Webinar: Teen Brains Debunked--Exploring Teen Development and Handling Library Conflicts

Teenagers are a complex patron population that can be intimidating, confusing, and overwhelming to serve. It’s not always easy to understand teen needs or why they behave in frustrating and sometimes volatile ways. How can librarians connect with this population, navigate difficult conversations, or manage behavior problems?

This webinar is not just for youth services staff… it is for EVERYONE who works with library patrons. We ALL need knowledge and strategies to maintain safe, inclusive library communities that welcome our teens.

Join Alyssa LaRue, a master’s-level social worker and experienced teen librarian, for a comprehensive look into a teen's biological, psychological, and social development. Learn how social theory and brain science can guide teen interactions at the library. Also, explore some assertiveness and de-escalation tools for behavior management. View the inner workings of our teen patrons through a lens of empathy and reap the rewards of understanding.

In this webinar, you will:

• Integrate a basic understanding of a teen’s biological, psychological, emotional, and social development into a broader perspective of what an adolescent is.
• Analyze teen behavior through Interactions Theory and Trauma Informed Care by exploring teen stressors, a teen’s response to stress, and the trauma response based on environmental factors.
• Identify teen needs and ways to incorporate those needs into strategic models of library service including the de-escalation and management of conflicts.
• Execute the cause-and-effect method of communication when correcting teen behavior.
• Develop a safe and inclusive environment for the teen patron population through empathic listening.

Guest presenter Alyssa LaRue is the Adult and Teen Services Coordinator at the Derby Public Library. She organizes events and programs for the community and has served her library’s teen population for 11 years. Alyssa also designs and facilitates marketing materials for local media outlets and social media platforms. Alyssa has a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing and Film Studies from Missouri State University, a Masters in Social Work from Wichita State University, and a 200-Hour Registered Yoga Teacher Certification from Yoga Alliance. 

If you are interested in teen services, register for this 2025 event...

• Programming for Teens: Understanding Teen Needs Through a Holistic Perspective | OCTOBER 8 | Register here 

Also, check out these recorded trainings at your convenience...

• Library Customer Service--Essentials for Creating a Culture of Positive Customer Service at Your Library | RECORDING | Watch now
• Digital Wellness--Better Connections in Your Community | RECORDING | Watch now

EVENT NOTES

Registration Details | Not sure you can make it to a live webinar? Register anyway, and we’ll send you a link to the recorded version when it is available. Registration is limited. Deadline for registration is seven days prior to the event. Webinar access information will be emailed to registrants prior to the event.

Recording | When you participate in a SCKLS webinar, a photographic, video or audio recording may occur. If you want your image or voice removed from the webinar recording, you must notify in writing SCKLS Training Specialist Katherine Hughes at least 24 hours in advance of the webinar. Absence of written notification grants SCKLS all rights to the webinar recording for educational purposes.