Developmental Information

Overview of Developmental Milestones and Changes

In order to best serve your teens and tweens at your library, it’s important to understand the many changes that they are going through on physical, mental, and emotional levels. This time period can be difficult, exciting, or confusing for many young people, and they need a safe, welcoming, and fun environment where they can spend time. Libraries can help provide that environment for teens and tweens, and can be positive influences in helping them develop their intellectual appetites, as well as their personal identities and goals in life. This section of the course will talk about the major milestones that teens and tweens experience during this time in life, and how that may affect their relationship and understanding of the library.

The NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) currently defines “young adult” as ages 12-18. You may also hear “teens” or “tweens” as another term for this age group. You may find that some libraries use “young adult” for all of their marketing and outreach, while others use “teen.” Both are fine, as long as you are consistent across your services and programs.