Virtual Library Events Catered Towards Teens: Surveying Event Wants and Ideas in Order to Increase Engagement in the Fairfax County, VA Library System

Abstract

During the COVID-19 Pandemic of 2020, many public libraries systems turned to virtual programming to increase engagement during the time of lockdowns and stay-at-home orders. Three years out of the pandemic, many libraries have scaled back the virtual programming catalog, focusing instead on in-person events. In the Fairfax County, Virginia Public Libraries System, a programming gap existed in the virtual events catered towards teens. This thesis uses interviews with Fairfax County Public Libraries staff and a survey of local teens to discern what kind of virtual programming teens attend; and what virtual events teens would like to see in the future. Library Staff indicated that virtual events were scaled back in favor of in-person events to increase engagement with the other library services. Teens surveyed stated that while in-person events were often attended, there was a need for more virtual events. The conclusion from the interviews and from the survey results indicate that library systems do not need to come up with a specific “virtual only” programming, but rather find a balance of in-person and virtual programming, perhaps by streaming in-person events, to meet the wants and needs of the teen users.