Developing Teen Engagement Strategies by Designing Library Experience Solutions

Summary

In this project, students partnered with the Mid-Continent Library’s Smithville Branch to address the challenge of increasing teen engagement with the library. Guided by their client, Sarah Dupriest, students explored what motivates teenagers and brainstormed creative solutions to make the library a more appealing space for their age group. Each group developed a proposal that included plans, visual mock-ups, and a clear rationale for how their ideas would attract more teen interest. The project concluded with a professional-style presentation to the client, who provided feedback on their work and considered the feasibility of implementation.

Takeaway

Getting started was my biggest barrier. Finding a client and going with the flow was a little difficult. It was hard to plan a project when I wasn’t sure what the client’s goal was! However, once we met with the client and heard her ideas, the students were able to get started.

Advice

I’d tell new teachers entering RWL to just jump in and do it. I’d tell them to work with their RWL coordinator to get the ball rolling.