Reaching Out to Religious Youth: A Guide to Services, Programs, and Collections

(Paperback)

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Do religious teens in your community think your library has nothing for me Shouldn't your library be actively embracing all of the diverse populations in your community For many the teen years are times of intense spiritual and religious growth. Public libraries, charged with serving all facets of their communities, must reach out to all people, including religious youth. If that prospect seems daunting, this book can help. It provides you with a vision and a plan for enhancing your library service to religious teens with pertinent information that helps you understand the different belief systems and traditions of various religious groups and practical guidance for developing services and collections to serve their needs. Chapters cover the major religious groups in the United States today: Protestant, Evangelical, Catholic, Latter-day Saints, Orthodox Christianity, Seventh-day Adventist, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, and Hindu. In each chapter, a snapshot summary introduces you to the basic aspects of the religion, such as origins, beliefs, and practices. A discussion of the history and core beliefs and values follows. After describing common misconceptions and stereotypes, the authors detail the formative experiences of teens in these groups, and discuss what types of services they need in the library. Advice on building your collection is accompanied by helpful booklists, and ideas for services and programs supplement the resource. Lists of Pertinent publishers and helpful Web sites make this an invaluable guide.

Reviews

"[T]he succinct and useful introductory section on the history and practice of Islam includes an excellent discussion of misconceptions and stereotypes as well as practical advice on serving Muslim teens in the library."-VOYA Islam Religions Resource List for Teens
"This volume contains a wealth of background information and collection development tools to help public and school librarians better understand and assist teens. Recent polls show that religion is an important programming and collection development area for libraries serving religiously diverse and inquisitive teens. This work gives librarians the tools they need to do just that....[l]ibrarians looking not only to build a well-balanced religious literature collection, but also to gain insight into their students, will find plenty of answers from this intersting and informative work. Recommended."-Library Media Connection
[T]eenagers seeking reflections of themselves and their values in their reading materials may well feel comfort and pleasure at finding them in the library.-Kliatt
[T]he succinct and useful introductory section on the history and practice of Islam includes an excellent discussion of misconceptions and stereotypes as well as practical advice on serving Muslim teens in the library.-VOYA Islam Religions Resource List for Teens
Public young adult librarians have long needed this invaluable resource. Taking a broader stance than recent religious bibliographies, this book covers materials and services not only for Evangelical and mainline Protestant teens (and makes a useful distinction between them), but also focuses in equal depth on Roman Catholics, Latter-day Saints, Orthodox Christians, Seventh-Day Adventists, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, and Hindus....These fascinating comparative religion sections can be used with confidence by teens for reports or personal inquiry. Each section also gives insights into a particular religious teen population with a descpription of formative experiences, suggestions of what these young adults might want from the library, and programming ideas. Full of nifty tips such as which Christian teen not to have on the advisory council and what foods are okay for Muslim or Hindu library gatherings, this book should be on the desk of every YA librarian.-VOYA
Reaching Out to Religious Youth provides an overview of potential library service to teens of the major religious groups found in the United States....The essays provide background information on the history and doctrine of the various faiths and discuss the formative experiences faced by teens, as well as common misconceptions and stereotypes. They address what teens might be looking for in their local library with regard to their own religion. They provide guidance regarding selection criteria, the types of materials available, and their publishers. Public librarians can gain much from this guide, and it is recommended for all public library professional collections. The lists of pertinent publishers and helpful booklists make this an invaluable guide.-Christian Library Journal
This resource belongs in the office of all librarians who want to understand the religious backgrounds of their patrons and thus serve them better....the most beneficial sections are the extensive lists of resources and publishers ...This book is worth the price for this information alone.-School Library Journal
This volume contains a wealth of background information and collection development tools to help public and school librarians better understand and assist teens. Recent polls show that religion is an important programming and collection development area for libraries serving religiously diverse and inquisitive teens. This work gives librarians the tools they need to do just that....[l]ibrarians looking not only to build a well-balanced religious literature collection, but also to gain insight into their students, will find plenty of answers from this intersting and informative work. Recommended.-Library Media Connection
"The succinct and useful introductory section on the history and practice of Islam includes an excellent discussion of misconceptions and stereotypes as well as practical advice on serving Muslim teens in the library."-VOYA Islam Religions Resource List for Teens
"Teenagers seeking reflections of themselves and their values in their reading materials may well feel comfort and pleasure at finding them in the library."-Kliatt
"The succint and useful introductory section on the history and practice of Islam includes an excellent discussion of misconceptions and stereotypes as well as practical advice on serving Muslim teens in the library."-VOYA Islam Religions Resource List for Teens
"[T]eenagers seeking reflections of themselves and their values in their reading materials may well feel comfort and pleasure at finding them in the library."-Kliatt
"[T]he succint and useful introductory section on the history and practice of Islam includes an excellent discussion of misconceptions and stereotypes as well as practical advice on serving Muslim teens in the library."-VOYA Islam Religions Resource List for Teens
"Reaching Out to Religious Youth provides an overview of potential library service to teens of the major religious groups found in the United States....The essays provide background information on the history and doctrine of the various faiths and discuss the formative experiences faced by teens, as well as common misconceptions and stereotypes. They address what teens might be looking for in their local library with regard to their own religion. They provide guidance regarding selection criteria, the types of materials available, and their publishers. Public librarians can gain much from this guide, and it is recommended for all public library professional collections. The lists of pertinent publishers and helpful booklists make this an invaluable guide."-Christian Library Journal
"This resource belongs in the office of all librarians who want to understand the religious backgrounds of their patrons and thus serve them better....the most beneficial sections are the extensive lists of resources and publishers ...This book is worth the price for this information alone."-School Library Journal
"Public young adult librarians have long needed this invaluable resource. Taking a broader stance than recent religious bibliographies, this book covers materials and services not only for Evangelical and mainline Protestant teens (and makes a useful distinction between them), but also focuses in equal depth on Roman Catholics, Latter-day Saints, Orthodox Christians, Seventh-Day Adventists, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, and Hindus....These fascinating comparative religion sections can be used with confidence by teens for reports or personal inquiry. Each section also gives insights into a particular religious teen population with a descpription of formative experiences, suggestions of what these young adults might want from the library, and programming ideas. Full of nifty tips such as which Christian teen not to have on the advisory council and what foods are okay for Muslim or Hindu library gatherings, this book should be on the desk of every YA librarian."-VOYA

Author Bio

L. KAY CARMAN is Youth Services Librarian at Hillsboro Public Library, Oregon. She also serves the Church of Jesus Christ and Latter-day Saints as a Stake Relief Society Education Counselor.