Terms of Service (ToS) are something lots of us encounter every day.  Probably, few people actually read what these agreements actually say before signing up for a web site or installing a new piece of software.  But, because of what happened last week, I’m wondering if perhaps we need to be more aware of what these agreements say and also converse with teens a bit about what it means when they agree to ToS for a web site or piece of software.

The reason that this became something to consider over the past week, is because of the verdict turned in in the Megan Meier cyberbullying case. As readers might know, (more…)

Perhaps it’s hard to believe, but 2008 is almost over. The ALA Office of Intellectual Freedom (OIF) is seeking reports of book challenges that occurred during the year.  As the OIF post on the topic states:

With the end of the year approaching, the Office for Intellectual Freedom will be compiling our yearly list of most frequently challenged books. We collect information for our challenge database from newspapers and reports submitted by individuals and, while we know that many challenges are never reported, we strive to be as comprehensive as possible in our records. We would greatly appreciate if you could send us any information on challenges in your library or school from 2008. (more…)

The MacArthur Foundation just released a new report titled Living and Learning with New Media: Findings from the Digital Youth Project. Every librarian working with teens should download a copy of this report and read it. Why? Because the data presented provides librarians with much needed information to help them, and others, understand why teen use of social media is key to successful youth development.  It’s clear from the findings and recommendations in the report that teen use of online social media has many benefits, and that as adults it is our responsibility to support teens in their use of this media. (more…)

Over the past several weeks and months I’ve written a number of posts about the world of search and tools teens use in order to locate information. I’ve talked about Twitter, new search sites like Searchme and TinEye, and social news sites like Social Median.  What I hadn’t mentioned in the past, but need to now, is YouTube.

Just the other day there was an interesting post on ReadWriteWeb that included these two paragraphs: (more…)

This podcast is a recording of hiddle school librarian Stella Farris’ presentation at the graphic novel preconference during the YA Lit Symposium.  The audio begins with Farris’ introduction to her presentation.

You can:

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• Visit YALSA’s podcast page
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In this podcast listen to IA school librarian Joel Shoemaker interview Micheal L. Printz Award winners Terry Trueman and Gene Yang in a celebration of teen reading, teen publishing, and the Printz Award.  The audio begins with Joel Shoemaker introducing the program to audience members.

You can:

• Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 6 or above) is required to play this audio clip. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

• Visit YALSA’s podcast page
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In this third podcast from the YA Lit Symposium, Meliss Rabey talks with attendees about the programs they attended and why they decided to attend the first ever YALSA YA Lit Symposium.
You can:

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• Visit YALSA’s podcast page
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In this podcast recorded during the YA Lit Symposium, Beth Saxton talks with a variety of presenters and attendees about the Symposium.

You can:

• Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 6 or above) is required to play this audio clip. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

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In this first in our podcasts from the YALSA YA Lit Symposium, Lindsey Dunn talks with a variety of attendees about their experience at the event. Conversations took place at the YALSA receptions on Friday and Saturday evenings, the genre lunch, and following some of the Symposium programs.
You can:

• Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 6 or above) is required to play this audio clip. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

• Visit YALSA’s podcast page
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YALSA is seeking a Member Manager for its blog. The deadline for applications is December 31, 2008. The Member Manager will be responsible for the content and look of the blog, and will work closely to recruit and oversee designated bloggers. The mission of the YALSA Blog is to provide a virtual space for publishing information about time sensitive issues and to provide a forum for members and the library community to discuss matters relating to serving teens through libraries. (more…)