Youth Source

Teen Tech Week™ registration ends Feb. 8

Registration for Teen Tech Week™ ends this Sunday, Feb. 8. Registration takes place at the Teen Tech Week website, www.ala.org/teentechweek. Teen Tech Week is an annual technology initiative of the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA). Teen Tech Week 2009 takes place March 8–14, with a theme of Press Play @ your library®, encouraging teens to take advantage of the many technologies available to them, free of charge, at their libraries.

Get involved with YALSA's discussion and interest groups

Members looking to deepen their involvement with the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), can join one of YALSA’s many discussion or interest groups. The groups allow members to discuss important topics in young adult services — including gaming, anime and attending library school, among others — both in person and virtually. Attendees at ALA's Midwinter Meeting can learn more about YALSA's Discussion and Interest Groups by attending the Discussion & Interest Group Open House 4-5:30 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 25, in Room 203 at the Colorado Convention Center.

YALSA announces Great Ideas contest

The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), seeks members' best ideas to help achieve the goals listed in YALSA's new strategic plan for its new Great Ideas contest. The contest is open to all individual YALSA members as well as all YALSA committees, juries, task forces, discussion groups, interest groups and advisory boards.

Entrants are asked to brainstorm and submit activities that will allow YALSA to achieve a specific goal or strategy in the plan. Entry forms can be downloaded at www.ala.org/yalsa and must be sent to [email protected] by May 1. Winners will be announced the week of July 13. There will be a first-place winner for an individual member and a first-place winner for a member group. Each winner will receive a box of books and YALSA swag, have their idea and photo published in an issue of Young Adult Library Services and get to see their idea implemented by YALSA.
The YALSA Strategic Plan can be viewed at http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/aboutyalsab/StrategicPlan08_final.pdf.

 

Applications for YALSA's Teen Tech Week mini grants due Jan. 19

Members of the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), can win $450 in cash and $50 in promotional products by applying for a 2009 Teen Tech Week mini grant by Jan. 19. Through funding from the Verizon Foundation, YALSA will grant up to 20 awards to members offering inventive activities, resources and programming for Teen Tech Week 2009, March 8–14.

Visit www.ala.org/teentechweek to read the official rules and download the application form. This contest is open only to YALSA members. Applicants for the TTW mini grants must submit the official application form to the YALSA office at yalsa@ala.org by Jan. 19. Winners will be notified the week of Feb. 9. In addition to $450 cash for the winners’ Teen Tech Week plans, they’ll receive a prize pack from ALA Graphics worth $50.

YALSA offers interactive presentations for Teen Tech Week

Librarians seeking inspiration for Teen Tech Week can find it in three new multimedia presentations created by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA). Teen Tech Week 2009 takes place March 8–14, with a theme of Press Play @ your library, encouraging teens to take advantage of the many technologies available to them, free of charge, at their libraries. Registration is available at www.ala.org/teentechweek through Feb. 8.

Recruit a new YALSA member and win a Flip Ultra camera

The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), begins its 2009 Member Drive on Jan. 23. All current YALSA members who recruit a new member to YALSA will be entered into a drawing to win a free Flip Ultra camera for themselves and their new recruit. The member drive ends March 23.

"Although YALSA has a large and dynamic membership, we know that there are many more librarians out there serving teens who could benefit from joining us," said YALSA President Sarah Cornish Debraski. "The more members we have, the more people we are preparing to advocate for youth."