"Sssshhhhhhh!" This was the sound that greeted my friends and I when weentered the local library as teenagers. Books were expensive so once ina while we would tip-toe through the hallowed aisles looking for thelatest titles.
Avoiding the inevitable disapproving glare from the po-faced harridanknown as "chief librarian" we would attempt some decorum, but always tono avail.
Nothing makes you want to something more than if you've been told notto. Before long we'd be in fits of giggles and we'd be pounced on withan irritated "OUT if you can't behave!" We'd end up in the streethooting with laughter. All good fun but hardly a welcoming seat oflearning for young people.
I remember as a small child being taken to our local library and sittingmesmerised while someone read us stories.
But we needed a different type of service as teenagers and it wasn't onoffer. So inevitably, we would play up.
Libraries have always had a slightly stuffy reputation but things arechanging. Most boast free internet facilities and are more welcomingnowadays.
I was reading about a library in Scotland. Children weren't using it; infact they were intimidating users. Why? Because they felt it wasn't forthem. But the staff turned the situation around by involving youngpeople in the design of a "youth space" in the library.
They also found partners including the police, the Duke of Edinburgh'sAward and others to run activities.
As a result of a simple change of attitude, young people feel the locallibrary is a positive place. And as a result of that, learningopportunities have increased phenomenally.
Young people can be involved in libraries if we involve and listen tothem. We're too quick to judge sometimes.
And most of all, it really goes to show that when it comes to engagingwith young people, you should never judge a book by its cover.
