A community overview was conducted to identify the characteristics of the present and future environment surrounding youth and the library system. Global, national, and statewide trends form the background for the changes occurring in Tucson and Pima County. This phenomenal growth, with its associated needs for information about education and career development, will greatly affect teens' ability to succeed in the community. The distribution of types of jobs in the labor market is shifting. Teens are more likely to be encouraged to seek out traditional career paths and often do not consider the burgeoning non-traditional career market.
Teens have literacy and language barrier problems.
In 1998-99, in Tucson's largest school district alone, there are more than 10,000 students with limited proficiency in English. Literacy is vital to success in the technology-saturated workplace. For many teens, there is limited access to computers and computer classes, at a time when 60 percent of all new jobs require computer skills. After looking at the current state of Tucson and Pima County, an assessment was made of TPPL's current capacities as an organization. Staff from the City of Tucson's program evaluation unit assisted the Steering Committee in this assessment.