Since so many teen librarians are making the case for social networking still, I thought this OCLC session on Library Mashups would be of interest. I noticed they were taping; the session will probably be online soon at http://www.oclc.org/.
“Mashups on web are on the verge of replacing the PC as the dominant computing platform”
~Andrew K. Pace, OCLC

Andrew K. Pace defined mashup as something remixed to improve functionality and innovation as response to change under circumstance “hacking!”  He stressed that change is inevitable, and quoted Darwin reminding us that the successful species are the most adaptable ones. Pace referenced the 10 Dangerous Ideas presentation from PLA presentation , and invited attendees to jot down on notecards provided, their greatest resource and greatest challenge as we continued our discussion of innovation. (more…)

In my last post, I showed some of the ways libraries are using video to provide information in new forms, promote their libraries, and provide fresh programming opportunities.  In my next few posts, I’ll explore some of the low-to-no cost options you can use to incorporate video in your library services.

In the last couple of years, a new generation of digital camcorders has emerged, aimed at ease of use, point-and-shoot functionality, and uploading online. These simple, sub $200 devices offer a small set of controls and automatic features, allowing you to point, press record, and upload easily.
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Yesterday morning the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom sponsored a session titled Your Brain on DOPA.  The program was designed to give attendees an opportunity to find out:

• What is happening with federal and state legislation related to social networking (and with technology in general).  John Morris, General Counsel for the Center for Democracy and Technology presented this part of the program.
• What current research says about child and teen use of online tools in the areas of cyberbullying and predation. Dr. Michele Ybarra, President of Internet Solutions for Kids presented on this topic.
• How libraries can educate their communities about the positive impact of social networking. This was the portion of the session that I presented.

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On a typical day of walking around the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Teen space, only one computer activity reigns alongside social networking: watching videos. Therefore, it was no surprise when I read the new Nielson study shows that teens are the #1 consumers of streaming online video. According to the report, teens mostly use online video for music videos, tv shows and anime, and to connect socially by sharing amateur videos with their friends.

They’re also turning to online video as a resource for information, from how to beat levels in video games to explanations of vector mathematics. With these trends, it’s likely that online video is going to play an increasingly important role in delivering information, as they can literally see the information play out before their eyes without missing a beat in any of their other online activities. Of course, this means online video will play an increasingly important role in your library.

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This AM when I opened my email I found a message from a student who wondered how I keep up with the world of books and the world of technology.  This is a question I get asked a lot, but today as I prepare to spend a week in Anaheim for ALA Annual, I realized how much the connections I’ve made through YALSA help me with that keeping up.  As I’ve served on committees and task forces, I’ve had the chance to get to know a variety of people who I know I can turn to if I have a question or want to brainstorm an idea.

To be honest, when I went to library school I thought I would never want to get involved in local or national organizations. It seemed to me that all I really wanted, and needed, was to serve the community in which I worked. Taking part in outside activities didn’t fit my plans. But, then I started to see that if I participated in local organizations I was even more a part of the community, and I found out things that other people didn’t know. I was in the know.  I had information that helped me to do my job better. I had information that I could exchange with other people. (more…)

The way music can be made or listened to may soon go through some radical changes.  What might today’s teens have in store for their musical landscape?

South Korean engineers at the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) have developed a new audio format, MT9, in which listeners can exercise greater control over their music.  Is the guitar too much?  Turn it down.  More drums?  Turn it up.  Want to mute the vocals and do it karaoke-style?  Sure thing.  That’s because, unlike MP3s, MT9 files are comprised of six audio tracks that can be mixed independently by the user.  For teens who grew up in the age of mash-ups and Guitar Hero, this is a logical progression.  It will be interesting to see how long it takes before this concept becomes more widespread in how music is distributed.
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Ypulse is offering a special rate for library attendees for their Books pre-conference at this year’s Mashup event in San Francisco. “The 2008 Ypulse National Mashup is the only conference that brings together youth media and marketing professionals from brands, agencies and the non-profit sector to share best practices for reaching today’s totally wired youth.”

The full agenda for the pre-conference is here with keynote speaker David Levithan. The conference (more…)

Yesterday I read on News.com about an article, called Is Google Making Us Stupid, which appears in the July issue of The Atlantic. Reading about the article I was gearing myself up for wanting to throw things at the author because I assumed, something one should of course never do, that the focus of the piece was on how technology is causing the demise of reading, writing, and thinking. And, to some extent, I was correct making that assumption.

However, near the end of the article the author, Nick Carr, admits something that I think helps to put some of what he states earlier in the piece into a different perspective. He writes: (more…)

Millennials have a high rate of volunteerism and are said to contribute to their communities in ways that help the greater good. That’s why the Dream It Do It (DIDI) project might be a great opportunity for libraries to connect with teens. Global Kids, an organization in New York City that works with youth in a variety of ways including exploring digital media, have a partnership with Youth Venture and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to work in Teen Second Life with teens to launch a venture and be changemakers in their communities. (more…)

Many librarians are probably familiar with designing programs that build developmental assets. We help build youth assets like leadership, helping others, and succeeding in school so that there is less of a chance that teens will make destructive choices such as vandalism and drugs.

You may even have heard of asset building in Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMORPGs) and Multi User Virtual Environments (MUVEs) such as World of Warcraft, Entropia Universe, Teen Second Life and more. This article in the May Harvard Business Review, Leadership’s Online Labs, talks about how real world transference can occur as a result of game play - from being leaders in online games to being leaders in the work world. (more…)