What youth workers and volunteers bring to the library table

Youth ages 10 to 24 make up a little over one quarter (25.5%) of Nebraska’s population. Members of the Millennial generation (born between 1975 and 2005) are our future workforce. And it has been shown that civic engagement in youth leads to civic engagement later on in life. A strong case could be made to draw individuals to the library profession by planting the seed and recruiting them now as volunteers, interns, and part-time staff. Case in point, the newly-available Internship Grant program is an ideal vehicle for engaging youth in library work. The Nebraska Library Association and Nebraska Library Commission will offer grants to accredited public libraries for student internships. This joint project, Cultivating Nebraska Librarians 2.0: Building 21st Century Skills, is funded through a grant from a Nebraska foundation. These internships for youth workers are a follow-up to last year’s highly successful program, which was made possible through a grant from a Nebraska foundation, and a 2008-2009 program made possible through a federal grant to the Nebraska Library Commission. Internships introduce promising high school and college students to the varied and exciting work of Nebraska libraries. The internship functions as a recruitment tool, helping the participant view the library as a viable career opportunity. Young people can be strong advocates for library services, leading by example as staff members or volunteers. What has been your experience in working with high school or college students in the library setting? For more information on civic learning and engagement, visit CIRCLE, the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, at www.civicyouth.org. Learn more about the Internship Grant program in the Internship section of https://nlc.nebraska.gov/NowHiring/.