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Article: How to transform your teenager from a reluctant reader to avid bookworm in five steps by By Inga Stünzner. 19 Feb 2018.

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Posted February 19, 2018 07:39:17

What do you do when your child has reached adolescence and suddenly shudders at the thought of reading for pleasure?

Is there anything a parent can do?

There is plenty, according to Margaret Merga from Curtin University, but it is important to understand why children turn away from reading for fun in the first place.

It is a phenomenon Dr Merga called "expired expectation".

"When I spoke to teenagers they often spoke about a point where they acquired the skill to read independently and there was a withdrawal of expectation that they would continue to do that for pleasure or for fun beyond that," she said.

It was something both parents and teachers did.

"If we really want out teenagers to continue to read, we really need to be careful not to transmit the idea to them that once they know how to read it's not something they need to do anymore," she said.
According to Dr Merga, there are five steps parents can take to encourage their teenagers to read:

Step 1: Keep reading aloud to your kids

At the same time that parents and teachers withdrew their expectation, parents tended to stop reading aloud, Dr Merga discovered in recent research.

"Interestingly, in talking to a lot of children and teenagers, reading aloud at home with mum and dad often ended a lot sooner than they wanted it to and it was something that they missed," she said.

"They missed it from that social perspective - that shared, one-on-one time - that enjoying of a book together.

"And they also missed it on a skill level perspective."

So keep reading to your child until they tell you to stop.

Step 2: Choose books they like

Find ways to connect their reading to what they do in other leisure pursuits.

"You can get an idea of what genres might appeal to your young people by looking at what they value in their lives," Dr Merga said.

For example, if a young person is into playing fantasy games on their electronic device, then suggest they read the Deltora Quest which follows a fantasy story line.

Like adults, however, children's tastes would change as they get older, she said.

"A lot of us have attitudes to reading that change over time, so it's a matter of keeping abreast of what our young people like to read," she said.

Step 3: Limit access to electronics

In research published late last year, Dr Merga looked at whether or not electronic devices that young people had influenced their reading frequency.

"We actually found the more devices young people had in their possession and had regular access to, the less likely they were to be reading books for pleasure."

Even e-books.

While there are some people who preferred to read an e-book because they could get quicker and easier access to books, most young people preferred print books when reading for pleasure because they liked the tactile variations, Dr Merga said.

And there are fewer distractions.

"Some of the children we interviewed talked about the distraction, saying how easy it was going from reading an e-book on an iPad, you're still getting notifications while you're reading, so having your Pavlovian responses to those," she said.

"A lot of adults can relate to that as well."

Step 4: Make time and space to read

If you want your teenager to read, give them time and space to do so.

We often under-estimated their commitments - school work, extra-curricular activities, work and a social life - and they did not always have time to read for pleasure, Dr Merga said.

"I think as parents, it's important that we encourage them to apportion some time to reading, that we make them aware that the literacy benefits are really strong and will give them an advantage," she said.

"Give them access to the books they like and ensure they're in the home.

"Give them space to read."

Step 5: Be a role model

Make sure your children see you reading.

Often we waited until the kids had gone to bed and then we read for pleasure, Dr Merga said, but make sure you read when they can see you.

"One child I spoke to in upper primary said their dad expected them to read but they never saw him do it," she said.

"I think we need to avoid seeming hypocritical if we want our children to read into adulthood."

So where can you start with some great reads to tickle your teens interest?

Ann-Maree Dyer is a librarian who specialises in children's literature.
Here are her top five books to get your teen started back on the path to reading-for-fun:
Lockie Leonard - legend by Tim Winton

This is the story of 14-year-old Lockie Lennard, who lives in a Western Australian town and echoes the story of Winton's early life.

"It was published in 1997 but it still resonates with readers of all ages," Ms Dyer said.

Lockie must deal with a family that is quite different - his mum is alternative, his dad is the local cop, his younger brother is discovering girls for the first time, and he has a little sister to contend with.

Lockie has to step up.

"It does have a deeper side because his mum is not really coping with the birth of her little baby and Lockie doesn't recognise the signs that she's quite depressed," Ms Dyer said.

"There are more and more books covering these gritty themes in different ways.

"Some of them are quite dark, I guess, but I love the humour that Tim Winton brings into this series."

The perks of being a wallflower by Stephen Chobsky

This follows "wallflower" Charlie as he navigates his way through the strange world between adolescence and adulthood - first dates, family dramas, new friends, young love and loss.

"It's a cross-over into high school," Ms Dyer said.

Princess diaries by Meg Cabot

This has been made into a series of films tracking the adventures of teenager Mia Thermopolis.

"Meg Cabot's been around for a while," Ms Dyer said.

"This series is lots and lots of fun about being young and female and trying to break into the in-group."

Does my head look big in this? by Randa Abdel-Fattah

Sixteen-year-old Amal decides to wear the hijab full-time and her entire world changes because of this.

"This is an Australian book from a multicultural perspective and it's lots of fun as well," Ms Dyer said.

Diary of a 6th grade ninja by Marcus Emerson

This book tracks the trials and tribulations of Chase Cooper as he moves to a new school.

He knows no one but his cousin.

"If you have someone who's in sixth grade and is in command of the whole primary school, then Diary of a 6th grade ninja is for them," Ms Dyer suggested.

"Lots and lots of fun, and just covers those bridging years where things are a bit different and you don't know where your place is in the world with family or at school."

Topics: books-literature, family-and-children, parenting, education, rockhampton-4700

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Five ways to transform your teenager into an avid bookworm

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Posted February 19, 2018 07:39:17 What do you do when your child has reached adolescence and suddenly shudders at the thought of reading for pleasure? Is there anything a parent can do? There is plenty, according to Margaret Merga from Curtin University, but it is important to understand why children turn away from reading for fun in the first place.

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Article: How to get teenagers to read by Margaret Kristin Merga, Murdoch University. June 22, 2015

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Reading for pleasure has proven benefits in other areas of academic and vocational life. Sophie/Flickr

Children are heartily encouraged to read in their early years of school. However, once students have mastered this skill and they move from learning to read, to reading to learn, the role of pleasure in the activity can be forgotten.

If reading is just seen as a tool for learning, the will to read may not be fostered in young people. Recreational book reading involves voluntary reading for pleasure, and research suggests that students in Australia and internationally are reading less over time.

Why is reading important?

Regular recreational book reading is one of the easiest ways for a student to continue developing their literacy skills. The ability to read fluently is by no means the end of development of literacy skills.

Reading for pleasure has been associated with a range of benefits, including achievement across a range of literacy outcomes, with literacy levels linked to advantages for academic and vocational prospects. Regular recreational reading also offers benefits for cognitive stamina and resistance to cognitive decline, the development of empathy, and even achievement in other subjects, including mathematics.

What is aliteracy?

While much of the discussion around reading is concerned with skill acquisition, which usually (but not always) occurs during the early years of schooling, there is little focus on will acquisition, where students who have developed the skill to read continue to choose to do so.

Students with the skill to read, but without this will, are deemed aliterate. They exclude themselves from the range of benefits conferred by regular reading, perhaps without ever understanding the consequences of their recreational choices.

The West Australian Study in Adolescent Book Reading (WASABR) examined adolescent attitudes to reading and how often they do it, as well as how teachers, schools and parents can contribute to supporting it. The WASABR found that the most common reason for infrequent reading was related to preference for other recreational activities.

Whose job is it to encourage teen reading?

Teachers and parents may cool off in encouragement once students have demonstrated that they can read. Research suggests that adolescent aliteracy may be inadvertently perpetuated by withdrawn encouragement from both parents and teachers.

Lettuce/Flickr, CC BY

Parents may assume that once the skill of reading has been acquired, their job is complete. They may assume the role of encouraging further literacy development lies with the school.

Teachers may struggle to find time to encourage reading within the demands of a crowded curriculum, which focuses on reading skill, without recognising the role that reading for pleasure plays in fostering reading skills. The WASABR study sought to provide insight into how teachers and parents can successfully continue to encourage recreational book reading into the teen years.

What can teachers and parents do to encourage regular reading?

Take students to the school or community library and encourage them to take self-selected reading materials home

don't curtail reading aloud to young people at secondary level - this practice is enjoyed by teens, too

explicitly teach strategies for choosing books - don't assume that this has been learned in primary school

be a model - read and show an interest in reading

find out what your young people like to read so that you can connect them with books of interest to them

talk about books in class or at home, not limiting the discussion to course texts

allow and encourage an aesthetic response - love characters, loathe characters, give up on books halfway through, re-read favourite books. Share what it means to be a passionate reader

communicate the value of the practice by putting aside class time or time at home for reading books for pleasure

finally, don't assume that equipping them with an e-reader will automatically lead to increased engagement in reading. Research does not yet support the popular contention that young people prefer using e-readers. Thus continuing to provide access to paper books is important.

There may be confusion about what to read to experience literacy benefits. Books are the text type most consistently associated with literacy benefit; neither comics nor web pages have been associated with the same level of benefit at present.

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Children are heartily encouraged to read in their early years of school. However, once students have mastered this skill and they move from learning to read, to reading to learn, the role of pleasure in the activity can be forgotten.

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Article: National Simultaneous Storytime 2018. Dominique Russell. 23 May 2018.

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Australian Council for Educational Research - ACER

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Today is National Simultaneous Storytime (NSS), where students across the country will read Hickory Dickory Dash - a picture book written by Tony Wilson and illustrated by Laura Wood - simultaneously at 11 am.

NSS is now in its 18th year and is organised by the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA). The event aims to promote literacy, the fun of books, and Australian writers and publishers.

Promoting a reading culture

Not all the schools participating this year cater to primary-aged students. Kimbra Weeks, a teacher librarian from Hobart College in Tasmania, has been encouraging students at her secondary school to participate in the event since 2015.

'Part of the reason I think it's important for secondary schools to do it, is it's one way to promote a reading culture in the school. It raises the awareness of literature and reading aloud. It also promotes collegiality with the teachers,' Weeks tells Teacher.

One of the reasons Hobart College get involved is because Weeks doesn't see picture books as something only for small children. 'I think picture books are for everybody ... it's one of those things where you can encourage participation right across. It doesn't really matter what sector you're in.'

Hobart College is a secondary school for Years 11 and 12. Because the time of the event coincides perfectly with the school's once-a-week pastoral care program, Weeks says the College has the opportunity to get up to 55 classes involved.

'It's inclusive of everybody ... I think it is good pastoral care also because the students can probably see the library staff in a different role ... we then connect to the students as well. Library staff often have more difficulty with that because we don't see the students quite as regularly.'

The way Hobart College students have participated over the years has varied. In their first year, the College had students organise a reading theatre. In other years, teachers have organised different activities in their own classroom. Some have chosen to read the book to their class by projecting it on a smartboard, other classes have grouped together to read, and some students read a hard copy in the library.

Schools, libraries and other organisations across the country also participate in various ways - some simply reading the book aloud, some watching videos, and others dressing up or putting on a drama performance. One year, Weeks hopes to have the principal read the NSS book over the school's loud speaker system.

Older and younger students reading together

Another way to get involved in NSS would be to link up with other schools in the area, says Weeks. 'You could take your secondary school students to a primary school, or you could bring primary school students to your secondary school [to read the book together].'

As for facilitating the school's participation activities each year, Weeks says having the assistance and encouragement of other staff members is vital. 'I have the support of my principal and that makes such a difference because she is on board with promoting it, she's on board with participating, she's totally supportive of whatever we do.

'The first year I set this up I had a supportive English teacher ... so having a supportive colleague that is a classroom teacher [who] can fit [NSS] into their curriculum also works well.'

She adds that it's not only English teachers who are eager to participate - of her most supportive colleagues, one is a Maths teacher and another a PE teacher.

For the first time this year, New Zealand will also be participating in NSS. Last year saw a record number of participants: approximately 686 324 people reading at 11 am.
Is your preschool or primary school participating in National Simultaneous Storytime today? Do you run a range of activities during NSS? Let us know what you're up to via Facebook or Twitter.
How do you work with other members of staff to foster a reading culture in your school? How often do you promote Australian writers and illustrators?

What strategies and programs do you use to encourage students to read for fun?

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Today is National Simultaneous Storytime, where the same picture book will be read by schools and libraries across the country at the same time. Here, a teacher librarian from Hobart College speaks to Teacher about why her secondary school is participating in the event.

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Article: Using social networking to connect teens with young adult literature by Janet Hilburn, April 29, 2013.

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by Janet Hilburn on April 29, 2013

Connecting teens to literature, one of the many jobs of a youth services librarian, means meeting teens where they are--and they are online. Using social networking Web 2.0 technologies enables librarians to offer teens the services they want and need in an online environment, thus enhancing traditional teen services.

Connecting teens to reading has always been a goal of young adult librarians, and youth services librarians often function as intermediaries between teens and reading. Although many of these librarians believe that teens "just don't read anymore," research has proved this assumption false-teens do read. They may not be reading books, but they are reading. ¹ In fact, research shows that teens read constantly-text messages, e-mail, MySpace and Facebook, magazines, instant messages, websites, required school reading, and books. Even teens who say they are non-readers or do not like to read spend a great deal of each day actually reading. ² A role of the librarian thus becomes finding ways of connecting young adults and literature with the technology they immerse themselves in during their daily lives.

Libraries and librarians meet this challenge in a number of ways, both traditionally and by using Web 2.0 technologies. Aside from the typical teen book club, summer reading contests, teen library advisory boards, game nights, booktalks, and contests, librarians promote reading with library webpages; video book reUsingviews or book trailers; online book clubs or literature circles; Second Life and other 3D social worlds; blogs; book sharing sites such as Shelfari, Goodreads, or LibraryThing; RSS feeds and Tweeting; and, of course, social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace. Each of these tools can be used to connect teens to YA literature.

With more young adults using the Internet rather than the library for research-both for school projects and personal information3-it becomes obvious that "if librarians want to attract young adults to their collections and services, they must become integral members of the online community. Furthermore, library webpages must address the needs of young adults on many levels-academic, social, and recreational." ⁴

While developing library webpages is relatively simple, getting teen "buy-in" to the site often proves difficult. It takes time to launch a site and even more time to keep it updated and maintained. Though some libraries use their teen advisory boards to help with this maintenance, more often the youth services librarian has responsibility for the site because many library administrators worry about teens adding unapproved or inappropriate content or accessing confidential library information such as circulation records. ⁵

Many of these websites serve mainly informational purposes by promoting books and reading; providing homework help and reference services; announcing library events; giving links to community resources; and access to recreational activities such as games, music, and e-zines--but a large number of websites also provide space for teens to publish reviews, write, and interact with other teens.6 Designing teen-friendly websites that connect teens to YA literature involves more than just deciding what information to make available and providing ways for teens to publish and interact with each other. Teen users are discriminating and expect ease of use as well as useful information and an attractive design. If at all possible, teens should be involved with designing the website and choosing its content. Most library teen websites include reviews of books, book trailers, lists of new books, and links to different award winners. Some websites include an instant messaging feature with the teen services librarian staying logged on during work hours. Other websites link to blogs or a teen space on Facebook or MySpace where teens can discuss what they are reading. The following elements should be considered when designing youth webpages:

Do not overload your page with graphics and image maps that do not contribute in some way to the information on the page.

Organize the material on your page into logical, clearly marked sections.

Annotate all the sites you include on the page, describing what the patron will find upon clicking the given link. Make sure the URL is posted so that the page can be printed for further reference.

Link to your library's subscription databases and provide extensive annotations for each source.

Include local resources that a teen might not find anywhere else.

Include information about upcoming programming or how teens can become involved with volunteering or on a teen advisory board.

Create a place for teens to submit their own writing, including reviews of books, websites, video and computer games.⁷

The Allen County (Ind.) Public Library has a teen page that includes many ways of connecting teens with literature. Photos of new book titles link to the catalog and are further linked to LibraryThing for reviews and tagging. Patrons have a link to make their own comments and post reviews. The library also sponsors a Facebook page where teen patrons can post comments about books, movies, and library contests such as a Book Trailer Contest sponsored by the library. The teen interface is almost a cross between a blog and a typical webpage with links to other blogs included. Another example of an exemplary teen library webpage is at the Berkeley (Calif.) Public Library, which provides many avenues for teens to connect with YA literature. It has a well-developed blog with several discussion threads, including a place for teens to post reviews and comment on books. Tags also provide links to different book reviews and discussion threads. The teen homepage of the Columbus (Ohio) Metropolitan Library is graphic and well thought-out with links to homework help, a blog, games, fun things to do, book reviews, and book trailers. Teens must register for the interactive portions of the blog and the "Express It" page and sign an agreement to abide by the site use guidelines. Librarians are also available for scheduled live chats.

While many other libraries have well-developed teen pages that serve as gateways to connecting teens with literature, libraries, and each other, a recent review of U.S. public library teen webpages ⁸ shows two common problems. Many of them have not been updated in days, weeks, or months--obviously a large deterrent to teen usage of these pages. Also, even the wonderfully well-designed, well-thought out, and up-to-date pages had few teens participating in the social networking venues--a problem that is much more difficult to overcome and highlights a crucial issue. Without active teen participation, libraries can have little success in using social networking tools to connect teens to YA literature.

Over the past few years, blogs have become easier to create and the number available on the Internet has skyrocketed. The blog entries, usually brief and arranged chronologically on the page, have a way for readers to comment on the postings, which may or may not involve registering or signing up in order to get a password to post comments. According to Adam Singer of The Future Buzz, ⁹ 60 percent of people ages 18 to 44 blog, and there are more than 200 million blogsavailable online. Because of the technological savvy of most teens, blogs can be an informal way of reaching teens and connecting them to books.

According to Braun, "Teens read blogs to keep up with topics of interest, including technology, world news, and gossip. They read blogs written by friends and favorite authors. This reading is a way to collect information, find out about the world, and learn how people think and live." ¹⁰ For many, reading blogs is very similar to reading magazines as far as the types of information they are interested in learning. ¹¹

More and more library teen pages include blogs.12 Most of these blogs include book reviews and other content to connect teens with books. Instead of or in addition to creating their own YA book blogs, libraries can link their websites to some of these preexisting resources.

One very attractive and active book blog created by teens is 3 Evil Cousins: Book Reviews 4 and by Teens. This blog includes the following mission statement:

Our Mission . . . or whatever. Hello and welcome to 3 Evil Cousins, where we plan to bring you reviews, interviews, and the occasional essay written by teens and for teens. Try out our new chat feature, let us know what you're reading or what books you can't wait for, and get in on our evil plot to make YA into the biggest section of the bookstore. Truly, yours! The Evil Ones. ¹³

An outstanding teen blog site designed by adults but dedicated to having teens read and write reviews is Flamingnet Book Reviews. It was begun by Seth Cassal in 2002 when he was a fifth-grader and his father posted his reviews for him. Publishers began sending Cassal books to review and he enlisted other students to contribute. Now his reviewers come from forty-four states in the United States, as well as from England and Australia. Readers can post comments to any review, join community discussions on selected books, or become part of the blog's Facebook community.

Jennifer Hubert's Reading Rants: Out of the Ordinary Teen Booklists, an adult written blog about teen literature that also invite teens to participate, has been a web presence since 1998. In 2008, it became interactive with teens commenting on the reviewed books. The blog includes a link to other blogs.

Young adult authors have also discovered that blogs provide a way to reach teens. Many YA author blogs or websites simply contain contact information so that readers can send letters; however, a number of them are interactive with multiple ways for readers to connect with the authors. Laurie Halse Anderson has a blog where she shares her blog posts and enables teens to comment on them. Libba Bray's blog uses an easy conversational style and highlights her personality with its repeated image of a red Converse tennis shoe. The blog contains links to YouTube videos and her Twitter page. As with most author blogs, it allows comments from fans, and most of her postings receive many comments. Scott Westerfeld, an author who has gone out of his way to make his blog connect to YA readers, not only has a forum for discussing, but has also instituted live meet-up sessions where readers can join him for chats. The blog includes links to his Facebook and Twitter pages.

Blogs rule as far as connecting teens to literature because most allow for participation in the reading, reviewing, and commenting process. Attractive blog design-as well as the popularity of the author and the topic--tends to be the key to connecting with teens. Providing links to excellent blogs benefits both the teen and the library as blogs promote literacy and writing skills while also promoting library resources.

As members of the YouTube generation, today's teens are not only consumers of online videos but creators as well. Hundreds of millions of people both watch and post videos on YouTube and other sites such as TeacherTube. Video book trailers posted on these sites, as well as on library websites, blogs, author pages, and publisher websites are numerous. Many are professionally designed and are works of art, but many others have been created by teens for school assignments, contests, or just the love of a book.

The publisher-designed book trailers provide professionally produced book introductions. Usually narrated by the author of the featured selection, the artwork and quality are superb and can be found with a YouTube search by book title. The publisher websites provide links to some of the videos, but generally these trailers are easier to find through YouTube title searches. Some publishers, such as Simon & Schuster, have their own YouTube pages. Libraries can link their websites to these videos to promote featured and popular YA titles.

Typing in a book title on these sites yields trailers and reviews produced by both publishers and readers. While many are school assignments, many more show a teenager's love for a book. Other sites such as Bookscreening.com and Booktrailers.net also provide venues for book trailers and these often link to YouTube videos. Mark Geary of Dakota State University has a webpage, Movies for Literacy, which has an extensive number of book trailers produced by students and featuring a range of YA titles, especially classics and required school reading. Schooltube.com provides a venue for safe posting of book trailers, although this site is rather cumbersome to wade through. Trailer Spy, a relative newcomer to the book trailer websites, offers a wide variety of trailers and commentary on young adult novels.

Librarians can foster teen participation in the creation of book trailers by providing a place to post videos and sponsoring contests with prizes and screenings. Other libraries embed YouTube videos in their websites or provide links to YouTube or other video site book trailers rather than having teens or library staff members create their own.

A book club or reading group is a collection of readers who participate in a regular discussion of books, usually an assigned title. Traditionally these clubs meet in a room with a small number of members. Moving book clubs to digital interfaces helps to meet teens where they are-online--and work similarly to online distance education classes. Members must enroll and everyone reads the same book. The moderator posts questions and discussion starters, and club members join for asynchronous discussion or for live chats. Online book clubs have several advantages over the traditional form, especially when the club has an asynchronous component and readers do not have to meet at a certain time. These clubs provide readers more of a chance to find a group tailored to special reading interests or genres because membership is not limited by physical location. On the other hand, participants miss the intimacy of face-to-face social interaction.

Various platforms exist for mounting online book clubs--websites, blogs, interfaces such as Yahoo! or Google groups, or e-mail discussion groups. Generally these groups are open to the public, and anyone can join. Libraries, though, tend to prefer "safer" online environments. Moodle is a popular, free, open-source software used to manage book clubs and discussion groups.

Because only registered user can access a Moodle-based book club environment, the book club leader can monitor membership and participation. The software allows for asynchronous discussions, synchronous or real-time chats, and profile spaces, and can be easily accessed from computers with Internet connections. ¹⁴ Unlike other interfaces that allow book clubs more time for discussion to occur, Moodle users tend to limit the club to a certain period of time and a specific book.

Online book clubs take time to manage, especially if using an open web-based forum rather than a closed forum with limited access. The librarian must set up the interface, choose the book(s), and find participants. Book club discussions require frequent monitoring and the book club site needs to be kept current. The monitor or leader needs to be responsive and post frequently. Fostering additional ways for interaction also helps--places for participants to post reviews and suggest books for further discussion, as well as ways to take quizzes or answer discussion questions. An attractively designed interface is also important.

Many public libraries, such as the Pierce County (Wash.) Library System, offer an interesting adaptation of library book clubs. Starting on Monday, participants receive an e-mail with a five-minute segment of a book so that by the end of the week, two or three chapters have been distributed. The moderator invites guest hosts to share favorite books, but the forum does not allow for much discussion. These libraries use the subscription service DearReader as their book club interface. DearReader e-mails the same books to all of the participating libraries.

The San Jose (Calif.) Public Library uses LibraryThing as the interface for its teen library club. Teens join LibraryThing, post their books, and then join a discussion group forum that is open to any teen. Asynchronous in nature, it allows for the simultaneous discussion of several books.

Literature circles, while similar to book clubs or book discussion groups, tend to be part of an academic or classroom environment and are usually more structured and formal than book clubs. According to Hill, Noe, and Johnson:

In literature circles, small groups of students gather together to discuss a piece of literature in depth. The discussion is guided by students' response to what they have read. You may hear talk about events and characters in the book, the author's craft, or personal experiences related to the story. Literature circles provide a way for students to engage in critical thinking and reflection as they read, discuss, and respond to books. Collaboration is at the heart of this approach. Students reshape and add onto their understanding as they construct meaning with other readers. Finally, literature circles guide students to deeper understanding of what they read through structured discussion and extended written and artistic response. ¹⁵

Many teachers and school districts are experimenting with the online environment for literature circles. The San Antonio (Tex.) Independent School District has a well-structured program of online literature circles with classes from across the United States joining and pairing up with similar classes. They use Moodle to host the circles because of child safety concerns. While traditional literature circles tend to be done through the classroom, this might be an additional or alternate way for public libraries to partner with schools.

Book-sharing social networks are a relatively new addition to the Internet. LibraryThing began in 2005, and Shelfari and Goodreads launched in late 2006. These sites combine several social networking technologies. Besides creating a showcase for books, they allow for tagging, sharing, forming or joining groups, reviewing, and rating books. Many libraries use these social networking sites as a restricted platform for their book clubs, but there are also groups that anyone can join. Membership is free, and all three of these networks are easy to join.

While the three sites are similar, there are some differences. Goodreads purports to be the largest of the three with "more than 3,000,000 members who have added more than 80,000,000 books to their shelves."16 It is relatively easy to navigate and offers authors a space to join and promote their books in the form of a Goodreads webpage and blog where readers can post comments. Authors such as Neil Gaiman, Sarah Dessen, Laurie Halse Anderson, and Tamora Pierce are some of the popular teen authors on Goodreads. The site provides several options for sorting author pages including popularity, books authored, last name, last online, or books on your personal shelf. Libraries or individuals can download a widget to link Goodreads to their library for ease in using this as a book club or book discussion site. Goodreads organizes groups by category to make it easier to view how other libraries have set up their groups. Groups can be either public or private.

Shelfari, similar to Goodreads, allows for shelving and sharing books. Forming new discussion groups is easy, but to join private groups, readers must be invited. A librarian could easily handle this by having a sign-up on the library webpage and then "inviting" interested participants. While authors do not have webpages, author profiles can be posted and edited in a wiki-style platform. Shelfari also has a blog to promote new books and good reading.

LibraryThing rivals Goodreads in size. It allows participants to catalog up to two hundred books for free, but it charges for any additional books. Unlike Goodreads and Shelfari, it has a "Zeitgeist" overview page with numerous interesting statistics about LibraryThing: largest "libraries," most reviewed books, authors on LibraryThing, most popular tags, number of users, number of books reviewed, and so on. Readers can join the author pages, which will link them to profiles of fans and an author page provides links to the authors' other websites and Twitter pages.

Libraries can use these book sharing social networking platforms in two ways. They can set up their own book clubs and link members to them through their library webpages or they can recommend existing groups for their teens to join. While all three sites have ways to search for groups, all are rather cumbersome to use, and users must join the site to sign up for a group.

Another use for these platforms would be to have teens use them to post their own reviews and bookshelves and to invite each other to be friends and share books. This way is less formal, but can be time consuming for the librarian who would monitor the posts. On the other hand, it can be done without having a librarian run the group.

The use of social networking sites, such as Facebook and MySpace, has grown phenomenally over the past decade. Not only do individuals join and create personal homepages, libraries and other groups also construct their own pages. In early 2010, Facebook and MySpace still ranked as the top social networking sites, ¹⁷ but hundreds of online social networks exist. Because Facebook and MySpace are the most popular-and because teens are so involved with using these sites-librarians, authors, and publishers often find they are tailor-made for reaching out to teens.

More so than the other social networking technologies, sites such as MySpace and Facebook offer a great deal of versatility, but they also raise more concerns. For one thing, both of these venues have a minimum age of thirteen in order to join and post a profile. Because the actual age of account holders cannot be monitored, many participants lie about their age and do not meet the minimum age requirement. ¹⁸ The challenge thus becomes how to use these popular social networking technologies while not exposing young adults to anything dangerous.

The versatility of these sites-and the fact that there is no charge for use--makes them popular for connecting teens to literature. This can be accomplished in several ways. Many libraries have Facebook and MySpace pages to announce events, post titles of new book arrivals, and share reviews. People can sign up as fans, often without joining the networks. A large number of popular teen authors have a presence on both Facebook and MySpace. Readers can join as fans, but to receive status reports and posts, users need to be members of the sites. Readers can also search the sites by book titles and find discussion forums for specific titles as well as links to authors. Popular books such as Suzanne Collins' Catching Fire and Stephenie Meyer's Twilight have multiple discussions groups available. To join, though, you must be a member of the site. Both Facebook and MySpace enable any member to form a group. These groups can be made public or private, so a library can set up a discussion group just for invited members. A blog feature also adds ways for individuals or groups to have discussions.

As far as features available on the two sites, there is not a great deal of difference. MySpace has more blatant advertising and a more cluttered look than Facebook. MySpace also posts pictures on its homepage, many of which are overtly provocative and which may be off-putting to some parents who monitor their teens' online activities. Facebook has a cleaner, simpler look, although it also has ads. MySpace allows for personalizing the homepage while Facebook has a generic format. Neither one is particularly easy to navigate when looking for an already organized group unless the name of the group is known. Librarians should explore the features of both before deciding which best fits their needs and should ask their teen patrons which platform they would prefer to use or already use.

Ning is an online platform for people to create their own social networks, and it competes with Facebook and MySpace for users who want to create their own special interest groups. Use of the site can be free or fee-based depending on whether the group wants to allow or control the advertisements that are part of the free group hosting. YA author John Green's Nerdfighters is one of the largest groups on Ning. While aesthetically rather busy, group moderators or creators can control membership in Ning groups and can activate optional features such as an activity feed, RSS feeds, photos and videos, a chat feature, a discussion forum, invitations to new members, and blogs for every member. The main issue with Ning is that searching for groups with unknown names is difficult because no complete listing of the groups is provided.

As with other social networking applications, the main issues with Facebook, MySpace, and Ning use are time and attracting members. To be useful, a page needs to be updated regularly. Reaching young adult readers remains an issue. The library needs to make sure that not only is the group or page easy to access, but also that teens know that it is available so good PR becomes an important factor. Networking with school librarians, writing newsletter entries, posting on the main library webpage, advertising in local or school newspapers, and providing library signage in the areas where teens congregate can help spread the word.

Twitter allows people to stay connected via short messages delivered in multiple ways: cell phones, the Web, and instant messages. Posts are limited to 140 characters. According to the Twitter website, the purpose of Twitter messages is to answer the question "what's happening." Members can choose whose messages they will receive. The site also has a blog to keep users updated about what the site team considers important, and it is not necessary to sign up for Twitter to access the blog. The site links to Google Blogger for those who want to create their own blogs. Widgets, buttons, and applications are available for mobile phones and websites.

Many YA authors tweet and fans can sign up for the service and receive updates from favorite authors. While the site provides a list of authors and publishers, a name search finds even more authors. Sarah Dessen, Libba Bray, Cory Doctorow, and John Green are among the authors who use Twitter. Libraries could easily use Twitter to send information about programming and new books to teens. A link from the library webpage can enable teens to sign up to use this service. The main drawback, though, is that Twitter seems to be more popular with adults than with teens. While teen usage has grown since the site began, according to the New York Times only about 11 percent of users are ages twelve to eighteen. ¹⁹

Similarly, Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feeds provide a method to publish updated blog entries, headlines, videos, and so on in an easily accessible format. The feeds allow readers to subscribe to updates from popular websites and blogs. The user needs to download a reader or aggregator and then subscribe to a feed. This reader checks the user's feeds regularly for new entries and downloads the entries by sending them to the user's e-mail. For the webpage creator, enabling an RSS feed is also simple. Libraries can use RSS feeds to send subscribers updates on programming, new acquisitions, or reviews but the easily disseminated information may not attract users.

Second Life is a multi-user virtual environment (MUVE). While this technology has been around since 2003, most libraries have not adopted it as a form of building community or promoting reading. One exception is the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg (N.C.) (PLCM) which operated an island on Teen Second Life from 2006 to 2009 to "build community" in a technical environment and explore library services in a 3D space. ²⁰ However, the project ended in 2009 due to low patron participation.

While there are other less well-known MUVEs, Second Life has the advantage of having a separate space for teens ages thirteen to seventeen. All adults in Teen Second Life must pass a background check before being allowed on the "island" and cannot visit other islands on the teen grid. ²¹ Once a person joins, he or she creates an avatar who then lives in the Second Life environment. While in regular Second Life universes, residents develop a persona and spend money for goods, land, and services, in creating a new life. PLCM used Second Life not only for role playing, but also as a programming venue and for soliciting teen input on programming. Ideas for use included bringing in teen authors to make presentations via Second Life and staffing a virtual reference desk. ²²

Library uses for this technology are still in their infancy, but librarians who have the money to purchase an island, or who can partner with an agency who will fund it, have the opportunity to provide creative programming that can further connect teens to libraries and literature.

Web 2.0 and social networking technologies definitely have a place in connecting teens to literature, but "If we build it, will they come?" The answer is a resounding "maybe." Today's teens are technologically savvy and use these technologies in a variety of ways. Websites, blogs, YouTube, and social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook do support connecting teens to authors and literature, but they must be promoted, not just made available. While these are useful tools for librarians, without the personal connection of the library and the librarian to the teen patrons, they may not be successful in engaging teens. As a result, getting input from teens is essential to making successful use of these technologies for use in promoting YA literature.

The YA librarian needs to be a visible part of the use of these technologies so that the teens still feel that personal connection. Good design and frequent site updates are imperative. It is also necessary to meet the teens where they are - whether it is on a blog, a website, or a social network. Knowing the technologies teens use most frequently and using these as a guide to promote reading and literature is essential.

Gimmicks work. Teens like contests and winning prizes. Competitions for the best book trailer or blog entry are relatively easy to institute. Invite an author to join an online book group or book blog group for a chat. Many authors will do this for free as it does not involve travel. Have a book of the month promoted with a simple quiz that readers can take online; the winner of the random drawing from quiz takers gets a copy of the book.

Using social networking to promote books and reading to teens takes time and commitment as well as planning, but it can and does work. Most social networking technologies are free or inexpensive. Combining teens and their ideas, good books, interesting authors, and a creative librarian equals a recipe for success.

1. Linda Braun, "Hotspot: LOL@yourlibrary," Young Adult Library Services 5, no. 4 (Summer 2007): 38-40; Sandra Hughes-Hassell, "Developing a Leisure Reading Program that is Relevant and Responsive to the Lives of Urban Teenagers: Insights from Research" in Urban Teens in the Library, ed. Denise
E. Agosto and Sandra Hughes-Hassell (Chicago: ALA, 2010).

2. Hughes-Hassell, "Developing a Leisure Reading Program that is Relevant and Responsive to the Lives of Urban Teenagers," 1.

3. June Abbas, Melanie Kimball, George D'Elia, and Kay G. Bishop, "Public Libraries, the Internet and Youth: Part 1-Internet Access and Youths' Use of
the Public Library,"Public Libraries 46, no. 4 (July/Aug. 2007): 40-45.

4. Sandra Hughes-Hassell and Ericka Thickman Miller, "Public Library Web Sites for Young Adults: Meeting the Needs of Today's Teens Online," Library & Information Science Research 25, no. 2 (Summer 2003): 143-56.

5. Ibid., 150.

6. Ibid.

7. Michelle Gorman, Tricia Suellentrop, and Patrick Jones, Connecting Young Adults and Libraries, 3rd ed. (New York: Neal Schuman, 2004), 279.

8. Patrick Jones and Angela Pfeil, "Public Library YA Webpages for the Twenty-First Century," Young Adult Library Services 2, no. 2 (Spring 2004): 14-18.

9. Adam Singer, "70 Usable Stats from the 2009 State of the Blogosphere," accessed Apr. 26, 2011, http://thefuturebuzz.com/2009/12/10/blogging-stats-acts-data.

10. Braun, "Hotspot: LOL@yourlibrary," 1.

11. Ibid.

12. For a list of library blogs for teens, see www.libsuccess.org/index.php?title=Blogs_for_Teens. Any library hosting a blog for teens can post the link here.

13. 3 Evil Cousins: Book Reviews 4 and by Teens, accessed May 11, 2011, www.3evilcousins.blogspot.com.

14. Cassandra Scharber, "Online Book Clubs: Bridges Between Old and New Literacies Practices," Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy 52, no. 5 (Feb.2009): 433-37.

15. Bonnie Campbell, Katherine L. Schlick Noe, and Nancy J. Johnson, "Overview of Literature Circles," accessed Apr. 26, 2011, www.litcircles.org/Overview/overview.html.

16. Goodreads, "About Goodreads," accessed May 11, 2011, www.goodreads.com/about/us.

17. Mark Brooks, "Social Networking Watch," accessed Apr. 26, 2011, www.socialnetworkingwatch.com/usa-social-networking-ran.html.

18. Doug Gross, "Social Networks and Kids: How Young is Too Young?" CNN.com, accessed Apr. 26, 2011, http://cnn.com/2009/TECH/11/02/kids.social.networks/index.html.

19. Claire Cain Miller, "Who's Driving Twitter's Popularity? Not Teens," New York Times, Aug. 26, 2009, sec Technology.

20. Kelly Czrnecki, "Building Community as a Library in a 3D Environment," Australasian Public Library and Information Services 21, no. 1 (Mar. 2008): 25-27.

21. Ibid., 25.

22. Ibid.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

3 Evil Cousins: Book Reviews 4 and by Teens ( www.3evilcousins.blogspot.com).

Allen County (Ind.) Public Library ( http://acplteens.wordpress.com).

Laurie Halse Anderson's blog ( http://halseanderson.livejournal.com)

Berkeley Public Library ( www.berkeleypubliclibrary.org/content)

Booktrailers ( http://booktrailers.blogspot.com)

Libba Bray's blog ( http://libba-bray.livejournal.com)

Columbus (Ohio) Metropolitan Library ( http://teens.columbuslibrary.org)

Flamingnet Book Reviews ( www.flamingnet.com)

The Future Buzz ( http://thefuturebuzz.com/2009/12/10/blogging-stats-facts-data)

Mark Geary's Movies for Literacy ( www.homepages.dsu.edu/mgeary/booktrailers/adolescent.htm)

Jennifer Hubert's Reading Rants: Out of the Ordinary Teen Booklists ( www.readingrants.org)

LibraryThing discussion group forum ( www.LibraryThing.com/groups/luv2read)

LibraryThing "Zeitgeist" overview page ( www.librarything.com/zeitgeist)

Nerdfighters ( http://nerdfighters.ning.com)

Pierce County (Wash.) Library System ( www.supportlibrary.com/su/su.cfm?x=204304&g=/su/banners/Pierce_OBC.jpg&cb=8EB3DD&cs=003C7F&qv)

San Antonio (Tex.) Independent School District( http://itls.saisd.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=78&Itemid=101)

San Jose (Calif.) Public Library ( www.sjlibrary.org/gateways/teens/bookclub.htm)

Trailer Spy ( www.trailerspy.com/trailers/basic/mr/327/Young-Adult)

Scott Westerfeld's blog ( http://scottwesterfeld.com/blog)

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Using Social Networking to Connect Teens with Young Adult Literature

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by Janet Hilburn on April 29, 2013 Connecting teens to literature, one of the many jobs of a youth services librarian, means meeting teens where they are--and they are online. Using social networking Web 2.0 technologies enables librarians to offer teens the services they want and need in an online environment, thus enhancing traditional teen services.

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Webpage: Ideas for campaigns and events in your library to promote books and reading.

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Ideas for campaigns and events in your library | Australian Library and Information Association

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All year round advocacy These campaigns and events give you the opportunity to run fun, informative activities in the library, online and through social media all year round. Follow the links to access resources that will bring topics to life in your library. Many of these campaigns and events are organised by ALIA.

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Website: Connecting Queensland through story. Programs include the Brisbane Writers Festival, Love YA, and Word Play.

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As Australia's oldest continuous writers' festival, BWF has a long and storied history of connecting communities, showcasing creativity and finding just the right words.
Each year, we welcome thousands of readers and writers to Brisbane's beautiful South Bank to celebrate books, spark ideas and start conversations. With a diverse program of author panels, speeches, performances and more - including our Word Play and Love YA programs for younger readers - BWF has a story for everyone.

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As Australia's oldest continuous writers' festival, BWF has a long and storied history of connecting communities, showcasing creativity and finding just the right words. Each year, we welcome thousands of readers and writers to Brisbane's beautiful South Bank to celebrate books, spark ideas and start conversations.

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Website: Aimed at teen readers, this website has book reviews, news, forums, literature circles, book clubs, teacher resources, and is home of the INKY AWARDS.

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Inside A Dog | "Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside a dog, it's too dark to read." - Groucho Marx

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A site for young people about the books they like to read. Discover the latest youth literature news, find YA books for teenagers (reviewed by teens), join a book club and discuss your favourite reads, and enter our monthly competitions.

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YouTube Channel: Catriona is an Australian YouTuber who uploads videos, from book reviews to hauls, book tags to bookshelf tours and more.

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"little book owl" littlebookowl tbr book haul review ya fiction dystopia fantasy paranormal novel romance contemporary

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Hello! I am Catriona, or Caz. I love reading and sharing my passion for books within the wonderful BookTube community. I enjoy long walks through bookstore a...

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Blog: Co-bloggers Erin, Jennzah, and Laura posts about mainly YA books. Posts include Book Tags, book reviews, book news and more

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Book Tags - The Book Nut: A Book Lover's Guide

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Belletrist - Emma Roberts & Karah Preiss

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Belletrist - Discover, read and celebrate a new book every month

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Belletrist is an online platform that celebrates great books and the people who read them.

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Our Shared Shelf - Emma Watson

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OUR SHARED SHELF IS CURRENTLY DORMANT AND NOT MANAGED BY EMMA AND HER TEAM.Dear Readers, As part of my work with UN Women, I have started reading as ...