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

Dear Library Friends,

Welcome to our February 2025 newsletter! February is National Library Lovers’ Month and we've got an exciting month ahead, packed with opportunities to learn, grow, and connect with your fellow library workers across New Jersey.

First up, mark your calendars for our LLNJ Winter Meeting 2025: Library Love Fest on February 12th. I am looking forward to this virtual celebration where we'll hear heartwarming "Love Letters" from your peers and our staff, showcasing the incredible work happening in libraries statewide. Trust me, you won't want to miss this feel-good event!

We are thrilled to present our first ever LibraryLinkNJ Annual Report created with our members and partners in mind as the audience. This edition of the report highlights our FY24 activities and is available on our website.

Like every month, we've lined up a variety of professional development webinars covering everything from interview techniques to historical fiction readers' advisory. And don't forget our popular MentorNJ Online Meetups – there's truly something for everyone.

Lastly, there is a feature on our newest team member, Megan Woods. She's already making waves as our Communications and Outreach Assistant, and she has a soft spot for library cats (who doesn't?).

So dive in, explore what we have to offer, and let's make this February one for the books! And remember, we always love hearing from you – drop us a line anytime!

Happy reading,

Ralph

There's a lot to love about New Jersey libraries! Celebrate and be celebrated at the LLNJ Winter Meeting 2025: Library Love Fest.

Join us at this virtual gathering of library staff from around the state, where we'll hear from a special group of speakers-- your peers! This year, LLNJ has invited library staff throughout New Jersey to share a "Love Letter," celebrating the successes of all of New Jersey’s incredible libraries and library teams. From major construction projects and big grants to successful storytimes or tricky reference calls - there’s no success too big or small to celebrate.

All NJ library staff are invited to join us! Celebrate your colleagues, gain some inspiration, hear our LibraryLinkNJ updates!

Share the love with the library community on February 12, from 2:30-4:30pm!

💜🧡💛 Click Here to Register for the Event 💛🧡💜

Information Today, Inc. has offered LibraryLinkNJ members a group discount registration price of $399 for their 3-day Computers in Libraries 2025 Conference (standard early registration rate is $599) until Friday, February 21, 2025.

After February 21, the group discount will change to $419 ($649 without group discount). No discount rates are available for pre conference seminars and workshops.

Early registration rates are valid until February 21, 2025!

Visit the Computers in Libraries 2025 Discount page on our website for more information

Come and network with your African American colleagues while enjoying food, lively conversation, and learning opportunities! This event is part of Culture Connection, a statewide EDI-NJ project!

Culture Connection aims to connect library staff from diverse backgrounds through cultural experiences, education, and events. Our goal is to bring different cultures together, fostering understanding and appreciation of cultural diversity in New Jersey's library workplaces.

1. This event is open to all NJ library staff—both African American library staff and allies.

2. Registration is limited to 70 people and is free of charge, but registration is required.

3. Registration is now open! For more event details and the registration link, visit the event page.

• Cultural Connection: African American Cultural Event; In-person; Friday, March 14, 10:30am-3:30pm.
• Location: Monroe Township Library (Middlesex County)
• 4 Municipal Plaza, Monroe Twp., NJ 08831

• Want to be part of this cultural connection but can't attend in person? You can still join us virtually for two main presentations via Zoom!

LibraryLinkNJ TechFest is back!

LibraryLinkNJ Tech Advisory Group (L-TAG), LibraryLinkNJ, and NJLA with special support from the NJLA Emerging Technology Section, invites everyone working in libraries - School Media Specialists, Public Library Staff, College and University Staff, and more! - to mix and mingle with newbies and techies alike.

Join colleagues from around the state at the Monroe Township Library for a uniquely New Jersey learning experience at TechFest 2025! We are hosting a variety of hot tech topics for our 20-minute Table Talks and hands-on demonstrations, plus an afternoon special presentation!

• Tuesday, April 29, 2025, 10am-3pm
• Location: Monroe Township Public Library (Middlesex County)
• Registration opens on Tuesday, February 25, 2025 at 9am. Registration is limited to 70 people.

LibraryLinkNJ is looking for presenters for 20 minute Table Talks at TechFest 2025!

Are you an expert on a particular topic? Have you or your organization rolled out a new service or initiative you would love to share? Just really excited about new technology in the library? Please consider presenting and fill out this call for presenters form. Submissions will close on Friday, February 14, 2025. Accepted submissions will be notified by February 21, 2025.

Join members of our LibraryLinkNJ team for a New Member Information Session designed to welcome you to the New Jersey Library Cooperative! We'll help new members understand:

• What LibraryLinkNJ is
• Who is part of the LibraryLinkNJ team
• What LibraryLinkNJ can offer
• How library staff can get involved
• And more!

Staff members in any and all positions are encouraged to join us as we explore what it means to be part of a LibraryLinkNJ institution and how you can benefit from the many resources and services offered by the Cooperative!

• LLNJ New Member Information Session; Virtual; Friday, March 21, 10:30-11:30am.

Effective interview questions are key to making fair, informed hiring decisions. In this 1-hour webinar, you'll learn best practices for crafting meaningful questions to help you make job-relevant hiring decisions. We'll explore the concept of bias and its impact on the interview process before diving into actionable strategies to design questions that genuinely assess the candidates' knowledge, skills, and abilities.

• Interview Question Design; Virtual; Thursday, February 6, 2-3pm.
• Hosted by CARLI (Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois) and made available via the Professional Development Alliance.

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In this webinar, Kate Quealy-Gainer will give an overview of what it’s like to review children’s literature for a professional journal, discussing the ins and outs of the process, from working with publishers to final edits. The presentation will also touch on what role the Bulletin believes reviews have in the field, especially in light of the current upswing in book challenges.

• Behind the Bulletin: A Look at Reviewing Children's Literature and Its Role in the Professional Field; Virtual; Tuesday, February 11, 11am-12pm.
• Hosted by CARLI (Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois) and made available via the Professional Development Alliance.

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In this pilot program modeled on the work of our colleagues at the South Carolina State Library and Denver Public Library, New Jersey library staff are encouraged to join us for an opportunity to practice their library-related Spanish language skills! Join a native Spanish speaker from the NJ library community and up to 14 other library colleagues who will gather via Zoom to practice common vocabulary and phrases. Februarys topic is Library Cards and Simple Documents; both dates will cover the same information and interested participants need only attend one date.

• ¿Cómo Se Dice? Library Cards & Simple Documents; Virtual; Tuesday, February 11, 11am-12pm.
• ¿Cómo Se Dice? Library Cards & Simple Documents; Virtual; Wednesday, February 26, 4pm-5pm.
  

*Registration is limited to 15 individuals per session.

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In an ever-evolving library landscape, effectively managing staffing transitions is essential to maintaining operational continuity. This webinar will explore the role of succession planning as a way to proactively prepare for staffing changes, including identifying critical positions, assessing vacancy risk, determining necessary skills and knowledge, and fostering growth in potential successors.

• Succession Planning as Change Management: Building Sustainable Staffing in Libraries; Virtual; Tuesday, February 18, 2pm-3:15pm.
• This event is hosted by NCLIVE (North Carolina's Statewide Library Cooperative) and made available to you via the Professional Development Alliance of Library Consortia.

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Join us in this coalition of NJ's library organizations to tackle EDI issues in our state's libraries.

• NJ Statewide EDI Initiative Group (EDI-NJ) Meeting; Virtual; Wednesday, February 19, 3pm-4pm.

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LibraryLinkNJ is proud to offer the next webinar in our series on genre reader's advisory, following successful programs on horror, romance, and fantasy readers' advisory. By request, we are now highlighting historical fiction, a genre with long-lasting appeal. With several subgenres, from historical romance to historical mystery to historical fantasy, it can be difficult to know how to get started promoting this diverse genre to your community. Come learn why readers love historical fiction and how you can promote it all year long.

• Historical Fiction: Learning from the Past; Virtual; Wednesday, February 19, 4pm-5pm.

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First Amendment audits of libraries are a growing trend and a very real challenge for frontline staff to handle. Chances are increasing that library staff will be faced with a First Amendment auditor's attempt to get footage for their social media. In this webinar, learners will gain basic knowledge about First Amendment audits, what typically happens during an audit, and the key strategies for successfully navigating an audit.

• First Amendment Audit Training for Frontline Staff; Virtual; Tuesday, February 25, 2pm-3pm.
• This event is hosted by CARLI (Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois) and made available to you via the Professional Development Alliance of Library Consortia.

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

• Sustainable Crafts & Projects; Virtual, Wednesday, February 26, 11am-12pm.
  

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Mental Health First Aid from the National Council for Mental Wellbeing is a nationally recognized program that offers Mental Health First Aid training courses designed to help participants react confidently, competently, and appropriately when they encounter an individual suffering from a mental health crisis. From identifying risk factors and warning signs to outlining strategies for assisting someone in the midst of a crisis, a Mental Health First Aid training course prepares participants to enact an action plan and utilize appropriate interventions when they encounter a mental health emergency.

• Youth Mental Health First Aid Training; Virtual; Friday, February 28, 9am-1:30pm.

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LibraryLinkNJ is proud to partner with Signing Basics to offer "Customer Service Signs for Librarians: Part 1," a series of workshops which will teach library staff how to better communicate with members of their community who are Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing.

"Customer Service Signs for Librarians: Part 1" consists of three 45-minute trainings taught by an experienced ASL instructor. LibraryLinkNJ is please to sponsor this training throughout 2025. More dates will be added soon.

• Signing Basics; Virtual; Wednesday, March 5, 10am-10:45am.
• Registration for each three-week training is limited to 15 participants.
• By registering, you are making a commitment to attend all three courses in each training.

Come and network with your African American colleagues while enjoying food, lively conversation, and learning opportunities! This event is part of Culture Connection, a statewide EDI-NJ project!

Culture Connection aims to connect library staff from diverse backgrounds through cultural experiences, education, and events. Our goal is to bring different cultures together, fostering understanding and appreciation of cultural diversity in New Jersey's library workplaces.

1. This event is open to all NJ library staff—both African American library staff and allies.

2. Registration is limited to 70 people and is free of charge, but registration is required.

3. Registration is now open! For more event details and the registration link, visit the event page.

• Cultural Connection: African American Cultural Event; In-person; Friday, March 14, 10:30am-3:30pm.
• Location: Monroe Township Library (Middlesex County)
• 4 Municipal Plaza, Monroe Twp., NJ 08831

Join us for any or all of our MentorNJ Online Meetups this month! No registration required; Zoom links go out to our entire email list each Monday morning for that week's Meetups.

• Disabled & Neurodivergent Library Staff - February 4th, 2pm-3pm

• Wellness Wednesday - February 5th, 3pm-4pm

• Maker Meetup - February 6th, 3pm-4pm

• Latino Library Staff - February 11th, 10am-11am

• Leading Lean Libraries - February 11th, 11am-12pm

• LGBTQUIA+ Library Staff - February 12th, 11am-12pm

• Adventures in Administration - February 13th, 10:30am-11:30am

• *NEW* HR Roundtable and Networking- February 18th, 10am-11am

• Juggling Parenting and Library Work - February 19th, 2-3pm

• School Libraries - February 19th, 4:30pm-5:30pm

• Tech! - February 20th, 3-4pm

• African American Library Staff - February 26th, 2pm-3pm

• Adventures in Administration - February 27th, 10:30am-11:30am

Want to know more about a meet-up? Check out our calendar!

Irisneri Alicea Flores, Genealogist from Descubre Tu Historia, will be a special guest discussing Hispanic Genealogy at the next Latino Library Staff MentorNJ Online Meet-up on Tuesday, February 11th at 10am. All are welcome!

LibraryLinkNJ is responsible for the statewide, physical delivery of shared library materials for those institutions that choose to participate in our delivery service.

Reminder: There will be no deliveries made on February 17th due to the holiday (Presidents Day).

Immigrants' Rights: General Information

• La Casa de Don Pedro: Know Your Rights
• Immigrant Legal Resource Center’s Red Cards
• NJ Office of New Americans
• ACLU Immigrants’ Rights
• ACLU NJ Know Your Rights

Resources for NJ's K-12 Schools

• January 22 NJDOE Broadcast Memo
• NJDOE School Preparedness and Emergency Planning

Guidance for Libraries

• ALA Intellectual Freedom Blog: Libraries and Immigration Enforcement

For further information about any of the above resources and for a printable version of the resources lis, click the link below to access our downloadable PDF!

Resources for Libraries: Immigrants' Rights, Library Procedures

On January 20th, LibraryLinkNJ attended the NJ Academic Libraries Conference, which is an event that allows academic librarians from all over New Jersey the chance to discuss new technologies, trends, and happenings within the profession, as well as network and connect with peers within the New Jersey library community.

As a program sponsor, LibraryLinkNJ had a lot of parts to play throughout the event! Executive Director Ralph Bingham presented an organizational update and tabled at the event, as seen in the top left image above. Our Online Learning & Digital Content Specialist Jon Braun, along with several AI Ambassadors, led a breakout session titled "Exploring AI Tools for Academic Libraries: A Panel Discussion with LibraryLinkNJ AI Ambassadors." You can view the slides from this presentation here. Our Programming and Outreach Manager, Darby Malvey, along with several co-speakers, presented "The Missing Piece: Solving the Puzzle of Missing Information Literacy Skills for Incoming Students." You can view the slides of the presentation here.

What is your library doing for Black History Month? Do you have a special display of Black History books? Do you have programs related to the theme? We'd love to see it! This month, be sure to take pictures of the ways your library is celebrating Black History Month, and send them in to us to be featured in the next monthly newsletter!

Please send your submissions to ce@librarylinknj.org with the subject "Black History Month photos," along with the name of your library.

1. How long have you been working at LibraryLinkNJ?

I started at LibraryLinkNJ at the beginning of December, so I’ve been here for about a month and a half!

2. What are your responsibilities with the Cooperative? What are the areas or services members should reach out to you about if they have questions or need help?

My responsibilities with the Cooperative include creating content that highlights events and programs, maintaining LLNJ's social media accounts, creating weekly and monthly newsletters, formulating email blasts, and taking on any tasks involving design or outreach. Members can reach out to me if they have questions or comments about any of the social media content, or the weekly and monthly newsletters. You can find my contact information on the LLNJ Staff page.

3. Can you share something you love about libraries? Or your favorite library memory?

Of course! Last year, I went on a road trip across the 48 contiguous states with my partner. At the time, I was working a remote job, so libraries were a lifeline, and we stopped at a new one at least twice a week. As a result, we must have seen a hundred different libraries. In California, we were able to visit the Cerritos Library and the Huntington Library, which were two of the most unique and interesting libraries I've ever seen. However, my favorite library was the Elsie S. Hogan Community Library in Willcox, AZ, as they had a little garden out front where a sweet old cat liked to hang out and greet patrons. Nothing beats a great reading spot with a friendly cat!

4. How do you like to spend your time when you’re not at work?

Outside of work, I love to read and write. I also love creating art and learning new mediums when I get the chance. In the summer, I enjoy taking my dog to the beach.

5. Tell us what you’ve enjoyed lately! What’s your favorite:

• Book you’ve read recently: I recently read A Complicated Love Story Set In Space by Shaun David Hutchinson, and I loved it! It had a lot of sci-fi elements that I enjoyed, as well a twist ending!
• TV show or movie you watched recently: I've been rewatching Chowder recently. I love cartoons, and this was one was of my favorites as a kid.
• Restaurant you think everyone should try: Does Wawa count as a restaurant? My hoagie order is something everyone should try.

6. What else would you like to share?

I'm really excited to be a part of this team! We're a small but busy group, and it's been great getting to know the faces behind the Cooperative that make everything happen.

The Florida OER Summit Planning Committee invites proposal submissions for the 2025 Summit. The Planning Committee strives to host an inclusive and accessible conference and encourages proposals that reflect a wide range of lived experiences and perspectives. Faculty and students are encouraged to participate.

The Summit will be free and held virtually May 21 - 22 (Wednesday-Thursday), and our theme is Engage and Empower: Leveraging OER to Enhance Student Learning.

The deadline for proposals is Friday, February 28, 2025, via the proposal submission form. The Planning Committee will deliver decisions by March 28, 2025. Invited presenters will be asked to accept or decline the invitation to present by April 4, 2025. Please note that all presenters will need to register (free) for the Summit.

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The Office of New Americans (ONA) remains dedicated to working with you to protect New American communities through our programs and initiatives within the ONA, in partnership with State offices/agencies and community-based agencies statewide. Our office is committed to maintaining open lines of communication and ongoing support as updates and changes in federal policy arise. Please feel free to reach out to ONA@dhs.nj.gov should you need clarification, guidance, or support. In addition, our administration is committed to providing resources for communities. Our office has created the following resources for immigrants, refugees, and organizations who serve them:

ONA Know Your Rights – For community and Organizations/Businesses, more languages to come.

ONA Programs Page- Contains an asylum guide, employment authorization, and more resources.

For additional information and resources please visit our website. Thank you for your continued partnership.

LibraryLinkNJ's Executive Board will hold their next meeting on Thursday, February 20th at 2:30pm via Zoom.

All LibraryLinkNJ members are welcome to attend Executive Board meetings. Find more information on the Executive Board page on our website!

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: Every New Jersey Library - Connected and Thriving

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
Instagram: @librarylinknj