How Libraries Provide Safe Spaces for (All) Youth, IFLA, August 2018

On International Youth Day 2018, the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) released a paper exploring how libraries are working to provide safe spaces for youth. In doing so, they offer useful lessons on how to overcome the challenges associated with working with a diverse group with particular needs.

Libraries provide a unique service to their users, as both a public space and as a portal for meaningful access to the information that people and communities need to learn, grow and develop. This is particularly essential for youth, who are discovering their independence and identities, and have important information needs.

This is not to say that the job is an easy one, given the challenges many young people face. This essay from IFLA, drawing on experiences shared at the World Library and Information Congress, highlights how libraries are already, successfully, providing youth with the support they need. It offers lessons and suggestions for others in doing the same, as well as providing evidence of the need to place libraries are the heart of youth policies.

You can download the essay as a PDF here.