Even if you won’t be at the ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim, starting next week, YALSA has you covered. This year you can follow the YALSA and teen related events via the YALSA blog, podcasts, and Twitter.  Bloggers will be blogging, podcasters will be podcasting, and twiter users will be tweeting.  Here’s how you can keep in the loop using YALSA’s various technology outlets:

• Throughout the Conference YALSA bloggers will post information about the events and meetings they attend.  If you want to be notified about updates to the YALSA blog subscribe to the RSS feed.
• YALSA’s podcasters will be recording interviews and events throughout the Conference. Most of these audio files will be uploaded once Annual is over.  Subscribe to YALSA’s podcast feed to receive notification whenever a podcast is published.
• Anyone at Conference can post a Twitter message about YALSA/teen related events by using #yalsa within the body of the Twitter message.  Anyone who wants to keep up on YALSA/teen related Conference happenings can view all messages with the #yalsa info by going to YALSA’s page on Twemes.

A lot will go on during conference but if you can’t be there don’t despair, YALSA will make sure you know what’s happening.

In this podcast, Kelly Czarnecki interviews Amy Alessio about the compilation of the 5th edition, Excellence in Library Services to Young Adults.

Don’t forget! You can:

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• Visit YALSA’s podcast page
• Subscribe to YALSA’s podcasts

There will be a session at ALA on Monday, June 30 from 10:30am-12:30pm at the Marriott Anaheim Hotel, Salon A-D where “Winners from the Excellence in Library Services to Young Adults program will speak and highlight their initiatives in an interactive round table format.” For more of YALSA’s annual programs check out the wiki.

In this YALSA podcast:

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Kelly Czarnecki talks with teen, Storm Basiat, in regards to Congressman’s Mark Kirk’s proposal to the Federal Trade Commission to warn parents of the “dangers Second Life presents.” Also discussed is how Kirk feels that access to Second Life should be banned in schools and libraries. Storm points out some great things to listeners such as:

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In this short podcast, Lindsey Dunn talks about YALSA’s Teens’ Top 10 Project, including a full-list of this year’s nominations.

You can:

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• Subscribe to YALSA’s podcasts
• Visit YALSA’s podcast page

You can learn more about the the Teens’ Top 10 Project on the YALSA website and you can download a pdf file of the list of this year’s nominations.

Congratulations to the winner and finalists of the Teen Tech Week Best promotional song contest! Our teen contestants created songs promoting Teen Tech Week and the technology resources that the library has to offer. Songs were judged on creativity, lyrical construction, effectives of promoting technologies in libraries, and overall craftsmanship. The submissions were all very creative, drawing from a wide spectrum of musical talent and style.

Michelle Visent, a student at Felix Varela Senior High School in Miami, Florida, is the winner of the 2008 Teen Tech Week Song Contest! Check out her winning song, “The Library”!

Second place went to Bryan Aguilar, also a student at Felix Varela Senior High School in Miami, Florida, for his song, “You’re a Handy One.”

Leon Moskatel, Anne McGrath, and Sarah Brandon of North Hollywood, California, came in third with “I Find It at the Library.”

Fourth place goes to Ben Heston and Josh Mattison, Longview, Washington, for “Overloading the Outlet: Library Song.”

You can

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Stay tuned for Teen Tech Week 2009! Have a contest idea? Submit it to Stephanie Iser, committee chair for the 2009 celebration. stephanie.iser@gmail.com.

Teen librarians that want to keep up on what’s going on with legislation related to social networking in schools and libraries, what the digital TV transition really means, and copyright in a world full of downloading might want to check out the following podcasts:

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  of The Real Deal podcast covered the digital TV transition in a way that makes the whole thing understandable. I know lots of teens, teachers, and parents have questions about what the transition means for them and their TV viewing. This Real Deal episode could be just the thing to give them the info. they need.
• One week later, in

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  , The Real Deal covered the topic of copyright. Again, in clear straightforward language the hosts of the show, along with copyright lawyer Colette Vogele, covered what’s legal, what’s not legal, and what’s up for grabs in the download age. Listen to know how to answer questions from teens. Have teens listen so they can gain a clear sense of what’s really up when it comes to copying, downloading, and licensing.
• Not quite as recent as the discussions on The Real Deal, but earlier this month Buzz Out Loud reported that Virginia is the first state to pass an Internet Safey law. The law requires schools in the state to teach Internet Safety in the classroom.

Video and audio podcasts continue to be a really useful way of keeping up on the latest news on laws, trends, and technology that have an impact on teen services in libraries. Check out these three and maybe start subscribing as a way to keep up and be in the know.

Check out the latest YALSA podcasts in honor of last week’s Teen Literature Day. Victoria Vogel,Teen Librarian at the Rocky River Public Library is interviewed by Gerry Vogel, about ways to serve homebound teens. She gives a great list of titles that are going to be hits with many teens-homebound or not.

The other podcast is with Stacy Whitman, Editor for Mirrorstone Books who talks about how the organization contributes to the larger community as well as some great up and coming fantasy titles. She also mentions a contest that teens might be interested in!

Listen in here or subscribe to the podcast feed.

Posted by Kelly Czarnecki

Well, Its been a while since myself or Kelly Czarnecki blogged for YALSA about Eye4You Alliance. Over the last few weeks, Teen Second Life Resident Bubby Boucher has been hosting short interviews with Zombie Pye the FurNation Teen Grid (TG) founder and other TG Residents. Eye4You Alliance provides the land to The Epic Report and helps with the publishing. The shows where filmed and edited by the Teen Second Life Approved Adult and Eye4You Alliance educator Majenna Jewel. We have three episodes online and are waiting to do more. The shows are around 3-5 minutes long and are available on Blip.tv and iTunes.

Show Links:

• Blip.tv - http://eye4youalliance.blip.tv
• iTunes - itpc://eye4youalliance.blip.tv/rss/itunes/

Please leave feedback and check our blog for more all the up to date news on Eye4You Alliance Island - http://eye4youalliance.info/

Posted By Storm Basiat