Young Adult Resources Today

Young Adult Resources Today: Connecting Teens with Books, Music, Games, Movies, and More is the first comprehensive young adult library services textbook specifically written for today’s multidimensional information landscape.

The authors integrate a research-focused information behavior approach with a literature-focused resources approach, and bring together in one volume key issues related to research, theory, and practice in the provision of information services to young adults. Currently, no single book addresses both YA information behaviors and information resources in any detail; instead, books tend to focus on one and give only cursory attention to the other.

Key features of this revolutionary book include its success in:

Integrating theory, research, and practiceIntegrating implications for practice throughout the bookIntegrating knowledge of resources with professional practice as informed by researchIntegrating both print and electronic formats throughout—within the resource chapters (including websites and social media)

Latham and Gross accomplish all this while, paying particular attention to the socially constructed nature of young adulthood, diversity, YA development, and multiple literacies. Their coverage of information landscapes covers literature (with detailed coverage of both genres and subgrenres), movies, magazines, web sites, social media, and gaming. The final chapter cover navigating information landscapes, focusing on real and virtual YA spaces, readers’ advisory, programming, and collaboration. Special attention is paid to program planning and evaluation.

Don Latham is an associate professor in the School of Library and Information Studies at Florida State University.

Melissa Gross is a professor in the School of Library and Information Studies at Florida State University.