If you’re like us at my library, you’re fairly limited in the software you’re allowed to use (ahem, Microsoft Office suite), and your in-house publicity is made with Publisher. If you’re in the habit of making signs or flyers for your programs, check to see if you’ve gotten into the clipart-gradient background-text rut. If this isn’t you, please please please help your fellow librarian who fits this description. If you’re thinking, But what’s wrong with my clipart?, I beg of you, please keep reading.

Backgrounds

Flyers and signs should be eye-catching, especially when you’re competing for the short attention span of teens, and it all starts with your background. It shouldn’t be just any color, or a color at all. The background you choose can determine what images you use, as well as the type and color of your font. If you choose a plain background, you’d better have an image that pops, and your font color should be a high contrast. On the other hand, if your background is an image, use other pictures or clipart sparingly (if at all), and consider a “washout” effect, essentially increasing the brightness and lowering the contrast. You want the text to be readable from a distance, and an image background can obscure readability.

Images   

Think about cropping an image in a neat way to only use part of it. Instead of a floating ninja head, put that same head with the chin cropped off at the bottom of the flyer to make it look like it is looking over something. If you’re looking for something fresh, try searching through Google Images, Flickr, or other photo sites. Remember to keep copyright in mind, though, and look for images licensed through Creative Commons instead, which is often easier to use and understand.

Fonts

The last important element is the font. Even if your IT department protests every time you try to install something new, that doesn’t mean you can’t use special fonts. For a Halloween program, use a Friday the 13th-esque font or some other font that embodies your gruesome theme. Having a spa program for girls? Use a super girly font with a lot of flourishes. You can even try to match the font from a book cover (think Hunger Games). Here’s the trick: download the font, unzip it if required, and save the TrueType file to your desktop. Open the file, and like magic, the font becomes available when creating WordArt in Publisher. As long as the font file is open while your Publisher file is open, the font is available and will show up properly (Side note: even if you save the Publisher file, the font will revert back to a standard font if the downloaded font file is not open. To avoid this, save the file as a .jpg). Fonts can come from a number of sources, but my usual choice is dafont.com

The most important thing is don’t forget to have fun with this! What tricks have you learned along the way to keep your publicity from getting boring? Leave your answer in the comments.

This fall YALSA is launching a brand new online course. Brenna Shanks, instructor for Secrets of the Seal: The Michael L. Printz Award, chatted with me about the course.

Eve: You’re teaching a new class for YALSA that starts in October. Tell us about Secrets of the Seal: The Michael L. Printz Award.

Brenna: I wanted to build a class that would reveal some of the Printz trends and give participants a taste of what its like to be on the committee. We have a final project that basically replicates the committee work. Also, I wanted to discuss what makes a Printz book a Printz book.  We’ll look at questions such as, what criteria drives the selection process. It isn’t just about what we like as readers. It goes beyond the reading taste of one individual, which is why its sometimes hard to explain or understand each committee’s choices.

Eve:  What should students expect to learn from this course?

Brenna: I hope students will gain a better understanding of committee work and the value the Printz Award adds to teen literature. Of course, they can’t read 10+ years of work in four weeks, but hopefully they can whet their appetite and approach the books with new insight.

Eve:  Tell us a little bit about the readings and assignments for this course? How do they fit into your typical librarian’s work schedule?

Brenna: Students will read four of the Printz books (they are welcome to read more, of course!) They will also read a little about the history of the award and its trends over the past decade. They will read supplementary material too- award speeches, press releases, reviews, etc. Assignments include writing reviews and booktalks for Printz titles. The final assignment will be to pick an award and 2 honor books from the Printz titles they’ve read throughout the course.

Eve:  How do class discussions work? Are they real-time or can I post on my own schedule?

Brenna: We will have a few real-time discussions, but mostly students will post to forums. Discussion topics will be posted each week and any questions brought up by students will be posted for discussion when appropriate. If someone has to miss a real-time chat, archives will be available.

Eve: What can students take away from this course? How can they use the lessons of this course in their day-to-day jobs?

Brenna: Hopefully they will have an increased appreciation for the Printz Award. We will also spend a week discussing ways to promote the Printz. They should come away from that assignment with useful tips for their libraries. I also hope they gain some experience reading with the Printz criteria in mind and that they get a taste of what its like to work on an award committee.

Eve:  What are you most excited about in this course?

Brenna: Reading on the 2011 Printz committee was a wonderful experience. I’m excited to share some of the insight I gained. I’m also excited to share more great books with colleagues!

Registration for this course is open: http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/onlinecourses/secrets_of_the_seal.cfm

Last spring some library school students asked me how to avoid burn-out. We’d been talking in class about all of the activities that librarians serving teens needed to be involved in – collection development, advocacy, programming, management, outreach, personal professional development, technology, and so on. When I was asked the question I had to stop for a little while and think about my answer. Here’s how I did answer:

• Be involved in professional organizations that help you to re-energize by talking to others outside of your personal work location. Talk with those in these organizations about library and non-library topics. When I talked about this with students it became very clear to me that this is a key piece of my involvement in YALSA. It’s through my active participation in the association that I am able to keep refreshed and excited about teens and teen library services. I am always talking with other YALSA members about new ideas, ways to overcome challenges, the positives of teens, and so on. As a result I don’t get burned-out I get excited by possibilities.  National, local, and regional organizations can all provide refreshing opportunities for those working in teen services.
• Don’t take things personally.  Some days may be really hard. The teens, administration, colleagues, community members, parents, teachers, everyone might seem like they are against YOU. But, they are not. (more…)

Last Day to Order TRW Products ALA Graphics & YALSA offer posters, bookmarks, downloads and more to promote Teen Read Week each year. The last day to order TRW products and receive them in time for TRW with standard shipping is Sept. 29. Check out this year’s products and order at www.alastore.ala.org/trw11.

We Need Your Strategic Plan Feedback YALSA’s Board of Directors is seeking member comments on the new strategic plan! Weigh in with your comments by Sept. 30.

Get the Scoop on the the Printz Want to know the Secrets of the Seal? Find out everything there is to know about the Michael L. Printz Award in YALSA’s fall online course taught by Brenna Shanks. This self-paced class begins Oct. 3. Details and registration are available at www.ala.org/yalsa/onlinecourses.

Volunteer for a 2012 Selection Committee! YALSA is accepting volunteer forms for 2013 Selection Committees through Sept. 30.

Coming to Midwinter & Annual 2012? Bundled Reg Ends Oct. 2! If you’re planning to attend both ALA’s Annual Conference and Midwinter Meeting in 2012, take advantage of the lowest pricing with bundled registration at www.alamidwinter.org. Registration starts at $333 for YALSA members, but hurry, as this pricing expires Oct. 2. See what YALSA has planned for Annual and Midwinter.

Congrats to YALSA’s Board of Directors YALSA’s Board of Directors won the $10,000 Innovation Prize at the BoardSource Leadership Forum in Atlanta. Congrats to Executive Director Beth Yoke and President-Elect Jack Martin on their winning presentation.

Call for Proposals: Do you know what the Next Big Thing in YA lit is? Tell YALSA! Visit www.ala.org/yalitsymposium to submit your paper or program proposal for the 2012 Young Adult Literature Symposium, The Future of Young Adult Literature: Hit Me with the Next Big Thing, to be held Nov. 2-4 in St. Louis. Proposals are due by Nov. 15. Want updates on the symposium? Join the symposium mailing list. Questions? Contact Nichole Gilbert at ngilbert@ala.org.

Want more YALSA news? Follow YALSA on Facebook and Twitter.

I’m cheating a little because I haven’t actually played Minecraft with teens on the brand new multiplayer server space I just rented.  But I do play a lot of Minecraft with my friends, I have talked a lot about it with teens, and I am going to offer the game as a regular teen program starting next week.  Here’s what I’m doing to bring Minecraft to the library, and links to some interesting ideas about things you might do with it.

But first, what is Minecraft?

Minecraft is a game where you roam a landscape full of different sorts of blocks that you can move around to build anything you want.  You can dig deep to find different resources, and explore to find a variety of environments.  At night, zombies and other monsters come out, so you need to protect yourself.  The game was created by Swedish programmer Markus Persson, and is being developed by his company Mojang.  It’s still in beta,  so there are new updates all the time.  Minecraft is getting prettier and more involved with each new permutation.

I love this game because it demands creativity.  You have a world, and you can do anything.  It’s even more fun with friends, where in building your world you find yourselves cooperating by sharing resources,  planning building projects,  helping each other and showing off for each other.  I can’t wait to see what happens when I turn my group of teens loose in their new world.

Here’s a video for you to take a look at Minecraft.

Click through for more.
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Here’s a short list of tweets posted over the last week that librarians and the teens that they serve may find interesting:

• Dispelling Myths About Blocked Websites in Schools http://t.co/8f5AXYY3 – @auntytech
• Twitter, Facebook, etc. – good for teens and the First Amendment? – Knight Foundation http://ow.ly/6ybev – @brownfamilycats
• Distractions Begone! Facebook as a Study Tool http://zite.to/pLUxcR – @bhsprincipal
• Online Safety 3.0 – A Presentation for Parents and Teachers – http://t.co/P5i00gTD – @larrymagid
• Can a “gadget guy” also be an “education guy”? http://t.co/ThYHJg8e – @clifmims (more…)

Every librarian has experienced it.  The heady rush of the weeks leading up to Teen Read Week where you promote the theme to patrons and staff, excitedly pull items for display, unleash your creative genius with promotion, and plan well-attended programming.  Wait.  Programming?

*Record needle screech*

Actually programming seems to be an aspect many librarians say does not come as easily as other aspects of the job, possibly because when it comes time to put people in the seats, putting ourselves on the line with the money or time investment in a program can be downright intimidating.

The first law of programming is Know Your Audience.  YALSA and other librarians can give seven thousand great suggestions, but you are the one best equipped to determine what is going to fly in your library.  You could read about an amazing anime tie-in to the Teen Read Week theme of Picture It @ Your Library, but if your patron group doesn’t know anime from animals and are all NASCAR fans, this is not going to work and, even worse, you’ve lost their trust because now they believe you have no idea what they like.  Not good.

But those same patrons might be enthralled with a technology tutorial on Photoshop Elements where they “Picture It” by creating the car design for their favorite driver, right?  Now you are a technology god or goddess who can name the top ten drivers and who even encourages them to send a copy of their design in a fan email to their hero.  You know your audience and you have their respect and trust.  Congratulations.

With your font of wisdom bubbling behind you, you may wish to consider these ideas as possible options for your fabulous audience.

• The book to movie connection is a natural tie-in to Picture It programming, so what about a poll of the best adaptation?  It can be either paper or posted on your library website using your blog software, a Google Docs form, or a service like Surveymonkey.  The culmination can be a Saturday night viewing of the movie that won, with a discussion afterward about whether the film managed to convey the emotion of the book.
• Poetry and writing groups can find inspiration in using images to inspire their work.  Whether its encouraging them to bring in their own original artwork or photos, pulling those glossy color art books off the shelf, or using a cool service like PicLit, showing the connection between writing and images can get creative juices flowing.
• Book trailers are another natural tie-in to this year’s TRW theme.  Actually teaching movie making software is certainly an option, but using super easy sites like Animoto and Glogster are also great ways to showcase the teen vision of a specific book, with far more instant gratification.  If there aren’t enough computers to go around for your patrons, what about just having a viewing of book trailers, maybe recent releases?  A discussion about which elements make readers want to pick up the book in question could be a great jumping off point for understanding reader tastes in your library.
• Book to Picture is a quick way to get your readers looking at themselves (younger audiences love this).  Have readers pose with the favorite book and print or post the image in a collage near your library entrance. This is a popular programming idea for schools, particularly when faculty can be coaxed to pose with a recent read (even better if it’s actually a YA book).  You’d be amazed at how many previously reticent students will run up to a teacher with the breathless comment, “You really read the Vampire Academy series?”
• The now-defunct Borders bookstore used to have a promotion where they would “catch” you reading a book you hadn’t bought yet and give you a 10% off coupon.  Genius!  Make your own coupons for prizes, food or otherwise, or partner with your local movie theater for free concessions or ticket vouchers.  Maybe your local art museum would offer a few free admission tickets when you tell them your theme?  Just the food reward of a cookie for getting caught reading is enough to get someone to flip open a book or magazine and you’ve captured a moment as a librarian where you can talk to them about their likes and dislikes.  It’s golden collection development time that no survey can extract.

Even better than knowing your audience is asking them.  Hopefully you have a great Library Advisory Board who can brainstorm ideas best suited for your library, but feel free to use some of these as a jumping off point for programming.  And don’t forget to post your good ideas on the Teen Read Week wiki so others can benefit from them!  Then we can all enjoy Picturing It @ Your Library.

Many thanks to the Library Advisory Board of Wyoming Seminary’s Upper School for some of the great programming ideas in this article. To paraphrase author John Green, LAB members are full of awesome.

Title: Celebrity Tweets
Platform: Android (OS 1.05 and up), Nook Color, Symbian
Cost: $1.99 (A free version is also available for phones with Android or Symbian OS)

Have you ever wondered if you were following the real President Barack Obama, Stephen Colbert, or Lady Gaga? This simple app allows users to view and compile tweets from celebrities’ official Twitter accounts. The 300+ profiles include popular names in music, movies, politics, and sports. An additional miscellaneous category features news stations, magazines, stores, and even a few authors (e.g.  Neil Gaiman). Users can view celebrities’ Twitter feeds, access trending topics, search Twitter, and compile favorite profiles.

The best thing about Celebrity Tweets is that you do not need to subscribe to Twitter to view the content.  Non-tweeters can use the app to keep track of celebrity updates, gossip, and news.  No previous knowledge of Twitter is required; the straightforward menu items allow novice users to navigate and view the content with ease.  For example, a large thought bubble labeled “Add to Favorites” at the bottom of each profile helps users add celebrities to a favorite list.

The simplicity of Celebrity Tweets is also its weakness.  Although finding celebrities on the provided lists is a painless process, there is no easy way to follow a person not included on the lists. I would love to add some of my favorite YA authors, but options for this type of personalization are limited. Users can access tweets mentioning unlisted celebrities by using the search feature, but it would be much more useful if subscribers could manually add other profiles.  Teens that do not follow the typical set of mainstream celebrities might be slightly disappointed.

This app will be useful for teen librarians interested in staying abreast of popular entertainment news. It will also be a good recommendation for teens that do not have Twitter accounts but still want to know the latest information about their favorite celebrities, musicians, and athletes.

YALSA’s 2012 Nominating Committee has finalized the 2012 Election Slate. Elections will take place March 19 to April 27 as part of the annual ALA Election. To vote in the YALSA election, your membership must be current as of Jan. 31, 2012. Coming to ALA’s Midwinter Meeting? Bring your election questions to Coffee with the Candidates, 10:30 a.m. to noon, on Sunday, Jan. 22. Election results will be announced May 4.

After the jump, see the full slate

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Last week, we talked about evaluating your library’s policies and determining whether they were appropriate and reasonable for teens. If you concluded that some changes are needed, it’s time to think about how to make those changes.

•  You will want to proceed carefully and thoughtfully. Policies are not written in a vacuum, and there will have been reasons behind every policy or procedure. If possible, find out what those reasons are. Find out the background of the policies—is this a new policy, or a time-honored one? (more…)