Local teens will be tuning in as the Milton Public Library celebrates the annual Teen Tech Week March 4-10, 2012. They join thousands of other libraries and schools across the country who are celebrating this year’s theme, Geek Out @ your library®.” Teen Tech Week is a national initiative of the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) aimed at teens, their parents, educators and other concerned adults. The purpose of the initiative is to ensure that teens are competent and ethical users of technology. Teen Tech Week encourages teens to take advantage of the technology at libraries for education and recreation, and to recognize that librarians are qualified, trusted professionals who can help them achieve greater digital literacy.
Recent studies from Pew Internet & American Life Project show the majority of teens own cell phones and mp3 players. Ninety-three percent of teens regularly use the Internet — 73 percent of all American teens go online to use Facebook or other social networking sites. Three-quarters of American teens send text messages every day. Nearly 40 percent of teens share something online that they created themselves, like artwork or a video.
“Teen Tech Week is a way for librarians and educators to collaborate with and educate teens about technology,” says Emily Calkins, the library’s young adult librarian. “Over the last several years the library’s role in increasing digital literacy has become more and more important.”
Teens are encouraged to celebrate Teen Tech Week. Calkins hopes to attract a wide variety of teenagers and increase teen technology literacy locally by offering a series of programs including:
- Minecraft building competition, Monday, March 5, 3:30-5:30 p.m. Registration required.
- Talk by Kwasi Mensah, video game programmer and founder of Ananase Productions, a Cambridge-based video game company, Tuesday, March 6, from 3:30-4:30 p.m.
- Geek Out @ the Movies! Teens can vote for their top choice geeky movie on the teen page of library’s website (http://www.miltonlibrary.org/teen.asp). The movie with the most votes will be shown on Friday, March 9, 3-5 p.m.
- Teen Tech Week link of the day on the library’s teen Facebook page. These carefully selected sites will help teens develop web skills and safety.
Teen Tech Week is held annually the second week of March. For an updated list of sponsors and supporting organizations, visit www.ala.org/teentechweek. For more information on Teen Tech Week programs at the Milton Public Library, please see the library’s website (www.miltonlibrary.org) or contact Emily Calkins, Young Adult Librarian.