Changes to CLPTeensburgh

If you read this blog regularly, you might have noticed that there was a period of a couple months without many updates.  That was because we were figuring out how to make this blog the best it could be — and we think we have it.  We now have a group of eight teen librarians from throughout the city who will be blogging on a strict schedule, which should result in at least two blogs each week.

We’ll also be changing the focus of our blog posts: instead of posting blogs informing you of upcoming programs at individual libraries (which you can find on our event calendar), we’ll be talking about things that we hope will be of interest to teens throughout the City of Pittsburgh.  Here are some of the things we’ll include:

• Reviews of books, movies and other materials
• Booklists
• News items of interest to teens
• Scholarship or contest information
• Information about large, systemwide programs (things like the Ralph Munn Creative Writing Workshops and Contest, Behind the Book: Authors Talk to Teens, and the Heinz Endowment Public Art Contest)

Over the next few weeks, I hope to add a few new sections to the blog, including bios of the blog authors so you can get an idea of who’s talking to you.

What else would you like to see here?

Karen

Teen Services Coordinator

Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh

Pre-Register for the Teen Madden 09 Tournament

Think you got what it takes to challenge Pittsburgh teens in Madden supremacy and win a $50 check card? Join us at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh’s Teen space (4400 Forbes Ave., in Oakland), where 16 players will take to the field on Sunday, January 25th @ 12:30 PM for all the big plays and big hits that you could ask for.

We’re offering free pizza, snacks, and drinks so that you can invite your friends to come cheer you on–or if they can’t, we’ll be broadcasting the tournament live online to a national audience (URL TBA).

Please read the rules carefully before entering:

- You must be in high school or high school equivalent age (14-17) to participate.
- We will update the rosters before the tournament.
- Players will be seeded randomly.
- The first two games will be 3:00 minute quarters on All-Pro difficulty; semi-finals and finals will be 4:00 minute quarters on All-Madden difficulty.
- Each player will have one minute before the game to set their audibles and depth charts.
- If the winner cannot continue, the loser with the lowest point differential (aka whoever lost by the least) will fill their slot.
- The home team of each game will be determined by a coin flip.
- Rewinds will be turned OFF.
- Negative trash talk will get a player a warning. After the first warning, the player will be disqualified. Players are welcome to get excited about their own plays, but not at the expense of others. Players’ friends will be removed after their first warning.
- Players will be confirmed in the tournament on a first-come, first-serve basis on the day of the tournament. Pre-registering does not guarantee any player a spot in the tournament. The library will open at noon on the day of the tournament.

To pre-register, contact Joseph via phone (412-622-3121), e-mail (wilkj@carnegielibrary.org), or through our online events page.

~Joseph
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh – Main

Get Animated at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh

If to animate is to give life, then no place is more lively than the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh’s TEEN department. At last week’s art club, we cut, pasted, drew, and took picture after picture to create a stop-motion animation, entitled “Hi.”

Are you interested in trying your hand at animation? Check out Ron Miller’s Digital Art: Painting with Pixels, your guide to getting started with digital art, from 3-D modeling to animation and special effects. You also might want to check out Maureen Furniss’s The Animation Bible: A Practical Guide to the Art of Animating, from Flipbooks to Flash. This is an amazing book that takes you through ever aspect of the process, including digital and hand-drawn works.

If you’re wondering how you might be able to get started on your own, there is also some really powerful (and FREE!) software available to assist you. Check out Pencil, a free animation/drawing program, and Blender, a free, powerful 3-D animation studio.

If you have any animations to share, please link us. Everybody can use a little life during these cold, snowy times.

~Joseph
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh – Main

College Knowledge

Do you see college in your future?

Getting in to college can be a pretty daunting and sometimes discouraging task – but don’t think that it is beyond your reach! With the right preparation college can be accessible to anyone. Representatives from the University of Pittsburgh InvestingNOW/CARE Program will tell you what you need to know to get into college and what local financial aid opportunities are available to you. This program is open to teens and their parents.

It is never too early to start thinking about to college!

Thursday, November 13
5 PM – 6:30 PM @ CLP, Woods Run
and of course, there will be snacks.

~ Amy – CLP, Woods Run

PEACEMAKERS in Pittsburgh

Every day, violence on the streets and in school affects the lives of more and more Pittsburgh teens. Like in books such as Sharon Flake’s Bang!, Ron Koertge’s The Brimstone Journals, Todd Strasser’s Give a Boy a Gun, Matt Whyman’s Boy Kills Man, Walter Dean Myers’s Autobiography of My Dead Brother, or Paul Volponi’s Rooftop, violence can incite, fear, frustration, anger, and sadness that can scar not just people but whole communities.

As a result, local community leaders are asking YOU to join them in a project called PEACEMAKERS, a series of presentations that can help equip you with the tools to help uplift your surroundings. Check it out below.

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PEACEMAKERS in Pittsburgh
A series of presentations addressing TEEN VIOLENCE in Pittsburgh by individuals actively engaged in initiatives to diminish it. Sponsored by the Anti-racism and Social Justice Committees of First Unitarian Church– Shadyside.

All events begin at 7:30pm at the First Unitarian Church– Shadyside.
605 Morewood Ave
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
412-621-8008

FEATURING:
October 1
Tim Stevens– Former president of NAACP Pittsburgh, co-chair of the Coalition Against Violence.

October 8
Valerie Dixon– of the center for ‘Victims of Violence’ & radio talk show host of ‘Peacing it Together.’

October 15
Richard Carrington– U.S. Army, retired. Director of ‘Voices Against Violence’ youth programs

October 22
George Spencer– President, MADDADS, Greater Pittsburgh Chapter

~Joseph
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, Main – Teen

BIG THINGS POPPIN’ PARTY STYLE @ CLP, MAIN – TEEN!

School’s underway, but that doesn’t mean nothing’s happening @ CLP TEEN this fall! Get a sample of what’s poppin’ by taking a look at the events below (and please make sure you register by clicking on the links!):

September in Hazelwood

Well, we had a massive turnout of 22 people for Wii gaming yesterday, so keep it coming!

Here’s what else is going on:

September 18th at 4:30 p.m. Beading (make a bracelet, necklace, or a tag for your backpack or purse)

September 25th at 4:30 p.m. Book Discussion (snacks and a discussion of the novel Push by Sapphire)

September 27th at 8:30 a.m. Hazelwood Clean Up Day (if you can get up really early, we have extra computer time and pizza as your reward for helping the community)

Sara Dora CLP-Hazelwood

Congrats to the 412 Brawl Team for an Impressive Showing

On Friday, August 22nd the 412 Brawl Team faced off against teens from the Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County. We kept up with them match for match, going down 0-1, evening the score 1-1, going down 1-2, then evening the score again 2-2. In an impressive come from behind victory, the 412 Brawl Team rallied behind Jelani and Aaron to go up 3-2.

While we eventually lost 5-3, I’d like to thank all the members of the 412 Brawl Team for putting up a respectable showing. We had a number of exciting moments, from Shing narrowly missing his own single-handed come from behind victory to the Webbs just utterly dominating the competition. We’ll definitely be taking the 412 Brawl Team’s first squad on the road with more tournament matches against other libraries, so keep your eyes open. Until then, scope out a replay of all the action below.

~Joseph
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh – Main

Who’s Ready to Brawl? CLP Is Ready to Brawl!

CLP Teen is still gathering players from the Pittsburgh area to take on the Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County. The tournament takes place at the Main library Teen section before moving to the basement for the Teen End of Summer Party. If you can’t make it, we will be broadcasting the tournament LIVE at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Teen Media Page (if you can make it, still be sure to tell all your friends).

Here are the rules:

• The tournament will consist of eight matches of two-person teams, one from each library.
• Whichever team notches the most wins at the end of the eight matches will be declared the winner. In the case of a tie, the winner will be determined by a match up against librarians.
• Matches will be stock five matches to take place on the Final Destination board.
• Items and friendly fire will both be OFF.

Meanwhile, check out the video for “Brawl Beat,” featuring members Shing and Spig C of the 412 Brawl Team:

or download the MP3.

Until then, I remain…

Joseph
proud member of the 412 Brawl Team
Carnegie Libray of Pittsburgh, Main

Calling all Super Smash Brothers BRAWLERS!

What happens when you take the winners of the CLP Teen Super Smash Bros. Tournament and pit them against the winners of the Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County?

Intensity. Chaos. Pain. Punishment. Brawl.

We’re kicking off the Main library’s Teen End of Summer Party in style, by battling for respect in two person teams. The party will take place on August 22nd, and the tournament will be starting at 3:00 PM–broadcast LIVE on the internet on the Teen Media Page.

This is where we need YOUR help!

While we’ve got a few great players, we’re short of recruiting the 16 we need to make a tournament. We need AMAZING Super Smash Bros Brawl players to help us in the final showdown.

Do you know anybody who fits this description? Please have them get in touch with Joseph about repping CLP! Joseph can be reached by calling 412-622-3121.

Thanks!

~Joseph
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, Main