Boise Public Library

Boise Public Library in Idaho will plan to develop a replicable national model for public libraries to strengthen teen belonging and improve access to behavioral health resources. The plan is to develop a replicable national model positioning public libraries as youth-centered wellness hubs. This project responds to documented declines in teen library participation during adolescence, rising behavioral health needs, and structural barriers to access including transportation, language, and neighborhood disparities. The project will focus on youth-centered research, trauma-informed design, and public-sector planning to conduct technical analyses and prepare planning deliverables in collaboration with library staff and community health and youth-serving partners. The intended result is a scalable Youth Library Wellness Hub Framework, including teen space design standards, behavioral health navigation strategies, and access assessment tools that can be adopted by public libraries nationwide to strengthen teen belonging and community wellbeing.