Cranston Public Library was recently one of just 20 libraries in the nation to be chosen by the Young Adult Library Services Association to receive a YALSA Teen Tech Week mini-grant. The grant, in the amount of $450, also included an additional $50 worth of Teen Tech Week products. The grant money and the products were used to put on a weeklong series of activities geared toward teens, allowing them to explore different types of technology.

Applying for the grant was a collaborative effort by Cranston librarians Linda Archetto, Ed Garcia and Eileen Dyer. Archetto is a member of YALSA and, therefore, was able to apply for the grant.

As a result of this grant, middle and high school students were at the Central Library on Sockanosset Cross Road March 10 for the Make & Break 555 Noisekit workshop. This workshop was also in collaboration with the AS220 Labs of Providence; Shawn Wallace was the instructor.

The workshop was free and contained a mix of both boys and girls. Each student was given an integrated circuit (the 555 Timer), learned how to solder with a soldering iron and left the workshop with a finished product that would be able to be plugged into any amplifier, computer speaker or home stereo to produce “electrifying NOISEMUSIK,” according to the program’s flier.

According to the AS220 Labs Web site, www.as220.org, the 555 Timer is known to be one of the oldest integrated circuits still available and is often used for electronic music experiments.

The purpose of applying for the grant was to be able to “allow teens to have hands-on experiences with technology,” said Ed Garcia, information access librarian at the Central Library. “Most products come with a warranty now; it’s harder to get into products.”

Most of the grant money was used to fund the workshop.

“The grant paid for the instruction, and the individual kits,” said Archetto.

“We’re going to survey [the participants] afterward for their opinions to see what they liked and what could make it better. We found out that the science scores in Cranston are not where they should be. We thought that this kind of program outside of school would help them with science and technology.”

A portion of the grant was also used to purchase a variety of DIY electronics books for the libraries. Garcia is hopeful that if the program does well, it can be repeated over the summer.