Want to keep up with what's trendy in the library world? Scope out the newest offering from Library Zen -- LISZEN: Trends. This new website lets you read, submit and vote on library-related news stories from across the Internet. Think of it as an online community where you can share the hottest happenings in all of info-dom.

At this time, LISZEN: Trends is still in beta, but you can get in on the ground floor by reading here and submitting your email address. I highly suggest that all SPLAT members (and interested SPLAT readers) take some time to give this new tool a try. Sharing information about information has never been this much fun before.

At the final New Technologies and New Literacies for Teens meeting at the Idaho Commission for Libraries, the day's "knock-your-socks-off" tool was Google Docs & Spreadsheets. The librarians there thought it was pretty sweet that they could help their patrons and students create, edit, print and save documents, all without installing a single copy of Word.

If you want to try something besides Google, my fellow splatter (aka SPLAT member) Memo previously listed a bunch of other online word processors. Any of 'em can help you handle common patron requests to type up everything from school reports on obscure animals you've never heard of to thank you letters to dear Aunt Bertha.

Go ahead, pick your favorite flavor and let your patrons process their words without Word.

Courtesy of the LibGaming Google Group, I learned about an excellent resource for libraries serving teens. Check out Teen Video Game, Anime and Programming Information for Librarians created by Megan Johnson, Teen Librarian at Rochester Hills Public Library.

Here's the introduction to the website to give you a little taste:

Wondering what to buy for your new library video game collection? Hosting a game day? Don't know a dang thing about Dungeons & Dragons? How about where to get free anime stuff for film fests? Maybe you just want to get more teens involved in teen programming? Well check it out! All this stuff is just for you! We have ideas for libraries of all sizes and budgets, so get to looking!

You don't have to have a lot of money and/or space to improve your services for teens. All you need is a little knowledge and a whole lot of passion. It doesn't have to be hard, it just has to be fun.

Look out world (wide web) -- Ada Community Library has a brand new website! After several months in development, we finally went live last Friday (10/20/06) with our new and improved web presence.

Our new website features blogs (for each department and branch location) with open comments, a dynamic event calendar, interactive polls, photos through Flickr and much more! Best of all, we didn't have to design this from scratch. Instead, we leveraged the power of Drupal, an open-source and free (as in free kitten) content management system.

The Idaho Commission for Libraries is using the same software to power their e-Branch in a Box initiative. With their help, you too can have a snazzy website for your library -- all in thirty minutes or less a month! I encourage you to contact the friendly folks at ICFL to find an e-Branch training near you.

In this day and age, your virtual presence can be just as important as your physical presence. What is your library doing to keep up with the rapidly-evolving Internet? How does your website reflect upon your library as a whole? Here at Ada Community Library, we've just started catching up. What about you?

Looking to reach Digital Natives of all ages? We librarians have an ally in the upcoming Nintendo Wii.

Many libraries have achieved great success by piloting video game programs. (See "Building a Community Around Gaming" on the YALSA blog for just a few success stories.) Offering video games attracts hard-to-reach children and teens who might not otherwise visit your library. We (and Wii) can provide them with a safe, comfortable and neutral social space in which to gather.

Though other video game console options exist, the Nintendo Wii gives you the biggest bang for your buck. It's backward-compatible with all Nintendo Gamecube titles and controllers, so cheap, well-loved games are plentful. The innovative new controller (the Wii Remote) is easy for anyone to use since it's motion sensitive. It even comes bundled with "Wii Sports", so you can play it right out of the box.

How much money did you drop buying a computer and software for your children's department? Probably more than the $250 you'd spend picking up a Nintendo Wii for your library. That's well-worth the "wow" factor you'll earn from every kid that discovers your library has the latest, greatest next-generation video game console.

To reach those unreachable Digital Natives, the Nintendo Wii is just what the librarian ordered. Who's wii-th me?