Libraries and the Homeless: Reaching Out So Homeless Teens Will Reach In
Libraries and the Homeless
Reaching Out So Homeless Teens Will Reach In
I find it heartbreaking to see people experiencing homelessness, especially teens. Libraries across the nation are making major changes in their approach to helping homeless teens reconnect with their communities. "For hundreds of thousands of American youth experiencing homelessness, library services—whether provided in a local branch or in a shelter—can serve as a stable environment and help connect these teenagers to other social services," says Rebecca Hill in her recent article "Almost Home." Libraries partner with social service agencies but they do not always reach homeless youth. New library programs go way beyond the basic needs of food and shelter, and are catching teens attention, providing experiences that interest them and address their particular challenges.
The biblioTech STEM program in Washington State, for example, run by the Kitsap Regional Library (KrL), began bringing science and tech classes to homeless teens. With help from community partnerships, the Bremerton Library created a 100-hour STEM learning internship, and offers workshops and internships in computer programming, 3-D printing, video design, and robotics; all free to homeless teens. Seattle Public Library offers a "Teen Drop-In Social Hour" encouraging homeless teens and young adults to come to the library to engage with peers and have fun. Many libraries, including San Diego Public Library, offer online high school classes so teens can complete their high school education.
by PJ Wiebe
April 21, 2018
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Reaching Out So Homeless Teens Will Reach In
I find it heartbreaking to see people experiencing homelessness, especially teens. Libraries across the nation are making major changes in their approach to helping homeless teens reconnect with their communities. "For hundreds of thousands of American youth experiencing homelessness, library services—whether provided in a local branch or in a shelter—can serve as a stable environment and help connect these teenagers to other social services," says Rebecca Hill in her recent article "Almost Home." Libraries partner with social service agencies but they do not always reach homeless youth. New library programs go way beyond the basic needs of food and shelter, and are catching teens attention, providing experiences that interest them and address their particular challenges.
The biblioTech STEM program in Washington State, for example, run by the Kitsap Regional Library (KrL), began bringing science and tech classes to homeless teens. With help from community partnerships, the Bremerton Library created a 100-hour STEM learning internship, and offers workshops and internships in computer programming, 3-D printing, video design, and robotics; all free to homeless teens. Seattle Public Library offers a "Teen Drop-In Social Hour" encouraging homeless teens and young adults to come to the library to engage with peers and have fun. Many libraries, including San Diego Public Library, offer online high school classes so teens can complete their high school education.
By providing these types of activities, libraries are inviting these teens in, making them feel comfortable, safe, and wanted. "We want you to become part of a larger community because you have a voice and a really interesting voice that we want to hear," says Julie Winkelstein, a lecturer in the School of Information Sciences at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. All of these libraries and community parnters have a commong goal: helping these teens connect with peers and teaching them valuable and viable skills will help them develop a sense of self-worth and keep them from becoming chronically homeless.
Libraries continue to be staunch advocates for free and equal access to information for everyone. This is essential, no vital, because the youth of today will be running this country tomorrow. We need to make sure they have all the tools they need to succeed.
by PJ Wiebe
April 21, 2018
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Works Cited
HILL, REBECCA A. "Almost Home." School Library Journal, vol. 62, no. 2, Feb. 2016, pp. 26-28.
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