Ten librarians win Teen Tech Week™ Mini Grants from YALSA

CHICAGO — The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), announced the winners of its 10 Teen Tech Week Mini Grants. The grants, funded by the Margaret A. Edwards Trust, give each winning library $450 cash and $50 worth of official Teen Tech Week products to support a reading program that incorporates technology to celebrate Teen Tech Week, March 6-12.

The 10 winners are:

• Sarah Dawn Covey, Zion-Benton (Ill.) Public Library
• Natalie Houston, Orange County Library System, Orlando, Fla.
• Valerie Jensen, Chambers County Library System, Anahuac, Texas
• Deirdre Johnson, Mount Kisco (N.Y.) Public Library
• Kyla M. Johnson, Farmington (N.M.) High School Library
• Kearsten LaBrozzi, Glendale (Ariz.) Public Library
• Marcus Lowry, Ramsey County Library, Roseville, Minn.
• Sarah Russo, Howard County Library, Elkridge, Md.
• Rikki Steingass, Bluffton (Ohio) Public Library
• Patricia VanArsdale, Hussey-Mayfield Memorial Public Library, Zionsville, Ind.

The grants will fund a wide range of activities, including video book reviews and video podcasts; a create-your-own audiobook workshop; technology classes on animation and podcasting; a make-your-own robot class; a series of afterschool gaming events; and much more — all with resources and materials that teens can find at the library.

Teen Tech Week is a national initiative aimed at teens, their parents, educators and other concerned adults to ensure that teens are competent and ethical users of technologies, especially those that are offered through libraries. Teen Tech Week encourages teens to use libraries’ many free nonprint resources for education and recreation, and to recognize that librarians are qualified, trusted professionals in the field of information technology. The 2011 Teen Tech Week theme is Mix and Mash @ your library. Teen Tech Week 2011 Promotional Partners include ALA Graphics, Figment, the Margaret A. Edwards Trust, Tutor.com and the Verizon Foundation. Nonprofit supporters are DoSomething.org and the Federal Trade Commission. To learn more about Teen Tech Week, visit www.ala.org/teentechweek.

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 e-mail, yalsa@ala.org.