YALSA offers easy ways to support Teen Read Week™ via social media

CHICAGO – Teen Read Week™ (TRW) is in full swing, and while libraries and schools are in the midst of carrying out their week full of fun and exciting activities, YALSA also has a few up its sleeve.

On the Tuesday of Teen Read Week, Oct. 15, YALSA will be hosting a Teen Read Week Twitter Chat with its partners. The Twitter chat will be held from 2 p.m. – 3 p.m. Eastern Time, and all are welcome to participate by using the hashtag #TRW13.

YALSA will be moderating the chat and will be tweeting out questions related to teen reading that will provide librarians, educators and parents with tips and resources on how to encourage teens to “read for the fun of it.” For more information about the Twitter chat, please visit the Events page on the Teen Read Week website at www.ala.org/teenread.

YALSA also invites library workers and supporters to participate in a Teen Read Week Thunderclap. The main purpose of a Thunderclap is to create awareness and impact for a cause by broadcasting information through social media. In this case, YALSA is calling on the library community and its supporters to join in on the Thunderclap to raise awareness about the important role libraries play in helping teens gain critical literacy skills. Participation is easy, and all supporters need is a Facebook, Twitter or Tumblr account. Visit http://thndr.it/GJ9MSd to participate.

Teen Read Week™ is being celebrated Oct. 13-19 this year with the theme “Seek the Unknown @ your library”. Official Teen Read Week products are available for purchase through the ALA Store. Products include themed posters, bookmarks, manual, and more. Sponsors include Blink, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation and Soho Teen. Teen Read Week™ is a national adolescent literacy initiative created by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). It began in 1998 and is held annually during the third week of October. Its purpose is to encourage teens to be regular readers and library users. To learn more about Teen Read Week visit www.ala.org/teenread.

For more than 50 years, YALSA has worked to build the capacity of libraries and librarians to engage, serve and empower teens. For more information about YALSA or to access national guidelines and other resources go to www.ala.org/yalsa, or contact the YALSA office by phone, (800) 545-2433, ext. 4390, or e-mail, yalsa@ala.org.