4,770-square feet filled with 3D printers, video/sound recording equipment, computers, and—of course!—books. When we at Microsoft learned that this digital learning lab was would be coming soon, we knew we wanted to get in The Mix. With a shared commitment to support teens in their pursuit of 21st century skills, Microsoft and the San Francisco Public Library make a great team. Read on to learn more about The Mix at SFPL and click here to discover the many ways Microsoft engages youth worldwide.
– Thea Nilsson, Civic Engagement Manager
The San Francisco Public Library is embarking on a new journey in library services with the opening of The Mix at SFPL and the launching of themixatsfpl.org. The Mix is a revolutionary approach to teen services. In addition to having a brand new collection of young adult books, a new mini-amphitheater, and many comfy spaces for Bay Area teens to hang out, read and study. The Mix at SFPL will have a state of the art recording studio, a Hollywood-worthy video production space, a bank of high end computers to aid in the editing process, and a maker space with many of today’s leading fabrication technologies.
The overarching goal of The Mix is to provide a safe, comfortable, and adult-free (to a point) space where teens will feel empowered to pursue their interests. While teens are more than welcome to simply hang out, the hope is that they’ll eventually try out the different technologies in the space, either by attending a class or program, or during open “drop in” hours. Hopefully they’ll discover new 
passions, and will feel empowered to go deeper into these new pursuits. The Mix staff, along with community partners and mentors, will be there to help them get started and let them know that it is ok to try and fail.
To help deliver quality classes to teens using the new technologies, the library has formed partnerships with many leading San Francisco program providers, including the Bay Area Video Coalition, who excels at training at risk youth in emerging media technologies, Blue Bear School of Music, who are leaders in providing music education to undeserved communities, Girls Who Code, who are on a mission to enhance diversity in technology, and the world famous California Academy of Sciences. There are many other community organizations who will be leading periodic classes in the space, helping deliver free access to new ideas and technologies, and letting Bay Area teens explore their interests and discover new passions. SFPL couldn’t be happier about being able to host program providers that are not only skilled in delivering technical training, but are also leaders in youth engagement best practices.
The Mix will officially open on June 18th at 11 am during a ribbon cutting which will involve San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee, as well as the many civic leaders and community partners that made this possible, including the Board of Advising Youth, a group of San Francisco teens that have been advising on the construction and programmatic elements of The Mix. The ribbon cutting will include multiple performances by local youth groups, many of which will be offering free classes at in the space in the coming months.
Around the same time the ribbon is cut at The Mix, the San Francisco Public Library will also be launching a new website for SF teens, themixatsfpl.org. Beyond helping teens find their next great book, or find resources to help with school projects or college prep, the site will allow teens to discover all of the upcoming events and classes being offered by Mix staff or by community partners. The site will also allow teens to showcase videos, recordings, or pictures that they make either in Mix classes or at any time using Mix technology.
With the opening of the Mix, the San Francisco Public Library will be taking a huge leap forward in redefining what it means to have equal and open access to information, a driving principle in public library service. For more information click here.
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To learn more about Microsoft’s commitment to youth and education, visit our YouthSpark Hub or follow us on twitter at @msftcitizenship.
Cathy Cormier is the Manager of The Mix at SFPL, the San Francisco Public Library’s new teen-designed library and digital media learning lab for teens ages 13-18 at the Main Library. Cathy has a Bachelor of Arts in Politics from University of California, Santa Cruz, and a Masters of Library and Information Science from San Jose State University. Before becoming a librarian, Cathy worked as an ice-cream scooper, a shipping and receiving clerk, and as a market quote terminal operator in the trading pits of the Pacific Exchange Options Floor.
