2005 Theme: Summer Scrapbook

Information Updates:

Update on Teen SRC Materials - 5 June 2005

Hi All,

PLSB has graciously created a teen src listserv for us to use as a vehicle to share information about the Teen Summer Reading Club. If you wish to send mail to this group of TeenSRC contacts at the public libraries (in addition to those who attended the initial brain-storming session), just email: teens@moon.bcpl.gov.bc.ca

We have a very exciting summer for teen readers ahead of us!

The TeenSRC website will launch this Wednesday, June 15 at http://www.teensrc.ca. In the meantime, feel free to take a peek at the draft work-in-progress site: http://www.teensrc.ca/index2.php. You will be able to register to submit book reviews and participate in the discussion forums and see booklists with the ability to post/view reviews on the specific books (just like amazon.com). There are two pieces that are still being built - the basic "post-a-book-review" and the list of sponsors/prizes. Throughout the summer, pictures will be added to the site and contest winners will be posted.

The print materials have been printed and will be distributed by PLSB on Monday June 6. To preview the poster, bookmarks and reading records, see: http://www.bcpl.gov.bc.ca/src/lib2005/teen.htm - they really look terrific! As you know, the TeenSRC is primarily web-based and prizes are distributed provincially, but libraries are welcome to organize their own prizes, contests and programs however they wish. You will have the ability to select random names from your own list of teen participants for local prize draws, if you wish.

A few of you have inquired about volunteering for book review monitoring and discussion moderating - I hadn't answered before now as I was still working out how this will all work... Basically, these are the volunteer positions I'm hoping you can fill:

*1. Book Reviewers*

As each teen submits a book review, the reviews are held in a database but not displayed until a reviewer "approves" the review. A review must be "approved" before it qualifies for the prize draw entries. To "approve", all the book review monitor needs to do is log in, then click on a tick box (labelled "approve") underneath the review. You do have the opportunity to edit the review if necessary too.

Secondly, the review needs to have a second tick box (labelled "post") checked to actually post the review for display. There may be occasions where you want to approve quickly, then go back later and edit before posting; or perhaps delay a posting so as not to flood the display of reviews all at once.

There are 13 booklists which require reviews, plus the general "Other books I've read this summer" category for a total of 14 booklists to monitor. Perhaps the easiest way to handle this is for one library to volunteer to look after one list, and then you can divvy it up amongst yourselves, however it will work at your end. I encourage you to use teen volunteers in the process too. This can all be done over the internet, so working from home is certainly an option.

We'll have to coordinate the reviewing with the weekly draws so reviews don't sit un-approved and miss out on prize draw opportunities. Perhaps we could aim to catch-up on all reviews by the Friday of each week, and we'll then run the prize draw on the weekends (Saturday/Sunday). Sound okay?

*2. Discussion Forums*

There will be multiple forums created - the first discussion starters were written by Chris Miller at Coquitlam (not yet set up, but you should see them in the next couple of days). They generally fall into two categories: "Books & Reading" and "General Discussions". We can always add more... (Feel free to suggest/start others as the summer goes on.)

How much work is involved in moderating a discussion forum really depends on the interest level of the teens in the discussion, and how much you want to put into it. Again, you can choose to take on one or more discussion areas and share the work amongst your colleagues and/or volunteers.

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I am posting resource material and how-to's on the library's teen src site (http://www.bcpl.gov.bc.ca/src/lib2005/teen.htm). Additionally, in the next couple of weeks, we plan to hold a web-based training session to show you how to:

Monitor the book reviews
Moderate a discussion forum
Run local contests

Please let me know if you are interested in this training.

Provincial prize draws will start on July 2 and run for 10 weeks, finishing on September 3. Weekly prizes include things like Chapters gift cards, books, graphic novels, Office Depot gift cards, Wendy's cheeseburgers, cool teensrc pens, etc. The grand-prizes at the end will be iPod Shuffles. Prizes will be sent to the teen's local branch library for pickup (I expect you'll want to see their library card to identify themselves when picking up prizes.)

So please email me to let me know what you would like to volunteer for!
I look forward to hearing from you.

Jacqueline

Your orders will be delivered the week of June 6.

NOTES:

• There are 2 bookmark designs.
• A draft version of the reading record is now available.
• The poster will be 12"x18" and look very similar to the Youthink ad.

The Teen SRC website will launch on June 15. Weekly provincial prizes will start the first week in July and continue until Labour Day when we will draw for the grand prizes (probably iPods). Libraries will have the ability to draw random names from their own constituency group, either by specific branch or entire library system. (Details will be posted on the Teen Resources page.)

I have heard from a few people already who have volunteered to moderate discussion forums or vet book reviews - thank you! I will be in touch with you soon. However, we still need some more volunteers for this - please contact me at jvandyk@infoserve.net if you would like to help. It's a great way to involve some of your library teens - under your guidance, it would be great if some teens would moderate discussion forums!

Jacqueline

The URL for the Teen SRC website (which will be launched on June 15) will be: http://www.teensrc.ca

Website Preview (DRAFT)

How the Website will work: 6 April 2005 (PDF)

Teen Summer Reading Club Vision Document (PDF)

BC Teen Summer Reading Club - Announcement 8 February 2005

Teen SRC Meeting Notes 30 January 2005 (PDF)