Reaching teens with Ustream?

I came across an interesting article in http://www.mtvsticky.com/ (part of their European division) about how more bands and DJs are promoting themselves and connecting with their audiences by using the social networking website Ustream.

Set up in the United States by ex-Army officers John Ham, Brad Hunstable and Dr. Gyula Feher in 2006, Ustream was used by soldiers overseas as an alternative to telephone and instant messenger for contacting their families. It’s now an exciting and expanding young business. In less than 2 minutes, this platform can turn the average Joe (or Lucy) into an overnight star with an infinite global audience.

I have a cartoonist friend who for a while did weekly shows where she interviewed her fellow artist friends, and viewers could follow along live, ask questions, and interact with each other in the accompanying chat room that scrolls next to the video box. A moderator can be assigned to kick out obnoxious trolls, and bad words can be blocked.

How could we use such a tool? I really like the idea of doing author interviews. Maybe booktalking? Live coverage of gaming tournaments? What else can you imagine?

What do librarians wish teachers knew about the library?

Abby (the) Librarian has a great blog post to teachers, letting them know what librarians wish teachers knew about public libraries:

• We would love to know about your assignments ahead of time.
• We appreciate when you make sure there are resources available before giving your students an assignment.
• Other teachers in your school (and in other schools) might be doing the same units that you are.
• There are lots of different book-leveling systems.
• We are happy to have your class visit, and your visit will be better if we know you are coming (and when and for what purpose).
• We need your help to promote our programs over the summer and during the school year.
• We'd love a copy of your summer reading list.
• The public library may have more freedom to buy materials that aren't approved by the school board.
• Many libraries offer teacher cards or school loan programs.

Here is the full article, which expands on all these ideas. Good talking points for sharing what we do when you reconnect with teachers in the fall!

What would you add?

Marketing in Libraries

One thing that libraries have always struggled with is marketing. WE know we're great, but somewhere in our natural introversion we have a hard time screaming from the rooftops that we will, actually, improve lives through our services.

SLJ, recognizing that libraries have a hard time promoting themselves, has created an inexplicably named blog, Bubble Room, to address marketing in libraries.

I don't know if it'll be useful, but hey, there it is, just in case.

I actually really like this post, which talks about how the Rochester Public Library has a calculator on their site that totals the amount patrons have saved by using the library rather than purchasing the books they've checked out. I've always thought that we should print their savings on the check out receipt. That's one way to achieve validation through knowledge. ;)

Even the Canadians like teen gaming!

Ok, this is pretty much a fluff article, but it's nice to see friendly opinions about gaming in libraries.

I liked this sentiment: "Public libraries are, after all, a community's living room."

The protein of the article: "Video games are a means of drawing older children and teenagers into libraries at a time when they might be less likely to do so. Jane Venus, manager of children and teen services for the Ottawa Public Library, notes that many video games, like books, are beneficial to young minds. Older minds too. When video games were introduced to Ottawa libraries on a trial basis, they became popular with seniors during the day and with teens in the evening. When they were done playing, some teens stayed around the library and read books."

great article on video gaming in libraries

Thanks to Jeanne for passing this on!

Libraries' video games are teen magnet

Local program's success earns national attention

Thursday, July 31, 2008

By Elizabeth Gibson

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

"Libraries have gone through a lot of iterations since 300 B.C., when they were founded as a way to improve moral character," said Scott Nicholson, an associate professor at Syracuse who runs the Library Game Lab. "This is no different from when libraries first brought in fiction or started allowing children in."

Lots of good ideas to be copied from these guys!

Gaming @ NYPL

New York Public Library has gotten on board with video gaming in a big way! Not only are they offering gaming programs at many of their branches, they are also circulating 2,500 copies of 92 different games! Wow!

Taking Play Seriously at the Public Library With Young Video Gamers

“I thought a library was just for books, just for studying, just for a lot of things I don’t normally do,” he said. “But when I found out the library was starting to have games it was great, because it’s really good to hear that the library is paying more attention to the youth and what we’re into.”

He paused. “And it’s also good because I can just say to my parents, ‘I’m going to the library.’”

good news to end the year

Sometimes it is nice to hear something that makes you think that just maybe all your hard work is paying off:

Study: Web generation heaviest users of public libraries

Rainie added that young adults are the ones likely to have visited libraries as teens and seen their transformation into information hubs, with computers and databases alongside stacks of printed books.

Hooray!

full-time gaming at the library?

What do you think of the idea of having a permanent gaming space in the library?

Fort Worth Library Unveils New Teen Gaming Section

I'm sure teens would love it. How would you justify it to the tax payers?

Arguing in favor of video games

This blog posting by The Shifted Librarian is in response to a newspaper article that makes some sweeping negative generalizations about video gaming, and supplies some good counter arguments and talking points for using with patrons who may have concerns.

Another Article about Gaming and Libraries, Same Old Story

What responses have you encountered, from patrons or staff, about gaming in our libraries?

Creating a YA blog.

Creating a YA blog from Alternative Teen Services

Recently my library system decided to start a YA blog. Previously we did not have much of an online presence for our teens and this will hopefully mark a change in the right direction...

I would love to find a way to incorporate a blog for teen patrons into the Sno-Isle website. This article gives some good things to think about up front. What do you think?

National trend: teen library services gaining

Youth and library use studies show gains in serving young adults

The Public Library Association's (PLA) 2007 Public Library Data Service (PLDS) Statistical Report tracked young adult service trends in public libraries. The report found that nearly 90 percent of the public libraries surveyed offer young adult programs, with more than half (51.9 percent) employing at least one full-time equivalent dedicated to fostering young adult programs and services, up dramatically from 11 percent in 1995.

Good news!