Scholastic and games

Kotaku reports that Scholastic is thinking of trying something a little different

A series called The 39 Clues which will feature ten books and be written by different authors including Gordon Korman and Rock Riordan.

The series seems to hint at the fact that it will include mention of video games and in fact have flash-based video game tie-ins...

An online game will allow readers to search for the 39 clues themselves, while solving puzzles and playing mini-games that will be refreshed daily. Mr. Levithan said the site would include blogs written from the points of view of characters, and maps, treasure hunts and videos, many with historical and geographical content.

Each book will come with six collectors' cards that can be used to find further clues in the online game. Players can also win cash and other prizes.

The publisher hopes that reluctant readers will be drawn to the books by the game. "Reading the books will make you better at the games, so that is the incentive," said Suzanne Murphy, publisher of Scholastic's trade division.

Teens, gaming and charity

The library literature is crazy about gaming (both good and bad). Well if your library is looking to raise funds, this holiday season, for a fabulous charity and -- perhaps -- highlight the work gaming does in bringing teens in to the library. Why don't you check out Childs Play.

Since 2003, over 100,000 gamers worldwide have banded together through Child's Play, a community based charity grown and nurtured from the game culture and industry. Over two million dollars in donations of toys, games, books and cash for sick kids in children's hospitals across North America and the world have been collected since our inception.

This year, we have continued expanding across the country and the globe. With over 45 partner hospitals and more arriving every month, you can be sure to find one from the map above that needs your help! You can choose to purchase requested items from their online retailer wish lists, or make a cash donation that helps out Child's Play hospitals everywhere. Any items purchased through Amazon will be shipped directly to your hospital of choice, so please be sure to select their shipping address rather than your own.

When gamers give back, it makes a difference!

There's even a hospital, that would benefit, in Oklahoma.

Remus Lupins @ Helmerich Library

Wed. Oct 24, 7 PM, the Remus Lupins will perform at Helmerich Library in Tulsa.
Check their site, for more information on the upcoming event!

Or go to the teen web page @ teens.tulsalibrary.org
to the Check this out section to download the flyer.

Okie libraries to be mentioned on XM radio

Well there's good and bad press to every side of a story -- looks like Maureen is getting soom good press off of this still and Bartlesville is making the bad press. Maureen is going to be on "The Agenda with Joe Solmonese" XM Satellite Radio show

If any of you have XM radio give this a listen:

...Author Maureen Johnson, whose latest book for teens was banned by an Oklahoma school library because it features a lesbian relationship, will also appear on the show ...

Hmmmmm, has it actually been banned now? I thought it had been challenged but retained in the collection and placed on reserve shelving. But perhaps I missed a news story somewhere.

The Agenda airs live at 6 pm EST on XM's Channel 120

Fartparty | Dirty secrets of the public library

Kevin sends this library story -- and this is funny -- because it's true.

Too often libraries put graphic novels in teen sections (because they are "cartoons") even though the content is anything but teen. So check to see if any of these authors are in your teen area -- and perhaps start an adult graphic novel section.

^_^

Update on Bartlesville and Bermudez

Porcelain Librarian has an update on the B&B.

The Bartlesville Mid-High has yet to actually ban Bermudez…it is still in the process of being reviewed...

Author John Green stopped by the above post to give his input and insight on the situation via the comments -- it's an interesting post and I encourage everyone to trek over there and add your thoughts.

Of course you can also follow the author's perspective on Maureen Johnson's webpage.

Bartlesville in the Bermudez Triangle

It's interesting to see the massive anti-banning blog campaign surrounding the Bermudez Triangle and Bartlesville Mid-High. This isn't the first book in Oklahoma to be challenged recently -- but it is the first one, that I've seen, that has prompted so many bloggers to weigh in so aggressively. Yeah sure the book that shall not be named got some press and so did the 6 happy feet-- but did they get a youtube post by an author.

Job opening for Youth Librarian in Tulsa

POSITION:
Branch Youth Librarian

LOCATION:
Schusterman-Benson Library
3333 E. 32nd Pl.
Tulsa, OK 74135

SALARY RANGE:
Grade 12x -- $2791/month – with MLIS
Grade 11x -- $2517/month – with enrollment in an accredited Library School and advancement toward degree.

STATUS:
40 hours per week
Schedule may include one or two evenings per week, rotating Saturdays and occasional Sundays 1-5 p.m. in a regional library

Book challenge in Bartlesville

Author Maureen Johnson talks about having one of her books challenged in Bartlesville.

...For the past several weeks a committee headed by Mrs. Janet Vernon, Executive Director of Secondary Instruction for Bartlesville Public Schools, has been reconsidering the YA novel The Bermudez Triangle by Maureen Johnson. A challenge to the book was submitted to the school board on March 4, 2007. Yesterday, the Mid-High Principal and I appeared before the committee at 10:45. By 2:00 this afternoon, I was informed by [a BHS librarian and committee member] that the decision has been made to pull the book from the Mid-High library.

Well, well, well. Looks like I went and got myself banned! Apparently I have written something so dangerous that it can’t be contained on the shelf of a high school library.
...
One parent saw the book, and this is what she had to say in a letter to the school. I’ve reprinted the entire text as it was given to me, removing only the names:

I’m shocked and appalled at the lack of discretion, and moral decline in the selection of books at the Mid-High library. Homosexual content, unprotected sex, underage drinking, and reckless promiscuity are not values that belong in a school library. I understand there are parents or teens who are dealing with these issues, but not all parents want their kids exposed to this material. Personally, I would not endorse any of these types of book as “14-and-15-year-old-friendly.” Giving teenagers knowledge without guidance is irresponsible and dangerous. As a parent, I screen my 15-year-old’s television, Internet, video game, magazines, and books. There are things she’s not mature enough to handle, or are simply wrong for her. Parents are a child’s best line of defense in a world that rushes to grow them up too soon. This book, “The Bermudez Triangle” has no moral fiber, and wrongly promotes a “do whomever you want to discover yourself” mentality. There’s no mention of the myriad of diseases, pregnancy, destruction of friendships and lives that are very real consequences of a “sexual free-for-all” decision. I ask that his material be removed at once. You have a responsibility to the children at school to protect them and educate them. Let’s raise the bar a little higher, respect moral values and a parent’s right to guard that which has been entrusted to their care....

Be sure to read her entire post. It's always interesting to see an author's reaction to having a book attacked. And if it interests you -- Amazon shows the book with 4 1/2 stars.

Miami library teens are blogging!

Welcome to the library blogosphere Miami Library Teens!

Kids are alright! Millennials & Their Information Behaviors

I went to hear Stephen Abram talk about Millennials and their information behaviors -- his presentations on various library 2.0 topics can be found here.

I was hoping to get information I could use when we redesign our teen and kid websites at work -- instead I left with a feeling of hopelessness. It was a wonderful presentation -- and there was a lot of useful information on the webpage viewing habits of those born between 1978 and 1995. And he showed a wonderful list of characteristics of Millennials that was collected by his colleague Richard Sweeney. It's just that half way through the presentation I realized it wasn't meant for me.

As I sat there between a Millennial (born 1978) and a Boomer (born 19something) I realized there was gap of ~45 million people missing from the presentation. Generation X.

This is how millennials are...
This is how we Boomers should look at this...
Our kids do xyz and we think wtf...
Millennials multitask, play games, download music, ...

I wanted to raise my hand, Um Sir? What about me? How do I as a Gen-Xer -- who has been in the profession since 1999 interact? Yes I need to know how millennials are -- And it's good for me to know how to tell my Boomer colleagues how they can relate -- but my daughter is 17 months she pulls the ball out of my trackball oh and watches the backyardigans on my lap-- and I multitask, play games, download music... (heck right now I'm blogging, listening to the Ramones on my Ipod, and chatting with a coworker via gtalk)but I'm not one of them -- as I can tell from my sunday school students and my little brother -- and they know it. I'm "old" to them -- I'm no longer on the front page of the blog post -- I'm in the archive. How do I relate to them?

The Millennial said she doesn't consider herself millennial - the Boomer told me I'm a green personality and a Gen-Xer so I'm cynical. I jotted down on my program "Gen-X -- where have they gone?"

In 2003 I did facilitate a discussion for OLA on Gen-X Librarians and how to manage them. It was a mild turn out -- but it felt good to have others there pointing out that the stereotypes weren't true and that it was more of a cooperative culture that mattered than highlighting differences. I wish there would have been a little more of that in this session.

The thing that bothered me the most though was how "tech savvy" this group was suppose to be as a whole...yes many kids are good with technology -- and I know some of the kids I've gamed with have some mad computer skills. But when I worked at the university I saw so many students that could set up a Myspace page but couldn't figure out how to create a word document. What about those kids? How do we connect and help them? I guess that's what I felt was missing. Do those kids learn differently than older people who have the same problems? How do we reach out to them?

Your thoughts?

An Education-Based Approach to Online Child Safety

From the Technology Liberation Front

Today I released a new PFF study entited (pdf file)“Rep. Bean’s ‘SAFER Net Act’: An Education-Based Approach to Online Child Safety.” The short paper argues that education, not increased governmental regulation, is the most effective method of ensuring online child safety going forward. Luckily, there finally exists a piece of federal legislation that embodies that philosophy.

Rep. Melissa Bean (D-IL) recently introduced H.R. 1008, the “Safeguarding America’s Families by Enhancing and Reorganizing New and Efficient Technologies (SAFER NET) Act of 2006.” The bill would create an Office of Internet Safety and Public Awareness at the Federal Trade Commission, establish federal grants to promote Internet safety programs and create a national public awareness campaigns. While I’m not usually in favor of new government programs and spending (and I’m certain that my colleagues will give me hell for doing so in this case!), I think the government can play a constructive role here in terms of informing parents and kids about how to deal with objectionable material online or other cyber-threats....

Late valentine's request

Author Jennifer Lynn Barnes writes in her Live Journal
I Heart Librarians

...Beyond that, though, right now, I'm just so amazed at the extra work that I've seen librarians take upon themselves to make their libraries really WORK for modern teens. So many libraries have a web presence- websites, blogs, myspace pages, and more, and I'm lucky enough to count several librarians on my friends list here. After keeping up with the daily trials and tribulations through their blogs, I can honestly say that these are people who love books, who put in mounds of effort to get books into teens' hands, and who are, quite simply, the best advocates an author could have.

...

So, librarians of the world, this is coming about a week late, but will you be my valentine? There might be some candy hearts in it for you. Or, you know, a graph of your awesomeness, because that I can actually do.

The Register | MySpace passes age verification buck to parents

The Register | MySpace passes age verification buck to parents

News Corp's social network MySpace is developing software which will put responsibility for protecting teenagers in the hands of parents.

The project, codenamed "Zephyr", aims to pacify critics who point to repeated examples of child abusers using MySpace to groom victims. MySpace's browsing rules are notably free and easy compared to other big social networks like Facebook, which requires users to approve each person to view their profile.


The minimum age to join MySpace is currently 14. This gives advertisers access to a notoriously difficult to reach demographic, but has caught the eye of 33 state attorneys, who are investigating action to force the minimum up to 16. The lawyers, led by Connecticut's Richard Blumenthal, want MySpace to cross check users' details with government databases to verify their age too.

...

Zephyr would alert parents of name, age and location data which teens enter into their profile or alter. Working like a piece of spyware, it would log the information in a password-protected file on a computer's hard disk for parents to monitor. Accessing the profile from a remote location would see any changes added to the log on the parental machine. Of course, this would not prevent teenagers maintaining a profile with false age information from public access computers...

Study: Majority of teens stay private online | Tech News on ZDNet

Study: Majority of teens stay private online | Tech News on ZDNet:

Just more than half of all U.S. teens use social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook, according to a new Pew Internet & American Life Project study.

But of those 55 percent of teens, age 12 to 17, who have created a personal profile online, 66 percent say that their information is not visible to all Internet users, according to Pew Internet, the nonprofit research arm of the Washington-based Pew Research Center.

"There is a widespread notion that every American teenager is using social networks, and that they're plastering personal information over their profiles for anyone and everyone to read," Amanda Lenhart, a senior researcher at Pew, said in a statement. "These findings add nuance to that story."

Since social networking sites like MySpace and Friendster exploded on the teen scene more than three years ago, it's become of national concern that kids are posting too much information about themselves and are at risk of being solicited by predators. That has caused a range of action: Some schools have banned children's use of MySpace; legislators have proposed new online rules for social networks; and worried parents have turned to software to monitor their child's activities online. Sites such as MySpace also have taken it upon themselves to institute security measures to protect younger members...

The Chronicle: 1/5/2007: How the New Generation of Well-Wired Multitaskers Is Changing Campus Culture

They're the Net generation — kids with wires running through their veins, kids who grew up on video games and the Web. They're on your campus now, and the contention is that they are different from previous generations of students. Should they be treated differently? Educated differently? Those and other questions were discussed at an interactive session at The Chronicle's Technology Forum.

Login Required. The Chronicle: 1/5/2007: How the New Generation of Well-Wired Multitaskers Is Changing Campus Culture:

Question: I wanted to know: How often do you go to a library, and what do you do there?

Laura: I do not go to the library that much, but that is because I work at the front desk at Nevada State College. I get to do my homework over there at the computers. But if I want quiet time to do my homework, I do go to library. ...

Sarah: My dad is still into the whole book thing. He has not realized that the Internet kind of took the place of that. So we go to the library almost every Sunday. I actually have a library card, but I have not rented a book for a long time, but I go to our school's library a lot because they have most of the course books. ...

Deanna: As far as using library for research, I do most of my research online with online libraries, but last time I went to the library it was probably three months ago. And I usually only go there to get books for pleasure, not for school.

Ashley: I actually have several late fees on my library card right now. It is kind of deterring me away from the library. ...

Mandy: I work in the library at my school, so I'm there almost every day for like hours at a time, but I also do check out books from there and do research there.