A Few Random Thoughts on Teen Tech Week

This being Teen Tech Week, I thought I’d get my teens to write this blog entry but since I was sick on Tuesday when we were supposed to meet, I’m writing my blog entry myself. I know Carnegie Libraryof Pittsburgh -Main  is having an old school day of all the ancient technology I grew up with. It was really brought home to me how far we’ve come when I read Madeline (I post our catalog page in case you have fond memories of this picture book) and the doctor dialed the hospital on a rotary phone–and made a home visit!

Now we not only have cell phones but iphones, phones with aps and cameras and probably a whole lot of other stuff my son would mock me for not knowing. Computers, which used to be gigantic,  have gotten smaller and smaller and are doing more and more.  Even swallowing up books. I recently read a quote from a famous author that said something like: books will always be with us,  paper not so much.

I, for one, will be happy when fewer trees are being chopped down to supply us with vital info and compelling stories.  But I think the editing process that printed works go through is important too, although it can get  subjugated to commercial interests. That’s where we in libraries can be a help–finding you accurate  resources and involving tales so that your thought processes are not gobbled up by technology as well.

                                                                 Tina Zubak

                                                                 Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh – Beechview