I hope those of you with teenage patrons are gearing up for Teen Tech Week, March 4-10, 2012. For more information check out YALSA's Geek Out@Your Library page.

Over the holiday break no less!!!  Check it out at Deb Marshall's blog. All you YA lit lovers can sign up and participate and maybe one of us can tweak it into an activity for the far north next year!!  I'm sure intrigued and see a book in her TBR (to be read) pile that I heard about just last  week....Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu that I might be inspired to go find at Gullivers or B & N and read for the event! I could get a Kindle version and start tonight but then how would I be able to loan it or donate it to a local library??                             Katie

Here is a list to share with your parents for the holiday season. You may want to even add a few to your next book order!!      Katie

Take a look at the five finalists for YALSA's best non-fiction for young adults. The winner will be announced January 23rd during ALA's Midwinter Meeting in Dallas.

While this was done at a public library I think this project has great potential for a collaborative writing project or for a family night. Read this article at the Luxegen Geneology and Family History site called "Kids Climb the Family Tree" about an hour long workshop done with 8-10 year olds at the Calgary Public Library and see if you don't think it is something easily adapted for use in our schools.
Katie

Just want you all to be aware of some of the outreach programs being offered by the folks at UAF through their Student and Enrollment Services Office. It looks like they have programs for a variety of ages geared at encouraging students to think ahead to college...starting as young as the primary grades. Not a bad idea really. I found out about this when I was asked what I knew about a book called "I Know I Can" that was being distributed to some of our 2nd graders. Apparently alumni and community volunteers visit classes, read the book and talk about their jobs and various career options. There are other programs for 5th and 6th graders, middle school and high school students as well. For contact information visit the web page.     Katie

_I bet some of your female Hunger Games fans will find this site a lot of fun. There are ten to twelve different interpretations by famous fashion designers of the "fire dress" which Cinna designs for Katniss Everdeen when she is first presented in the Games Arena.

This NPR article titled "Libraries Make Room For High-Tech 'Hackerspaces" speaks to where many see libraries moving in the future. No longer are libraries warehouses for information in print format (books, magazines) but they are becoming spaces to not only access but create new information.  While this article describes public library settings try to envision what this might look like in a school library world.

According to a very informal survey done on LM_Net the site used by 54% of the respondents for finding book trailers is Book Trailers For All which is abbreviated BTFA. The second most popular source, clear down at 21%, is YouTube. If you haven't made use of this site you might want to check it out!      Katie

The YALSA blog The Hub has a post, by Sharon Rawlins, about African-American graphic novels that secondary schools might want to look into. Interesting cross section of fiction and non-fiction titles including a number of award winners.