Prairielands Library Exchange
Teen Summit 2026
Libraries Supporting Teen Social Growth
April 14 2026
9:30 - 3:30
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WILLMAR PUBLIC LIBRARY
410 5th Street SW
Willmar, Mn 56201
Phone: (320) 235-3162
OR
April 17 2026
9:30 - 3:30
​
JACKSON PUBLIC LIBRARY
311 3rd Street
Jackson, MN 56143
Phone: (507) 847-4748
Sessions
Session 1
Amy Lamatina
Supporting Social Skills Development in Tweens and Teens
01
Supporting Social Skills Development in Tweens and Teens
In this session, we’ll explore professional resources and tools to help librarians foster social skills development in their tween and teen communities. We’ll review a selection of professional titles, as well as middle grade and YA book recommendations, explore ways to integrate social skills practice into library programs and activities, and discuss how to create safe spaces for tweens and teens to build their social skills organically.
Takeaways for attendees include:
• Middle grade and young adult book recommendations
• Professional title recommendations for librarians working with tweens and teens
• Resources to share with parents and families
Amy Lamatina began her career as a special education paraprofessional and an elementary STEAM enrichment coach in St. Louis, Missouri. She also worked in educational sales as a literacy accounts manager before spending several years as a youth services specialist for the St. Louis County Library system. Amy led STEM and literacy programming or children and teens and expanded public library/school partnerships through classroom outreach. She holds a bachelor's degree in education with concentrations in special education and children’s literature.
Session 2
Ann Kaste:
ELibraryMN.org: Resources to Support Tween and Teen Social Skills
02
Helping Teens Connect by Finding Social Skills and Relationship Resources in Ebooks Minnesota and ELibraryMN org
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In this hands-on session, we will explore how library staff can help tweens and teens find free, high quality digital resources through ELibraryMN org and Ebooks Minnesota. We will start with a guided walkthrough of how to locate teen and tween friendly fiction and nonfiction on friendship, relationships, communication, empathy, and self awareness in Ebooks Minnesota. Then we will move into ELibraryMN to find magazines, news articles, and research that support social and emotional development. Finally, we’ll have some exploration time to search, browse, and even build a mini list of resources to share with youth, parents, and educators. Participants will also leave with promotional materials to help spread the word in their communities.
Takeaways for attendees
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How to find and recommend tween and teen friendly ebooks on friendship, communication, empathy, and relationships in Ebooks Minnesota
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How to use ELibraryMN to locate credible magazines, news articles, and research that support social and emotional development
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Practical search strategies you can use immediately when helping youth, parents, and educators
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Increased confidence and ready to use promotional materials to raise awareness of these free statewide resources
Ann Kaste is an Outreach and Instruction Librarian and Coordinator of K12 Outreach at Minitex. Ann's interests are in all things libraries and making access to digital resources as seamless as possible for library users and educators. Ann has worked in academic, special, and K12 libraries over the course of her career, and enjoys connecting the dots between systems and people. She loves discussing all things e-resources among academic and K12 librarians, digital learning specialists, media specialists and tech integrationists. She's especially excited about sharing information about the amazing programs and services that Minitex provides.
Session 3
Courney Felton
Southwest West Central Service Cooperative
03
Southwest West Central Service Cooperative
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In this session, we will explore what’s happening developmentally during late childhood and adolescence, including brain development, emotions, peer dynamics, and identity, and how those changes show up in after-school settings. We’ll also break down core social-emotional learning (SEL) skills in the areas of self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. We will share practical, easy-to-implement strategies and resources you can weave into everyday interactions, programs, and spaces.
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Courney Felton Hello! My name is Courtney Felton, and I am a licensed graduate social worker (LGSW) and licensed school social worker for Southwest West Central Service Cooperative. I currently reside in Marshall, Minnesota with my husband and three daughters (ages 3, 8, and 16). I have experience working with youth in traditional and non-traditional school settings, along with a background in child protection. I am looking forward to partner with Prairielands Library Exchange at the 2026 Teen Summit.
Contact:
Bethany Kauffman
bethany@prairielands.org
Prairielands
Library
Exchange
109 South 5th Street
Suite 200
Marshall, MN 56258
Phone: (507) 532-9013
Prairielands Library Exchange is the Minnesota Multicounty Multitype Library System (MCMT) for the southwestern portion of the state. We serve libraries of all types through professional development, scholarships, grants, planning support and opportunities to build connections both within and outside of the library community. Our members include public libraries, school libraries, academic libraries, special libraries, museums and historical societies.