News

Registration is now open! Last year, more than 1,500 libraries across the U.S. registered for Teen Tech Week.

About Press Play

Teen Tech Week 2009, which will be celebrated March 8-14, is about connecting teens with different technologies, especially those available through the library. Teens can literally press play on digital devices such as mp3 players, DVD players, gaming controllers and more. Press Play @ the library can be interpreted broadly to make it work for you in your own library. One way to interpret the theme is to emphasize the word “play.” Play can be about teens creating and sharing their own content for the fun of it, like videos, music, and digital artwork. Play through games can be encouraged with tournaments, tech trivia contests, and video games. The theme can also take a more educational direction. Teens can “press play” on various digital devices to learn more about the world around them. They can press play to watch film documentaries, listen to an audiobook, get online homework help, learn a new language and more. YALSA encourages librarians and educators to be creative and take the theme in a direction that works for them and their teens!

Why Celebrate?

Teens, in order to gain the skills necessary to compete in today’s job market, need access to digital and online information and trained professionals who can help them use these resources effectively, efficiently and ethically. Librarians and educators know this and work with teens on a regular basis to ensure they develop these skills. Teen Tech Week is a chance for libraries to throw open their physical & virtual doors and show their communities all the great things they’re doing for teens with technology.

• Nearly 1 in 4 youth aged 8 to 18 do not have Internet access at home.
• A June 2007 study conducted by Harris Interactive for ALA found that one-quarter of teens who regularly visit the public library and nearly one-third who regularly visit the school library said their primary reason is to use the library’s computers for fun.
• Multiple studies have shown that the majority of teens lack the critical thinking skills and technical expertise to use the Internet and other electronic resources effectively.

About Teen Tech Week

Teen Tech Week is a national initiative sponsored by the Young Adult Library Services Association and is aimed at teens, their parents, educators and other concerned adults. The purpose of the initiative is to ensure that teens are competent and ethical users of technologies, especially those that are offered through libraries such as DVDs, databases, audiobooks, and videogames. Teen Tech Week encourages teens to use libraries’ nonprint resources for education and recreation, and to recognize that librarians are qualified, trusted professionals in the field of information technology. Teen Tech Week began in 2007 and has a general theme of Get Connected @ your library.

Teens’ use of nonprint resources has increased dramatically in recent years, yet more teens are doing this from home instead of the library. According to a recent study by Harris Interactive, in 2005, 86% of youth aged 8-18 have a computer in their home, and 74% have Internet access in their home. On average, 8-18 year olds spend 6 hours and 21 minutes per day using media (including TV, video/DVDs/movies, video games, audio media, computers and print media). Furthermore, according to the Pew Internet and American Life Project, 71% of teens report that the Internet is their primary source for completing school projects. Yet multiple studies have shown that the majority of teens lack the critical thinking skills and technical expertise to use the Internet and other electronic resources effectively. Teens need to know that the library is a trusted resource for accessing information and that librarians are the experts who can help them develop the skills they need to use electronic resources effectively and efficiently.

Related Links

Teen Tech Week Wiki

YALSA Blog

Learn more about YALSA’s other tech resources

Resources for Librarians about Online Social Networking

Teens and Social Networking in School and Public Libraries Toolkit (PDF)

Social Networking: A Guide for Teens (PDF)

Previous Teen Tech Week sites

Teen Tech Week 2008

Teen Tech Week 2008 Resources & Tech Guides

In addition to the new look, the site features a searchable list of upcoming RLS continuing education events.  The new site also includes information about services provided by each of the Regional Library Systems, a map of service areas, a news page, and contact information.

The URL is still http://www.rls.lib.oh.us/ so any existing bookmarks should resolve properly because no links have been broken.

Ohio Regional Library Systems are member-driven, multi-type library organizations that coordinate and facilitate the development of professional development events and other innovative services for Ohio academic, public, school, and special libraries.

All types of libraries in Ohio enjoy a basic geographic membership in a regional system.   Libraries can also purchase a membership and enjoy enhanced services and discounts.  If you are a dues paying member of any regional library system in Ohio, you may attend any regional library workshop at the dues paying member price.

Ohio Regional Library Systems operate with support from the State Library of Ohio.