I think that in all the libraries where I have been a teen librarian (and this is from 2001 on), I have created the teen/young adult space. Either it started as a shelf, or there wasn’t one at all, and by sheer determination I’ve carved out a nook or an area or a complete section so that teens could have their own space within the library. I’ve never been as lucky as others to have their own teen enclosure, or their own teen floor, but I’ve been able to have at least a section where they can sit and gather and just talk.
At my current library, we are definitely pressed for space, and all I can currently give my teens is this area:
We’ve got 15 shelves, really awesome new rocking chairs that form a discussion area, a new monitor that we can play games on or watch movies on, and a huge white wall that I decorate. For summer reading, it looked like this:
With a Cyberman on one side battling against MecaGodzilla on the other.
So, with such a white canvas, I keep thinking of ways to decorate. This month, I’m spotlighting dyspotias and gamer books, and created these posters. Feel free to use or modify- they’re ones that are available within my system, but I’m sure that you can find more within your own.