Teens need physical spaces as well as virtual places

The media center at Colerain High School in Cincinnati, OH, hosts a poetry contest every April, and this year I was fortunate enough to be a judge. On the day of the event, I arrived before the contest began and noticed an unusual mix of kids: goths, jocks, and trendy girls. Everyone was getting along just fine. Some were joking and laughing as the contest got underway, and supportive applause followed each poem. There was a lot more than poetry going on that afternoon.

Media specialist Kathy Seaver and her students had clearly created an open and inviting atmosphere. While they may not have realized it, the students had created something extremely valuable and increasingly rare—a quality “third space” for teens.

Sociologist Ray Oldenburg describes the decline of third spaces, or public and informal gathering spaces, in his book The Great, Good Place (Paragon, 1989) with the “first place” being home and the “second place” being work. Oldenburg emphasizes the importance of third spaces for the health of communities and characterizes them as “neutral ground,” where people gather to discuss, interact, and enjoy the company of those they know.

Why is it important for librarians to create these spaces for teens? It's a known fact that teens have a strong need to socialize, and their third-space options have become increasingly limited. As a result, Constance Steinkuehler, an assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, says that teens are filling the void by joining various online social networking sites, such as MySpace and Friendster. Sure, librarians have a role to play in these virtual worlds, but physical third spaces remain important, and we need to contribute to the health of our communities by providing teens with quality third-space options.

Teens also need to build relationships with caring adults. In fact, adult attention is one of the keys to creating a successful third space for teens, and it's also vital to healthy youth development. Colerain High School's library is a successful third space because students realize that Seaver truly cares about them.

Third spaces also promote social equality at a time when bullying is an all-too-familiar reality for many teens. They allow young people to avoid turf wars and join others without feeling threatened or ostracized. In a successful third space, everyone is treated equally.

Many of us have probably visited renovated teen areas in libraries only to discover that there aren't any kids there. Maybe it's because teens didn't have a say in developing the redesign or because the library staff has a negative attitude toward young people. We need to realize that successful third spaces involve more than just aesthetics.

Here are some questions to ask yourself before launching a third space: Does your staff go beyond just being nice? Does it treat teens with respect? Great third spaces involve a sense of play, so make sure your staff uses humor and has fun interacting with teens. Is the area clean and neat? Does it look like someone cares? Does it feel nonjudgmental? Does the furniture arrangement or security presence clearly communicate a sense of respect? Does the space feel open, inclusive, and collaborative? Is there evidence of teen input in the displays and exhibits?

If you're not sure about any of the answers to those questions or what changes you need to make to help your library become an exemplary third space for teens in your school or community, turn to the experts themselves–ask your teens!