Geek Out Your LIbrary

Geek (n.) – a person with enthusiastic interest in a particular interest or devotion.  Typically technology, science fiction and fantasy, comic books, etc.

Urban dictionary defines Geek as: The person you make fun of in high school and wind up working for as an adult.

Right now, geek is cool.  This past weekend was a Comic Con extravaganza with the cast of popular movies and tv shows present.  This year alone there are Thor, Captain America, and The Green Lantern movies.  This weekend we will see the release of Cowboys vs. Aliens.  And of course there are HP and Twilight movies, can’t forget them.

So this is a great time for teen librarians to embrace their geek coolness and geek out your library.

You can download the file at http://www.box.net/shared/​j4efx2r81pet4t6033ny

How, exactly, does one “geek out” their library and get their geek on?

Get out your graphic novels and manga and put them on display

Create your own creative and geeky comic book style fliers for programs, services or materials
     Do you use Photoshop?  Here are 20 photoshop effects
     Don’t have Photoschop?  Download GIMP, it’s free.  Here are some GIMP tutorials.
     Have an iPhone?  There’s an app for that.
 

Created with the iPhone app

Share fun tools with teens to create their own comic strips
     TeenDoo
     Comic Strip Creator
     Captain Underpants Comic Creator

Share information about comics, graphic novels and manga
     Marvel.com

Geek out your webpage.  Entertainment Weekly has done a fabulous job of creating the whole package on their website, follow their lead.

Get someone in to do a drawing workshop

You know your teens that come in and are doodlers, get them to let you share their work on your website or FB page.

Send out a poll, reviews, and discussion questions on your FB page or website about their favorite books, movies and tv shows.  Think Twilight trailers, magazine article links, and more.

Create a fun, interactive contest: drawing contest, create your own comic, give this picture a caption

Lots of popular teen fiction titles are also being released as gns, put the two together
     Some titles include Alex Rider series, Artemis Fowl, Daniel X, Maximum Ride, Twilight,     
    Vampire’s Assistant and Vampire Kisses

Host your own Mini Con!
Invite your teens to come in dressed in their favorite cosplay.  Set up displays, panels, games and other events throughout the day.  You can include any of the above as part of your Con.  Bust out your video game console – and board games, there are lots of awesome board/card games that would work.

Filed under: Geek is the New Black, Marketing, Teen Programming, Tools