Happy Teen Tech Week!

Teen Tech Week 2008 is over! Thank you for making this such a great celebration.

But you know Teen Tech Week never really ends. How can you keep the momentum going?

• Have your teens tell us about how they use technology in YALSA's Teen Technology Survey. Survey closes March 31.
• Bookmark our Tech Guides to use in programming at your library! Our guides cover making music with teens, online surveys, virtual worlds, RSS, blogs & wikis, gaming, podcasts and a sponsored guide on using Dungeons & Dragons Interactive @ your library! All Tech Guides are PDF files for easy download. 
• Tell us how your celebration went at the Teen Tech Week Wiki!

About Teen Tech Week

Find out who won the 2008 Teen Tech Week Mini Grants!

Teen Tech Week is a national initiative sponsored by the Young Adult Library Services Association and is aimed at teens, their parents, educators and other concerned adults. The purpose of the initiative is to ensure that teens are competent and ethical users of technologies, especially those that are offered through libraries such as DVDs, databases, audiobooks, and videogames. Teen Tech Week encourages teens to use libraries' nonprint resources for education and recreation, and to recognize that librarians are qualified, trusted professionals in the field of information technology. Teen Tech Week began in 2007 and has a general theme of Get Connected @ your library. The 2008 celebration is March 2-8.

Teens’ use of nonprint resources has increased dramatically in recent years, yet more teens are doing this from home instead of the library. According to a recent study by Harris Interactive, in 2005, 86% of youth aged 8-18 have a computer in their home, and 74% have Internet access in their home. On average, 8-18 year olds spend 6 hours and 21 minutes per day using media (including TV, video/DVDs/movies, video games, audio media, computers and print media). Furthermore, according to the Pew Internet and American Life Project, 71% of teens report that the Internet is their primary source for completing school projects. Yet multiple studies have shown that the majority of teens lack the critical thinking skills and technical expertise to use the Internet and other electronic resources effectively. Teens need to know that the library is a trusted resource for accessing information and that librarians are the experts who can help them develop the skills they need to use electronic resources effectively and efficiently.

Tune In @ Your Library

The 2008 theme, Tune In @ Your Library, was chosen by teens from a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds for its focus on music and sound. Music is a vital part of teens' lives; Tune In @ your library encourages teens to take advantage of the library's music and media resources, such as music CDs, DVDs, audiobooks and Internet access to online media. The theme will also give librarians a chance to improve music and media collections, discuss ethical downloading with teens and build exciting programs that are associated with music and media.

About YALSA

For nearly 50 years, YALSA has been the world leader in selecting books, videos, and audio books for teens.  For more information about YALSA or for lists of recommended reading, viewing and listening, go to www.ala.org/yalsa/booklists, or contact the YALSA office by phone, 800-545-2433, ext. 4390 or e-mail: yalsa@ala.org.