The last school bell rings and the young adult area slowly begins to enliven. Teenagers seem to gravitate to the computer area more so than the shelves checking their email, checking out social networking websites, and starting their homework. It is a different generation in which most have known about this virtual sphere of the World Wide Web since the time they were starting kindergarten.

Teen Tech Week is an initiative supported by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) coming up in a few weeks. The purpose of this initiative is to “ensure that teens are competent and ethical users of technologies, especially those that are offered through libraries such as DVDs, databases, audiobooks, and videogames.” Studies have shown that over recent years, teens’ use of nonprint resources has increased quite dramatically.

In terms of young adult literature, over the last several years it has seen a surge in new series making their debut. These include Cecily von Ziegesar’s Gossip Girl series, Kate Brian’s Private series, and Scott Westerfeld’s science fiction sequels. All these can be found on the shelves.

Some of the newest titles in the young adult area include:

• Private by Kate Brian
• Invitation only by Kate Brian
• Untouchable by Kate Brian
• Confessions by Kate Brian
• Inner Circle by Kate Brian
• Crackback by John Coy
• Gym candy by Carl Deuker
• The Luxe by Anna Godbersen
• Saint Iggy by K.L. Going
• The outcasts by L.S. Matthews
• Breathe my name by R.A. Nelson
• Life as we knew it by Susan Beth Pfeffer
• The Ever-After Bird by Ann Rinaldi
• Boot camp by Todd Strasser
• Knights of the hill country by Tim Tharp
• Big fat manifesto by Susan R. Vaught
• Extras by Scott Westerfeld
• The last days by Scott Westerfeld
• Peeps by Scott Westerfeld
• The secret hour by Scott Westerfeld
• Touching darkness by Scott Westerfeld

Plucked off the shelf:

Life as we knew it by Susan Beth Pfeffer is the journal account of Miranda, an average teen in a small Pennsylvania town. The extraordinary event that develops: an expected asteroid hits the moon unexpectedly. The change in the moon’s orbit begins to cause world-wide destruction. The journal begins to chronicle the family’s survival. It takes a few chapters to get truly engrossed in the storyline. After that, you will not want to put it down.

The first novel of a four part series, The Luxe by Anna Godbersen depicts the glittery society life of the Holland family at the turn of the 20th century. In an interview with The Brooklyn Paper, the author reveals that she has done extensive research having buried herself in the archives at the New York Historical Society. The novel is peppered with historical events and descriptions of clothing and interiors that enliven the world in which the characters live. It is an interesting read and the cover of the novel is quite gorgeous.

Reverting back to more tech-y and non-young adult things, if you have searched or browsed through the catalog recently, there are now quite a few new overdrive files. These are files from the Digital Catalog at the State of Kansas Library. Items you will find include Adobe PDF eBooks, OverDrive Audio Books, OverDrive Music, and OverDrive Video. When you have picked an OverDrive file you like, look for the electronic location title, then pull up the url. You will be redirected to the State of Kansas website featuring “Audio books, music, and more!”

In order to “check out” material, you will need a Kansas Library Card. You can register for a temporary card online and maintain it for thirty days. However, after those thirty days, you will need to stop off at a library to get a permanent login. These logins are renewable every year.

These materials can be played on most mp3s and depending on the publisher of the item can be downloaded onto your computer and burned to a CD. Unfortunately, they do not work on iPods. You may have a maximum of ten titles checked out from the Digital Catalog. Downloaded titles are checked out for fourteen days and are automatically returned to the library. Depending on the popularity of a particular item, it can be weeks before you have access to that one title you would like to listen to. If you have any questions inquire at the library.

Don’t forget to check out the Library Tidbits section of our website or our MySpace page at www.myspace.com/lmlibrary for the latest events and newest acquisitions. The newest posts include information about the “Go Overboard Challenge Grant” sponsored by young adult novelist Justina Chen Headley, Burton Snowboards, and Youth Venture to fund the best youth-led ideas to change the world.

Happy reading (and listening)!