Embracing Technology: Using High-Tech Tools to Promote Libraries to Teens Websites Blogs Podcasts Social networking Gaming

Websites

Blogs

Podcasts

Social networking

Gaming

Websites “… it is another point from which your patrons can access your library and its services: 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The Internet is a way to reach out to teens, the lost generation of library patrons. You can find the time….I ’d encourage you, too, to involve teens in this process. You’ l l all learn something”. Samuelson, Michael. “Teens, the Internet, and Library Websites”. Idaho Librarian . 53, 3. (February 2002).

“… it is another point from which your patrons can access your library and its services: 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The Internet is a way to reach out to teens, the lost generation of library patrons. You can find the time….I ’d encourage you, too, to involve teens in this process. You’ l l all learn something”. Samuelson, Michael. “Teens, the Internet, and Library Websites”. Idaho Librarian . 53, 3. (February 2002).

Pros: provide a teen-friendly entry point for services platform to explore the use of new media and develop unique content Concerns: Balance of education and entertainment Money Working with technical staff May have restrictions on what you can/cannot provide

Pros:

provide a teen-friendly entry point for services

platform to explore the use of new media and develop unique content

Concerns:

Balance of education and entertainment

Money

Working with technical staff

May have restrictions on what you can/cannot provide

Website examples Denver PL Evolver ; Book Reviews Loudoun County Teen Scene

Denver PL Evolver ; Book Reviews

Loudoun County Teen Scene

Blogs

Blogs Short for web log, blogs are web-based content that is updated on a regular basis and sorted in reverse chronological order May include text, pictures, audio, video and hypertext links Used by businesses, news agencies, non-profits, educational institutions across the world Approximately 10-20 million active blogs. Johnson, Bobbie. “Are there Really 50 Million Blogs?” The Guardian . 11 Aug 2006.

Short for web log, blogs are web-based content that is updated on a regular basis and sorted in reverse chronological order

May include text, pictures, audio, video and hypertext links

Used by businesses, news agencies, non-profits, educational institutions across the world

Approximately 10-20 million active blogs. Johnson, Bobbie. “Are there Really 50 Million Blogs?” The Guardian . 11 Aug 2006.

Pros: Deliver content directly through RSS feeds Interactivity with patrons Highlight special events and part of a collection Cons: Moderating patron posting Privacy of patrons

Pros:

Deliver content directly through RSS feeds

Interactivity with patrons

Highlight special events and part of a collection

Cons:

Moderating patron posting

Privacy of patrons

Blog Examples FCPL Teens Talk Worthington Libraries Worthingteens

FCPL Teens Talk

Worthington Libraries Worthingteens

Podcasts

Pros: Allows libraries to expand content to audio and video, connecting with a different type of patron Like Blogs, podcasts deliver content to the patron via RSS feeds Cons: Technology requirements higher than with blogs and basic websites Higher learning curve

Pros:

Allows libraries to expand content to audio and video, connecting with a different type of patron

Like Blogs, podcasts deliver content to the patron via RSS feeds

Cons:

Technology requirements higher than with blogs and basic websites

Higher learning curve

Podcast Examples Cheshire Public Library Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County Library Loft Podcasts

Cheshire Public Library

Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County Library Loft Podcasts

Social Networking

Social Networking Sites Web-based tools that allow one-on-one and community-wide communication Include MySpace, Facebook, Flickr, Twitter, and dozens more 4 of the top ten websites are Social Networking sites. Alexa Internet, Inc. “Alexa Web Search-Top 500”. Alexa Internet. 23 November 2007. <http://www.alexa.com/site/ds/top_500>

Web-based tools that allow one-on-one and community-wide communication

Include MySpace, Facebook, Flickr, Twitter, and dozens more

4 of the top ten websites are Social Networking sites. Alexa Internet, Inc. “Alexa Web Search-Top 500”. Alexa Internet. 23 November 2007. <http://www.alexa.com/site/ds/top_500>

Sharing, Privacy and Trust in our Networked World OCLC, 2007 28% have used a SN site 80% of these regularly use a SN site Only 12% of those surveyed saw a use for SN for libraries 48% of librarians surveyed saw a use for SN sites for libraries

28% have used a SN site

80% of these regularly use a SN site

Only 12% of those surveyed saw a use for SN for libraries

48% of librarians surveyed saw a use for SN sites for libraries

Pros Deliver content to where teens already spend their time Allows libraries to promote themselves more directly to the patron Often free Cons: Associations with pornography and child predators lack of security privacy issues

Pros

Deliver content to where teens already spend their time

Allows libraries to promote themselves more directly to the patron

Often free

Cons:

Associations with pornography and child predators

lack of security

privacy issues

MySpace Developed in 2003 as a promotion tool for local musicians Allows group message boards, audio and video clips, hypertext links, and more With 47 million accounts, more than half of social networking users use MySpace. De Rosa, Cathy, et al. Sharing, Privacy and Trust in our Networked World . Dublin, OH: OCLC, 2007. FCPL Worthington PL

Developed in 2003 as a promotion tool for local musicians

Allows group message boards, audio and video clips, hypertext links, and more

With 47 million accounts, more than half of social networking users use MySpace. De Rosa, Cathy, et al. Sharing, Privacy and Trust in our Networked World . Dublin, OH: OCLC, 2007.

FCPL

Worthington PL

Second Life Began in 2003 as a “3-D virtual world entirely created by its Residents”. Non-web, graphics-heavy interactive software that allows users to create avatars, environments and interact with each other Teen Second Life started in 2005

Began in 2003 as a “3-D virtual world entirely created by its Residents”.

Non-web, graphics-heavy interactive software that allows users to create avatars, environments and interact with each other

Teen Second Life started in 2005

Pros: Interact in real-time in a setting that makes teens feel comfortable Deliver programs like online readings, online reference services in real time, information literacy, book groups and more Cons: High technology requirements Large startup time Costs

Pros:

Interact in real-time in a setting that makes teens feel comfortable

Deliver programs like online readings, online reference services in real time, information literacy, book groups and more

Cons:

High technology requirements

Large startup time

Costs

Glenville PL, Glenville, IL Glenville PL, Glenville IL

Glenville PL, Glenville IL

Library Examples Charlotte and Mecklenburg County Suffern Middle School

Charlotte and Mecklenburg County

Suffern Middle School

Gaming @ Your Library

Adults of both sexes play games over seven hours a week The average age for players is 33 25% of game players are over 50 years old 38% of game players are female www.ala.org/gaming

Adults of both sexes play games over seven hours a week

The average age for players is 33

25% of game players are over 50 years old

38% of game players are female

www.ala.org/gaming

Pros: Gets hard-to-reach teens in the door Increases teen participation and sense of community Can include console games, PC games, Role playing games, and even board games Cons: Disruptive to other patrons Challenges perceptions of what a library does Technology requirements

Pros:

Gets hard-to-reach teens in the door

Increases teen participation and sense of community

Can include console games, PC games, Role playing games, and even board games

Cons:

Disruptive to other patrons

Challenges perceptions of what a library does

Technology requirements

Examples L.A. County Mount Horeb Library

L.A. County

Mount Horeb Library

Andrew Prendergrast, Patrick Henry Library, FCPL Average 40 teens each event Many return during regular hours Librarians get enjoyable one-on-one time with teens Make libraries a place for teens to go and enjoy, not just a “boring place to do homework”

Average 40 teens each event

Many return during regular hours

Librarians get enjoyable one-on-one time with teens

Make libraries a place for teens to go and enjoy, not just a “boring place to do homework”