Rikki Steingass of Bluffton Public Library has been awarded a 2011 Teen Tech Week Mini Grant from the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA).

The 10 grants awarded this year are funded by the Margaret A. Edwards Trust and give each winning library $450 cash and $50 worth of official Teen Tech Week products to support a reading program that incorporates technology to celebrate Teen Tech Week, March 6-12.

With the grant funds, Steingass plans to host a special program for grades 6-12 called Steampunk Awareness Day at Bluffton Public Library on March 12 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

"Steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction that is increasing in popularity with teens. Typically, Steampunk novels are set in the Victorian age and depict a world in which steam power is widely used. They present a 'what-if' kind of alternate history complete with flying dirigibles, mechanical gadgets and automatons" says Steingass.

In order to increase awareness for the Steampunk sub-genre, the library will host a book discussion of Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld, show a Steampunk anime movie and have a costume contest during Steampunk Awareness Day.

The Friends of the Library will supply a brunch for teens at the book discussion and snacks for all other Steampunk Awareness Day participants. There is no cost for Steampunk Awareness Day and the first 20 book discussion participants will get to keep their copy of the book.

Teen Tech Week is a national initiative aimed at teens, their parents, educators and other concerned adults to ensure that teens are competent and ethical users of technologies, especially those that are offered through libraries.

Teen Tech Week encourages teens to use libraries' many free nonprint resources for education and recreation, and to recognize that librarians are qualified, trusted professionals in the field of information technology.

The 2011 Teen Tech Week theme is "Mix and Mash @ your library." Teen Tech Week 2011 Promotional Partners include ALA Graphics, Figment, the Margaret A. Edwards Trust, Tutor.com and the Verizon Foundation. Nonprofit supporters are DoSomething.org and the Federal Trade Commission.

To learn more about Teen Tech Week, visit www.ala.org/teentechweek. For more information about Steampunk Awareness Day at Bluffton Public Library, visit www.blufftonpubliclibrary.org or call 419-358-5016.