Columbus libraries go beyond books to reengage young people
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Columbus' library system coordinated job and internship fairs like this one in 2025. Photo: Courtesy of Columbus Metropolitan Library
Columbus Metropolitan Library has spent recent years helping disconnected teens and young adults get back on track.
Why it matters: The effort, part of a national campaign that wrapped up last year, was designed to reach "opportunity youth" — young people aged 16-24 who may be jobless or out of school, and who often face a number of socioeconomic barriers.
State of play: The "Creating Youth Opportunities" program was launched in 2022 by the Urban Libraries Council at 11 library systems across the country.
- That population is often perceived as disruptive, both in libraries and beyond, and often faces housing or family instability, trauma and a general disconnect from society.
- The program was designed to make libraries trusted spaces for those young people, while helping library staff feel safe and comfortable interacting with them.
Zoom in: Columbus programs included internship and opportunity fairs, skills training, discussion groups around trauma-informed care and a summer career support program for 1,000 teen volunteers and interns.
- The library offered free transportation and lunch, plus some career assistance like help getting an interview outfit.
- Participants met with a TikTok personality, an opera singer, a mortician, an archaeologist and other professionals.
The big picture: There are more than 5 million opportunity youth in America, according to the Aspen Institute.
- The institute cites an estimate that the "personal and public costs of not changing the trajectories of opportunity youth" is $6.3 trillion over their lifetimes.
What they're saying: "These young people who were maybe disengaged from school or employment, a lot of that was made worse during the pandemic, and there were a lot of folks who slipped through the cracks," says Sarah Wright, the library's Young Minds Program leader.
- "Maybe if they're not going to school, we're lucky enough to see some of them here at the library."
What's next: Libraries are changing, and so is their role in the community — with programs like Creating Youth Opportunities, Wright hopes programs like this are becoming an even more important part of helping young people "find their spark."
- "We want all of our young people to grow up and feel excited and prepared for their future," she says. "And that's so much more than reading."