These days it seems like school librarians are under attack, if not already an endangered species. After eight years of the No Child Left Behind Act--which, paradoxically, chipped away at many library positions--recent state and local budget shortfalls have led to rounds and rounds of layoffs for school librarians. While things are tough in the…

Fully 57 percent of youth online watch videos, according to a Pew Internet & American Life study. And more and more are creating and sharing clips of their own making. With online engagement such an integral part of their world, Washington state's King County Library System (KCLS) decided to meet kids on their own turf by launching…

HomeworkNYC Apps is a suite of tools designed to provide around-the-clock help to the estimated 1.3 million children and teens served by the libraries of New York City. Aimed at being a one-stop shop for all things homework related, the HomeworkNYC website offers access to library catalogs and databases, browsable subject guides, and even…

A revolution in media has sparked an explosion of information, thanks largely to the Internet. Despite the apparent gains in diversity of perspective and ease of access to information, the concern over the reliability of sources extends particularly to youth consumers and their ability to decipher the truth amidst this vast array of media…

Toys don't belong in the library. That's probably what some people still think. But the author's library outside Philadelphia was having such a hard time attracting boys who had outgrown storytime that he and his colleagues decided to try something new. So his school started a Lego club. Since their June 2008 kickoff, they've been amazed by how…

The kids at Louisa May Alcott School were more into Flamin' Hot Cheetos and nachos than frisee and couscous. That is, until Greg Christian got to them. Exactly three years ago, the chef known as Chicago's conscious caterer decided to share his gastronomic talents with the city's low-income children. So he took his pilot program straight to the…

It's not always easy to get teens talking. But when the author became a young adult specialist at the Wilbraham (Massachusetts) Public Library four years ago, that's exactly what she had to do. Her main mission was to bring in as many high schoolers as possible. She needed to find out exactly what they wanted from the library. when she asked them…

This article presents and discusses a 3-D online environment known as Teen Second Life. TSL is a virtual environment geared just for youth, ages 13-17. Its social appeal is huge, especially for teens who are developmentally inclined to seek out the company of their peers. In TSL one can meet friends or make new ones, hang out, listen to music and…

Since launching in 1999, National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo, has grown from a band of 21 overcaffeinated friends, as founder Chris Baty calls them, to the more than 119,000 hopeful writers who joined in 2008. While most participants simply want to finish, 36 novels begun through NaNoWriMo have been published, according to its Web site,…

Describes how several libraries are encouraging children to participate in summer reading programs by bringing them to childcare and recreation centers. Discusses reaching out to teenagers; starting a program and gauging summer reading program participation in the community; and securing funding and partnerships. (AEF)

Presents six ideas to improve public libraries' summer reading programs. Highlights include creating Web sites; marketing directly to parents rather than to schools through direct mail and collaborative promotion; statewide cooperative programs; the use of teen volunteers; scratch-off game cards; and off-site programs. (LRW)

Describes how family literacy programs help increase adult literacy levels, broaden reading skills for children, and foster good reading habits for all family members. The recipients of Bell Atlantic/American Library Association Family Literacy Project grants are listed, their programs are summarized, and 11 clues that can help determine a…

Each weekday when school let out, the Queens Library at Far Rockaway--a branch of the Queens Library in New York City--would fill with nearly 100 teens. Drawn by the public-use computers, many others, who had dropped out of school, would also crowd in. To invoke a cliche, the situation was both an opportunity and a challenge. The popularity of the…

The reading patterns and habits of young and old are changing as reading migrates from the printed page to the computer screen. Now, new forms of expression such as remixes and mash-ups are emerging from interactive digital environments. How can school librarians help students read with understanding in dynamic digital environments? How can they…

The Youth Services Director of the Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County, NC, has involved the community in encouraging children to read with summer reading programs, story-telling festivals, author and illustrator visits to schools, family reading programs for babies through kindergartners, and a year-round middle school reading…