Anne Hamland, the youth services consultant for Wisconsin Valley Library Service, now works in the same office as me. I can't tell you how exciting it is for me to work in the same building with someone else who is thinking about services to youth! Especially someone as creative and committed as Anne is. She put together this terrific blog post for her library system, and gave me permission to re-print here.
Teen Tech Week is coming up. Let’s talk about how to get the word
out and create interactive passive programs, and how to get the word out to teens.
YALSA’s Teen Tech Week
The Young Adult Library Services Association’s (YALSA) Teen Tech Week is when
libraries make the time to showcase all of the great digital resources and services that are
available to help teens succeed in school and prepare for college and 21st century careers.
Celebrate the next Teen Tech Week with the theme, “Libraries are
for Creating,” March 4-10,
2018. This year’s theme encourages teens to take advantage of all the great
digital tools offered through the library to become content creators, and to leverage library
resources to share out their creations, whether they be podcasts, videos, apps, games, wearable tech,
or some other fabulous invention or creation!
Get the word out about Teen
Tech Week
- ·
Send information to your school librarians and teachers to pass
along to students.
- ·
Make announcements at all programs leading up to Teen Tech Week.
- ·
Reach out to your local newspaper, radio stations, and closest
Chamber of Commerce.
- ·
Post it all over your website and social media with the hashtags
#TeenTechWeek and #WisconsinLibrary. Ask library users to share your events and post photos.
- ·
Use word of mouth at the circulation and reference desks.
- ·
Reach out to regular library users through email lists and
conversations.
- ·
What else could you try?
Passive Activities
Teens would prefer not to talk to adults and librarians, right? Try programs
that work with this
communication preference and empower them through discovery!
·
YALSA’s 25 Easy Tips for Teens:
Looking for easy ways to get teens to celebrate Teen
Tech Week? Share the following 25 ideas! HOW: Print out the 25 ideas
individually and
post them around your library and on your social media!
·
Makerspace kits or crafts: Set out WVLS/IFLS makerspace
kits with basic instructions for
a passive program! Teens might not want to talk to a librarian, that’s okay!
Set out a kit
and watch them explore!
·
Google Cardboard Virtual Reality Glasses and free
app: are an easy way to provide
passive programming for Virtual Reality. Buy a pair or two at $10 or less, set
them out
with, tell the teens to download the free Cardboard app and let them play!
·
Pokemon GO! App promotion: Promote your library as
a location in the Pokemon GO!
app craze with social media posts, flyers around your library, and
communications to
your school librarians. Is your library a PokeStop or Gym? Download the free
app to
check it out.
Labels: steam, technology, teen programs, teens, YALSA