were doing our own "market research." 

So yes, both of these documentaries can inform an interview with a teen, give a context to the path the interview takes. But as librarians we've already done this! We are aware that teens now are glued to social media - that's how we reach many of them and bring them in. We are advertising the library, it's program, an our materials. Can we go as far as television ads or MTV did in the 90s or as far as various companies and "social media stars" do now? Not at all. Many of their tactics are not appropriate to the library, but we can create our own. Knowing that social media is the way to reach teens is the first step. 

Further Reading:

Jezebel - Here's How Much Celebrities Make in the Instagram Product Placement Machine

Jezebel - The Big Bad World of Products Celebrities Promote on Instagram

The Big Ass Book of Crafts by Mark Montano Review

Montano, Mark. The Big-Ass Book of Crafts 2. Gallery Books, New York. [383 p]. [$19.99].
9 781451 0627800

A nice collection of crafts that may peak a teen's interest compiled in one place. However, with the advent of the internet and in particular, Pinterest, teens may not even be aware of the existence of craft books. This book contains step by step instructions on how to compete various crafts ranging from the fashion oriented (headbands, belts, updating an old pair of shoes) to those that serve a functional purpose (vases, paperweights), and is bound to please a range of personalities. Because of teens frequent use of the internet this book may better serve librarians looking to run a craft program on their own, without the help of an outside performer.

3Q 4P M,J,S

They eyes have it - and other visual forms By Michael Cart

I began my job as a teen librarian in December. I work in a very small library within a small community. The YA section (fiction, non fiction, and the space we have) leaves much to be desired. Recently I began weeding the nonfiction section, something I was told my predecessor had never done in her five years there. I was also told by our adult librarian (who was this library's original YA librarian when they created the department about 15 years ago) that to create the YA non fiction section she and the director at the time simply pulled books from both the children and adult departments and re-catologed them as YA.

Armed with this knowledge I began my project. And I have found some pretty crazy things.

I have found some materials that have only become out of date within the last 15 years - such as titles that still said Osama Bin Laden was alive or that Pluto was still a planet.These were not crazy, but still disappointing to find.

Then I found titles that just blew my mind. Such as one about making balloon animals, copyright 1987.

 

Yes, this book was in the YA non fiction section up until a few days ago. 

An encyclopedia about math, which had it not been written in 1983 and devoted an entire chapter to how to use math as a tool to relax, may have peeked the interest of at least one teen. Maybe. 

 

The World Book of Math

 

And this lovely book that discussed differing opinions on the merits of child abuse. 

 

According to this book there is a benefit to child abuse! 

Among all this craziness I did find some wonderful titles that are more recent and up to date in their topic and reasoning. After getting through all the random adult and children's books that should never have been in the YA collection to begin with, and all the random titles with out of date information that had been ordered throughout the years, there is a relatively good, albeit small non fiction collection for the teenage reader. And now I know which areas need to be filled in with more current titles and which areas can wait a another year or two to add to. 

"There is no fictionalizing to be found in any of these fine writers' books-no imagined conversations, no messing with history or chronology to make a better story-all demonstrate the importance of creating a narrative and, to that end, of borrowing techniques from novelists without violating the accuracy or the integrity of their books' content." (Cart, 2010)

Having now personally looked at about half of the non fiction section in my library thus far, I can honestly say that this is a true statement. The books that were not written years and years ago for an adult or a child are wonderful. Despite not having ever weeded the collection, the librarian before me ordered a wonderful assortment of new and topical nonfiction for teens. The remaining books range in topic from LGBTQ rights to wonderfully illustrated adaptations of Beowulf. Now I'm looking forward to discovering new titles to replace the many outdated ones I weeded.

Most Dangerous Review

I originally read this book in early January to take part in a Mock Printz discussion and vote for the Nassau and Suffolk Counties Youth Services joint meeting. It was the last of 8 books I needed to read, and I finally started it the night before the meeting. I assumed I wouldn't finish in time but wanted to get a general idea of the book. Instead I ended up staying up until almost 3 am enthralled in the story.

Sheinkin, Steve. Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsburg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War.
Roaring Book Press, New York. [370 p].[$19.99]. 978-1-59643-952-8

5Q 3P J, S

Uncovering more than is ever taught in high school, Most Dangerous spills secrets of the Vietnam War and key player Daniel Ellsberg. Students today may see Ellsberg as the original Edward Snowden, and the similarities are there. Sheinkin does a wonderful job at playing out history, describing everything from conversations in the Oval Office to the inner thoughts of Ellsburg as he makes a decision that changed the course of history. Though not an easy or quick read by any means, anyone with an interest in the Vietnam War will find what they are looking for in this book. Those not interested in the history may need some prodding to get into the topic, but once they get into the real story, they'll be hooked.

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Prior to this class I had refrained from reading anything written by Cassandra Clare. It was a matter of pride due to her fan fiction/potential plagiarism scandals. Plus I simply assumed the writing was garbage, as harsh as that may sound.

I honestly chose to read (actually, I should say attempt to read) this book for class because I wanted to rip it to shreds. I wanted to be right in my assumption that it was not worth my time. Considering I've been reading this book for the past few days and I am unable to make it past the second chapter I believe my original assumption to be 100% accurate.

Not only is the beginning of the story not engaging enough to make me keep reading, the writing is just plain bad. Scholastic places this book in the interest level for grades 9-12. Part of me feels like I would be offending a teenager if I gave them this book. A badly written, horrible book.

Working at a small public library as the YA Librarian, I know the teens that are regulars in my department. A good portion of them know I am in school an taking a class that involves me reading YA books. I asked several of them if they had read City of Bones. Though upon checking, this book has a high circulation rate in its time in the collection, it is not highly popular with teen in this community now. Sure, it has gone out a few times recently, as a TV show has just begun. However, the teens that I asked had negative reactions. Some based upon their reading of it, and others based upon what they had heard regarding the series and author. One teen went so far as to make a gagging sound when I asked if she had read it. I asked a page at my library that has only recently aged out of the YA department. He said he had made it through the first book and gave up only pages into the second, only having started the series because he enjoys this type of story.

I so badly wanted to be able to rant about all the scandals surrounding this author after having reading this book, but I was unable to even get halfway into the book, it was just that bad.

Maybe I'll give it another shot before class, but I doubt that will make much difference.


Source:
Scholastic Page for City of Bones

Scandal Info, in case anyone is unaware of what I referred to:
CS Monitor Controversial Authors

Refinery 29 - This writer has not let past controversies change her love for the series

bustle.com

There are many more resources that a quick Google search will pull up.

Review - The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

I began this book and was intrigued but a little bored at the slow pace. I happened to notice we had the audio book at my library and decided to go that route. It was much better in my opinion to listen to this story.


Stiefvater, Maggie. The Raven Boys. Scholastic Press, 2012
[408 p]. [$18.99]. 978-0545-42492-9

4Q 4P J,S

A long, winding tale, The Raven Boys builds it's story slowly. Despite the slow pace of action, the story is addicting. Readers will need to know what happens to Blue and her Raven Boys - the charming ring leader Gansey, the fighter Ronan, the quiet and sweet Adam, and the secretive Noah. They all have secrets, but the one that Noah holds beats them all. On the hunt for a king, the group follow the normal and paranormal clues they have discovered. Join in the search and get to know Blue and her Raven Boys in the first book of the Raven Cycle.

Teen Interviews

Recently I spoke with two teenage girls from a small Long Island community regarding their interests, social media preferences, and why they visit the library. Both teens are girls that have spent their entire lives in this community, one attending a Catholic high school (age 15), the other in public middle school (age 14). Some of their responses were similar though for the most part they differed enough to gain insight on the different interests of teens that may visit the teen department.

• Both girls frequent the library because it is not their home but feels enough like home for them to be comfortable. They come in to read, do school work, or just hang out. Comfort is a key factor in bringing in teens. If a teen feels uncomfortable or out of place they most likely will not return. Nice seating, an area just for them, a welcoming but not overbearing environment - these could assist in making teens feel more comfortable in a library, particularly if they have not visited frequently in the past. 
• A varied collection is a good collection. Each teen interviewed prefers to read different types of books for different reasons. 1 teen prefers realistic fiction with character she can love, while the other will read any genre so long as it challenges her mind. This is further proof that a teen collection must cover a range of genres and reading levels to both challenge teens and provide them with things they enjoy. 
• Multiple programs allow teens to pursue their interests, learn something new, and relax. 1 teen I spoke with likes to attend program with a specific end goal. She wants the structure, while the other girl would rather attend an unstructured program that permits her time to take a break from her rigid school and extra curricular activities. By offering multiple programs teens can find one that meets their needs or exposes them to something new. 
• Social media is an easy way to reach teens - but they don't use Facebook anymore! Neither teen has a Facebook account, but both use Instagram among other apps. Having a teen department or general library account on various social media accounts is a great way to promote programs and reach teens that may not be aware of what the library has to offer, plus it keeps teen regulars updated about any upcoming events. A good time to make posts is right before school lets out, many teens check their phones once class is done and they will see your updates.
• Teens of various stress levels and busy schedules visit the library. One of the girls I spoke to is very laid back an does not overwhelm herself schedule wise, rather she does a few sports and clubs and focuses solely on those. The other girl has something scheduled for every day after school plus Sundays. She has everything planned out and wants her life to follow a specific plan. Having a space where they can both do work and relax is important. Having materials they want to see and programs they want to attend will keep them coming back. 

Knowing what teens like is imperative to maintaining a good Young Adult Department.