TEEN TECH WEEK ™ : Showcase Your Library’s Latest Resources

Teen Tech Week Created by YALSA First celebrated in 2007 Annual event the second week of March Purpose: to provide a special time of year for libraries to showcase all the tech resources, services and programs they have for the teens in their community

your library Dates for 2014: March 9 – 15 To keep the event fresh, there is a different theme each year The 2014 theme mentioned above is broad enough so that all types and sizes of libraries will have something to celebrate

Key Dates November: TTW web site goes live, registration opens and products go on sale January: TTW issue of YALSA’s journal, YALS mails February: Free TTW webinar recording mailed to registrants, product ordering deadline March: celebrate the event!

Planning Timeline: November Sign up to participate by joining the site at Browse the TTW web site for ideas or share your own Meet with your Teen Advisory Group (TAG) to decide how best to celebrate TTW in your library Based on your TAG meeting(s), write up a proposal and budget to share with your supervisor

Planning Timeline: December Continue planning with your TAG. Think about what area organizations might be good to partner with Order supplies and promotional materials  ALA Graphics will have official posters, bookmarks, digital downloads, etc. Communicate your plans to the library staff and get any TTW events on the library calendar

Planning Timeline: January Read the winter issue of Young Adult Library Services for TTW ideas and resources Contact & confirm presenters or speakers for your TTW events Send VIPs invitations to attend TTW events Work with your TAG to identify ways to market TTW events then create marketing materials

Planning Timeline: February Market TTW events to area teens Invite local press/media to TTW events Find volunteers to be photographers or videographers for your TTW events Work with your TAG to finalize plans Update and prepare library staff for TTW Work w/ TAG to create a TTW display in the library, school, community center, etc.

Planning Timeline: March Contact local press and media to confirm attendance at event(s) Contact VIPs to remind them of the event(s) Work with your TAG to implement event(s) Evaluate your efforts Send thank yous to volunteers, press, VIPs Send press wrap up press release, photos, etc.

Celebrating the Lighter Side of Tech Host a film or anime festival and show age appropriate movies with a tech focus Put on a gaming tournament Have a tech crafting event (e.g. make jewelry out of discarded computer parts) Sponsor a texting contest to see which of your teen patrons can text the fastest

Educational Tech Programs Have a “Build a Tumblr Page” workshop and incorporate internet safety skills into the event Recruit teens to teach a computers or Internet 101 workshop to senior citizens Host a “Painless Research Papers” workshop and teach teens tips for efficient, effective researching

Connecting Reading & Tech Create a space where teens can share book reviews online Set up a microblog account, encourage teens to subscribe & use to alert them when new reading materials arrive or to send brief reading recommendations Have teens create book trailers featuring their favorite books and post on YouTube. Host an e-chat for teens w/ a favorite author

Community Service & Tech Have teens collect used tech items, such as cell phones, and donate them to an appropriate charity Recruit teens to volunteer their tech expertise at a local charity or organization Help teens create audio recordings of stories and distribute on CDs to parents of young children

Additional Resources from YALSA Advocacy Toolkit DIY & Maker Programs Wiki STEM Resources Wiki & Toolkit Teen Tech Week site YA-YAAC, a listserv for library workers to share programming ideas, Young Adult Library Services (quarterly journal)

Please contact YALSA if we can be of help YALSA 50 E. Huron St. Chicago, IL x (web site) (blog) (wiki)

Who is YALSA? YALSA stands for the Young Adult Library Services Association  Parent organization is the American Library Association (ALA) Has over 5,200 members who are school librarians, public librarians, educators, grad students and library supporters YALSA is a national association of librarians, library workers and advocates whose mission is to expand and strengthen library services for teens, aged Through its member-driven advocacy, research, and professional development initiatives, YALSA builds the capacity of libraries and librarians to engage, serve and empower teens.

Questions or Comments?