The gist: advocates, pilots, advises, and plans events.  Known for: Teen Murder Mystery, Youth Network, Teen Mental Health Initiative, Summer Reading Required: Year-round commitment, 1 official meeting per month (on a Sat. 4pm) + additional meetings or project shifts based on schedule + virtual work (about 4 hours total/month) How to join: apply using regular volunteer application for Central Library and wait for a response.

What is the Teen Advisory Board?  TAB is a group of library teen volunteers who not only helps the library and community, but takes an active leadership role in implementing programs, promoting, and advocating for youth services in Pasadena.

How is it different than just being a regular library teen volunteer? TAB is part of the larger teen volunteer program, but the main difference is that TAB members in addition have committed to attending a number of monthly meetings and completing specific projects in workgroups and independently.

Can I just participate in a TAB project here and there without joining TAB? Sometimes you can depending on what is shared in our teen volunteer email list. But the bulk of the planning and implementation happens during the TAB meetings, and most of the TAB projects are multi-faceted with many steps, so it’s unlikely non-TAB members will get to help very much.

How do I join TAB? 

  • Ages 13-17
  • Attend the monthly meetings (currently on a Saturday); Meetings take place at Jefferson Branch Library.
  • Apply by submitting a volunteer application for Jefferson Branch Library.

How do I stay on TAB? Joining is easy. Staying on TAB requires a little more work.

  • Attend as many of the official monthly meetings as possible.
  • Year-round commitment
  • Participation in online discussions, committee work, and pre-meeting assignments (this may include additional volunteer shifts)
  • Excellent communication skills and highly dedicated
  • Ability to work well independently and with the rest of TAB
  • The monthly time commitment is approximately 4 hours per month.
  • You don’t need experience to join, but you do need to be able to attend meetings, come in for extra projects, and work well independently and with the rest of the team.
  • It’s okay if you go on vacation or are less involved one month than the other. Missing here and there is fine, but not for a lengthy period. Refer to the TAB Participation Agreement at the bottom of this page.
  • If you don’t know, join and test it out.

What are some TAB specific projects?

  • Planning and implementing the annual Teen Murder Mystery
  • Representing library teens and TAB at Youth Network, City Council meetings, community fairs
  • Facilitating and sustaining Teen Central activities (at Central Library) such as monthly game days, book clubs, crafts,
  • Library system-wide / community teen programs and initiatives like the Teen Mental Health Initiative, Summer Reading
  • Advises staff and pilots programs and services for teens
  • Establishing a new video game and board game lending collection

What do I gain from being on TAB?  If you are active for at least two continuous years, you’ll gain insight and experience in complex planning and organization, including some basic understanding of City level policies on finance procedures and budgeting. You’ll explore creative, practical, and innovative applications of various ideas. You’ll balance working in teams and individually, practice creative problem solving, and how to be more inclusive. Sometimes members help create new lending collections, write grants, select furniture, books, and games. Most members also get to facilitate, instruct, or lead a library program.

What is TAB’s mission and vision?

Teen Advisory Board’s mission is to provide teens in the community with support through educational and entertaining events, opportunities, and resources, while closing the achievement gap and preparing teens for a successful and fulfilling life.

The vision for TAB membership is for every member to be an effective leader. The goal for every TAB member is to lead or facilitate a library program or initiative.

Does TAB have a strategic plan? Yes.  [see Youth Master Plan]

 

Current members

TAB meeting Nov 2020

 

Hailey Chen, Grade 9

Hailey is a freshman at CSArts who is also a teen book reviewer. In her spare time she likes to read, draw, or find a new anime to binge watch while snacking. If she isn’t found doing any of those activities you could find her playing piano or bumping the occasional volleyball. 

 

Noah Haile, Grade 11

Noah has been home schooled since preschool, and loves both math and science. A current junior, he spends most of his free time at home either playing piano, or playing video games. When not doing either of those things, he enjoys reading fantasy novels, eating good food, and doing martial arts.

TAB activities: Noah has contributed to the development of our new video game collection, led our Game Day programs, and assisted in the self-directed scavenger hunt.


Caelie Pu, Grade 12

Caelie is a junior at Mayfield Senior School where she enjoys track and hanging out with friends. She loves to spend her free time with her family and friends, her pets, go on walks, and play tennis. Caelie also likes trying out new foods and finding good restaurants.

 

Jasmine Sov, Grade 11

Jasmine is a student at Pasadena High School and also a Pasadena Library Book Reviewer. She enjoys reading, writing, and singing. She particularly enjoys reading realistic fiction and everything involving food. 

TAB activities: In less than a year as a member, Jasmine has already contributed to the Youth Network and led her own program. She created our first origami instructional video which you can view on our YouTube page. The origami video along with several others are part of a series that are featured along with one of our Take and Make kits. Before joining the Teen Advisory Board, Jasmine was a member of the Young Readers League Selection Committee.

 

Vivien Su, Grade 11

 

Leo Sugiyama, Grade 11

Leo is a student at Loyola High School where he enjoys running cross country and track. He also enjoys reading. His favorite book series is Percy Jackson.

TAB activities: In less than a year of joining TAB, Leo assisted in developing a program and contributed a video for the library which can be viewed on our YouTube page.

 

 

Advisors

Advisors are former TAB members who have graduated high school, but continue to volunteer as young adults.

 

Haneen Eltaib, Advisor
Haneen is a copy editor and contributor to the Teen Zine. For the first three years, she has taken the lead in organizing the annual Murder Mystery and has been interviewed for an article in a professional magazine. In her spare time, she plays violin and writes fiction.

Kara Eng, Advisor
Kara has been a teen volunteer at Pasadena Public Library since 2014. She is a Teen Advisory Board adviser and has written reviews for VOYA magazine. She’s currently attending Stanford University where she plans to study Chemical Engineering.

Julia See, Advisor
Julia graduated from Blair High School in 2016 with an International Baccalaureate Diploma and is currently attending Johns Hopkins University with a major in Behavioral Biology and a minor in Visual Art. During high school, she volunteered at the Pasadena Public Library, among other places, and is an adviser of the Teen Advisory Board. She aspires to go to medical school and become a physician.

Lauren Sugiyama, Advisor
Lauren graduated from Mayfield Senior School in 2020 and is currently attending Saint Louis University with a major in Health Sciences and a minor in Spanish. Throughout middle school and high school, she volunteered at the Pasadena Public Library and is currently an advisor of TAB.

Luke  Sugiyama, Advisor

Luke graduated from St. Francis High School in 2021. He enjoys running track, volunteering, and participating in clubs. Luke has been on TAB for 5 years and he is a liaison between TAB and Pasadena Youth Council. 

TAB Activities: Luke has been a TAB representative on the Selection Committee for Young Readers League, a “one city, one story” reading program for the City of Pasadena and surrounding communities; it is designed to inspire kids and families to read and interact holistically with one book a year. He also developed a program video which can be viewed on our YouTube page and continues to be our connection to Pasadena Youth Council, the city’s youth advisory team who is a working body of the Human Services Commission.

 

Teen Advisory Board is directed by Youth Services Librarian Ernesto Covarrubias.

 

Implementation

TAB makes up approximately 15% of Pasadena Public Library’s Teen Volunteer Program. TAB facilitates:

In addition to facilitating and implementing events, TAB also contributes to (or has representation in):

TAB periodically reviews and contributes to teen library resources including:

Members of TAB are also responsible for creating:

 

TAB Participation Agreement

  1. The first three months is a probation period; new TAB members may not miss any meetings.
  2. A TAB applicant must be at least 13 years old and no more than 17 years old.
  3. All TAB members must, during their time on the board, lead at least a portion of a library teen program.
  4. A TAB member may not miss more than three consecutive meetings in a school year, excused or unexcused. Three non-consecutive excused absences per school year may be allowed. A TAB member may not miss more than 50% of the meetings in a school year (also excused or unexcused). If a member has an absence, they must participate in the email threads, or stay engaged in some way.
  5. A TAB member must turn in pre-meeting assignments by the midnight before the meeting.
  6. Each TAB Chair will keep track of their workgroup tasks via an online database or method to be determined.
  7. Each TAB member must contribute to workgroup assignments as determined by the Chair of the group or supervisor.

Excused absences are circumstances such as family emergencies, family trips, sports games, illness, or transportation issues. Other extenuating circumstances are access issues (no internet/computer at home), unstable housing, or unstable environments. TAB members must contact Ms. Jane in cases of missed meetings or lateness.

TAB Participation Agreements were approved and adopted by Teen Advisory Board 2017 and amended in 2020.

updated February 15, 2020