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Common Sense Education provides educators and students with the resources they need to harness the power of technology for learning and life. Find a free K-12 Digital Citizenship curriculum, reviews of popular EdTech apps, and resources for protecting student privacy.

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super simple graphic design program for promotion

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Canva is a free-to-use online graphic design tool. Use it to create social media posts, presentations, posters, videos, logos and more.

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strong YA section

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Find and read more books you'll love, and keep track of the books you want to read. Be part of the world's largest community of book lovers on Goodreads.

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Life's more fun when you live in the moment! :) Download Snapchat for iOS and Android, and start Snapping with friends today.

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Create an account or log in to Instagram - A simple, fun & creative way to capture, edit & share photos, videos & messages with friends & family.

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Celebrate National Library Week

Thanks to everyone for a great National Library Week 2017!

The theme for National Library Week, April 8-14, 2018 is "Libraries Lead."

will mark the 60th anniversary of the first event, sponsored in 1958 The National Library Week 2018 celebration.

In the mid-1950s, research showed that Americans were spending less on books and more on radios, televisions and musical instruments. Concerned that Americans were reading less, the ALA and the American Book Publishers formed a nonprofit citizens organization called the National Book Committee in 1954. The committee's goals were ambitious. They ranged from "encouraging people to read in their increasing leisure time" to "improving incomes and health" and "developing strong and happy family life."

In 1957, the committee developed a plan for National Library Week based on the idea that once people were motivated to read, they would support and use libraries. With the cooperation of ALA and with help from the Advertising Council, the first National Library Week was observed in 1958 with the theme "Wake Up and Read!"
Celebrations during National Library Week include:

Monday, April 9: State of America's Libraries Report released, including Top Ten Frequently Challenged Books of 2017.

Tuesday, April 10: National Library Workers Day, a day for library staff, users, administrators and Friends groups to recognize the valuable contributions made by all library workers.

Wednesday, April 11: National Bookmobile Day, a day to recognize the contributions of our nation's bookmobiles and the dedicated professionals who make quality bookmobile outreach possible in their communities.

Thursday, April 12: Take Action for Libraries Day.

Check back for free tools to celebrate National Library Week 2018. Join ALA's Libraries Transform public awareness campaign for year-round access to public awareness tools and tips.
Please take a moment to tell us about your plans for National Library Week.
Tell us your plans
Results of the 2016 National Library Week Video Challenge.

During National Library Week 2016, we asked libraries from around the country to submit video responses to the question "What does transformation look like at your library?" Here's what they had to say. We're putting together another collaborative video project during National Library Week 2017. Learn how you can participate.
Thanks to: Baltimore County Public Library,Towson, Maryland; Central Carolina Community College, Sanford, North Carolina; Daviess County Public Library, Owensboro, Kentucky; Haywood County Public Library, Waynesville, North Carolina; Kimbel Library and Bryan Information Commons, Coastal Carolina University, Conway, South Carolina; Library Science Library, University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico; Mauney Memorial Library, Kings Mountain, North Carolina, Pharr Memorial Library, Pharr, Texas. Pikes Peak Library District, Colorado Springs, Colorado; Russell Library, Middletown, Connecticut; Sno-Isle Libraries, Marysville, Washington. Sunnyvale Public Library, Sunnyvale, Californiaand Wichita Public Library, Wichita Kansas.
Future National Library Week dates:
Questions? Contact campaign@ala.org.

Thank you to ALA Library Champions for supporting ALA's efforts in raising public awareness for libraries and librarians.

Thank you to Dollar General Literacy Foundation for funding The American Dream Starts @ your library program.

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Thanks to everyone for a great National Library Week 2017! will mark the 60th anniversary of the first event, sponsored in 1958The National Library Week 2018 celebration. In the mid-1950s, research showed that Americans were spending less on books and more on radios, televisions and musical instruments.

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American Association of School Librarians (AASL)

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School Library Month is the American Association of School Librarians' celebration of school librarians and school libraries. Every April school librarians are encouraged to host activities to help their school and local community celebrate the essential role that strong school libraries play in transforming learning. About the history of School Library Month.

Proclamation Templates

Ask your school and elected officials and request they proclaim the month of April as School Library Month! The following samples are based on actual proclamations shared with AASL by its members. They are presented here as templates that can be downloaded and modified to fit your needs.

Build Your Celebration

Click an image below to download a zip file containing graphics, a PowerPoint template, and a poster you can use to create your own School Library Month celebration!

Spokespeople Videos

Resources

Use these resources to build a celebration for your school community.

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School Library Month is the American Association of School Librarians' celebration of school librarians and school libraries. Every April school librarians are encouraged to host activities to help their school and local community celebrate the essential role that strong school libraries play in transforming learning. About the history of School Library Month.

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Middle School/ High School Resources | SDSL

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South Dakota State Library: Teen and Young Adult: Homework

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South Dakota State Library: School Libraries

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South Dakota State Library: Children's and Youth Services

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School Library Journal

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So I received a message in my email asking my thoughts on 13 Reasons Why and programming. At the same time, Heather Booth was thinking about doing a book discussion and she tweeted out asking people their thoughts, so we called and talked about it. Here's what I'm currently thinking about 13 Reasons Why, libraries, teens and programming.

1. The Contagion Effect

In my previous post I alluded to the fact that for reasons that we don't quite understand, when a school had one suicide they will often have a few more. The term I was looking for at the time is the Contagion Effect. Alexandra Duncan wrote an amazing thread on the teenage brain, mental health and the contagion effect with links to good resources and I highly recommend that everyone read it. When we talk about teens and 13 Reasons Why I think it is important that we keep this information in mind.

Hey, folks. I need to talk to you for a minute about depression, #13ReasonsWhy, and something called the "contagion effect."

- Alexandra Duncan (@DuncanAlexandra) May 6, 2017

2. We Are Not Concerned with Teenage Intelligence, but with Mental Health

Some of the conversation I have seen regarding 13 Reasons Why suggests that this is adults once again not respecting the intelligence or depth of teens, and I think that is not what is happening here. This is about recognizing, as Alexandra Duncan mentions above, that mental health is different then intelligence. People who struggle with mental health issues, depending on what those issues are and where they are at in their treatment, can respond differently to the same input as a person who does not struggle with mental health issues. There are definite times when that mental illness works really hard to trick us into thinking things about ourselves, our worth, that are a skewed distortion of the truth and it's easy to see how people in vulnerable situations may react differently to the graphic conversations and depictions of suicide depicted in 13 Reasons Why. It's not about not respecting teens, it's about respecting teens who may be struggling with mental illness and understanding how triggering this can be to some of them. It's also about respecting experts who have dedicated their lives to learning about their field of study, remember it's not just random adults and parents who are concerned with the on screen depiction but mental health experts with knowledge and experience.

3. Speaking of Experts

I have no problem with the idea of having book discussions or programs on controversial materials or subjects, I just recommend thinking about how we approach those. For example, I have worked at libraries where we have had programs on teen dating violence and domestic violence. The difference is that I had an expert come in and do those programs, and I would recommend the same when talking about 13 Reasons Why which involves mental health and suicide. This isn't just a program, it's a program about a topic that is literally life and death and it's important that we acknowledge the weight of that and respect it. Having an expert on hand to facilitate your program/discussion and to answer any questions is important to make sure that teens are getting the most correct information available to them. If our goal is to serve teens and recognize this important discussion that they are having, then let's serve them well and make sure they are getting the best information out there on such an important and sensitive topic.

4. Remember, Programming is Opt In

The truth about any book discussion or program in a public library is that it is opt in. This means that our patrons make the choice to come. As long as our marketing is truthful and fully informs our audience of the content of the program and the sensitive nature of the topics, I do think if done well that we can talk about sensitive and controversial things. We put the program together and invite the public, each individual decides whether or not they want to come. Our library system is in its second year of hosting the Great Discussions program, which can in fact contain some controversial topics and discussions. The key is making sure in our marketing to fully inform our prospective audience of what those topics are.

5. What's the Very Least a Library Should Do Regarding 13 Reasons Why

The popularity of the Netflix series has brought the topics of sexual violence, bullying, mental health and suicide to the forefront of teen discussion. Not only are teens talking about it, but parents, teachers and community members are as well. So this is where we put on our information specialist hats and be pro-active rather than reactive. At the very least, take a moment to review your library policy and inform staff what they are legally and morally required to do if they have a conversation with a teen who they suspect is in some type of harm or danger or at risk for committing suicide. This is an important conversation for librarians to be having with their administration.

Second, think of having some type of resource ready should questions come up. Make sure you have access to a couple of articles regarding the book and show, have a list of some companion reads, and - MOST IMPORTANTLY - make sure you have a list of local and national resources available. There is a National Suicide Prevention Hotline (shown below) and you may want to put up signs in the library letting that information be known. Locally you may also have some resources that you want to know about to share with patrons.

And finally, a word about streaming the Netflix show in the library. Netflix contracts do not legally allow for the public sharing or streaming of Netflix content, with the exception of The 13th which has been given special permissions for public streaming. In addition, this show is rated M for mature, and if you haven't watched it yet you should know that is has graphic language, graphic rape scenes, and a graphic depiction of suicide.

And I want to reiterate my previous concern that while it may be great that this book and this show are out there getting teens to talk about very real and important topics that affect them, not all teens have someone to talk to about these topics. And I would caution librarians to think long and hard about what types of conversations they want to have about teens regarding these topics. Know the law, know what your administration will and won't support, know when and who to refer to, and remind teens that although we may be valued and trusted adults who are experts on the topic of librarianship, we are not experts on the topic of mental health but we will help them find the answer to their questions.

What about sharing our personal stories? I think that is a personal decision that each librarian has to make. And again, each library culture and admin is different so you'll want to keep in mind what type of boundaries your admin wants you to have with your teens.

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Teen Librarian Toolbox - @TLT16 Pprofessional development for teen librarians

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So I received a message in my email asking my thoughts on 13 Reasons Why and programming. At the same time, Heather Booth was thinking about doing a book discussion and she tweeted out asking people their thoughts, so we called and talked about it.

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article from School Library Journal

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Many years before Harry Potter was born, his parents, Lily and James, met and fell in love at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. At first, Lily thought James was nothing more than an annoying show-off, but then she got to know the boy behind the bravado. Their romance was shaped by tribulations, triumphs, and the understanding that they were destined for something tremendous.

About that last part... really? Yes, according to Those Green Eyes, a work of online fan fiction by Summer Sellers, a Massachusetts teenager.

Sellers penned her tale about James and Lily as a way of working through a tough time in eighth and ninth grade. She posted Those Green Eyes on Figment, an online writing community for young adults, at her mother's urging. She could not have anticipated that it would become the "Most Hearted" fan fiction post on Figment, but it did.

Now a senior, Sellers is still writing-and deeply immersed in the fan fiction, or "fanfic," universe, where fans craft stories that borrow characters, settings, and/or elements from books, movies, TV shows, cartoons, comics, manga, games, and even the lives of celebrities. The vast majority of fan fiction writers don't make money or become famous. For Sellers and other teens, the reward is being in the company of fellow writers they admire and respect. "The fan fiction community is so diverse...you can really see the fans giving back to the authors," she said. "The people who write fan fiction commit to it and finish their fan fiction-they're authors to me."

Fan fiction sites-including Fiction Alley, a huge online Harry Potter fan fiction archive, and Twilighted, hosting all-"Twilight" fanfic-have been around for years. But it took a publishing phenomenon for fanfic to hit the mainstream radar. In 2012, the extraordinary success of E. L. James's "Fifty Shades" trilogy (Viking), erotic fan fiction inspired by Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight" series, brought fanfic to the world's attention. Since then, Amazon has launched a fan fiction publishing program, Kindle Worlds; authors have confessed to fanfic writing pasts; and fanfic-centered novels have become bestsellers.

The generation of teens who grew up reading "Harry Potter" is embracing fandom and fueling events such as LeakyCon, an annual convention for fans of many stripes that convened in Orlando, Florida, from July 30-August 3. These young people don't see fan fiction as something residing in a murky corner of the Internet but as a creative outlet: a way to express love for an author's work, a venue for exploring sexuality and emotions, and a liberating space to share and receive feedback on writing. As Robin Brenner, a teen librarian at the Brookline Public Library in Massachusetts, said, "My teens all know about [fan fiction], talk about it, and don't particularly judge each other for being involved (or not involved) in fan culture. It's ordinary, even expected, now, if you love a thing."

A place to explore

Once upon a time, fans shared their stories at conventions and in zines. Today, they post on Tumblr and sites such as FanFiction.net, Livejournal, and Wattpad, which boast millions of users. The fan-run nonprofit site Archive of Our Own has nearly 350,000 registered fans, and Figment includes roughly 100,000 teen contributors.

"In various ways, fan fiction resembles all storytelling," says Anne Jamison, an academic who both studies and writes fanfic, in the introduction to her book Fic: Why Fanfiction Is Taking over the World (BenBella/Smart Pop, 2014). "People like to swap stories, period, and the Internet is like a big electronic campfire."

Fan fiction has its own ethos and language. "Worlds" are the many different fandoms to which one could belong (e.g., "Lord of the Rings" or "Vampire Diaries"), while "The Powers That Be" are copyright holders (more on that later). People who act as editors-correcting grammar, refining dialogue and plot-are called "betas." There's the "canon"-the official, original story of the work being written about-and "head canon"-the plotlines, backgrounds, character pairings, etc., that a fan makes up in her imagination. For many, fanfic's allure is being part of this community of shared enthusiasms. It's about reading, analyzing, and asking, "What if?"

There are no taboos or rules in fan fiction, and much of it can be sexually explicit, shocking, and/or avant-garde. While this raises issues for the under-18 set, the lack of regulation also makes fan fiction welcoming for the LGBTQ community and teens examining their sexuality. "I can write a story in which I can imagine other kinds of relationships, and no one says, 'Oh, that's your sexuality,'" said Henry Jenkins, Provost's Professor of Communication, Journalism, Cinematic Arts, and Education at USC Annenberg. "Instead it's a story I wrote."

"Slash" fanfic, focusing on same-sex relationships, is one way that young adults can explore. Jamison notes in Fic that "'Harry Potter' slash helped shape and challenge attitudes toward sexual diversity among the generation that grew up reading it and arguing about it (a lot) online."

At the same time, Jamison said, "the sexual life some fan fiction imagines for 'Harry Potter''s underage characters has long been a source of discomfort for their creator." On most fanfic sites, young people can sign up for accounts at age 13. Which means, Jenkins said, that "you have space that exposes underage kids to sexually explicit material without a lot of adult supervision. It's such a loaded category."

The genre is also a venue for teens to probe their emotional lives, as Sellers did with Those Green Eyes. "Writing was a great outlet for me. I just portrayed my characters and the love that Lily and James felt for each other as the epitome of what I want for my life," she said. "I made them go through difficult things and always come out scarred, but alive, because that's how I felt a lot of the time."

A place to grow

Seventeen-year-old Alaskan teen Maggie Clark devotes up to 10 hours a week to her fan fiction. "I spent a lot more time reading fan fiction than books," she said. However, Clark, who has been writing fanfic since she was 15, said that she "wanted to get involved in fandom partially to become a better writer." She believes her hours crafting stories, interacting with fans, and reading fanfic have helped her do just that.

Fan communities also offer young writers a place to share work without fear of judgment. "It creates a space where young people get real, enthusiastic, critical responses to what they write," said Jenkins, "as opposed to getting a paper back with an 'A' written in red on the top and 'good job' next to it."

Seventeen-year-old Daphney Diaz, a high school student in Queens, New York, also felt that her time on fanfiction.net made her a stronger writer. "The fandom community was really friendly. Most of the other writers and readers would comment on my stories with encouraging words or tips on how to make the story and my writing better," she said. "Of course, there was the occasional hater, but they would be ignored."

"What I love about fan fiction is that there are no rules. There are no storytelling rules," said Printz Honor-winning Rainbow Rowell, author of Fangirl (St. Martin's Griffin, 2013), a young adult novel about a college freshman immersed in fandom. In fact, Rowell said, reading fan fiction inspires her to be more daring in her own work. "It's incredibly experimental, and it's very exciting for me as a writer to read a story that maybe I would never write or it would never occur to me to write...it's very invigorating." Rowell was scheduled to read from a "Harry Potter"- inspired novella she wrote at LeakyCon last month.

Fielding copyright issues

Legal matters are an issue for fanfic writers of any age. Complicated copyright and trademark laws are made even more so once companies have a stake in an author's work. The website Chilling Effects provides information about what's legal in fanfic and how to face challenges.

However, "I can't think of very many cases where individual authors have sought legal recourse against fans," said Jenkins. "I can think of many where legal regimes become much tougher once corporations take over."

A campaign by Warner Bros. to protect the Harry Potter franchise exemplifies Jenkins's point. Although Rowling released a statement in 2004 that she was "flattered" by the writing her books inspired, the studio behind the Harry Potter films sent cease-and-desist (C&D) letters to hundreds of "Harry Potter" fanfic sites in the early 2000s, requesting that they remove content and/or shut down. The letters resulted in domain names being confiscated, but they also caused a public relations disaster and uproar from fans threatening to boycott the films.

Some writers just don't want fans playing with their characters, as Game of Thrones (Bantam, 1996) author George R. R. Martin made very clear during a November 2013 press conference. "I would rather they made up their own characters and their own stories," he said.

Going from fanfic to professional writer can be tumultuous. Sarah Rees Brennan, the author of "The Demon's Lexicon" trilogy (S. & S.), has been accused of everything from plagiarism to selling out. "I wrote a ton of free stories for fun and if people enjoyed it they don't owe me anything-except that I would truly appreciate it if they would just quit torturing me," Brennan wrote in a heartfelt February 2014 Tumblr post, explaining how her teen fanfic past has hurt her professionally. "It was years ago. I'm sorry I did it."

No longer underground

Other authors' openness about their fanfic affiliations has helped to erode the stigma. Neil Gaiman, author of the 2009 Newberry Medal winner, The Graveyard Book (HarperCollins, 2008), has written H. P. Lovecraft and "Chronicles of Narnia" fanfic (http://ow.ly/yVulp). "Princess Diaries" series (HarperTeen) author Meg Cabot confessed to writing "Star Wars" fan fiction (http://ow.ly/yVuPO) when she was a tween. Cassandra Claire, author of the bestselling "Mortal Instruments" series (S. & S./McElderry), was once a hugely popular fanfic writer. Her "Harry Potter"based "Draco Trilogy" and "Lord of the Rings" parody, "The Very Secret Diaries," are now legendary. S. E. Hinton, author of The Outsiders (Viking, 1967), has written fanfic about the paranormal TV show Supernatural, visited the set, and even made a cameo in a season seven episode.

Rowell's critically acclaimed Fangirl, which has sold 250,000 copies worldwide, has inspired its own fanworks-something that Rowell embraces. "It leaves me awed to think that people are invested in my stories and my characters so much that they want to make their own art and their own stories about them," she said.

The Magicians (Viking, 2009), the first novel in Lev Grossman's best-selling "Magicians" trilogy, involves a boy who is admitted to a secret college of magic in upstate New York and has been compared to "Harry Potter" in many laudatory reviews. While Grossman was worried about "people dismissing [my books] as knock-offs or works of plagiarism," he said, "There's been very little. People have been very receptive."

The trilogy's homage to Rowling's series, C. S. Lewis's "Chronicles of Narnia," and other works of fiction, from T. H. White's The Once and Future King to Evelyn Waugh's Brideshead Revisited, is deliberate, Grossman explained. "The line between the 'Magicians' and 'Harry Potter' fan fiction? There's no line. It's part of that continuum," he said. "I'm certainly comfortable thinking of it as fan fiction." The Magician's Land (Viking), the trilogy's final title, is out this month.

Profiting from fanfic

Meanwhile, some organizations are still striving to make a profit without alienating the fanfic community. In April, Wattpad announced that it had raised $46 million, bringing the company's total funding to more than $60 million. Investors believe the site, which is free for contributors, will one day make a lot of money. How this will impact Wattpad's more than 25 million users is uncertain.

It also remains to be seen how Kindle Worlds, Amazon's fanfic publishing platform, will affect fandom. The venture is unique in that fanfic writers can earn royalties, and the "worlds" are sanctioned by rights holders. Since its June 2013 launch, Kindle Worlds has published more than 500 stories. Its current focus is on expansion and providing opportunities for newbie writers, general manager Nick Loeffler said in an email exchange. "Every rock [and] roll superstar guitarist started as an air guitarist, idealizing and mimicking their favorite musician and in many cases wishing they could learn and collaborate directly with their idols," said Loeffler. "Storytelling and prose are similar. We want to take this engagement to a new level."

What's next?

In March 2014, the Organization for Transformative Works, a nonprofit run by and for fans, hosted a series of online chats about " The Future of Fanworks." Fan studies scholar Dr. Paul Booth expressed restrained optimism about fandom's path toward legitimization. "I'm not sure if the geeks shall inherent the Earth yet-but it's getting close."

Rowell expressed a similar sentiment. "I think there's going to be a real shift, where fanfiction is not this niche thing, and we all sort of know what fanfiction is," she said. "It's where these young writers are first trying it out."

Kaila Hale-Stern, a trust and safety ambassador at Tumblr as well as a novelist and journalist, believes her nearly 20 years of "trying it out" by writing fan fiction led to her professional writing career. "I give more credit to having written this stuff and read it as a kid; I think that's what made me a writer," she said. "More than writing classes or being an English major, it was engaging with the incredible writers I was reading at 14 and 15, learning from them, writing in these communities, and reading comments and feedback and support. It's invaluable."

Chelsey Philpot teaches writing at Boston University. Her novel, Even in Paradise (HarperCollins), publishes this October.

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Many years before Harry Potter was born, his parents, Lily and James, met and fell in love at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. At first, Lily thought James was nothing more than an annoying show-off, but then she got to know the boy behind the bravado.

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list according to TIME magazine

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With a panel of celebrated authors, TIME presents the most compelling, enlightening and influential YA books of all time, dating back to the 1800s

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creators, comics, geek culture

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new releases, cover reveals, book bans, fandom, adaptations

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Your source for all things YA lit. - YA Interrobang

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YA Interrobang is your source for all things YA literature. We launched in August 2013 to connect readers to the books and authors they love, and to keep them updated on the issues and news that affect it.

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Words are meaningless unless all concerned agree on their specific definitions. Even if there is a general consensus on terms, what those terms actually mean in the real world has a tendency to evolve and morph without warning.

Nowhere is this more prevalent than in the field of education. In fact, there are so many "terms du jour" thrown around, tweeted and traded these days that their intrinsic value is often questionable, and confusing. Take the terms differentiated, individualized and personalized. What can we make of these three near-synonyms? Short answer: Plenty!

Modern classrooms are teeming with students of varying interests, backgrounds, abilities and learning needs. To engage these students, learning must be every bit as diverse as they are. In the ISTE/Intel Education book Personalized Learning: A Guide for Engaging Students with Technology (which I wrote with my colleague, Dr. Peggy Grant), we teased out the crucial nuances that distinguish these terms in an attempt to demystify the approaches they refer to so that educators may better initiate more effective learning techniques.

Differentiated learning

Within the context of education, differentiation is a type of learning where instruction is tailored to meet the learning needs, preferences and goals of individual students. The overarching academic goals for groups of students are the same, yet the teacher has the latitude to use whatever resources and approaches he or she sees fit to connect with a student or use practices that have proved successful for similar students in the past.

Regardless of what a teacher decides to differentiate - whether it's subject matter, the learning process or even the environment where learning occurs - differentiation is an awareness of and active response to students' varied learning styles. It involves exercising flexibility in assessment, grouping and instruction to create the best learning experience possible.

Here's how differentiation works: A teacher responds to a student's unique learning needs through the learning process, the educational content, or the specific learning vehicle or product, based on a student's interests, learning profile or readiness.

According to Jennipher Willoughby, a freelance writer and former science and technology specialist for Lynchburg City Schools in Lynchburg, Virginia, teachers differentiate by providing different paths to learning that help students make sense of concepts and skills. They also provide appropriate levels of challenge for all students, no matter their competency. Conversely, teachers do not differentiate by developing a separate lesson plan for each student in a classroom or by merely "watering down" the curriculum for some students.

It's about connecting the dots: linking the academic goals of the curriculum with students' diverse interests and capacities. This takes really knowing the students in your classroom and adapting your curriculum where possible. This also requires the development of a comprehensive plan for how you will use resources and how much time it takes to facilitate differentiated learning and to assess results.

Individualized learning

Instruction calibrated to meet the unique pace of various students is known as individualized learning. If differentiation is the "how" then individualization is the "when." The academic goals, in this case, remain the same for a group of students, but individual students can progress through the curriculum at different speeds, based on their own particular learning needs. This approach serves students who may need to review previously covered material, students who don't want to waste time covering information they've already mastered, or students who need to proceed through the curriculum more slowly or immerse themselves in a certain topic or principle to really "get" it.

The term individualized instruction was coined nearly 50 years ago. Initially, the approach included any teaching strategies that met an individual student's needs, but - in practice - the term describes students working through set materials or curricula at their own rates. With individualized instruction, learning strategies are based on student readiness, interests and best practices. All of this is meant to help each student master the skills they will need as defined by established academic standards.

Personalized learning

Perhaps the most confusing term of them all is personalized learning. Some misuse the term, thinking it refers to a student's choice of how, what and where they learn according to their preferences. Others confuse it with individualization, taking it as a reference to lessons that are paced at different rates to accommodate different students.

Really, personalized learning - at least in our understanding of the term - refers to the whole enchilada: learning that is tailored to the preferences and interests of various learners, as well as instruction that is paced to a student's unique needs. Academic goals, curriculum and content - as well as method and pace - can all conceivably vary in a personalized learning environment.

Unlike individualized instruction, personalized learning involves the student in the creation of learning activities and relies more heavily on a student's personal interests and innate curiosity. Instead of education being something that happens to the learner, it is something that occurs as a result of what the student is doing, with the intent of creating engaged students who have truly learned how to learn.

This method is obviously a far cry from the way that most teachers are traditionally trained to interact with students. Personalization, in addition to responding to students' needs and interests, teaches them to manage their own learning - to take control and ownership of it. It's not something that is done to them but something that they participate in doing for themselves. For teachers, personalized learning is about facilitation more than dissemination.

Since the most effective (and unrealistic) application of true personalized learning would require one-on-one tutoring for every student based on their interests, preferences, needs and pace, personalized learning is often conceived of as an instructional method that incorporates adaptive technology to help all students achieve high levels of learning.

Putting it all together

Technology - when employed properly and meaningfully - can help educators deliver differentiated, individualized and personalized instruction. It can help facilitate timely interventional responses, involve parents more in their children's learning, empower school leaders with data to support teachers, and either break down problems or make those problems more complex, based on the individual needs of the student. It's up to savvy teachers to connect the appropriate tools with the right students - and, in the case of personalized learning, allowing students to make suggestions and control their own academic experiences.

Modern learning is the ultimate collaboration between teacher and student. Much like a doctor, the teacher must assess each individual's needs, then prescribe the right solution for that person by crafting an appropriate curriculum and delivering it in a way that is meaningful. At the same time, students know on some level what teaching-learning style works best for them, and they must contribute to the creation of their personalized curriculum. Today's educators can better harness the tools required to address a vibrant spectrum of learner differences and create profoundly dynamic educational experiences in their classrooms.

This is an updated version of an article that publish on Aug. 5, 2014.

Dale Basye is the author of the books Personalized Learning: A Guide for Engaging Students with Technology, Get Active: Reimagining Learning Spaces for Student Success and the Circles of Heck series for Random House Children's books. He is interested in creative ways of personalizing learning to meet the diverse needs of today's students to help them become better equipped to deal with the challenges of the digital age workplace.

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Personalized vs. differentiated vs. individualized learning

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Words are meaningless unless all concerned agree on their specific definitions. Even if there is a general consensus on terms, what those terms actually mean in the real world has a tendency to evolve and morph without warning. Nowhere is this more prevalent than in the field of education.

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Personalizing Learning Infographic

Personalizing Learning Infographic

Personalized learning is the tailoring of pedagogy, curriculum and learning environments by learners or for learners in order to meet their different learning needs and aspirations.The Personalizing Learning Infographic explores how curriculum design can address personalized learning.

What is Personalized Learning?

1. How? - Learn How You Want to Learn

2. What? - Learn What You Want to Learn

3. When? - Learn When You Want to Learn

4. Where? - Learn Where You Want to Learn

5. Why? - Learn Why You Want to Learn

How to Personalize Learning

1. How? - Multiple Options

Create curriculum with lots of ways to learn the same content.

2. What? - Multiple Content Density Levels

Create curriculum with lots of levels to allow learners to go deeper at their own pace.

3. When? - Multiple Time Constraint Options

Create curriculum that can be consumed at anytime.

4. Where? - Multiple Location Options

Create curriculum that can be consumed anywhere.

5. Why? - Multiple Perspectives

Create curriculum with lots of perspectives to address needs of different learners.

Examples of Personalized Learning

1. How? - Delivery

2. What? - Levels

3. When? - Constraints

4. Where? - Location

5. Why? - Needs

Via: anethicalisland.wordpress.com

Embed This Education Infographic on your Site or Blog! Copy and Paste the following code!

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Personalizing Learning Infographic - e-Learning Infographics

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Personalized learning is the tailoring of pedagogy, curriculum and learning environments by learners or for learners in order to meet their different learning needs and aspirations.The Personalizing Learning Infographic explores how curriculum design can address personalized learning. What is Personalized Learning? 1. How? - Learn How You Want to Learn 2.

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No wonder the race to define, and market to, this demographic juggernaut is on. They are "the next big retail disrupter," according to Women's Wear Daily. They have "the weight of saving the world and fixing our past mistakes on their small shoulders," according to an article on Fast Company's Co.Exist site by Jeremy Finch, an innovation consultant. Lucie Greene, the worldwide director of the Innovation Group at J. Walter Thompson, calls them "millennials on steroids."
Read More: How to Spot a Member of Generation Z
While it is easy to mock the efforts of marketers to shoehorn tens of millions of adolescents into a generational archetype, à la the baby boomers, it is also clear that a 14-year-old in 2015 really does inhabit a substantially different world than one of 2005.

Millennials, after all, were raised during the boom times and relative peace of the 1990s, only to see their sunny world dashed by the Sept. 11 attacks and two economic crashes, in 2000 and 2008. Theirs is a story of innocence lost.

Generation Z, by contrast, has had its eyes open from the beginning, coming along in the aftermath of those cataclysms in the era of the war on terror and the Great Recession, Ms. Greene said.

"If Hannah Horvath from 'Girls' is the typical millennial - self-involved, dependent, flailing financially in the real world as her expectations of a dream job and life collide with reality - then Alex Dunphy from 'Modern Family' represents the Gen Z antidote," Ms. Greene said. "Alex is a true Gen Z: conscientious, hard-working, somewhat anxious and mindful of the future."

Generational study being more art than science, there is considerable dispute about the definition of Generation Z. Demographers place its beginning anywhere from the early '90s to the mid-2000s. Marketers and trend forecasters, however, who tend to slice generations into bite-size units, often characterize this group as a roughly 15-year bloc starting around 1996, making them 5 to 19 years old now. (By that definition, millennials were born between about 1980 and 1995, and are roughly 20 to 35 now.)

Even accepting those rather narrow boundaries, Generation Z still commands attention through its sheer size. At approximately 60 million, native-born American members of Generation Z outnumber their endlessly dissected millennial older siblings by nearly one million, according to census data compiled by Susan Weber-Stoger, a demographer at Queens College.

The fact that some are still in their post-toddler years, however, makes it difficult for marketers trying to distill their generational essence. Among the 5-year-olds, cultural tastes do not reach much further than "Shaun the Sheep" and "Bubble Guppies."

As for the older end of the Generation Z spectrum, some demographers still lump them in with the millennials, but increasingly, many marketers see them as a breed apart.

So, who are they? To answer that question, you have to take a deeper look at the world in which they are coming of age.

"When I think of Generation Z, technology is the first thing that comes to mind," said Emily Citarella, a 16-year-old high school student in Atlanta. "I know people who have made their closest relationships from Tumblr, Instagram and Facebook."

Sure, millennials were digital; their teenage years were defined by iPods and MySpace. But Generation Z is the first generation to be raised in the era of smartphones. Many do not remember a time before social media.

"We are the first true digital natives," said Hannah Payne, an 18-year-old U.C.L.A. student and lifestyle blogger. "I can almost simultaneously create a document, edit it, post a photo on Instagram and talk on the phone, all from the user-friendly interface of my iPhone."

"Generation Z takes in information instantaneously," she said, "and loses interest just as fast."

That point is not lost on marketers. In an era of emoji and six-second Vine videos, "we tell our advertising partners that if they don't communicate in five words and a big picture, they will not reach this generation," said Dan Schawbel, the managing partner of Millennial Branding, a New York consultancy.

So far, they sound pretty much like millennials. But those who study youth trends are starting to discern big differences in how the two generations view their online personas, starting with privacy.

While the millennial generation infamously pioneered the Facebook beer-bong selfie, many in Generation Z have embraced later, anonymous social media platforms like Secret or Whisper, as well as Snapchat, where any incriminating images disappear almost instantly, said Dan Gould, a trend consultant for Sparks & Honey, an advertising agency in New York.

"As far as privacy, they are aware of their personal brand, and have seen older Gen Y-ers screw up by posting too openly," Mr. Gould said.

That point was driven home in a 2013 Mashable article titled "I'm 13 and None of My Friends Use Facebook," in which Ruby Karp, a New York teenager, wrote: "Let's say I get invited to a party and there's underage drinking. I'm not drinking, but someone pulls out a camera. Even if I'm not carrying a red Solo cup, I could be photographed behind a girl doing shots."

But the difference between generations goes much deeper than choosing Snapchat over Facebook.

Between 2000 and 2010, the country's Hispanic population grew at four times the rate of the total population, according to the Census Bureau. The number of Americans self-identifying as mixed white-and-black biracial rose 134 percent. The number of Americans of mixed white and Asian descent grew by 87 percent.

Those profound demographic shifts are reflected at the cultural level, too. Attitudes on social issues have shifted, in some cases seismically, in the decade since millennials were teenagers.

Same-sex marriage, for example, has gone from a controversial political issue to a constitutional right recognized by the Supreme Court. For today's 14-year-olds, the nation's first African-American president is less a historic breakthrough than a fact of life.

"America becomes more multicultural on a daily basis," said Anthony Richard Jr., a 17-year-old in Gretna, La. "It's exponential compared to previous generations."

This vision of a generation with wired brains, making their way in an ethnic-stew society of the future, makes them sound like the replicants from "Blade Runner."

But the parents of Generation Z teenagers play an equally powerful role in shaping their collective outlook. Millennials, who are often painted, however unfairly, as narcissistic brats who expect the boss to fetch them coffee, were largely raised by baby boomers, who, according to many, are the most iconoclastic, self-absorbed and grandiose generation in history. Think: Steve Jobs. (To be more charitable, maybe it's no surprise that a New York Times article from last year called millennials "Generation Nice," and lauded their communal spirit, given that their parents were save-the-world boomers.)

By contrast, Generation Z tends to be the product of Generation X, a relatively small, jaded generation that came of age in the post-Watergate, post-Vietnam funk of the 1970s, when horizons seemed limited. Those former latchkey kids, who grew up on Nirvana records and slasher movies, have tried to give their children the safe, secure childhood that they never had, said Neil Howe, an economist and the co-author of more than a dozen books about American generations.

"You see the mommy blogs by Generation X-ers, and safety is a huge concern: the stainless-steel sippy cups that are BPA-free, the side-impact baby carriages, the home preparation of baby food," said Mr. Howe, who runs Saeculum Research, a Virginia-based social trends consultancy. (As a historian who takes the long view, however, Mr. Howe defines the cohort quite differently; he has called it the "Homeland Generation" because they grew up in post-9/11 America, and argues that it did not begin until around 2004.)

Part of that obsession with safety is likely due to the hard times that both Generation Z members and their parents experienced during their formative years.

"I definitely think growing up in a time of hardship, global conflict and economic troubles has affected my future," said Seimi Park, a 17-year-old high school senior in Virginia Beach, who always dreamed of a career in fashion, but has recently shifted her sights to law, because it seems safer.

"This applies to all my friends," she said. "I think I can speak for my generation when I say that our optimism has long ago been replaced with pragmatism."

That sober sensibility goes beyond career, it seems. A Sparks & Honey trend report called "Meet Generation Z: Forget Everything You Learned About Millennials" asserted that the cohort places heavy emphasis on being "mature and in control." According to a survey of risky behavior by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the percentage of high school students who had had at least one drink of alcohol in their lives declined to about 66 percent in 2013, from about 82 percent in 1991. The number who reported never or rarely wearing a seatbelt in a car driven by someone else declined to about 8 percent, compared with about 26 percent in 1991.

Put it all together - the privacy, the caution, the focus on sensible careers - and Generation Z starts to look less like the brash millennials and more like their grandparents (or, in some cases great-grandparents), Mr. Howe said.

Those children of the late 1920s through the early '40s, members of the so-called Silent Generation, were shaped by war and the Depression and grew up to be the diligent, go-along-to-get-along careerists of the '50s and '60s - picture Peggy from "Mad Men."

"The parallels with the Silent Generation are obvious," Mr. Howe said. "There has been a recession, jobs are hard to get, you can't take risks. You've got to be careful what you put on Facebook. You don't want to taint your record."

Those children of the New Deal, epitomized by the low-key Warren Buffett, "didn't want to change the system, they wanted to work within the system," Mr. Howe said. "They were the men in the gray flannel suits. They got married early, had kids early. Their first question in job interviews was about pension plans."

That analogy only goes so far for a generation predisposed to making Vine videos of themselves doing cartwheels over their cats. (Let's not forget that the Silents, too, had no shortage of mavericks who made noise on the world stage - Martin Luther King Jr., Elvis Presley and Andy Warhol, to name but a few.) As for the gray flannel suits, parents may not want to send their teenagers off to the tailor just yet. The Sparks & Honey report argued that "entrepreneurship is in their DNA."

"Kids are witnessing start-up companies make it big instantly via social media," said Andrew Schoonover, a 15-year-old in Olathe, Kan. "We do not want to work at a local fast-food joint for a summer job. We want to make our own business because we see the lucky few who make it big."

Which leads to a final point worth mentioning about the Silent Generation. As Mr. Howe pointed out, it was not just the most career-focused generation in history. It was also, he said, the richest.

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Move Over, Millennials, Here Comes Generation Z

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No wonder the race to define, and market to, this demographic juggernaut is on. They are "the next big retail disrupter," according to Women's Wear Daily. They have "the weight of saving the world and fixing our past mistakes on their small shoulders," according to an article on Fast Company's Co.Exist site by Jeremy Finch, an innovation consultant.

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It's been almost a year since Makani Young came to live with her grandmother in landlocked Nebraska, and she's still adjusting to her new life. And still haunted by her past in Hawaii. Then, one by one, the students of her small town high school begin to die in a series of gruesome murders, each with increasing and grotesque flair.

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Attention authors! Submit your short story for our Teen Writing Contest. Entries should describe the experiences and events of a Thanksgiving Day celebration, based on a real experience, fiction, or blend of both. Open to grades 6-12.

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teen programs activities free games gaming

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Teen Programs | Aberdeen, SD - Official Website

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Access details for current teen programs including Teen Tuesdays and community service projects.

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free anime for non-profits

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monthly programming ideas

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the official tumblr of the brookline public library teen services department. Features teen literature, people reading, comics, anime, manga, and more!

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creative monthly programs

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The MHL Teen Room is a place for teens in grades 6 - 12 to hang out, find books and materials, be social, and have fun.

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programming ideas

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A website of the American Library Association Public Programs Office

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librarian 101, social media & marketing tips, technology, book spoilers, displays

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All you need to know in the time you have

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resource for teen programming, book talks, readers advisory

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You've got questions, we've got answers! This week we need YOUR help....

Question: What are your favorite (newish) anime titles available on DVD and appropriate for grades 6-12?

If you have a question about anything teen services related ask it here! Your question will be featured on the blog with answers from our agent volunteers or TSU team members. If you'd like to be a volunteer agent, please submit your info here.

Sometimes I just want to keep things low-tech with my programming for teens. I've talked before about ready-made craft programs in Maker Kits. Today I have some quick ideas for low-tech gaming (with minimal set up and generally quick game play) if you want to do an "unplugged" game program.

Card Games: It's pretty old school but I like having some standard decks of playing cards on hand for game programs. You can also have a book of solitaire games (and shock everyone when you reveal that yes, we used to play with real cards!) and books with basic card games (there's The Card Game Bible and Hoyle's Modern Encyclopedia of Card Games if you're looking for where to start). There are also novelty decks for specific games like Old Maid or Crazy Eights and more. You can also explain card counting with Black Jack. Then, of course, there's the classic: Uno. If none of the games appeal, you can always have everyone try to build card houses.

1,000 Blank White Cards: This game is about as low tech as it gets. All you need to start are some pens and note cards. Players make the deck as they go so teens can create cards in addition to some you made ahead of time (maybe with help from volunteers). The game can take any form depending on what cards are created. Most involve some kind of point value, an action, and an illustration. Want to know more before you get started? There's a wiki for that.

Charades: I am on a crusade to make sure teens know how to play charades and let me tell you it's been uphill at my library. Charades has players draw a word/phrase of some kind and pantomime the action or words within to get others to guess the answer. It can be played either individually or in teams. I suggest using a word generator or other strategy to create prompts ahead of time because when I had teens write them up it devolved into a lot of obscure video game characters. You may also have to explain the concept with some examples. I had prompts in one game for "Little Women" and "The Hunger Games" and teens tried to act out the entire story instead of just the title.

Codenames: This game has a couple of version. I've been using the Codenames Pictures version. The game can work with 2-8 players (or more in teams) so it's great for larger groups as well. Codenames is a cross between "Guess Who?" and "Battleship" with Spymaster players who lay out the board and know the location of their own spies on the board. Spymasters then use clues based on picture tiles in the game to reveal those locations to the rest of their team (example: "1, game" would tell the other players to look for the one tile on the board that refers to a game, possibly a dice or a billiard ball) to uncover the spies. Whoever collects all of their spies off the board first wins.

Coup: Easily one of my favorite games, Coup is a bluffing game where players compete to wield the most influence and win the game. The game includes a deck of cards, coins, and some how-to/role cards and works with 2 to 6 players (or more if you do teams. I think of this game as extreme "Go Fish." Every player starts with two hidden cards which can take on various roles. Players then have to take actions to draw currency and gather enough money to either assassinate the competition or unseat them in a coup (forcing them to reveal a card). Whoever ends the game with more influence (one or two cards still hidden) wins. I love it for programs because it can be as easy or as hard as teens want to make it.

Dominoes: Dominoes is about as basic as it gets for low-tech games. There are a variety of ways to play but essentially you are matching pips (dots) to remove them from your hand of dominoes. Winning can either be done by using all dominoes in your hand or by determining points at the end of the game depending on what works for your crowd. Dominoes come in a range of sets including Double 6 (the highest domino has 6 pips on each side) up to double 18. I would suggest going with at least a double 12 set if you are playing with teens to make the game more complex. Having a larger set also means there will also be more dominoes to play so it will work better for larger groups. There is also a variant called Squaremino if you're into that.

Grifters: This game is a from the people behind Coup but a bit more complicated. In this deck building game, players are all in charge of a group of criminals with various skills in brain, speed, or brawn. Players build their deck of grifters to complete different jobs and earn coins. Whoever has earned the most after all jobs are completed wins. Grifters works for 2-4 players (or teams therein) and it's a bit more complicated so play runs longer but if you have the time it's a blast.

Jenga: Does this need any explanation? Probably not.

Mafia: I only heard about this game while searching for information to put in this post. It sounds a little complicated at first but I think with the right group of teens it could be a lot of fun. It seems like it could be a good ongoing game for a program with regular attendance like an advisory group or some kind of club.

Sushi Go: This pick and pass game works for 2 to 5 players and involves building various sets of sushi. Go Fish but with fish that you eat.

Who Wins?: You might have seen this book on YALSA's 2017 Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers list. Who Wins? is an interactive book that pits various historical figures ranging from Nicola Tesla to Harriet Tubman in head-to-head competitions in everything from The Hunger Games to ping pong. If you act as moderator and raise questions about the various merits of each figure ("Would George Washington's wealth-rated 10/10-be any help to catch Jack the Ripper?") it can lead to some interesting discussions. Teens also had a great time setting up various competitions. I brought this along with several other games to a program but the book kept everyone occupied for the entire hour.

Yahtzee or Dice: Yahtzee is a counting game but instead of cards you're working with dice to build various sequences. You can buy a kit or just get some dice and make your own scoring. You can also up the stakes with double dice.

Now you know some of my favorite "unplugged" games to use with teens. Do you know of any other games I might have missed or have anything else to recommend? Let me know in the comments.

Genres: Diversity, Non-fiction, Realistic

April was Autism Awareness Month. Even though it's May, there's no reason why we can't highlight books written by (#ownvoices) and about characters with autism and other spectrum disorders. Here's a sampling of some titles for a range of YA readers.
Younger YA/Middle School
Anything But Typical by Nora Raleigh Baskin

Jason Blake, an autistic 12-year-old living in a neurotypical world, finds a glimmer of understanding when he comes across PhoenixBird, who posts stories to the same online site as he does. Jason can be himself when he writes and he thinks that PhoneixBird-her name is Rebecca-could be his first real friend. But as desperate as Jason is to met her, he's terrified that if they do meet, Rebecca will only see his autism and not who Jason really is. Winner of the 2010 Schneider Family Book Award.

Rogue by Lyn Miller-Lachmann

Kiara has Asperger's syndrome, and find it hard to make friends. Feeling misunderstood, she turns to "Mr. Internet" for answers and looks to her hero, Rogue from the X-Men, as a role model. When a new boy moves in across the street, Kiara hopes that, for once, she'll be able to make friendship stick. When she learns his secret, she's so determined to keep Chad as a friend that she agrees not to tell. But being a true friend is more complicated than Mr. Internet could ever explain, and it might be just the thing that leads Kiara to find her own special power. Like Kiara, Miller-Lachmann has Asperger's Syndrome.

Temple Grandin: How the Girl Who Loved Cows Embraced Autism and Changed the World by Sy Montgomery

When Temple Grandin was born, her parents knew she was different. Years later she was diagnosed with autism. Temple's doctor recommended institutionalizing her, but her mother believed in her. Temple went to school instead. Today, Dr. Temple Grandin, a scientist and professor of animal science at Colorado State University, is an autism advocate and her world-changing career revolutionized the livestock industry. This compelling biography and Temple's personal photos take us inside her extraordinary mind and open the door to a broader understanding of autism.

Mindblind by Jennifer Roy

Fourteen-year-old Nathaniel Clark lives in two worlds-the outside world of his family and friends and his own, special, inside Aspie world, where he's not forced to interact with people or worry about wearing his clothes right-side out. Nathaniel read that true geniuses must make a contribution to the world, and he sets out to do just that. Nathan's character was inspired by Roy's own autistic son.
High School/Older YA
Wild Orchid by Beverly Brenna

Eighteen-year-old Taylor Jane Simon, sheltered most of her life because of an autistic condition, sees new possibilities opening up for her when she goes to spend the summer in Prince Albert National Park where her mother has taken a job working in a pizza restaurant. (The third book in the Taylor Jane Simon trilogy, White Bicycle, was a 2013 Michael L. Printz Honor book.

Episodes: Scenes From Life, Love, and Autism (hardcover edition titled Episodes: My Life As I See It) by Blaze Ginsburg

Blaze Ginsberg offers a unique perspective on his life as a highly functioning autistic twenty-one-year-old. Inspired by the format of the Internet Movie Database, Blaze organizes his life events as a collection of episodes. Some episodes are still running, some are in syndication, and some have sadly come to an end. With an innovative style and approach that is all its own, Episodes reinvents the traditional memoir; and it will inspire young readers to see the world as they've never seen it before.

Colin Fischer by Ashley Edward Miller

Colin Fischer cannot stand to be touched. He does not like the color blue. He needs index cards to recognize facial expressions. When a gun is found in the school cafeteria, Colin decides It's up to him to prove that the school bully is innocent and solve the case, Sherlock Holmes-style.

Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork

Marcelo Sandoval hears music that nobody else can hear - part of an autism-like condition that no doctor has been able to identify. But his father has never fully believed in the music or Marcelo's differences, and he challenges Marcelo to work in the mailroom of his law firm for the summer . . . to join "the real world." There Marcelo meets Jasmine, his beautiful and surprising coworker, and Wendell, the son of another partner in the firm. He learns about competition and jealousy, anger and desire. But it's a picture he finds in a file a picture of a girl with half a face that truly connects him with the real world: its suffering, its injustice, and what he can do to fight.

One of the things I love most about working in a library is connecting people with just the right book. After school is finished for the day, I can often be found wandering through the stacks with a bewildered teen or tween, stacking books in their arms and saying, "I know you'll like this one." I also enjoy giving book talks when I have a captive audience, so my teen advisory board has heard my spiel more than once, and every class that comes through for a tour gets a few book talks thrown in for good measure.

However, I can't be there every time someone needs a new book, and sometimes people want to be left to discover things on their own. This is where passive readers advisory comes in. There are ways for me to promote books within the library without having to stand next to the shelves waiting for an unsuspecting patron to pounce upon. These are some of my favorite passive readers advisory tools:

Displays
Displays are an obvious way to do readers advisory. I have pretty limited space in my current library, though, so sometimes my display features just a few books on a common theme or with a common "look" to them. I do make sure to rotate the types of displays I do, though, and to include genres or authors I don't typically read myself. In those cases, I read up online or enlist the help of my teens or another staff member to make the best display.

Bookmarks
Bookmarks are another great way to make a display. I will take brightly colored cardstock and list a few recommended read-alikes to a particular book, then place the bookmark in the book so that the top is clearly visible. I have observed some of my patrons veering directly toward books containing these bookmarks.

Sticky Notes
Sticky notes are a great way to call attention to books that are displayed face-out. I noticed that very few of my teen patrons did anything with the books I had carefully displayed. When I added a brightly colored sticky note to the front of the book with a short teaser, these books started flying off the shelves.

QR Codes
This type of RA will depend on your patron base. I have created on-shelf QR codes that lead to a list saved in our catalog. The code paper is about the size of a business card and will say something like, "Do you love reading about Percy Jackson's adventures? Try some of these books!" and the code will lead to a list of mythology read-alikes. I like this option for people who access the library's catalog on their phones or for those who like to make lists of books to put on hold.

Table Tents
These are very similar to the "staff recommends" signs often seen in book stores. I have some small signs that say "We recommend [title of book] because" with room for a short description. These are folded to form a tent shape and set in front of our face-out displays. Like the sticky notes, this type of RA requires semi-regular maintenance, but it also allows various members of my staff to shine and show off the types of books they enjoy reading as well.

For all of these varieties of readers advisory, it would be easy to include staff members or teens in the creation and maintenance of the displays. I am a strong proponent of delegating tasks and giving teens ownership over their area in the library; this is a great way to get them involved in some of the day to day tasks that help keep the library looking welcoming and inviting.

What are some things you do in your library to provide readers advisory even when you're not there to do it in person? Let us know in the comments!

Even before Hidden Figures hit the big screen and became a (unsurprising) smash hit, there has been a recent slew of great nonfiction books about women in science. Although not all of these are particularly aimed at teens, they will resonate and are very readable.

Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly

As we all know, Hidden Figures is an amazing story of black women mathematicians who overcame so much to do much of the math - and create a lot of the math! - to help send the earliest American astronauts into space. Not to mention learning the earliest computer languages and programming. It's an inspiring and amazing book that should be a must read for everyone (or at least watch the movie!).
Hidden Figures Young Readers' Edition
Obviously the same story as the adult one, this one has been trimmed down make it more accessible to a middle school and early high school audience. I haven't read this version, but can't possibly believe it would be bad! My local middle school is using it as one of the required reading options this summer and I'm thrilled!

Women in Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers Wh o Changed the World by Rachel Ignotofsky

This is a great book that has amazing illustrations. Each page introduces a new woman from science - most historical figures - who made amazing discoveries and changed the science world in some way. It points out that many were overlooked in favor of male colleagues when it came to international and national awards. Yet the world is a very different place for these. This book is particularly accessible because each woman's history is broken down into a page of narrative plus a variety of extra interesting facts. It's physically a gorgeous book and very appealing. It also reads quickly.

Rise of the Rocket Girls: The Women Who Propelled Us, from Missiles to the Moon to Mars by Nathalia Holt

This was my introduction into this 'theme' of amazing women in science that no one knows about and it totally captivated me. Taking place at the same time as Hidden Figures historically, it tells the story of more human computers (many white but some black as well) who worked on the NASA program but based out of California and what that program managed to accomplish alongside the program chronicled in Hidden Figures. Like Hidden Figures, it follows the women and their lives as they work to prove they are just as good as men at what they do (and in many cases, better!). Having read this when I saw the first trailer for Hidden Figures, I legit squealed at the fact we were getting awesome women scientists on the big screen!

The Girls of Atomic City: The Untold Story of the Women Who Helped Win World War II by Denise Kiernan

This story meanders a bit and could probably stand to be a little shorter BUT it still gives an awesome overview and look into something most people know nothing about. It tells the story of Oak Ridge, TN which was created by the government specifically for the intent of figuring out how to make the atomic bomb. Thousands of people went to work there with very little knowledge of what was going on including many young women. It tells of a fascinating period of history that has been shrouded in mystery ever since the experiment started.
Books that include women scientists and also other awesome women:
Rad Women Worldwide: Artists and Athletes, Pirates and Punks, and Other Revolutionaries Who Shaped History by Kate Schatz

This is set up similarly to Women in Science in that it briefly covers a lot of women. Each double page spread is a picture of the woman and a page (and sometimes a bit more) about them. These books do not just cover women from science but also a variety of other amazing women, most of whom were overlooked during their lifetimes. Many of them readers might have heard of but there are also plenty they might be unfamiliar with. A great fast read that might lead to more interest in particular women.

Rad American Women A-Z: Rebels, Trailblazers, and Visionaries who Shaped Our History ... and Our Future! by Kate Schatz

Very similar to the previous book (even written by the same woman), but specifically focusing on American women. Another great introduction to many amazing women.
Books I have heard great things about but have not yet had a chance to read:
So I'm including these because they're all on suspended holds for me at my library, I just haven't had time to read them yet, but I suspect they'll be awesome. I've gotten the recommendations on good authority.

The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women by Kate Moore

This one just came out last month and looks fascinating. Although the women focused on in this one are not necessarily scientists, their story deals directly with the discovery of Radium by the Curies. Hundreds of women work with radium everyday, literally shining from its effects. And then they all start to fall ill. The main part of the story is the fallout from this and the development of more workers' rights in response.

Rocket Girl: The Story of Mary Sherman Morgan, America's First Female Rocket Scientist by George D. Morgan

Told by her son, it tells the story of Mary Sherman Morgan, and the building of rockets. Taking place in a similar time span as Hidden Figures and Rise of the Rocket Girls, this one seems to focus on one particular woman and her story that parallels the others, helping get Americans into space.

The Glass Universe: How the Ladies of the Harvard Observatory Took the Measure of the Stars by Dana Sobel

Taking place before many of the others, this one chronicles the women who went from being human computers to interpret what their male counterparts find to actually studying the information and making their own discoveries. Using many primary source materials, it tells a fascinating story of women who made so many amazing and unsung discoveries relating to astronomy

What other women in science books would you recommend? Especially outside my favorite of astronomy and space.

You've got questions, we've got answers! Our volunteer Agents are on the job! Here's what they have to say this week....

Question: We're about to open up a Central Library in a large city and our Teen Space will have an extensive video gaming area (which I've been put in charge of ordering equipment and games for). Unfortunately, our desk (for the time being) will not be within eyesight of the gaming area. To add to the difficulties, there will be an exit/entrance right next to the gaming area. All of that said, how do all of you ensure your gaming accessories (consoles, controllers, games, etc.) don't grow legs and walk off, and how do you all manage large crowds of teens when space and controllers are limited?

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We as librarians and library service providers talk a lot about being inclusive. We strive to be inclusive with staff, with our patrons, with our collections, and with our programming. This is one thing that as teen service providers I know as a group we work hard to maintain, and it's one thing that we get challenged on more often than our adult service colleges. So take a step back for a moment, a true and reflective step, and examine how inclusive your Mother's Day programming is for your patrons.

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Have you heard of Blizzard, the video game developer and publisher? If not, surely you've heard of World of Warcraft, which is one of their most well known games. They've also created the extremely popular video games and universes of Diablo, Starcraft, and Overwatch in addition to the Warcraft games. While the game I'm discussing today isn't new - Heroes of the Storm (HotS) has been out since June 2015 - it was recently relaunched with a ton of new features and has been getting a lot of coverage.

HotS is a type of game called a multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA). Two teams of five people duke it out in map balanced around defending your towers while destroying theirs, managing 'creep' waves (small non-player enemies) in your lane (of which there are two or three, depending on the map), and killing enemy heroes. Each player has their own hero they control that has special abilities and a focused role on the team. These include damage dealers, tanks who absorb damage, healers, and specialist heroes that contribute to the team in unique ways no other hero does.

The ultimate goal, destroying the opponents' core, may be accomplished by destroying a lanes' worth of towers and then doing enough damage to the core to destroy it or by some other means based on the map objectives. There are multiple maps that focus on different ways to aid your side in battle or provide a different way to destroy the enemy core, and this helps keep the game fresh by changing up the path to victory from game to game.

What's fun about this game is that it pulls heroes from all of Blizzard's existing universes. Heroes from their games like Starcraft, Warcraft, Diablo, and more are all playable heroes and can be used to fight against opponents. They have abilities that make sense in their universe, such as a stimpack style healing mechanism for a well-known Starcraft hero. If you are enamored with the universes that Blizzard has created over the almost 30 years it's been around and enjoy MOBA-style games, then you'll probably get a kick out of this.

Similar games to HotS exist and are extremely popular, such as League of Legends and DOTA2. These games have eSports presences, huge tournaments, and large cash prizes. Meanwhile, Heroes of the Storm is a fairly recent addition to the MOBA genre, but Blizzard is trying to build up its presence rapidly with the recent update to Heroes of the Storm 2.0.

HotS is free to play similar to League of Legends and DOTA2. While DOTA2 only requires that you pay money for cosmetic items, like changing the way your hero looks, and not the heroes themselves, HotS and League of Legends require that you use either in-game currency or purchase in-game currency in order to unlock heroes as well as cosmetic items. Gathering enough in-game currency in HotS to unlock all playable heroes without spending money is a hugely time-consuming affair, but it certainly isn't required to have all the heroes unlocked to enjoy the game. Of course, there's also tons of cosmetic items that can be purchased which is becoming a common staple across many genres of video games these days.

These free-to-play games, such as HotS, can be great additions to any gaming computers you may have at the library as they can provide youth an avenue to enjoy games that they may not be able to play at home on their own computer if they have one. The graphical requirements generally aren't astronomical which allows for these games to be played on less powerful hardware. Internet connection speeds do need to be decent as latency can cause significant issues where entire battles can be decided based on split-second reaction times.

Have you played HotS? Do you have anything to add? Have you had teens playing it in the library? Please share in the comments below!

For the unofficial Star Wars celebration on May 4th (May the Fourth be with you!), here are eight books to hand to Rebels and Imperials alike. Some are direct tie-ins to the films, and others will appeal to teens who dream of a galaxy far, far away.

Lost Stars runs from before Rogue One and A New Hope to the events of Return of the Jedi. Thane and Ciena grew up together and fell in love, but Imperial occupation of their planet tore them apart. One went to the Imperial Academy (which is where Luke was going to go in ANH, remember?), and the other became a Rebel. A classic tale of star-crossed lovers set in the Star Wars universe, this one has boatloads of acclaim.

Speaking of Claudia Gray, if you want to know what happened to Leia Organa in between the events of Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens, snag Bloodline. Technically, this is aimed at adults, but why not give it to teens? If they're into Star Wars, they'll devour this.

For me, Timothy Zahn is one of the foremost Star Wars authors, and I was super sad when his Heir to the Empire trilogy got retconned into the Legacy books (i.e. it's no longer canon). However, in a very smart move, his iconic character Thrawn was repurposed in Rebels and makes his solo appearance in the revamped universe in the brand new book Thrawn. One of the Empire's most notorious baddies rides again!

There are loads of Star Wars books to delve into, especially if you count all of the AU/Legacy titles (please read the Heir to the Empire books!). Sometimes they can be hard to track down, which is why sci-fi readalikes save the day!

How about some Illuminae? Yep, it's everyone (seriously, almost everyone I know who has read this has loved it)'s favorite space thriller with traitors, hackers, and killer biological agents! What if the Rebels didn't have the Force on their side, but super-duper hacking abilities? What if the Empire was everyone you ever trusted? (Oh wait, that part is kinda true)

Any Rocket Raccoon/ GotG comic should scratch the itch caused by one dashing Corellian smuggler and his co-pilot from Kashyyyk. I highly recommend Skottie Young's run on Rocket Raccoon for its frenetic art and spot-on characterizations.

So go forth to your local library's holocron (er, catalog) and reserve as many as you can! May the Force be with you. Always.

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You've got questions, we've got answers! This week we need YOUR help.... Question: What are your favorite (newish) anime titles available on DVD and appropriate for grades 6-12? If you have a question about anything teen services related ask it here! Your question will be featured on the blog with answers from our agent volunteers or TSU team members.

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Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA)

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*YALSA has launched the new , which is a one-stop shop for finding selected lists and award winners. Users can search this free resource by award, list name, year, author, genre and more, as well as print customizable lists. This new resource will replace the individual award and list web pages currently on YALSA's site that are not searchable and that are organized only by year.

Awards I Selected Lists I Teen Book Finder app & database I Additional Resources

While these books and media have been selected for teens from 12 to 18 years of age, the award-winning titles and the titles on YALSA's selected lists span a broad range of reading and maturity levels. We encourage adults to take an active role in helping individual teens choose those books that are the best fit for them and their families. For recommended media, such as apps, visit the YALSAblog and ALA TechSource. Also, check out AASL's Best Websites for Teaching and Learning. For more in-depth information about library collections for and with teens, visit the Collections & Content Curation page on YALSA's wiki.
Book Awards
Learn more about each award below and read speeches from winners.
Selected Book & Media Lists
Learn more about YALSA's Book and Media Lists, including:

View Past Lists (that are currently inactive)
Teen Book Finder App & Database
Find YALSA's latest award-winning books and media and selected lists wherever you are with this app and this database, funded by the Dollar General Literacy Foundation.
Best of the Best
Download bookmarks and other materials, as well as a full list of YALSA's best reading for teens as published each year, to promote teen reading in your community.
Committee Contacts
Publishers interested in submitting books for consideration for a YALSA award or selected list can access committee member rosters online or contact Nichole O'Connor for assistance.
Suggest a Title
To suggest a title for YALSA's committees to consider, click on the link above for the particular award or list you're interested in. Note: publishers and authors may not suggest a title and a nomination is only official when it is accepted and seconded by the committee.

Use and Reproduction of YALSA's Awards and Lists

YALSA's lists of recommended reading may be reproduced under "fair use" standards. As stated in Section 107 of The Copyright Act of 1976, factors to be considered shall include:

1. the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes;

2. the nature of the copyrighted work;

3. the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole

Additional Resources
Find more collection development resources on our wiki. YALSA is part of the American Library Association, which develops additional recommended reading resources of interest to library staff, educators and afterschool providers who serve teens:

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YALSA Book and Media Awards for Libraries

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YALSA has launched the new Teen Book Finder Database, which is a one-stop shop for finding selected lists and award winners. Users can search this free resource by award, list YALSA's Book and Media Awards and lists of recommended reading

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Teens and Tech

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Common Sense Education empowers students and educators with digital citizenship tools and teaching strategies to advance learning in the digital age.

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Teens, Technology, and Transformation | Suzy Cox | TEDxUVU

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Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA)

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Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA)

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A Division of the American Library Association