Make the library a social space for teens 

To attract teens into the library and to encourage reading, libraries need to be social spaces, along with relevant, diverse, and appealing fiction and non-fiction and magazines. Examining both traditional print reading and online reading technologies to explore how they can synergistically contribute to fostering reading habits among adolescents within the reading environment of a school. Pleasure remains an important motivation for adolescents, and students are motivated to read when they have a wide variety of books to choose from and see value in reading (Moje et al., 2008). Research has shown that reading is also very much a social activity for adolescents. Adolescents are motivated to read when they have good reasons to, which includes reading to interact with others in their social networks (Moje et al., 2008). Adolescents are also more likely to talk about books when they have been frequently exposed to books and have peers who are similarly interested in reading (Merga, McRae, & Rutherford, 2018). Moreover, students with reading peers find it easier to locate reading materials because they are more likely to receive recommendations from their friends (Ivey, 2014).

This sociability around books is not limited to face-to-face socializing. Technology can afford opportunities otherwise unavailable in physical spaces. In a study of adolescents’ reading habits in Poland, Zasacka (2017) found that adolescents used the internet to search for information about books not required for school, second after peer recommendations. For example, recommendations on Goodreads  and shared highlights on Kindle’s Popular Highlights function allows individuals who do not know each other personally to engage in dialogue around books. 

Moje, E. B., Overby, M., Tysvaer, N. M., & Morris, K. (2008). The complex world of adolescent literacy: myths, motivations, and mysteries. Harvard Educational Review, 78(1), 107–154. https://doi.org/10.17763/haer.78.1.54468j6204x24157