CURRENT POSITION Teen Department Head, Waltham Public Library, MA DEGREE MLIS, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, 2016 FOLLOW Instagram @RealTalkWaltham; @WatchCityTeens Photo by Casey Germann

Real Talk with Teens

“It’s been the most rewarding career move I never anticipated,” Luke Kirkland says of becoming a librarian. Kirkland initially set out to be a musician, but found his stride leading the teen department at Waltham Public Library. 
“I’m incredibly honored to receive this recognition. The credit should really go to the teens who made the Teen Room and Real Talk the space that it is.”  

As the branch’s first full-time teen librarian in nine years, it took time to connect to the patrons he was hired to serve. “Instead of bringing my ideas, I needed to ask them what they wanted,” Kirkland said. He threw his support behind a student proposal to create a forum for youth, by youth;  secured a grant to provide stipends; and released a toolkit model for other libraries. Now in its sixth year, Real Talk continues to thrive and has opened up discussions on race and ethnicity, sexuality and gender, and school curriculum and representation. “I’ve certainly been moved by teens who share how Real Talk gave them a space to share their experiences, how it’s helped them see different points of view over time,” he says.  

Kirkland’s library experience also strengthened his resolve to advocate and create pathways for young people to pursue library careers. “I was hired here without extensive experience working directly with youth,” he says. “Libraries benefit from all types of expertise, so I want to make sure we’re rewarding all types of people for the experience they have, the people they know, and the potential they demonstrate.”