Jul 22, 2005
Thinking Inside the Box: Games, Teens and Libraries
Here's an audio presentation you can listen to online, from Bloomington Public Library, on Thinking Inside the Box: Games, Teens and Libraries. Scroll down to the July 15 program and choose from downloadable mp3 or WMA audio files, or listen to streaming audio and also view a slide show with links. This is from OPAL: Online Programming for All Libraries. What an great concept! The presentation is 93 minutes, so I've only listened to bits and pieces so far, but librarians discuss BPL's Game Fest and take questions. The site also offers a podcast.
Update on 70 Titles Challenged in Arkansas
From comments in this editorial, it seems that the woman who kicked up all the fuss is backing down a bit -- now she doesn't want the books banned, she just wants parents to be aware that they are available. Okay, great, but then she goes on to say:
"These books are not factual books. These books are slime... This is pandering sex. It’s irresponsible and it’s without parents’ knowledge ... It promotes threesomes, abortion, unsafe sex, homosexuality. This stuff is vile."
So, "GLBTQ: The Survival Guide for Queer and Questioning Teens", one of the books on her lists, is "slime" and "vile"? I don't think so. I hope she isn't able to push her personal opinions onto others, or make the librarians in the school district think twice before ordering titles they would otherwise select.
"These books are not factual books. These books are slime... This is pandering sex. It’s irresponsible and it’s without parents’ knowledge ... It promotes threesomes, abortion, unsafe sex, homosexuality. This stuff is vile."
So, "GLBTQ: The Survival Guide for Queer and Questioning Teens", one of the books on her lists, is "slime" and "vile"? I don't think so. I hope she isn't able to push her personal opinions onto others, or make the librarians in the school district think twice before ordering titles they would otherwise select.
Another Article on "Shocking" YA Novels
Ever since the Wall Street Journal published its article warning parents about racy teen fiction, there have been many copycats. Here's a quote from another one:
"The latest novel by Cecily von Ziegesar opens something like this.
Blair and Nate are naked in bed, smoking cigarettes and not caring that the open blinds in Nate's luxurious Upper East Side town house expose them to neighborhood Peeping Toms. The doorbell rings. Nate's pothead friends have popped by, and soon the guys are doing bong hits on the roof.
Von Ziegesar's 'Nobody Does It Better,' the seventh installment in her best-selling 'Gossip Girl' series, seems like it should share shelf space with Jackie Collins and Danielle Steel. But her books can be found in the young-adult section, aimed at tweens and teens who are scooping up the often-racy adventures of von Ziegesar's privileged, Prada-clad high-schoolers."
At least this article quotes an editor at Booklist and also a Teen Vogue writer who describes the books as "escapist fantasies". And, thank goodness, no mention of the ever-controversial "Rainbow Party"!
"The latest novel by Cecily von Ziegesar opens something like this.
Blair and Nate are naked in bed, smoking cigarettes and not caring that the open blinds in Nate's luxurious Upper East Side town house expose them to neighborhood Peeping Toms. The doorbell rings. Nate's pothead friends have popped by, and soon the guys are doing bong hits on the roof.
Von Ziegesar's 'Nobody Does It Better,' the seventh installment in her best-selling 'Gossip Girl' series, seems like it should share shelf space with Jackie Collins and Danielle Steel. But her books can be found in the young-adult section, aimed at tweens and teens who are scooping up the often-racy adventures of von Ziegesar's privileged, Prada-clad high-schoolers."
At least this article quotes an editor at Booklist and also a Teen Vogue writer who describes the books as "escapist fantasies". And, thank goodness, no mention of the ever-controversial "Rainbow Party"!
Jul 18, 2005
Podcast #2: Anime & Manga at the Library
I'm posting my second podcast today. I started out thinking I would do it on graphic novels in general, but then ended up changing my focus a bit to concentrate on manga (with some information on anime thrown in). The podcast is about 20 minutes long and features an interview I did with a librarian who has some great insights about the subject -- she offers suggestions on what to read if you're just discovering manga, talks about some of the publishing trends, points out good online sources for reviews and information, and much more.
As I mention in the podcast, I had some technical difficulties with the interview, but I think you'll still find it interesting and useful. Please e-mail me with any suggestions, leave a comment below, or call the audio comment line I've set up at (206) 333-1877. You can record a comment that I will add to the next podcast.
Anime/Manga Resources
The librarian I interviewed for Podcast #2 frequently blogs about anime and manga at TangonaT. She also suggests the following two blogs and a website:
Love Manga
Irresponsible Pictures
Comics Worth Reading: Comic Book Reviews and Recommendations
The GNLIB (Graphic Novels in Libraries) website and listserv are great resources.
Voice of Youth Advocates has a terrific article (by Kristin Fletcher-Spear and Kat Kan) available only on their web site about library anime/manga programs. In addition to profiling several anime-related library programs -- from screenings to review groups to comic-book creation clubs -- the article includes an annotated list of new anime and an "Anime Contact List" to help librarians get screening permission.
Librarian's Guide to Anime and Manga
An excellent source of general information, with a list of "special considerations for librarians" as well as definitions and resources. Compiled by Gilles Poitras, author of "The Anime Companion" and "Anime Essentials". The site also includes lists of recommended titles.
No Flying No Tights
An excellent source of graphic novel reviews, created by a librarian.
As I mention in the podcast, I had some technical difficulties with the interview, but I think you'll still find it interesting and useful. Please e-mail me with any suggestions, leave a comment below, or call the audio comment line I've set up at (206) 333-1877. You can record a comment that I will add to the next podcast.
Anime/Manga Resources
The librarian I interviewed for Podcast #2 frequently blogs about anime and manga at TangonaT. She also suggests the following two blogs and a website:
Love Manga
Irresponsible Pictures
Comics Worth Reading: Comic Book Reviews and Recommendations
The GNLIB (Graphic Novels in Libraries) website and listserv are great resources.
Voice of Youth Advocates has a terrific article (by Kristin Fletcher-Spear and Kat Kan) available only on their web site about library anime/manga programs. In addition to profiling several anime-related library programs -- from screenings to review groups to comic-book creation clubs -- the article includes an annotated list of new anime and an "Anime Contact List" to help librarians get screening permission.
Librarian's Guide to Anime and Manga
An excellent source of general information, with a list of "special considerations for librarians" as well as definitions and resources. Compiled by Gilles Poitras, author of "The Anime Companion" and "Anime Essentials". The site also includes lists of recommended titles.
No Flying No Tights
An excellent source of graphic novel reviews, created by a librarian.
Jul 11, 2005
Warning Labels for Teen Books?
That's what was suggested for the Guilderland, NY, teen collection. Fortunately, library trustees voted against the proposal, which was initiated by one library trustee who felt that parents needed help to monitor their teenagers' reading.
On the other hand, a few "sexually explicit content" stickers might boost circulation. . .
On the other hand, a few "sexually explicit content" stickers might boost circulation. . .
Alloy Entertainment Inc.
An interesting article about the publisher behind hot teen series such as Gossip Girl, The A-List, The Clique and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (and, it turns out, Sweet Valley High). From the article:
"Alloy Entertainment operates more like the romance novel industry than a traditional trade publisher. It has a staff in New York of about 10 editors who diligently research what's hot in the teen world -- what girls are wearing, the music they like, the TV shows they TiVo. . . Staff members are in charge of everything about the book, from creating ideas to finding writers, crafting proposals for publishers and creating the sleek cover art. The company then sells the book, but keeps all the other rights. As many as 50 are published each year."
"Alloy Entertainment operates more like the romance novel industry than a traditional trade publisher. It has a staff in New York of about 10 editors who diligently research what's hot in the teen world -- what girls are wearing, the music they like, the TV shows they TiVo. . . Staff members are in charge of everything about the book, from creating ideas to finding writers, crafting proposals for publishers and creating the sleek cover art. The company then sells the book, but keeps all the other rights. As many as 50 are published each year."
"CSI" Teen Program
Here's a great idea for a teen program. From the article:
Scott Brauner goes to the Highlands-Shelby Park library every day to see friends, read good books and hang out.
Next week, Scott, a Shawnee High School sophomore, will have another reason to visit: to learn about crime fighting when the Louisville Free Public Library's holds a weeklong "CSI At the Library" teen workshop series.
Read more here.
Scott Brauner goes to the Highlands-Shelby Park library every day to see friends, read good books and hang out.
Next week, Scott, a Shawnee High School sophomore, will have another reason to visit: to learn about crime fighting when the Louisville Free Public Library's holds a weeklong "CSI At the Library" teen workshop series.
Read more here.
Glad I Don't Work in Cleveland County, NC. . .
. . .where the children's services manager was quoted in the local paper as saying, “Any kind of really racy thing, we wouldn’t be allowed to order.” This was in reference to books such as "Rainbow Party" and young adult novels that contain sex and drug use. An excerpt from the article:
Barbara Wakefield, the children services manager for Cleveland County Library system, said racy books for young adults would probably not end up in the library.
“Any kind of really racy thing,” she said, “we wouldn’t be allowed to order.”
Carol Wilson, the Cleveland County library director, said staff members read book reviews in industry publications before deciding which books to purchase.
Sometimes that means just ordering what is most popular, and those might not be so racy.
“If people have requests, we look into it,” Ms. Wakefield said. “We don’t have a lot of money to spend on young adult books, so we usually order books that have won awards or are for the Battle of the Books. We do have popular series like ‘Harry Potter’ or ‘Left Behind.’”
Barbara Wakefield, the children services manager for Cleveland County Library system, said racy books for young adults would probably not end up in the library.
“Any kind of really racy thing,” she said, “we wouldn’t be allowed to order.”
Carol Wilson, the Cleveland County library director, said staff members read book reviews in industry publications before deciding which books to purchase.
Sometimes that means just ordering what is most popular, and those might not be so racy.
“If people have requests, we look into it,” Ms. Wakefield said. “We don’t have a lot of money to spend on young adult books, so we usually order books that have won awards or are for the Battle of the Books. We do have popular series like ‘Harry Potter’ or ‘Left Behind.’”
Jul 7, 2005
First Podcast!
Here's my first attempt at podcasting, a discussion of the recent Slate article attacking young adult fiction as trite and simplistic. I talk about the article and read responses to it from blogs and other sources. It's about 11 minutes long. If you haven't listened to podcasts before, I have included some technical hints at the end of this post.
As I say in the podcast, I hope to have some interviews and audio comments to use in the next segment, but I wanted to get something up quickly to try this out. I'd appreciate comments and suggestions -- you can leave a comment below, or e-mail me at mirandadoyle@yahoo.com. I also have an audio comment line at (206) 333-1877 (a Seattle-area number). You can call and record a comment that I will add to the next podcast.
If you're interested in hearing future podcasts, you can subscribe to my feed at: http://feeds.feedburner.com/Teenlibrarian
TECHNICAL TIPS:
If you haven't listened to podcasts before, it's very easy. Just click on the headline for this post to listen on your computer. You will need to plug in a pair of headphones, or listen on speakers. You may be asked what program you want to use to listen -- RealPlayer, Windows Media Player, etc. If you want to download the audio to your MP3 player, you can use the feed below. . .
http://feeds.feedburner.com/Teenlibrarian
. . .along with a program like iTunes or iPodder (you don't need to have an iPod; any MP3 player should work, though you may need to transfer the files using the software that came with your device).
As I say in the podcast, I hope to have some interviews and audio comments to use in the next segment, but I wanted to get something up quickly to try this out. I'd appreciate comments and suggestions -- you can leave a comment below, or e-mail me at mirandadoyle@yahoo.com. I also have an audio comment line at (206) 333-1877 (a Seattle-area number). You can call and record a comment that I will add to the next podcast.
If you're interested in hearing future podcasts, you can subscribe to my feed at: http://feeds.feedburner.com/Teenlibrarian
TECHNICAL TIPS:
If you haven't listened to podcasts before, it's very easy. Just click on the headline for this post to listen on your computer. You will need to plug in a pair of headphones, or listen on speakers. You may be asked what program you want to use to listen -- RealPlayer, Windows Media Player, etc. If you want to download the audio to your MP3 player, you can use the feed below. . .
http://feeds.feedburner.com/Teenlibrarian
. . .along with a program like iTunes or iPodder (you don't need to have an iPod; any MP3 player should work, though you may need to transfer the files using the software that came with your device).
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