The library is holding Teen Tech Week, a national program designed to get teenagers more involved in the library.
Erin M. Daly, Chicopee Public Library's young adult librarian, displays the library's book recommendation page on goodreads.com, in which teenagers are encouraged to participate.CHICOPEE - The public library is attempting to draw more teenagers into the building through technology.
This week, the library is holding Teen Tech Week, a national program designed to get teenagers more involved in the library, said Erin M. Daly, the young adult librarian for the city.
The week is run through the Young Adult Library Services Association. This is the first time it has been tried in the Chicopee Public Library, said Daly, who was hired this year.
“Teens are growing up to be citizens and custodians of a very interesting world where technology and community connections will play a large role, so we’re working to build and strengthen those connections now,” she said.
Libraries are a great place for teenagers to learn more about technology and learn how to handle the information overload, she said.
One of the things the library is doing this week is offer expanded hours in its computer labs for teens. Typically, it is only open an hour a week, but this week students aged 13 through 18 will be invited to use it from 3 to 4 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday.
Anyone can use the library computers any time with a library card, but these computers are in a room, typically used as a classroom, and teenagers will be invited to use them without a card, Daly said.
The program also has a “bingo card” with 25 different activities listed on it such as posting a video on YouTube and going to anime.com and creating a cartoon, she said.
“We have wacky prizes like wind-up robots and robot rubber duckies if they do five things on the card,” she said.
One of the most fun activities will be Friday at 2:30 p.m., when there will be a rock band tournament using a video game similar to Guitar Hero. Students will compete in groups of four and must name their band.
They will be judged on the overall score they receive after playing two songs. The groups will get a separate score for the best band names, Daly said.
After the week is over, Daly said she hopes to continue expanding teen computer hours and getting teens more involved with learning how to better use computers.