DECISION MEMORANDUM

May 13
th
2014
TO: Library Directors
FROM: Hypothetical Library Teen Committee
!"#$CT: Decision Memorandum % & Tomorrows Tales '
1( )!R)O$: *s state+ in the MC)L F,14 -or. plan a ma/or 0oal is to pro1i+e
T$M2T$*M )ro0rammin0 3ith the p4rpose o5 inte0ratin0 learnin0 into 4sers6 li1es thro40h
materials7 i+eas7 pro0rams7 an+ ser1ices
1
( F4rthermore the p4sh 5or T$M2T$*M pro0rammin0
amon0 st4+ents is a ma/or 5oc4s o5 MC)L this year( 8e3 an+ creati1e 3ays to promote math an+
the sciences amon0 st4+ents sho4l+ be enco4ra0e+7 especially those that are relati1ely cost
e55icient(

2( "*C9:RO!8D: *ccor+in0 to a )e32Colle0e "oar+ /oint st4+y ;3< o5 teens 3rite 5or their
o3n pleas4re( The same st4+y in+icates that the ma/ority o5 these +o not consi+er te=tin0 or
electronic comm4nication 0en4ine 3ritin0( The st4+y has other tellin0 statistics that teena0ers
0ain 0reat en/oyment o4t o5 3ritin0 o4tsi+e o5 school7 an+ that 3ritin0 ability e=cels 3hen 0i1en
consistent 5ee+bac.(
2
3( *8*L,>: >t is clear that a re04lar creati1e 3ritin0 pro0ram +irecte+ at teens 3ith consistent
s4pport an+ criticism has 0reat a+1anta0es( 4ch a pro0ram 3o4l+ be a so4rce o5 enth4siasm 5or
st4+ents as 3ell as impro1e their 3ritin0 an+ social s.ills( "4t ho3 +o 3e tie these ob1io4s
a+1anta0es 3ith a 5oc4s on math an+ the sciences?
4( R$COMM$8D*T>O8: -e recommen+ a ,o4n0 *+4lt cience Fiction Creati1e -ritin0
"oo. Cl4b that meets monthly( $1ery month a member o5 the cl4b brin0s in a recent ne3s article
abo4t an 4pcomin0 or +e1elopin0 technolo0y( The challen0e 5or the 0ro4p members is to 3rite a
piece o5 short 5iction @4n+er 17000 3or+sA that is abo4t this ne3 technolo0y( The 5iction can be a
story abo4t the conseB4ences o5 or the potential 4ses o5 this s4b/ect or it can ill4strate a scenario
3here this technolo0y is 4se+7 or it can be a h4moro4s anec+ote( "4t it m4st be a spec4lati1e
story abo4t the s4b/ect o5 the article in B4estion( $1ery month the 0ro4p sho4l+ meet 4p an+
+isc4ss2critiB4e their short 5iction( The possibility o5 a competiti1e element co4l+ be consi+ere+7
possibly pro1i+in0 a priCe 5or a hi0hest 1ote+ piece o5 5iction( This pro0ram7 tentati1ely title+
Tomorrows Tales, 3o4l+ help bri+0e the 0ap bet3een the arts an+ the sciences7 promote interest
in ne3 technolo0ies7 an+ 3o4l+ ha1e almost no e=penses beyon+ a+1ertisement an+ s4per1isin0(
1
MC)L F,14 -or.plan
2
Lenhart7 *man+a( o4san *ra5eh7 *aron mith7 *le=an+ra Ran.in Mac0ill( Writing Technology and
Teens. )e3 >nternet an+ *merican Li5e )ro/ect( Colle0e "oar+ 8ational Commisssion on -ritin0( *pril
24
th
7 200D( http:22333(pe3internet(or025iles2ol+%
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Montgomery County Public Library Teen Committee
Mont0omery Co4nty )4blic Libraries @MC)LA is please+ to anno4nce the creation
o5 the Tomorro36s Tales Challen0e7 a yo4n0 a+4lt science 5iction creati1e 3ritin0 cl4b(
Teena0ers 3ith an interest in 3ritin0 can 5le= their creati1e m4scles 3ith
Tomorro36s Tales( $1ery month a cl4b member brin0s a recent ne3spaper article abo4t
an 4pcomin0 or +e1elopin0 technolo0y( The challen0e 5or that month is to 3rite a piece
o5 short 5iction @4n+er 17000 3or+sFA abo4t this ne3 technolo0y( The stories can be abo4t
the applications7 implications7 or conseB4ences o5 this technolo0y or e1en simply a
h4moro4s anec+ote( "4t the topic nee+s to be abo4t the technolo0y 5eat4re+ in the ne3s
article( D4rin0 the monthly meet4p cl4b members 3ill share an+ +isc4ss their stories(
This pro0ram 3ill promote T$M2T$*M a3areness an+ 3ill 0i1e a re04lar
en1ironment 5or st4+ents to e=ercise their creati1ity an+ +isc4ss their i+eas(
The cl4b 3ill be locate+ at GGGG library e1ery GGGG ni0ht at G:GG )M( >t 3ill
be s4per1ise+ by librarian GGG b4t 3ill be mostly teen%r4n( $1ery 0ro4p member 3ill be
assi0ne+ a month to brin0 in a tech article7 an+ the b4l. o5 the meet4p 3ill be rea+in0 or
+isc4ssin0 i+eas(
To si0n 4p please clic. the lin. at GGGG(0o1 or si0n in person at the GGG
library( For more in5ormation email GGGHGGGG or call 4s at GGG%GGG%GGGG