Wikis are online web sites that are edited collaboratively, sometimes by the general public, and other times by registered users. The idea of the wiki is that anyone who has information can contribute to the online information hub, and through this grassroots sharing of information, the wiki becomes a valuable info source to its contributors and readers. Wikispace.com is a host for wikis, and someone has created several young adult librarian themed wikis through this free hosting service. You may be interested in checking out the following teen librarian-related wiki sections and spaces:

YA Politics- Has a collection of links related to youth politics.

YA libraries- Has a small collection of ya library links.

YA booklists - contains links to book review web sites by ya librarians or teens.

YA - a page with core teen librarian resources.

Teen Librarian - currently has user-defined book lists, looks like some programming sections are soon-to-come.

Obviously, these wikispaces have a long way to go. Few people have contributed to them, and they aren’t organized well. For example, you can find teen book lists in the booklists section as well as the YA booklists section. Furthermore, there are two wikispaces that have content about teen services. The teenlibrarian wikispace obviously has more of a teen focus than the reference links wikispace, but the reference links wikispaces can be commended for its large amount of user-supplied teen reading lists. Still this is confusing — two places to go. Why don’t the creators of these wikis combine forces?

Another criticism, other than organization, might be the lagging of the wikispace web server. Is that my wireless connection dropping, or is it the wikispace web server that is causing the pages to load slowly? It might be worth it for someone to host a teen librarian wikispace on an ad-free web server, to speed up page loading. But then, you’d have three teen librarian-related wikis to check out. We wouldn’t want that!

Also, what’s up with the look of the wiki? In general, wikis look ugly. Has anyone ever come across a wiki space that looks sharp? Like a user-supplied-content web site with awesome design and graphics? Please show me an example. I want to believe that the wiki can function with a lucrative outfit on. Show me a hot-looking wiki!

I just had the pleasure of perusing the new Young Adult website, “My Own Cafe“, a teen web portal for the Southeastern Massachusetts Library System.

The web site not only features access to library materials, but provides an entertainment portal for teens. Teens can download mp3s of regional artists, write music reviews, post their opinions on the discussion board, and find out what’s going on in their area. There are some great discussions about authors and films going on in the discussion board, and these conversations are initiated by teens.I am very impressed with the amount of teen involvement that the web site calls for, and how it balances teen content out with access to Library materials and resources.

I like the idea of building a regional teen web site. A web site targeted towards library teens of an entire regional area, has more chances of prospering than a web site that targets a smalle area. This is because teens will be more attracted to a library teen portal whose participatory members span further than their local township. Teens might think of the web site as a way to make new friends.

One thing I also commend about the web site, is that teens themselves monitor and create content. There is a section of the web site that calls for teen volunteers to help moderate forums, review music submissions, and create polls. The teen involvement of the web site is the factor that will make the web site take off. It’s what will draw teens in and get them involved with library programs and resources.

There is an article on the VOYA website about the making of My Cafe that I haven’t had the chance to read yet. You can read it here.

I just took the teen pop culture quiz from VOYA, written byErin V. Helmrich. I think I scored a big zero, which means I am “doomed”, according to the quiz.

Are you well versed on teen pop culture?

Take the Quiz

http://pdfs.voya.com/VO/YA2/VOYA200512PopCultureQuiz.pdf

Taken from OCLC’s Perceptions of Libraries and Information Resources Report, the following are some negative associations of libraries written by United States Teenagers. One of the most important things to point out in this report is the reference to the attitudes of librarians. Although only two negative associations about librarian attitudes are listed, I think the attitude of librarians towards teens is a problem that is prevalent in public libraries. My experience in public libraries has informed me that the majority of staff generally do not like working with teenagers. I believe that young adult library staff need to convince other staff members that young adults are worthy of exceptional customer service. Teen library staff should try to eradicate negative stereotypes about teenagers that might be causing this disconnect.

The full report can be located here:
http://www.oclc.org/reports/2005perceptions.htm

boring complicated
14 U.S. High school

Only for nerds. Bums go there to keep warm.
15 U.S. High school

sometimes hard to find info and not as quick as the internet
15 U.S. High school

when the book you want has been checked out –librarians aren’t always the most considerate people
15 U.S. High school

you have to have a membership you have to have the books back in short periods of time
15 U.S. High school

policy drivenness
16 U.S. High school

Researching for school papers Broken down computers
16 U.S. High school

sometimes too much information
16 U.S. High school

the stereotypical librarian, the concept that books are unintresting
16 U.S. High school

Uncool Nerdy
16 U.S. High school

Unqualified libriarians. Complicated search services
16 U.S. High school

BORING!! No fun in library!
17 U.S.

fines, impatient librarians
17 U.S. High school

Musty Book Smell A Mean libranian
17 U.S. High school

old people, old books, fines, outdated information, archaic research tool
17 U.S. High school

Only losers go to libraries Going to a library for research is outdated
17 U.S. High school

overdue fines homeless people like to stay there sometimes
17 U.S. High school