The Promising Practices for Youth Services in Pennsylvania’s Public Libraries guide is now available on the State Library of Pennsylvania’s LibGuides.  The guide provides an overview of the skills and knowledge necessary for youth services professionals to provide excellent library service to youth from birth through age 18.

The guide is intended to be a tool for both the staff providing services to youth and teens and the administrators leading the direction of library service.  Youth services professionals and their library administrators are encouraged to review this guide together as a tool for planning and to make joint decisions about each recommended practice for youth services.

Recommended practices include professional development, communications, collection development, programming, and space planning. A series of onboarding discussion topics for library administrators to cover with youth services professionals are also included in the guide.

The Promising Practices for Youth Services in Pennsylvania’s Public Libraries guide was developed in two phases of work, performed by a dedicated committee. Each promising practice was carefully reviewed through an equity, belonging, and inclusion lens to ensure that libraries are providing the most excellent and equitable library services to everyone in their communities.

Questions and comments can be sent to Corri Hines, School Age Services Advisor, and Heather Warren Smith, Early Childhood Services Advisor, Bureau of Library Development, Office of Commonwealth Libraries.