Rethinking Reach: Strategies for Teen Services and Summer Reading in Rural Libraries
I serve 121 public, school, and academic libraries in rural western Nebraska, so I was especially interested in the sessions at the PLA 2026 Conference focused on services to rural communities.
The first session I attended, Activating Teen Services in Rural Communities, presented by Marie Guenette, Cejay Johnson, and Kristy Calhoun, offered a wealth of ideas for engaging teens in small and rural areas. One key takeaway was the idea that “the library can be anywhere.” For rural libraries, this means becoming an active presence in the community—attending local events, connecting with schools, businesses, and nonprofits, and building relationships that can lead to organic programs and collaborations.
Other important takeaways included identifying allies for teen services, collecting data through both formal and informal surveys, building trust with teens, and advocating effectively for teen programming. This last point was particularly valuable, as the presenters shared strategies for navigating internal organizational challenges, finding opportunities to compromise, and identifying the core elements of successful teen services.
I also want to highlight the perspective of a presenter who worked in a library within a juvenile detention facility. It was inspiring to hear how they built trust with teens, increased circulation, and challenged assumptions. When working with teens, it can be easy to fall into the trap of thinking, “These are just bad kids.” While behavioral challenges are real, this session offered an important reminder: any young person who comes into the library is a library user who deserves support and respect.
The next session I attended, Going Beyond the Binder: Summer Reading Strategies for Rural Libraries, presented by Arnessa Dowell and Keturah Cappadonia, provided practical guidance for increasing participation and strengthening summer reading programs.
One especially striking takeaway was that, to help prevent summer learning loss, students should read at least 20 minutes a day over eight weeks. This reinforces the critical role that summer reading programs play and the importance of ensuring they effectively serve young readers.
The session also introduced new approaches to measuring program success. The presenters recommended tracking minutes read rather than attendance, number of books completed, or prizes distributed. Minutes read offer a consistent and flexible metric, encourage reading for enjoyment, and support engagement across multiple formats.
They also emphasized the importance of partnerships—with community organizations, local businesses, and schools—and suggested tracking outreach locations and partnerships as additional indicators of success.
I am grateful to the Public Library Association for the scholarship that made it possible for me to attend the 2026 conference, and I extend my thanks to PLA staff for organizing such a valuable event. As my first national library conference, this experience was both inspiring and rewarding, and I would encourage others in the profession to consider attending future PLA conferences.
Tags: pla2026scholarship
