Micah Rademacher
Young Adult Librarian
Blue Island Public Library
Blue Island, Illinois
Getting teens to the library can be hit or miss, especially in a bad economy. One YA Librarian hit on a solution: Make it a safe place to be creative and provide high-quality supplies. He founded a group called Creative Nonsense—12 to 15 teenagers who meet weekly, taking workshops in art and writing, developing their own style and voice, and publishing their work.
It’s a process of self-discovery and collaboration, a necessary outlet and a chance to pick up real-world job skills. Best of all, it’s all-too-rare opportunity for these young people to be heard: Semiannual issues of the “Creative Nonsense” zine are distributed to local schools, subscribers and the library.
