Celebrate Teen Tech Week @ Your Library

Teen Tech Week is March 7 – 13, 2010.

It’s an American Library Association initiative encouraging teens to take advantage of libraries’ non-print resources.

The 2010 theme — Learn Create Share @ your library — is meant to foster teen creativity, and positions the library as a physical and virtual place for safe exploration of the many types of technology available at libraries (DVDs, music, audio books, etc.)

Here’s some stuff to help you celebrate at your library:

• activity & program ideas and booklists
• sample press releases

Apply for YALSA’s Great Books Giveaway award

The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) is giving away over 1200 new books, videos, CDs, and audiocassettes; apply for your chance to win and add these new materials to your library’s collection!

Applicants must demonstrate:

• Why the collection is needed in their community.
• Why the collection is needed in their institution.
• How acquiring the collection will help them better serve the youth of their community.
• That the library’s commitment to intellectual freedom and equity of access for young adults is supported by an up-to-date, board-approved collection development policy which is based upon the guidelines in the Intellectual Freedom Manual (ALA, 1996) and/or Censorship and Selection: Issues and Answers for Schools by Henry Reichman (ALA, 2001).

Application criteria, guidelines, cover sheet, and info on how to apply are at YALSA’s Great Books Giveaway Competition.

Application deadline: December 1, 2009

Each year the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) office receives approximately 1200 new books, videos, CD’s and audiocassettes — materials written for young adults, ages 12-18. (Publishers and producers submit copies for selection committees to review and nominate.)  After committees select their annual lists, these materials need to be removed from the YALSA office to make room for the next year’s publications.

The YALSA Board of Directors believes many libraries that serve young adults would benefit by receiving this collection of materials.  YALSA and the cooperating publishers are therefore offering one year’s worth of review materials as a contribution to a library in need through this application process.

[source: http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/awardsandgrants/yalsasgreatbook.cfm]

Celebrate Teen Read Week @ your library Oct. 18-24

Teen Read Week is October 18-24, 2009.

Use the 2009 Teen Read Week website and Teen Read Week Wiki to find resources, activity ideas, and publicity tools to promote  reading at your library.

Find something that will work for your library & readers at 50 Ideas for Teen Read Week.

This year’s theme is “Read Beyond Reality @ your library”.

Teen Read Week is an initiative of the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA).

YA programming ideas

RoseMary Honnold

RoseMary Honnold — editor-in-chief of VOYA (Voice of Youth Advocates) magazine — has created at her See YA Around website lots of ideas for teen programming you can do at your library.

Examples of what you’ll find there:

• Pizza Taste-Off
• Science Fair Help Day
• Beach Party Lock-in
• Create-a-Card
• Teen Advisory Boards

Her website offers ideas for activities and prizes, plus photos of events.

[source: Lindsey Smith's post on Publib]

Finding books teens love

Linda Steffen (director of Patterson Memorial Library in Wild Rose) shared this young adult / teen collection development tip:

To help find out what kids are reading ask the high school library staff what’s getting a lot of use.  You can also check the book aisle at Wal-Mart.