In Time for Summer Reading, Meet Keisha M. Miller

Meet our teen librarian, Keisha M. Miller, who, within the last year graduated with her Masters in Information and Library Science. You may know her from working in the children’s department, but you can also find her situated at the adult reference desk of the South Orange Public Library. Miller enjoys the vantage point of viewing the entire adult section of the library; however, she’s quick to point out, that the adult section includes an expansive subset demographic of young adults and teens.

Last year  Miller had the opportunity to attend a forum for youth-librarians and in part, the library was awarded the Shake-Up Your Library Grant, which uses hip-hop & rap to attract teens and new adults. In her capacity as the teen librarian,  Miller is responsible for teen programming and outreach, ensuring that the young adult (YA) demographic remains a central focus of the library.  This past school year, she launched a recreational afternoon activity for teens, appropriately named: Wednesday After-school.  When asked about her plans for this summer, she replied in saying, “as the school year ends, it’s one of – if not the busiest – time for the library.  My colleagues and I make it a point to visit the schools within the district to promote the summer reading and teen volunteer programs.” Miller encourages teens to give back to their community by joining the volunteer program, where some programs are grant funded allowing her to offer a more valuable experience to teens.  Additionally, she is open to ideas and suggestions to expand volunteer opportunities to adults.

In terms of connecting to teens, the South Orange Public Library has an active Twitter and Facebook page. Says Miller, “Establishing a way to connect with teens is important, and social media plays a huge role.”  Even with the readiness of e-books, the library remains relevant.  When we asked Miller how she sees libraries, she replied in saying “I’ve found the library to be the community’s living room where people come together and exchange ideas.”

Ultimately, Miller encourages teens to become involved in the library, saying “just as important as it is for them to have a presence, my goal is to get more teens into the library and inform them of the wealth of resources available to them. After all, it’s their library, too.” Thus, Miller holds a wide breadth of knowledge on popular teen authors and hopes to share this with teens in such programs as a book discussion group or an advisory committee, which she anticipates launching this fall. Whatever programs or suggestions you wish to share, even if it’s to stop by and say hello, Miller says, “the library’s doors are open, especially to teens.”