YOUmedia at the Chicago Public Library – A Digital Library Space for Teens 

January 1, 2010

YOUmedia connects teens, books, digital technology and Chicago’s educational and cultural communities.  Teens work individually and in teams and school groups on literature-based projects that promote their creativity and critical thinking skills.  Mentored by Chicago Public Library librarians, Digital Youth Network and other community partners, teens learn to express themselves through new digital skills in photography, music, video and game design.    

YOUmedia has quickly integrated with other Library programs.  YOUmedia is now the downtown home of the Teen Volume program, which brings teens from throughout Chicago together through literature and the arts to foster their literacy, creativity, self-expression and success in school and beyond.  The Library’s extensive Teen Volume young adult book collection is now housed in YOUmedia, so in addition to state-of –the-art technology, YOUmedia gives teens easy access to thousands of books right in their own space.

Teen Volume’s Readers Theatre project, featuring teen readings from young adult books, also has a new downtown home in the YOUmedia Hang Out space. 

And, as part of the One Book, One Chicago program based on the Carl Smith’s Plan of Chicago, teens read the book and compared Chicago circa 2009 with Burnham’s Plan.  With digital cameras and sound equipment checked out from YOUmedia, teens fanned out throughout Chicago, shooting footage in their own neighborhoods to create a documentary about urban planning in Chicago communities.

Mayor Daley has said of YOUmedia: “It's the kind of program that can help stem violence by providing teens a safe place to acquire the kinds of skills that will help them get jobs.”As one teen said about her experience using this new Chicago Public Library treasure:  “when you’re in YOUmedia, you learn and you don’t even know it.  You’re too busy having fun with your projects to realize they’re educational.”YOUmedia is a collaboration  between the Chicago Public Library and Digital Youth Network, with generous support provided by The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the Pearson Foundation through the Chicago Public Library Foundation.  For more information about YOUmedia, contact youmedia@chipublib.org.