A Feminist Analysis of the Voices for Advocacy in Young Adult Services

INTRODUCTION Although it is clear that, in the late nineteenth century, public library service to “children” really referred to service to those we would now call “young adults,” over time, the emphasis altered and the focus shifted to young children.’ Consequently, young adults received less and less attention in public libraries. There were, however, women in libraries who consistently supported service to this age group, some seeing it as a part of their mission for the development of good citizens with moral consciences. These were women who spoke out, argued, demonstrated, and led the professional community in the recognition of young adults as a valid and important audience for public library service. Although children’s librarians have consistently emphasized the provision of quality literature for children, it will be argued here that young adult librarians gradually diverged from this emphasis on appropriate literature to focus on young adults as persons with identifiable personal and social needs to which the public library could and should respond. This article focuses on the contributions of some of the key women responsible for the development of young adult services in public libraries. It will offer proof of women’s leadership of this development and demonstrate, through the words and lives of particular women, the