VOYA
Great for librarians and teachers who work with young adults, this professional handbook tackles three important topics—who is the millennial generation, what kind of world do millennials live in, and what can we do to teach them? Chapter topics include media literacy, the information search process, Facebook, YouTube, Google, and Wikipedia, gaming, webcomics, mobile technology, cooperative learning, screencasting, and the new generation of research papers. Do you need to protect your library's Facebook fan page?Cite this book. Do you need to defend why YouTube should not be filtered in your school library? Consult this book. Each chapter is written by a different person, and extensive lists of references, both online and print, are included. The contributors are mainly university library professors, providing research-based essays on their topic. Most references are from the past five years, and some chapters have very useful lists of recommended readings and resources. In-text citations make this book more of a resource than a pleasure read, but it is a must-read for non-M-generation librarians new to young adult services and for those new teachers or anyone wanting to understand Web 2.0. Reviewer: Sarah Hill
Library Journal
This collection of essays by 28 contributors aims to help educators better serve the current generation of students, who have grown up with social media, text messaging, and the ubiquity of the Internet as an information source. The authors focus not only on the information-seeking behaviors of these students (born between the early 1980s and mid-to-late 1990s) but also on teaching strategies for librarians and educators who may not yet have learned to incorporate newer media in their regular instruction. Part 1 defines Generation M, emphasizing that this tech-savvy group isn't as adept at making the best use of technology as many might assume. Part 2 covers social-networking sites, YouTube, Google and Wikipedia, gaming, and webcomics, discussing the impact of these media on the ways students are accustomed to learning. Part 3 expands upon the pedagogical implications of these media for the future. VERDICT School and academic librarians—particularly those who feel lost in or unsure about the rapidly changing landscape of social media and interactive technology—will find this an elucidating and even comforting book that provides practical strategies and a philosophical basis for embracing the world of "generation M."—Rachel Q. Davis, Thomas Memorial Lib., Cape Elizabeth, ME
School Library Journal
Through 20 chapters that include literature reviews, research summaries, best practices, and how-to articles, librarians and educators can gain a better understanding of the net generation and their information and educational needs. The editors include gaming, online learning, mobile technologies, Web 2.0 technologies, and the information-search process. It is interesting to note that while some of the authors mention such terms as "net native," neither the popular term "digital native" nor its originator, Mark Prensky (who has written extensively on how digital natives learn), appears in the index. Nevertheless, the book is an excellent addition to professional collections and should be required reading for high school and college librarians who serve today's high-tech young adults, particularly since many practicing librarians are digital immigrants and are not part of the net generation. This text will help them speak the language and provide meaningful and relevant experiences for young adults. The book should be mandatory reading for pre-service librarians and educators who will impact the young adults with whom they will come into contact.—Angela Washington-Blair, Emmett J. Conrad High School, Dallas, TX
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