Beginning on the first Sunday in March and continuing for the next seven days, Teen Tech Week is an annual event that encourages teens to make the most of digital media and hardware. This event is usually hosted by local libraries to encourage teens to seek out and use digital resources.

Every library has a wealth of digital resources and services that often go unnoticed and, therefore, unused. The general theme of this week is “Get Connected,” and it encourages all teens to visit the public library and learn more about the tools available for them to use.

The History of Teen Tech Week

This week was introduced by the Young Adult Library Services Association and the American Library Association in 2007. It was created because some children did not yet have a personal computer and were beginning to fall behind in the Digital Age.

Meaning, they did not have as much access to the wealth of content offered by the World Wide Web. Therefore, these library associations created this week to inform young adults about the services that libraries provide, including access to digital media and the Internet.

In 2014, the theme of this holiday was “DIY @ Your Local Library,” and in 2015, the theme was “Libraries Are for Making.”

Interesting Facts About Libraries

Let’s go over some of the more interesting facts that we know about libraries. The following facts just so happen to be the ones that we gained while looking through the digital services of an online library.

• In 1731, Benjamin Franklin started a lending library.
• Some early libraries were built with apartments on their top floors.
• The world’s largest library is the Library of Congress.

Observing Teen Tech Week

All that a teen has to do to participate in the festivities of this week is to attend a local library and take advantage of some of the services they provide. It’s a good week to talk to a librarian and have them teach you about using the Internet, accessing past newspaper articles, and accessing other forms of digital media. People can also use the hashtag #TeenTechWeek to spread the word about this event online through social media.