The theme of Teen Tech Week 2013 is “Check In @ your library.” It’s a time where libraries nationwide throw open their physical and virtual doors to teens to showcase all the neat stuff we have for them.

Teens’ use of technology has increased dramatically in recent years. So much so, in fact, that teens hardly need to leave their homes for anything these days. A recent survey by the Pew Internet & American Life Project found that 93 percent of teens go online, with many using social networking sites, finding news and information, and sharing content they create.

Teens know that the library is a trusted resource for accessing information and that librarians are the experts who can help them develop the skills they need to use electronic resources effectively and efficiently.

From e-books, audiobooks, music and movies, to games, databases, homework help and more, BCPL is the hub where teens can plug in and stay connected.

So, what do we got?

For starters, we have Tutor.com, an online resource offering free homework help from 2 to 9 p.m. each day. Just clock on the Tutor.com link on this site. Enter your library card number and get started. Qualified tutors are at your fingertips for one-on-one help with algebra, trigonometry, calculus, earth science, biology, chemistry, physics, American history, world history, political science, essay writing and more.

You can upload a problem to the interactive whiteboard and solve it together with your tutor. You can share documents and proofread your essays in real time. You can use the shared web browser to find resources. And you can save files to your online “locker” to work on them later.

Students who use an iPod Touch, iPhone or iPad can download the Tutor.com To Go mobile app, and get help whenever and wherever you need it.

This site, thebookplace.org, features other helpful sources for teens, such as Learning Express Library. It’s a great resource to help you study for an upcoming standardized test, like the ACT, SAT or GRE. You can read the online study guides and take practice exams, all from the comfort of home. The program will score the practice exams, and then offer study tips to help you score better the next time.

If you are already out of school, or nearly finished, Learning Express Library is also a great resource for job seekers. It can help you determine what type of job is best for you, what training or education is required for that job, and even create a resume to help you get that job.

Just like Tutor.com, Learning Express Library is free. All you need is your library card.

Want to learn a language – or just get help with one you are already studying? Try Mango Languages, an online language-learning system teaching actual conversation, grammar and cultural skills for 52 languages. And there’s an app for that.

It’s not all about homework and studying, though.

You can download free tunes with Freegal Music – up to three  free MP3s per week. And the songs are yours to keep – forever. There’s also a mobile app for Freegal, just as there is for Freading – a way to check out popular ebook titles quickly and easily.

OverDrive has even more ebooks and audio-ebooks available for digital checkout. There are tons of young adult titles, and all books can be checked out for three weeks, just like the physical ones on the library’s shelves.

Inside the library, we also have music, movies and video games available for checkout. Don’t have an eReader? Then check out one of our Nooks. Each one features a different genre, including popular fiction and young adult books.

BCPL has video games for the three major consoles: Xbox, PlayStation and Wii, including the new Wii U games. The games range from the classics to current popular releases, from rated “E” for Everyone, to “M” for Mature.

At the Kyova Branch, there is an Xbox gaming system in the teen space, available for use at any time. You can bring your own game, or borrow one of ours (it can’t be a rated M one.)

To reserve a copy of any game, movie, music CD or book, just use the library catalog.

For more information on anything library related, just give me a call at 606.329.0518, ext. 1130.

The study, conducted by the respected Pew Research Center, looked at the reading and library habits of nearly 3,000 people ages 16-29 during a 12-month period.  More than 80 percent of people in Generation Y and Generation Z said they had read a book in the past year, and 60 percent had used their local public library. Yay!

The report also examines how younger readers encounter and consume books in different formats. Of the 83 percent who had read in the past year, a print book had been the chosen format for 75 percent of them; an ebook for 19 percent; and an audiobook for 11 percent.

Among those under age 30 who read ebooks, about half prefer to read them on a cell phone or computer, compared to 23 percent on a Kindle or 16 percent on a tablet.

“We haven’t seen for younger readers that ebooks are massively replacing print books,” said Kathryn Zickuhr, the study’s main author. “That might happen in the future, but right now we’re just seeing them sort of more as a convenient supplement.”

The study found that high schoolers (ages 16 and 17) are especially reliant on the library for their reading and research needs. They are more likely than the other age groups to have used the library in the past year.

High school readers were also more likely to have borrowed the last book they read from the library than they are to have bought it – a pattern that reverses for adults in their late 20s. One thing high schoolers in the Pew survey answered significantly higher on than any other group: they are very interested in checking out pre-loaded ereading devices from their local library.

Well, we have good news for them at BCPL. We have had a Nook checkout program in place for more than a year. We currently circulate five different genres of books on Nooks, and plan to add more soon.

It’s nice to know we are already doing what high schoolers are asking for.

The college-aged adults in the survey (ages 18-24) had the highest overall reading rate of any age group, and more of an interest in ebooks and audiobooks – all materials that BCPL already provides.

Adults in the 25-29 range were less likely to have read a book in the past year, and if they had, they were more likely to have purchased it than borrowed it from a library. But even though they rely less on the public library, they expressed a greater appreciation for libraries – nearly 75 percent said that the library is important to them and their families.

We are glad to hear that, and very glad to know we are already offering many things the survey respondents want. Of course, we also know there are things people would like that we aren’t yet doing or offering. That’s why the information in this recent Pew Center survey is helpful – even if it’s on a national scale. Any and all input helps us as we look at how we provide materials and services to our nearly 40,000 patrons.

Hey Teens!

Check out our new Nook Color exclusively loaded with the latest in titles just for you!  If it is currently checked out, just as any staff member to place you on hold.  Due to the demand and popularity of the Nook, we will be adding more to the collection very soon!

Mark your calendars!! Hunger Games Party: Tuesday, April 10th @ 6PM at Main Branch and Thursday, April 19th @ 6PM at Kyova.