YALSA seeks teen opinions in Teen Technology Survey

Contact: Stephanie Kuenn


Communications Specialist, YALSA


(312) 280-2128


skuenn@ala.org

For Immediate Release,


March 18, 2008

YALSA seeks teen opinions in Teen Technology Survey

CHICAGO -The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), is surveying teens through March 31 on their online habits. The Teen Technology Survey can be accessed at
www.ala.org/yalsa or directly at
www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=aRxCPNSXnOQfqHb2Zx4veg_3d_3d.




The survey seeks input on teen use of social networking sites, online tools like instant messaging and online tasks such as shopping or research. It also asks teens about the nonprint and technological resources available at their public and school libraries and allows teens to vote on the 2009 Teen Tech Week theme.




“We need to gather information about how teens use these resources - there's anecdotal information that teens tell us, librarians talk to each other and hear stories, but this is something we're trying to get directly from our teen patrons in a systematic way so we can more clearly understand what they need,” said Paula Brehm-Heeger, YALSA president. “The more teens that we can hear from, the more valuable the data will be.”




YALSA plans to use the information garnered from the survey to craft resources, activities, programs and events to respond to teens' online and technology needs at the library. The YALSA Board of Directors plans to analyze this data at the ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim, Calif., this June.




For more than 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 by e-mail:
yalsa@ala.org.