Teens, Technology, and… Libraries??

Technology is everywhere – it’s in our homes, our cars, even in our pockets. Today’s teens have been born into a world where technology is omnipresent. To these “digital native,” technology is as essential as the wristwatch – which most of them don’t wear because their smart phones have clocks, timers, and calendars! According to Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), teens are turning to nonprint resources at increasing rates and but not taking advantage of the high quality resources at their local library.

• 86% of youth aged 8-18 have a computer in their home, and 74% have Internet access in their home. (Harris Interactive, 2005)


• On average, 8-18 year olds spend 6 hours and 21 minutes per day using media (including TV, video/DVDs/movies, video games, audio media, computers and print media). (Harris Interactive, 2005)


• 71% of teens report that the Internet is their primary source for completing school projects. (Pew Research Center’s Internet and American Life Project, 2005)
  

How does the library, often synonymous with dusty old books, promote its tech muscles to today’s tech savvy teens?

Enter YALSA’s Teen Tech Week (TTW). Meant to encourage teen’s appropriate use of, and to display a library’s, well, library of technology, TTW provides an opportunity for libraries and teens to connect & share. In addition to electronic databases perfect for homework assignments, libraries offer downloadable audio- and electronic books, computer classes, and workshops designed to appeal to the creative and investigative nature of teens. Libraries are also the perfect outlet for teens to “give back” some of their tech-savvy knowledge by running workshops for other teens, younger kids, or even adults who claim to be “tech-challenged.”
Teen Tech Week is March 6-12 and this year’s theme – Mix & Mash @ Your Library – encourages teens to get creative with library resources and develop content to share safely online. Plan to visit your library during TTW and do something tech – attend a computer class, check out an e-book, use an electronic database to “page through” a magazine, or even volunteer yourself as a techspert.

- Caroline