LibraryLinkNJ News

For more details about any of our projects, programs, or services, please visit the LibraryLinkNJ website!

For questions, suggestions, or help with your account, please reach out to our CE Team: ce@librarylinknj.org

Spring Membership Meeting

Thank you to everyone who attended our virtual Spring Membership Meeting on June 21. Those who attended were able to hear updates from members of the LLNJ team and vote upon key issues for the coming year. In addition to approving our FY2023 Budget, the membership voted to approve the Proposed FY23 Executive Board Slate, which includes new Board members John Foglia (Georgian Court University Library, Academic Library Representative) and Vickie Volyn (Friends of the Hunterdon County Library, Lay Representative), and returning board members Corey M. Fleming, Allan Kleiman, and Jennie Pu. We look forward to the year ahead with our FY23 Executive Board, and offer many thanks to our departing Executive Board members, Ricardo Pino and Irene Sterling, for their hard work and dedication.

We also look forward to getting started on enacting our FY2023-25 Strategic Plan, which was also approved at the Membership Meeting. The plan’s four main goals are:

1. Innovation & Leadership

2. Facilitating Learning

3. Resource Sharing

4. Engagement

Guided by these goals, the LibraryLinkNJ team is eager to move forward as we strive to realize our vision: Every New Jersey Library - Connected and Thriving.

If you missed the meeting or want to take a closer look at any of the items mentioned above, the meeting recordings, keynote presentation slides, and relevant documents are all available on our membership meeting info page. Also, many thanks to our staff for successfully coordinating and hosting this meeting for our members!

Statewide Delivery Service Contract

Also new for the 2023 fiscal year is a new delivery contract with our current vendor, TForce Logistics, which will start on July 1, 2022. Many thanks to the members of the Delivery Task Force, especially Chair Phillip Berg (Executive Director, MAIN), for their hard work and dedication to completing this important task.

This summer, we will be rolling out a location scan when materials are picked up by your driver. This will replace the need for the driver to sign the pick-up log and will provide more accurate and timely logging of driver visits. We will be sending more details about this change later this month.

Thanks For a Great Year

Many thanks to the LibraryLinkNJ staff, the Executive Board, and the leaders of our partner organizations for your help and support since I came on board last July. It has been an exciting and rewarding year of collaboration, and we’re just getting started.

Best regards,

Ralph

The next LibraryLinkNJ Executive Board Meeting will take place on Thursday, July 21, at 2:30 pm. All LibraryLinkNJ members are welcome to attend.

https://librarylinknj.org/about-us/executive-board

Following the success of last year's Information Equity Conference, LibraryLinkNJ is pleased to announce that our one-day, virtual fall conference will return for a second year! This year's conference theme is "Access & Accessibility."

LibraryLinkNJ Virtual Conference:

Access & Accessibility

Wednesday, September 28th

9AM - 4PM

Online via Zoom–Free of Charge

Our Call for Conference Proposals is now open! We're seeking proposals on a wide range of topics related to access and accessibility, and we welcome presenters from the library community and beyond. Use the button below to submit your proposal by Friday, July 22nd.

Questions about the conference or the Program Proposal Form? Reach out to Darby Malvey, Programming & Outreach Coordinator, at darby@librarylinknj.org.

Cybersecurity for Libraries

Cybersecurity is a complicated, ever-evolving, and multi-faceted issue that can be tough to tackle, even for those of us who are tech-savvy. And when it comes to cybersecurity, many libraries bear a double burden: the security of the institution and staff, as well as the security of the patrons and the public.

Join LibraryLinkNJ for a series of no-cost webinars designed to help library staff of all types and at all levels attempt to get a handle on what cybersecurity means in the library. From the basics for beginners to the how-to for your tech team, we'll explore issues of digital safety, cybersecurity, and privacy from several different angles.

• Digital Privacy & Security for Patrons and Staff Webinar; Wednesday, July 6, 2PM - 3:30PM; Join Tess Wilson of Library Freedom Project for a look at maintaining best practices for your own privacy and security in the online environment, and encouraging your library users to do the same.
• Best Practices for Securing & Safeguarding Your Library Setup Webinar; Monday, September 22nd, 10AM - 11AM. Details and registration coming soon!

Skill Sharing Conversations

Share your knowledge and learn from your colleagues in these attendee-driven conversations focused on specific library skills. Come ready to share your experiences and ask questions!

• "Skill-Sharing Conversation: LibraryTok & BookTok"; July 7th, 2PM - 3PM; Moderated by Ashley Loria & Justin Kontonicolaou, Ridgewood Public Library
  
• "Skill-Sharing Conversation: Managing a Library of Things"; August 9th, 3pm - 4pm; Moderated by Matt Latham and Jeff Hoffman, Ramsey Public Library

Mental Health First Aid Training

LibraryLinkNJ is proud to partner with Hackensack Meridian Hospital System to offer both Adult and Youth Mental Health First Aid training to our members. Mental health emergencies can touch nearly any aspect of library service, and we invite staff in any position from any library type to register for this valuable training course. Each training course accommodates only 15 participants, but additional courses may be scheduled as demand dictates.

• "Youth Mental Health First Aid"; Online Training, Wednesday, August 25th, 9AM - 1:30PM; Training provided by certified Mental Health First Aid instructors from Hackensack Meridian Hospital System *Limited to 15 Participants; registration opens Wednesday, June 8th*

September Save the Dates

Mark your calendar for these exciting September events!

• "Horror Readers' Advisory: How to Help Your Scariest Patrons"; Wednesday, September 7th, 10:30AM - 12PM.
• MentorNJ Intellectual Freedom Fighters Meetup; Thursday, September 8th, 3:30PM - 4:30PM
• Adult Mental Health First Aid; Online Training, Wednesday, September 14th, 9AM - 2:30PM; Training provided by certified Mental Health First Aid instructors from Hackensack Meridian Hospital System *Limited to 15 Participants; registration opens Wednesday, July 13th.*
• Cybersecurity for Libraries: Best Practices for Securing & Safeguarding Your Setup; Monday, September 22nd, 10AM - 11AM. Details and registration coming soon!
• LibraryLinkNJ Virtual One-Day Conference: Access & Accessibility in Libraries; Wednesday, September 28th. Details and registration coming soon!

The first event in our Summer Book Bash series is Thursday, July 14, 3PM-4PM. Join us as we chat with Nisha Sharma and S.A. Chakraborty, whose books often allow for armchair traveling. Sharma will share insight on her best-selling series of Bollywood-inspired romances that are based in New Jersey, while Chakraborty will explain how her world-building comes alive in her fantasy series, which is full of mystery and magic.

On Wednesday, July 20, 3PM-4PM, learn about the art of creating comics and more from Fabian Nicieza, co-creator Deadpool. He'll also reveal the writing process behind his recent thrillers, which are based in New Jersey.

On Thursday, August 4, 11AM-12PM, hear from Workman Publishing about their upcoming books, and be entered to win a gift basket of their most buzzworthy books this season!

Best of all–Attend any Book Bash event and you'll be entered to win a range of prizes, such as a surprise box of children’s and YA books or a literary-related print, from our sponsors, which include Out of Print, New York Review of Books, and more.

• Summer Book Bash: Virtual Author Event with Nisha Sharma & Shannon Chakraborty; Thursday, July 14, 3PM-4PM.
• Summer Book Bash: Virtual Author Event with Fabian Nicieza; Wednesday, July 20, 3PM-4PM.
• Summer Book Bash: Book Buzz with Workman Publishing; Thursday, August 4, 11AM-12PM.

The fun continues on social media and throughout the month of August! Keep an eye on our social media (#BookBashNJ), LLNJ's weekly On Our Calendar update, and our August newsletter for more details about our weekly challenges, prizes, and August events!

In June, libraries across New Jersey celebrated Pride Month with book displays, outreach events, library activities, and more! We asked our members to share their favorite library-sponsored Pride activities with us. Read on to get a glimpse of how NJ libraries honored Pride—like Collingswood Public Library's participation in the Collingswood Pride Picnic, featuring Drag Queen Storytime with Miss Brittany Lynn (pictured to the right)—and feel free to borrow your favorites for future use in your own community!

Cranford Public Library shared photos with us, above, of their Chalk The Walk for Pride event, featuring balloon art, crafts, and book giveaways (all done in partnership with local Cranford businesses and partners!) as well as their Pride-Friendly YA Book Display (pictured to the left)!

Fair Law Public Library kicked off the month of June with the Fair Lawn Pride Flag Raising, and then worked with local partners as part of the community's LGBTQ+ Block Party, where the library hosted a booth featuring crafts, story time, book displays, materials checkout, and even creation of library cards!

Red Bank Public Library also took part in a community Pride event, attending the Red Bank Pride in the Park at Riverside Gardens.

Books were top of mind for Pride at Paterson Public Library, where the Director's Book Club read and discussed Tomorrow Will Be Different by Sarah McBride (click the photo to the left for a closer look at their Instagram post featuring all the details)!

Sussex County Library System shared several colorful book displays with us, including those pictured below. Sussex County also hosted events like "LGBTQ+ 101" and "Sussex County Pride's Transgender Ask Us Anything," which featured a brief presentation followed by a Q&A.

Also mixing it up with both Pride-themed events and book displays was Morristown & Morris Township Library! MMT's large display (below) featured LGBTQ books of all types, as well as a Timeline of LGBTQ+ History in New Jersey. And their events included Pride-themed Book Clubs throughout the month, with works by both classic and contemporary LGBTQ+ authors, as well as a Pride Month Film Series (details in the flyer pictured on the right).

And the book displays don't stop there! Libraries across the state created Pride displays featuring fiction and nonfiction titles for all ages.

Burlington County Library System's Riverton Branch, for example, shared a photo of their June display (pictured to the left), which they described as being "a loud and proud Pride display!"

Meanwhile, the New Providence Memorial Library chose to create a display of fiction books featuring LGBTQ+ characters. A close-up of their colorful display is pictured below to the right!

Pride events were in no short supply at libraries this month, either! Matawan Aberdeen Public Library celebrated Pride with a Zoom event led by art historian and educator Sue Altman titled "Famous LGBTQ Artists." The program highlighted artists throughout history—from the Renaissance to today—who have "identified outside of the societal norms of sexuality."

Pride events were also a success at Moorestown Public Library, where an "Introduction to Gender Identity" program with presenter Natalie Baker and a book talk with Robyn Gigl were both on the June calendar!

At Rahway Public Library, a Pride month Curbside Craft from the Children's department featured cute and simple Rainbow Hearts, pictured here on the left.

Children's activities were also on the calendar at Red Bank Public Library, where two Drag Queen Story Hour events took place this June; and at Cherry Hill Public Library, where Miss Brittany Lynn shared Drag Queen Storytime with families (pictured below)!

Thanks to all the libraries that took the time to share their Pride month events and displays with us!

Our friends from the NJLA Diversity & Outreach section have completed some exciting, impressive work over the past year! We're pleased to help spread the word about a few of the valuable resources they've crafted. Feel free to use and share the toolkits, info sheets, and surveys below!

1) First is our Library Workers of Color Experiences PSA. We want to thank everyone for their submissions and the very talented Carina Gonzalez for putting it together!

2) We’ve also made an information sheet covering potential library services to patrons who use drugs. The overdose crisis has truly taken its toll on our communities throughout the pandemic. We must remember that patrons who use drugs deserve library services as much as anyone. The information we can provide has the potential to save lives.

3) Our Library Cards for All Survey Report has been published and is now in link form for easy sharing! The study shows that patrons without permanent addresses are more likely to be responsible with library materials than average patrons.

4) A copy of our Scholarships and Opportunities for Library Workers of Color info sheet was mailed to every library and branch in New Jersey, with the request that it be hung where all staff could view it. If your library doesn’t have one posted, please consider doing so.

5) We’ve just published our Fine-Free Toolkit, a very thorough resource for administration and management, trustees, and librarians in general. We found that all libraries that have been fine-free for some time have described the experience as positive. Impacts to budgets are typically small to nonexistent, and 38.1% of libraries have seen an increase in library card membership. Let’s spread the word and help end fines for good!

Many thanks to the Diversity and Outreach leadership and section members for all the work you've done this year in support of New Jersey's libraries!

We want to hear what you've got to say.

Please email suggestionbox@librarylinknj.org with feedback about our services and programs. Suggestions for new services and programs are welcome, too.

LibraryLinkNJ: Moving Forward Together

LibraryLinkNJ (formerly known as INFOLINK) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. Its members are multi-type libraries and library-related agencies located in the twenty-one counties of New Jersey. This area includes 8.79 million people. The population of the state is highly diverse and includes some of the largest communities of Spanish speaking and Asian Indian persons in the U.S.

LibraryLinkNJ – The New Jersey Library Cooperative has over 1100 voting representatives from over 2,500 public and private school, public, academic, institutional, corporate, health sciences and special libraries and library-related agencies. A member-elected Executive Board meets regularly to oversee the programs and services of the organization.

LibraryLinkNJ and its services are funded by the New Jersey State Library, which is responsible for the coordination, promotion and funding of the New Jersey Library Network. Members join at no charge and pay no dues.

Email: info@librarylinknj.org
Website: www.librarylinknj.org
Location: 2300 Stuyvesant Avenue, Ewing Township, NJ, USA
Phone: 732-752-7720
Facebook: facebook.com/librarylinknj
Twitter: @librarylinknj