Teens And Tech Mix It Up At The Library

Oskaloosa Library Director William Ottens (left) and Ethan Doak (right) took part in Tech Tear Down Monday night.

Oskaloosa Library Director William Ottens (left) and Ethan Doak (right) took part in Tech Tear Down Monday night.

Oskaloosa, Iowa – You might not consider a place that is filled with books as high tech.

Today, computers have replaced card catalogs, tablets serve as reading devices, and you can now check out your favorites via WILBOR.

This past week, the Oskaloosa Public Library hosted Teen Tech Week. This event helps youth explore the many different facets of technology, not just those associated with library technology.

One Monday, the week started with tech tear down, where the participant disassembled and identified the different components that make up a desktop computer. The participants tore the computer apart in such a fashion that they would then be able to reassemble the PC afterwards.

This was a popular event during last year’s Teen Tech Week. This year also featured The Science of Doctor Who, where participants could build their own sonic screwdriver. Teen participants then got to learn more about the video sharing site YouTube, and learned some about the space-time continuum and quantum mechanics from William Penn University Professor James North.

Ethan Doak is one of those teens who took part in the Tech Tear Down on Monday night. Doak says that his father taught him about computers and technology. I “Don’t think I’ve ever taken apart a tower,” said Doak.

Later on in the week, the Oskaloosa High School Robotics Team, ‘The Sock Monkeys‘, came to visit and performed a demonstration.

The week ended with a viewing of ‘Back To The Future II‘, as a way for the teens to see what people back in 1989 thought technology would be like in the year 2015.

Oskaloosa Library Director William Ottens said that technology in the library is, “not an old thing”. Ottens described how libraries started to get computers installed for patrons to use back in the mid 90’s, much like Oskaloosa did with its expansion in 1997. The expansion allowed for the facility to have two computer labs.

Ottens said that the computer labs are still highly utilized by adults and teens. The downstairs lab at the library serves the needs of children. When not in use in that capacity, it is used for computer classes that help members of the community understand technology even more.

Another form of technology, and way the internet is making its way into the library, is the Learning Express Library. This technology gives students access to practice exams for the ACT, and other college prep, along with courses to brush up on basic skills.

 

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