Posted by Linda W. Braun

The cover story in this week’s Newsweek is titled, “Putting the ‘We’ in Web.” The article is worth reading as it talks about some of the technologies and sites that teens currently use and does a good job at providing an overview of what community building on the web is currently all about.

I thought the opening paragraph that reads

“Why is everyone so happy in Silicon Valley again? A new wave of start-ups are cashing in on the next stage of the Internet. And this time, it’s all about … you.”

Provided some good food for thought from the teen librarian perspective. The “you” that they talk about isn’t just about your customers who use the web but the you is also us and how we can start to think about integrating these technologies into our programs and services for teens.

One of the sites/technologies discussed in the article is YouTube and I was reminded again about a podcast I listened to that included an interview with one of the founders of YouTube. In the podcast one person mentioned that his teenagers basically have given up TV and only watch videos they find on YouTube. Downloadable video/TV is the next big frontier on the web. Have we started thinking about how teens are using it and what we can do to support them in their use of downloadable video?

Today is a day that maybe marked in history. In the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senators began hearing different Panels about “What’s in a Game? State Regulation of Violent Video Games and the First Amendment”

For anyone interested in Copyright, Library Legislation, or Video Games, I would recommend following the proceedings.

posted by Jami Schwarzwalder

Posted by Linda W. Braun

There are some great blogs created and maintained by librarians serving teens. Here are a few you might want to check out.

• Alt Teen Services Blog
• Library Shrine
• Pop Goes the Library
• Teen Librarian

Community Building Through Your Web Site: Library Blogs and RSS Feeds.

Jenny Levine
The Shifted Librarian http//www.theshiftedlibrarian.com
Metropolitan Library System

Michael Stephens
Tame the Web http://www.tametheweb.com/

Slides will be placed on the PLA Website.

Did you know in 2004 the world of the year was blog or webblog

Took picture for Flicker

Technoratie tracks over 27.2 million blogs

A new webblog is created every second of every day.

A blog is a software tool

Content management (all the coding of the pages)

Organized most often chronologically by date
Self archives

Updated regularly, with relatively short and contain links

Public Libraries can link to community sites, and library sites

Every blog post gets a unique url
This make it searchable

Most recent post displays at the top of the page

Blog title across the time

You will find information about the posting, Author, time, and comments.

You can put promotion on the web blog, and include graphics.

On the sidebar you will information about the blog, and

Requirements

Software, Server space, Time, and something to day-“fresh content”
Anything you do in you library is bloggable

Think about

A What’s New Blog
Happening in library
Whatever people are asking about at the desk

With web-based editing, Librarians can add entries themselves.

Biblioblogosphere

Public Library blogs
Marketing
to promote library services.
Dynamic content.

Topical

Book Reviews, or Specific Audience.
Ancestor Research Log-local history

Photo
show the vibrancy of the library
put human face on library.
Use Flicker.-the best $25 you will ever spend

A photo is worth 1,000 words

Involving Your Community
What is happing in the library is not show on the library website.

Turn on comments and find ways to incorporated community comments
Ann Arbor is very great http://www.aadl.org
Integrated Blog software Drupal with the catalog.

This has made the entire site a blog

The director has a blog to talk to patrons. Her screen name is her first name not capitalized. This makes her approachable

Patrons, Librarians, Board Members are having conversations on the blog.
They are virtual visitors.

Community self correct the issues.

Eli will asterisk out problem words, add “edited for publication” on the bottom, and lets it stay.

Teen comments
on one post there is 315 comments, 435 comments, 216 comments…
How many comments from teens have you gotten in all your years working with teens?

Local History Project Blog
Allows comments. People from your community can give back

What if we allow our users comment on our blogs
Cassy will release a catalog

Every entry is a blog post.
where you can post comments
and tag.

There is a social aspect of the web.

Riverdale who had money problems has a online blog color coded for who is speaking

RSS
Really Simple Syndication

Lets you create content in one place and send to subscribers

If you click on the RSS button you will get html

Superglu combines RSS feeds into a new blog
Anything that has an RSS fee you can combine on Superglu.
Parks, Schools, Clubs,….

You don’t have to do anything once you set it up, only add or remove feeds if you want.

Patron put RSS on his site so that the world can see his holds. All because RSS went out of the catalog.

Conversations and Cluetrain
Talking about networked conversations
Its social software

Urges companies to speak with a human voice

Its about being transparent, telling patrons why

I know this is a scary thing, but it works.

6 things you can do now

Read Weblogs
For any subject are you are interested

Start a What’s New Blog at your library

update often and turn on comments
let people talk to you

Appoint a trend reporter that watches what goes on
That watches and learns and shares.

Train Librarians to read RSS feeds
it makes you sound very smart
You will know what others are doing
www.bloglines.com is a great starter

Advocate for RSS in products we pay for
Catalog, Databases, website

Learn about Library 2.0
User centered services online

Presentation
www.tametheweb.com/pla

Blogging is very informal

A forum allows anyone to post a topic, but a blog lets specific writers to start a topic, and accept feedback on that topic

You are but IM: connecting young adults and libraries in the 21st Century
March 24, 2006
4:00-5:15

Patrick Jones
Outreach Department, Hennepin County Library MN

Tricia Suellentrop
Teen Services, Johnson County Public Library KS

Michele Gorman
Teen Services Manager, ImaginOn: the Joe and Joan Martin Center for The Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburgh County NC

http://www.connectingya.com

The ten values we share.
1. Youth Development

2. Developmental needs
3. Development assests (www.search-institute.org)
4. Youth advocacy
5. Youth participation
6. Collaboration
7. Information Technology
8. Adolescent literacy
9. Learning and Achievement
10. Equity of access/intellectual freedom

The ten trends that drive us.
1. Digital Divide and Diversity
2. Format Explosion:
3. Information Literacy
4. New Spaces
5. Outcome Measurement
6. Outreach in the Community
7. Programming Returns

8. Teen Volunteers/Interns
9. Youth Development
10. Youth Involvement Plus Programming.

Squeeze 850 pages into an hour

Handouts will be available on the website within 48 hours

ImaginOn.org

Teenage Riot is a new column to address the need of teens located in School Library Journal.

Value 1
This is truly the thing you can’t change
happening inside their heads and bodies
The only thing you can do is change to meet them
Brain research show teenagers are works in progress
Remember there is a reason. Its what is going on in their brain.
Their brain is changing. When Brian is pruning you use a different part of brain to make decisions
They use the emotional part of their brian.

We need to be aware of this and that we cannot change this.

We cannot have the same rational conversation with an 11 year old as a 16

embrace teenagers being teenagers.

Easy to say, hard to do it.

Value 2
“we are professional people that don’t know people but we know what’s wrong with them”

Value 3
Research of search institute what works is a positive approach
What to they have? and build on it.

Value 4

It is important , it is a important journal
the idea is that teens are not at the table, and it is your job is to be their voice.

Value 5

Youth and participate
as advocates we need to give them voice
we need to give them voices back

give them opprotunites to take action, to make signifigant meaningful involvement. Be prepared to act on their suggestions

You need to be able to justify the answer no.

After a month they will look on the shelf for the items you listed

Need opportunity to make meaningful connections

Value 6
by teens for teens

Collaboration is important

Keep teens in mind when meeting with partners

it is a way to extend resource, get library at table, get publicity,

You have the best results because you get people thinking
You develop all the assests,

Everybody gets on board and heading in the save directions

communication (ask for something)
put in a little effort get a little back.

Combining ideas and make whole new ball of wax

You can put in a lot of effort and you get a lot out of it

Value 7
Information literacy is important.
Not because they need to know how to use Google
I want to make young people empowered
asset building in action

What better way to start collaboration

It is important and it is easy (Keith Curry Lance)

All of the stuff is cheap

Value 8
Repetitive text=Series books

It is a continuum. There are different things they read. related to how they are growing.

They are going to get through the stages, they want information. They want to figure out about the world.

That’s where they are.

As technology as increased, their need for reading has increased
We need to have people that are providing good service who read what they are reading.

As the body changes we change the formats.
Board books meet the developmental needs of babies
Large print meets the aging needs of seniors.

Kids learn differently and achieve differently.

Value 10

If learning and achievement is part of our job. the reality is

Intellectual Freedom is the right to information regardless of what I think you what you think.

Serving everyone at all ages, babies, children seniors business professionals and TEENS

I don’t’ have to like it but I have to provide access to it.

We change our attitudes to meet the intellectual needs of individuals

Ten Trends

3:30 in a public library. You want not problems : Padlock

It happens in someway because you have been there since 8:30 you are tired, you have had to deal with computer, toddler, seniors, and cell phone guy.

Remembere
Accept
Project

Remember what is was like to be 15
Accept they are going to act a certain way
Project Treat the teens as if they were you at 15

Ten Trends that drive us

Best Practices. We don’t have to re-invent the wheel, look for others. they may have tried and failed and learned about it.

All websites will be on handouts if I miss one

This is risk taking.

Digital Divide and Diversity.

Old school low income no access to technology
New divide to Digital immigrant and native

we need to meet them where they are
live in their world
learn their language

experience technology
IM, Blog, Chat, Flicker, ALA’s discussion group

Listen to a podcast. (Pod Princess)

Myowncafe.org
not static, its interactive

ImaginOn has bluescreen for editing

IM reference. Homer township library has had it for years

MySpace account

Denver public library went live with eflicks Download video for free and watch on own time

Format explosion
Graphic Novels
Video Games
Anime

Audiobooks on ipod shuffles preloaded no digital divide

Programming
Ann Arbor Video Game library
Austin-On the Edge Book Club (all those topics teens want to read about and talk)
Blow things up at the library. Camp Chaos. Make rockets, catapults, slime… lots of Science was going on

By teens for teens with teens

Information literacy

Build reference desk as pod in the middle of room
Teens can stand right next to librarian.
when a desk in between we convey I’m qualified to find the information, and that they are qualified to watch you

Give them access

Student Web Instructions For Teachers (SWIFT) teach teacher to teach students info literacy

Texas Information Literacy Tool (TILT)

Where’s the information (IPL) Learn how to be a skilled researcher

Space
Most valuable commodity
People get upset about it
What do they see when they walk in
Are you willing to carve out a space for them?

One librarian spelled out Teen with PVP pipe then put it on the wall.

Tricky is space vs service. Make sure they can get service (Reference)

Success
Output
highest circulation is Teen,
Old school

we need OutCome
Change the way of thinking

50 Teens at a book discussion group, it’s a failure because you can’t possibility engage all 50 in deep discussion

What did you learn
What did you do

Outreach
If they know your face they are more likely to come in.
Get out, beat the bushes.

Teen Read Week- get into school with it
Banned Books Week
Summer Reading Program (I heard discussion about whether a nation wide accepted program would make this easier)

If they never see anyone from the library, why would they go into the library.

Don’t count the school out for collaboration.

Laramie County Connecting young Hispanic girls

Teen Volunteers
Meaningful
Nobody wants to shelve books, clean books,
For teens it is important to learn how to work with adults, negotiating the work place environment, Work where the adult doesn’t have to like you

A little bit is letting loose teen control.

Many things we can do to engage them. Do more than fluff task.

As you are calling volunteers, recognize the types of kids. Quiet kids may like cutting die-cuts, but the chatty girls would make great greeters for a program

It has to be win-win.

They do tremendous stuff if you let them do it.

Do teen programming, get list of clubs, and let them come up with programs. \

“And the best thing was I didn’t have to do anything”
But that’s not true you have to let go control

Library pays librarian to make the community a better place. It’s not about how many books we check out, but how much we learn.

Do programs with teens not for teens

It is accepting, it is letting go of the control, You have to live with what they do

We are telling them that “I trust you” that is huge.

Think outside of the YA box

If you have a teen advisory Council. THEY NEED TO ADVISE YOU.
Listen to them

You can have volunteers, movie groups, and more

show them that librarians are a fun place

Let them join library board

put teens on friends of the library board

Library interns let them work with IT, show them collection development, Cataloging.

Include them in focus groups, get their feedback

Peer tutoring
Website design

Use their skills and allow them to be meaningful involved

Virgina Beach Public Libray (teen library board member)

Arlington Public library (TAG school and public library )
ImaginOn (new puppet troup)

Minneapolis (Teenzine)
East Icelip (YA Drama Group)
Johnson Library (interngenreational Programing)

Think outside the box
Take risks
Make it matter

Listen to them
Give them a voice

0% Loss no Shelving Required: Downloadable Media in Libraries
Diane Mayo
Vice President, Information Partners, Inc.

Ross McLachlan

Library Services Administrator, Phoenix Public Library

Michelle Jeske
Manager, Web Information Services/Resource Sharing, Denver Public Library

Lisa Hill
It, King County Library System

http://www.denver.lib.co.us/

E-books are not downloadable media, they are more like databases

No one vendor has all you need

No single interface that works for everyone
They connect in different ways, but not a smooth and easy transaction
No One stop Shopping.
You have to shop around.

Don’t try and convince patrons it is the same program.

NetLibrary were first kid on block in 1988

Reference material based
Purchased by OCLC in 2002

Provide a tag link in the marc record that links to the material

Not the most user friendly but user rich.

Can view for 15 minutes

Check out time depending on library

If you have consortium it is determined by the library.

Overdrive (1986)
Digital Rights Management.

In 2002 they woke up to libraries.

Web based service that can mimic library services. NO overdrive account. Patrons authenticate every time they log on

Now OCLC is working to deliver records timely with Overdrive materials

you an hand each transaction at Overdrive .

Libraries want DVDs and CDs to be online to avoid shelving, theft, and other “problems” they cause( I think it will get rid of these problems, but then cause new ones)

BWI
e-books are integrated into services and collection

youth services 2000

Recorded Books
Partnered with OCLC and NetLibrary in 2004 to make available

Currently you buy all or nothing.

If you have demand you have to purchase more than one copy.

Michelle Jeske, Denver Public Library

Patrons are adapting quickly to new media

We are trying to do everything that libraries traditionally do-online

Its not about choosing, because different patrons want different service.

I reaches 18 to 30 year olds
Covenant

Cannot be lost or stolen

From customers point of view they are easy to

Staff finds it easier because items are returned on time and the next person gets it quickly.

I can be easily adapted for Accessibility issues.

Allow for Privacy, and Anonymity.

Easy and fun.

Want customers to think the library can provide cutting edge program.

Overdrive was used because it was customizable
http://downloadmedia.denverlibrary.org/

It can be read by Mac and Windows machines.
It can be burned to CD.
Within the week we found out that we didn’t have enough copies.

It can be downloadable in chunks or chapters

Don’t require high speed connection/ can be used with dial up

Automatically returned at the end of check out period

They can place holds.

They can listen or view expert.

Cannot be used on ipods.

I pods do not support windows media player.

Music is possible, but they haven’t implemented

They use streaming classical audio and Smithsonian
Usable by Macs

Called eflicks.

Can be downloadable on any device that can use windows media files.

Cannot be burned on DVD
Cannot download on dial up
Doesn’t work on Mac. (no windows media files will)

(When I talked to a publisher they told me that windows media has a license that allows multiple downloads. Apple will not release the rights to the file format that will work in iTunes, so if you want it available on a Mac, or your patron does, We should write Mac. I know I will)

Between midnight and 4 am last night two people signed up from the library.

They have seen an increase in the quality titles that are coming in. If we want to see popular films we need to use this media more.

They have IMAX films
Of Mice and Men
Tupac Shaku

(Remember from Anime to Zoolander that all of these movies are new to teens and they will love this service even if they aren’t fond of the titles)

Holds list continues to increase

Own 6,000 copies

In Jan 42% of downloadable collection circulated in Jan
23% of traditional collection circulated.

Not a large time commitment, easy to do while you do other things.
Holds ratio they try to keep is 6:1
Stats are on PowerPoint.

They have Adobe e-book, Mobipocket e-Books, and audio books

Simple secrets of Success 82 downloads

With subscriptions model you can change titles quarter.

Least popular subjects are the ones with only a few titles.

Children’s services have not been popular, except children’s classics

She want to try Spanish

They cost $15 to $20 compared with $40- $100 for CDs

“We haven’t actually figured out how to pay for the movies yet-it didn’t get placed in this years budget”

Who are these people
39% were 44 or older
71% were 33 or older
55% were female
44% use at home

3 to 5 pm is the most popular download time. (She credits business, but Beth pointed out what about after school)

50% on a desktop PC
10% use Macs

They want more bestsellers, how to, mysteries, and other genres

“The more we use this service the more variety we will see in titles”

“Please play with us, We promise not to illegally distribute your materials”

E-book users are heavy traditional library users

(It seems they did not try to interview teens, I wonder what would happen if we interviewed just the teen section. It seems odd but surveys are one way of advertising a new service)

DO NOT BURY LINKS

The users are interested in books, its just another way to access the information.

Training is important, but it takes reinforcement, and hand holding.

Encourage staff to try service so that you know how to help patrons.

Press is important
Get it in newspaper.

They will be adding podcasts. The use the middle of website to advertise service

They want to be able to buy from vendor of choice
They want choice in display
And want user to access on device of their choice

Small libraries can circulate preloaded ipods, but that won’t work for large systems

I wanted to make at comment about sessions for bloggers. In Ballroom B there are tables set up in the back near outlets. I discovered this would make a perfect area for a blogger who needs an outlet to keep the computer power during the sessions. My experience blogging has been tricky because I have to scope every room I enter for an outlet, and then have cords in the way of other attendees that walk between the walls and the chairs.

My first session I ended up sitting on the floor near an outlet to finish writing.

I wanted to point this out so that planning committees can prepare for this when setting up rooms.

Thank you

Jami Schwarzwalder

Making Traditional Library Services Teen Friendly
PLA Conference

March 24, 2006
8:30-9:45

Dawn Bussey, Director River Forest (Ill.) Public Library.

Mary K. Chelton, Queens College, Flushing N.Y. VOYA,

Angela Pfell Henderson District (Nev.) Public Libraries Virtual Reference Librarian with tutor.com.

Aaron Schmidt, Reference Librarian at Thomas Ford Memorial Library Western Springs IL

One hand out of six slides about River Forest Public Library

Dawn Bussey
Started with programs but realized that is not enough

Teens have a different way to approaching information

They like to receive library services in different ways than in the past

We may have some opposition along the way.

We need to invite teens in and provide a place where they can stay.

Teen and Info Seeking Behavior

“What’s more to say than get more technology, get more patron support, get more…”

YALSA, Smart Girl, and OCLC released research that says that teens prefer a search engine to the library.

Academics are all classroom centered and school centered. Therefore, Public Libraries have not received much about public libraries

Found an average of nine errors per teen when conducting a search

This generation does not understand intellectual freedom

They need to know the subject they are looking for, and librarians need to help show them.

They cannot search if they do not want they are looking for

They do not know how to assess what they need to know

Kids want more than facts about drugs, and sex,

They want contextual information, and do not trust people who did not have experience.
That is somewhat scary.

Many librarians have ignored that many students come in to get information for a teacher. (Melissa Gross) Therefore, we have to stop insisting they be happy about it

We need to treat them for who they are, not whom we think they are.

Why do we have this ideal user in our head that kids cannot live up to?
This person does not exist,

Pay attention to space. They need space for interaction. (Why can’t we take a percentage of the adult/children lounge and let the teens re create it as our own)

Friendship is a large portion of being a teen, and we must accommodate.

“I think they use it as a place to just meet and talk. I think they use it as an informal meeting place.” (THIS IS A GREAT THING)

We should look at teenagers as an opportunity.
All the research shows that the deficient is not with the teens but with us as librarians

Website
Angela

You already have a space for teens: your website

18% of the virtual reference users were teenagers

We are interacting with teens

If you have ever done virtual reference you know, it is like the first time they walk in the door.
They will test you. It is their job.

Teens are nocturnal so at 10 at night without the library open where are they going to go?

They are more comfortable online.

The Virtual Reference will serve everyone, not just teens

Librarians will need to know how to interact with teens online.
They need to know the language to use, that may be informal, but that is ok

31% of teens look for help information online

We seem to be afraid to do something because we are afraid of what might happen.

If you are not seeing 31% of teenagers walking through your door you have to figure out how to reach them.

This generation is huge, bigger than the boomer generation.

We cannot risk not meeting them.

It will allow you talk one on one with teenagers.

You can work through all the roadblocks

It will extended your services longer to when they need it

This is part of what Teenagers do.

Teens set the pace, Phone companies, search engines…

Think about how portable the library would be if they can talk to a librarian on PDAs, Cell Phone. All from a website.

Worked with more teenagers being online than in her physical library

It is not easier it is not harder
It’s just different

Having a Phone
Aaron

PEW has wonderful Studies about this
53 million American adults use instant messenger
Teens think email is a way to talk to Old People- do we want to be old people

Not having IM is as important as not having a phone

Teen was a completely different person when in person than online.

Had an entire conversation about books online.

Any question you get at the ref desk you will get on IM

Teens would add the library to their buddy list, so when the library got online they would send a flood of messages.

Virtual Reference will open the library up to non-local questions.

We are forcing them in the Library Designed world

Myspace is huge.

Getting more hits than Google

16 libraries have a page on MySpace

At a gaming program teen said, “Hey is it alright if I run upstairs and grab a book or magazine”

Video games in the library is a great idea

http://walkingpaper.org/pla- up within next 24 hours

River Forest Public Library

Received message “what is 505” teen wanted to know the relevance of the number on Ruben’s shirt. They wanted information before they purchased the shirt.

Before she arrived at library, there was a history of fighting. They had a police officer in library. No One came

When officers were short, they could not have an officer, so they hired someone who liked teens.

Now they lost funding for it, they could not even have a person

“If we entice them will they come?”

They are right next door to middle school

There is competition. You have to be ready to invite them in and not throw them right back out again.

Updating space and collection

Provide new services
Change attitudes

Prepare for the future

Space
Carved out niche.

Turned bookcase to create a little pocket. They don’t like big open space.
Add some comfy beanbag chairs, add some books they love.

It is nutty for a little while but then they settle down they pull books off the shelf to read, they ask questions about homework and talk with friends

Staff

How does all of your staff treat teens, Circulation, Reference….

They also have to be empowered to deal with the difficulties of patrons.

You have to teach staff the reason why it’s a good thing that the teens are there, that they talk and work in groups for assignments.

Have a code of conduct. THAT APPLIES TO EVERYONE.

What is your boards’ position to teens in library?

They need same explanations as staff
They need to share same story that staff is sharing when they are approached

Looking at the future:
Referendum- If your school cuts after school programs what will happen?

ASK@riverforestlibrary

ASK= After School Kids

Board thinks that a program to have teens in the library after school to watch a movie, play a game, learn about databases…

Told her they didn’t want a daycare service. She could have a room, but if she gets the money she can do it.

She has $9,000 now.

Be Prepared
that teens come with accessories- backpacks, scooters, bicycles,

Let them work together, designed spaces for it

Let them play together.

Understand they talk

Let them feel comfortable

Make sure everyone tells the same story.

Myspace is like having a bike. Its dangerous, Kids could get hurt, but we teach them how to use and be safe-Aaron

From Anime to Zoolander: Taking Teens and Teen Films Seriously
March 23, 2006
4:00-5:15

Jane Halsall Reviewer for Video Librarian

Bill Edminster
(check out handouts for email addresses)

Reel.com- http://www.reel.com
Rotten Tomatoes http://www.rottentomatoes.com
Rogert Ebert http://rogerebert.suntimes.com
Anime on DVD http://www.animeondvd.com

ADV Advocates http://www.advfilms.com/advocates/index.asp
Video Librarian Magazine www.vidoelibrarian.com

When we walk in the last ten minutes of “Mean Girls” is playing. A very funny satire on the issue of girls. Tina Fey from SNL wrote the screenplay after reading Queen Bees and Wanna Bees. It stars SNL actors, and young stars.

I am having conversations about the generation gap. My in laws once bought Grave of the Fireflies for my sister in law because she loved Princess Mononoko. On the back it said it was a spiriting uplifting film. …. This is the kind of parents I assume we deal with.

We also discussed the anticipation of EarthSea.

We begin….
When librarians started collecting they tagged it Young Adults.
VOYA interviewed teens on what they should be called, and they said Teens

In addition to teens 20 something (ME!) use these materials.

Now we should call them Young Adults, because that incorporates the twenty somethings

A large part of being a teen is learning what others know and didn’t know they know

Teens talk to their friends about music, movies, games, and everything, and they are more willing to take friends suggestions

Teens social networks let them spread information quickly and broadly.

Teen interest is broad in both time periods, and cultural.

Everything is new to them so Frank Lang’s Metropolis, Casablanca, and Princess Mononoko are all equal to them.

teens can access practically infinite topics instantly.

Teens were incorporated in selections. Old TV Shows, Anime, Martial Arts Films, Japanese films.

They had to find sources and reviews that were off the grid.

Cataloging was another problem. Turns the catalogers in to fans so its alright now

(Wow this sounds like video games)

Teen films are not a genre. Any movie aimed at teens was a right of passage.

I love the handout-it does not include everything but it has Classic Cult and Watershed movies, with newer movies are listed on a variety of teen issues, cultures and eras.

Animation-

We found Anime extremely popular, sometimes dressed as characters
Teens to day are much more open to the world

Tell wonderful stories with dialogue and beautiful artwork

Don’t care where or when film was made as long as its good

(for me Anime is weird because the culture/storytelling is so different, but my sister in law loves it as does so many teens and twenty somethings. The more I watch and read about Japanese culture the more I understand the Anime and can enjoy it)

Clip from Princess Mononoko

Not like a traditional Disney movie would be

Villians not clearly defined.

Woman in role of Man

Graphic Storytelling

How art and dialogue convey a compelling story

Have natural audience.

From Comic books and graphic novels that really are just much longer than comic books.

Comics are as culturally significant as Video games, for a different generation.

People who see these movies know the basic stories even if they have never read the comic books.

Clip from Super Man 2 By the burning building

Implies Hero instinct in all of us. (Video game…)

Comic books make a good implementation into movies because you don’t have to visualize all of the movie sciences

Horror

Teens are staring or audience

Japanese popular culture coming through. J-horror is Japanese. K-horror is Korean.

First experience was the Ring. In Japan it was Ringu

Clip from the Ring When the girl gets the guy near the end (you know what I’m talking about)

Wikipedia defines J-horror

Alfred Hitchcock type.

Psychological thriller

Growing rise of dark in teen media (eternal Darkness, Resident evil, Buffy the Vampire Slayer…)

Sports

outside of school, many teens spend a large portion of time playing sports.

Many sports films are based on real events.

Contemporary films last as period pieces.

They revolve around real lives, sometimes the idea that Sports are life.

Most don’t focus on films, but Bend it Like Becham is a wonderful girl soccer movie

Television and Teens
Video and DVD lets you schedule your time.

TiVo lets you schedule even more

Downloading is close to be in libraries

Vidcasting is just around the corner (I think its here with Red vs Blue, Machinama, and others)

Exposure to Satire helps to teach teens to question the world around them
You have to understand what going on and separate it from the context
Hero in these movies is the anti-hero
earthy humor is a great way to communicate with teens

Clip from Waynes World where they are talking on the car

Do it yourself coming of age
A movie with teens as main characters are just going to be coming of age films.

It will be on the PLA website

Tragedies
8 mile
Butterfly Effect
Dead Poets Society
Donnie Darko
Girl interrupted
The Hole

Homeroom Manic
A Separate Piece

Comedies
Brother from another planet
Clerks
Edward Scissorhands
heathers
run Lola run

Teen years are a time for deep philosophical questions.
Every activity is more intense because it’s the first time.

Clip from Donnie Darkco

Other Cultures other times

Teens have traveled more

More comfortable going places learning things no matter one

The internet does not discriminate. Get taken seriously

Part of cultural literacy

Talk across the world, and don’t hesitate this.

Few Hollywood movies, and many independents are making movies with more cultural background

The characters reflect lives

The Hollywood ending fits the characters.

Clip from My Life

(I discovered Foreign films in college and watched many Spanish for my class. I loved it. Like water for chocolate is my favorite)

Clique
Who are you, discovering who they are in

Clip from The Breakfast Club. The creator only made five films

Addressed teens as individuals.

Napoleon dynamite is spectacularly out of the ordinary, but that is ok.

Power of Music

Shorthand for who you are.

Conclusion

Cable and Satelite TV, The abilitiy to download, and the internet has made the pool of movies huge

Teens are the best people to ask about movies.

DON”T ask what teen movie you like

ASK what is your favorite movie

Treat them equal
Take them seriously
Give them respect

Clip from 10 things I hate about you (I love this movie soooooooo much)

(comments via Jami Schwarzwalder)

At PLA in Boston. My first session of the day: The Denver Public Library presented a program on how they reinventing their libraries with a target service model – different library brands to meet the needs of various demographics (users who want a central library, an online library, a contemporary library, a learning & language library, etc).

My final session of the day: In “From Good to Great,” Cate McNeely said “Everything we do send messages to our customers, even desks: intimidating, welcoming, hostile, inviting.”

I put these two ideas together and came up with this question: what kind of message does it send to your community–and your profession–when you don’t design a library specifically for teens, but you do have TWO types of libraries specifically focused on serving children? Children’s libraries are designed for latchkey kids, and Family Libraries for, well, families.

The FAQ in the handout from the AM session said Denver did use teens in their focus groups, and decided that teens were included in the “Contemporary” category – they were likely to choose the Contemporary brand because it was about multiple copies available now, computers, and media. We of all people should know that words matter, and so do the absence of words.

Having a library marketed to ALL other segments of your population – except teens – sends a clear message about teens in this community: that they are not valued enough to be considered or served in a physical space.

I was a little pacificed to see that teens are targeted online at http://teens.denverlibrary.org/. Are there any Denver YA librarians out there who want to shed a little insight?

On a hopeful note, one of the speakers said that in each quadrant of the community, there is at least one of each type of library, and in each quadrant, there seems to be an “orphan branch” that isn’t flourishing. I’d be advocating for those branches to become the teen centers.

~posted by Beth Gallaway