Teen Tech Week registrants receive access to online resources
Contact: Nichole Gilbert
YALSA
312-280-4387
ngilbert@ala.org
For Immediate Release
December 5, 2006
YALSA to offer four online courses
CHICAGO - The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), the fastest growing division of the American Library Association (ALA), is offering four online courses: “Making the Match: Finding the Right Book for the Right Teen at the Right Time”; “New Technologies & New Literacies for Teens”; “Reaching Teens Virtually”; and “YALSA Competencies Live,” to run from February 5, 2007 through March 2, 2007. Registration opens on December 15, 2006.
“Making the Match: Finding the Right Book for the Right Teen at the Right Time” participants will become experts at connecting teens with books! In a recent survey by Smartgirl.org and YALSA, the majority of teen respondents said that they would read more if they knew about more good books to read. In this e-course, participants will learn how to make a successful match between library materials and teen library users. Course participants will explore adolescent development, learn about teen reading preferences and take part in an active discussion about specific books and library materials that meet the varied needs and interests of teens. Teri Lesesne will teach this course.
“New Technologies & New Literacies for Teens” participants will become familiar with the tools and techniques teens use to communicate and collaborate online; learn how to inform their own community about best practices that support teen's technology-based print literacies; have the opportunity to talk with others about teen use of technology and how that use improves literacy skills; and create framework for a program or service at their library that supports teen technology-based print literacy. Linda Braun will teach the course.
“Reaching Teens Virtually” will focus on how libraries can engage in service to teens virtually. Because virtual services are fast becoming a staple in American life, librarians can benefit from a deeper understanding of their benefits and consequences in a library setting. Participants will gain the skills needed to garner support for virtual teen programs and will explore the tools needed to implement virtual services in their own libraries. Angela Pfeil is the instructor for this course.
“YALSA Competencies Live” is an introduction to YALSA’s Competencies for librarians serving youth. From collections to programming, participants will learn how all the aspects of good service to young adults work together and how to plan for growing teen services in school or public libraries. Participants will explore how and why the Competencies are integral to libraries and how they can be put to use in your library as a means of improving the services and resources offered to teens. Participants will develop a customized young adult services plan to implement in their library according to the tenets of the Competencies. Amy Alessio will teach this course.
Teri Lesesne is a professor of Library Science at Sam Houston State University where she teaches classes in YA literature. She is the author of two professional books, “Making The Match” and “Naked Reading.” She writes reviews of YA books for VOYA, SIGNAL, The ALAN Review, and Voices From The Middle. In her spare time, Lesesne consults with school districts and presents seminars across the country in YA literature.
Linda Braun is an educational technology consultant with LEO: Librarians & Educators Online. In her job she works with schools, libraries, and other types of educational institutions to help them figure out the best way to integrate technology into their programs and services. She is an adjunct faculty member at Simmons College Graduate School of Library and Information Science, a columnist for VOYA and has written several books on topics related to teens and technology.
Angela Pfeil is the product manager for Ask A Librarian, Tutor.com's online reference software. She holds an MLS from SUNY at Buffalo and an MA in Counseling from the University of Phoenix. For the last 9 years, she has served customers in person and online through her work in public libraries as a youth services librarian, community outreach librarian, branch manager and as a virtual reference librarian for Tutor.com's Librarians By Request service. She has dedicated her entire career in libraries to serving teens, no matter where they are. Pfeil is the author of "Going Places with Youth Outreach: Smart Marketing Strategies for Your Library" (ALA Editions, 2005) and the instructor for YALSA’s online course OutReaching Teens.
Amy Alessio has enjoyed the constant advice of her Teen Advisory Board for over eight years in her capacity as teen coordinator for the Schaumburg Township District Library in Illinois. She is the YALSA fiscal officer and the editor of the YALSA online journal YAttitudes in addition to being active in the Illinois Library Association. She has presented locally and nationally on teen services and writes about young adult literature for Teenreads.com and Crimespree magazine. She also is the co-author of “A Year of Programs for Teens” with Kim Patton (ALA Editions, 2006) and instructor for the YALSA online course Power Programming for Teens.
Registration for the course is available on line from December 15 through January 25 at www.ala.org/yalsa. The cost for each course is $135 for YALSA members, $175 for ALA members, and $195 for non members. The course is the equivalent of a one day face-to-face workshop. More tips on taking online courses can be found on the YALSA Web site at: http://www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/onlinecourses/info.htm.
For nearly 50 years, YALSA has been the world leader in selecting books, videos, and audiobooks for teens. For more information about these awards or for additional lists of recommended reading, go to www.ala.org/yalsa/booklists. For more information about YALSA, please contact us via e-mail, yalsa@ala.org; or by phone at 1-800-545-2433 ext. 4390.