Teen Tech Week

In doing some research, I came across this website about library teen services. It is an initiative sponsored by the Young Adult Library Services Association, or YALSA, a branch of the ALA. It is aimed at teens, their parents, educators and other concerned adults. Their purpose is to ensure that teens are competent and ethical users of new technologies, including DVDs, databases, audio books, and videogames.
Teens’ use of non-print resources has increased dramatically in recent years, yet more teens are doing this from home instead of the library. Teen Tech Week encourages teens to use the libraries non-print resources for education and recreation. They also encourage that librarians be recognized as qualified, trusted professionals in the field of information technology.

Teen Tech Week began in 2007. Its first general theme was called Get Connected @ your library.

This year, it was celebrated March 7-13, 2010 and their general theme was Learn Create Share @ your library. Their focus was to foster teen creativity and to position the library as both a physical and virtual place for safe exploration of the new technology available to libraries, such as music, gaming, video production, online homework help, social networking, tech workshops and more.


The next Teen Tech Week is scheduled for March 6-12, 2011. The theme will be Mix and Mash @ your library. Although their goal is the same, each library can choose which new technology they want to focus on each year. Everyone is encouraged to participate. Registration will begin in November of 2010.

The following year, Teen Tech Week will be held March 14-20, 2012. Typically, it is held each year the second week in March. However, some libraries may not be able to have a Teen Tech Week celebration the second week in March for a variety of reasons, such as spring break, while others may expand Teen Tech Week into Teen Tech Month. Be sure to call your local library for more details or log onto yalsa@ala.org