Central Massachusetts Year of the Teen » General YA info

New national poll on teens and social networking

Maureen — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 20:22:23 +0000

Common Sense Media has just release the results of a new national poll on how teens use social networking, and how parents perceive their teens’ online behavior. The disparity is surprising. You can read the full poll results, a summary, or just check out a chart on the Common Sense Media website.

Lori Drew case and cyberbullying

Maureen — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 21:02:01 +0000

There is a great posting by social networking expert danah boyd regarding cyberbullying as it relates to the Lori Drew case. She says, “Lori Drew abused her power as a knowledgeable adult by leveraging her adult knowledge of psychology to humiliate and torment a teen girl. Put another way, Lori Drew engaged in psychological and emotional child abuse. Child abuse includes the psychological or emotional mistreatment of a child. Unfortunately, most legal statutes focus on sexual and physical abuse and neglect because emotional abuse is very hard to substantiate and prosecute. But realistically, she should’ve been tried with child abuse, not a computer crime.” What do you think?

The article is definitely worth a look – the comments are insightful too! Find it at: http://www.zephoria.org/thoughts/archives/2008/11/30/reflections_on.html

Twilight has ended — what’s next?

Maureen — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 16:21:24 +0000

If you have teens in your library who LOVED Twilight, and need something new to read, check out the new YALSA Popular Paperbacks list called “Dead, Dying and the Undead“. From their website: “Death can be an adventure, but not everyone lives to tell about it. Join us in exploring the often mysterious world of death and those who experience it.”

MA teens recognized in School Library Journal

Maureen — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 16:48:54 +0000

Teens who “starred” in a video about what they would miss if library funds got cut due to Question 1 this November were recognized in School Library Journal for their efforts. Check out the article from SLJ’s “Extra Helping” newsletter!

Massachusetts teens speak out about Question 1 and libraries

Maureen — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 17:49:22 +0000

Facebook it!

Maureen — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 16:09:19 +0000

A teen columnist for the Dallas Morning News says about Facebook, “None of the themes from the Brat Pack movies of the ’80s has changed – only the medium. ” Read more of her editorial on their website.

Prudential awards for middle and high school students

Maureen — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 20:16:20 +0000

The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards honor young people in middle level and high school grades for outstanding volunteer service to their communities. Created in 1995 by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), the awards constitute the United States’ largest youth recognition program based solely on volunteering. Over the past 13 years, the program has honored more than 80,000 young volunteers at the local, state, and national level.

Wouldn’t it be great if a teen could be recognized for the great work he or she is doing in one of our libraries? Please share this information with your teens! You’ll find an overview and links to the online application at http://www.prudential.com/spirit. Prizes range from a certificate all the way to $5,000! Good luck!!

Great PR in the Boston Globe

Maureen — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 20:17:45 +0000

There’s a really nice article in today’s Boston Globe about libraries receiving Serving Tweens and Teens grants. Eliza Langhans, YA Librarian at the Marlborough Public Library, is quoted throughout the story. Check it out! (Great job Eliza!)

Anastasia Goodstein: What Would Madison Avenue Do?

Maureen — Thu, 15 May 2008 15:32:05 +0000

Anastasia Goodstein, who presented an awesome workshop for us last fall, has a great article in the May 2008 issue of School Library Journal on attracting teens to the library. She points out that teens expect content on demand, and cautions librarians from trying too hard to be cool. She even has some tips for things you should know if you’re over 30!

Read the full story at: http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6555544.html

Berklee & Essence team up for teen songwriting contest

Maureen — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 12:23:21 +0000

Do you have aspiring songwriters at your library? They should definitely check out this contest! It’s for teens ages 15-19 who are unsigned songwriters and/or producers. The deadline to submit their original songs is March 10, 2008. Judging will be based on innovative lyrics that convey a positive message, as well as melody and composition.

And get this, winners will attend the 2008 Berklee Five-Week Summer Performance Program (July 12–August 15), which immerses students in performance, music theory, and music technology, with electives focused on songwriting, music synthesis, and music business. Two of the three winners will receive the grand prize of a full scholarship, including tuition and room and board (each valued at $6,930). The second-place winner will receive a tuition-only scholarship (valued at $4,130). These three winners will also perform at the 2008 Peace Hip-Hop Festival on August 2 at Boston’s City Hall Plaza.

Here are the details:

Essence’s Take Back the Music campaign and Berklee College of Music are again looking for the next generation of hip-hop stars. Since 2005, Take Back the Music has examined the ways in which black women are depicted in popular music and videos. The campaign continues to promote balance in mainstream hip-hop’s messages, and remains the inspiration behind the third songwriting contest.

Entry forms and contest details are posted at Essence.com/takebackthemusic and Berklee.edu.