CCLS Youth Services
What is Youth Services?
From NY Department of Library Development – “Through Youth Services programs, libraries aim to provide quality, equitable service to all young people from birth through high school, and to create lifelong learners and library users. Youth Services programs respect children and young adults and treat them with the same courtesy and attention adult patrons receive. Additionally, they advocate for youth patrons by supplying developmentally appropriate materials and resources for their use.”
CCLS’s Youth Office works to support member libraries through materials, training, sharing information, and marketing youth programs. Our youth services cover library users between 0-18 as well as caregivers.
Reach out to LJ with any questions or ideas surrounding youth services. ljmartin@cclsny.org
Available Materials
Member libraries have access to STEM Kits, Storytime bags, Launchpads, and Storywalks, to name a few available resources. Click Here to view full lists of available materials.
Calling all Teens 13-18
Join the CCLS Discord Server. You’ll find trivia, games, discussions, art, and stay in the loop about in-person library programs! Click here to Join
Coming Soon:
- Summer Reading
- Storytime Resources
- 1K Books Before KG
- Launchpads
- Youth Large Print Collection
- Social Media Posts to Share
From the Association of Library Service to Children, a division of ALA
Pausing to Talk About Copyright and Virtual Storytimes
Supercharged Storytimes for All 
You already provide great storytimes. Supercharge your practice to make them even better!
Supercharged Storytimes is a self-paced course consisting of six modules, which include videos, readings, activities, and reflection questions. The course provides training in how to intentionally apply research-based practices to boost early literacy in young children attending library storytime. The course is approximately 10 hours of videos, activities, readings and reflection questions.
SS4A-Supercharged Storytimes for All – How do I enroll?
Raising the Bar
Integrating Early Childhood Education
into Librarian Professional Development
The New York Public Library proudly presents a FREE four-part training series developed in collaboration with CUNY’s Professional Development Institute and funded by the Institution of Museum and Library Services.
Raising the Bar Training Series
Virtual Advantage: An Early Literacy and Storytime Video Series
presented by Joyce Laiosa and Mohawk Valley Library System
Lessons: Introduction; 1. Research, Early Literacy Skills, and Components; 2. Intentionality; 3. Talking; 4. Singing; 5. Reading; 6. Writing and Playing. Click on the information below the Introduction video on YouTube for links to all the lessons.
Having Storytime at Home video by Valle Blair, Youth Services Consultant, CCLS
Ready to Read at New York Libraries is a library staff training program, preparing staff to help parents & caregivers develop early literacy skills in their young children so they will be equipped to learn to read when they enter kindergarten. For young children, especially those under the age of 3, home is their primary source of educational stimulation. We at the library need to help parents & caregivers with becoming their child’s first teacher.
By helping parents & caregivers learn the importance of talking, singing, reading, writing, & playing with their children from the beginning, they will help their children develop the skills needed to be ready to learn to read.
“If parents understood the huge educational benefits and intense happiness brought about by reading aloud to their children, and if every parent—and every adult caring for a child—read aloud a minimum of three stories a day to the children in their lives, we could probably wipe out illiteracy within one generation.” — Mem Fox Reading Magic
Recorded Webinars